tidbits: fighting dragons, toads

[dorband at uwp.edu]

No: HPFGUIDX 18840

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., foxmoth at q... wrote:
> > 
> And wouldn't Harry have been able to communicate with Norbert?
> 
> Pippin


--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, heidi <heidi.h.tandy.c92 at a...> 
                 wrote: (again, back in August)

> I'm now wondering, if they speak parseltongue, then Harry should've 
    also been able to understand Norbert - unless that gets explained 
by saying that Norbert was so young he hadn't learned to talk yet.


<me>
I don't think that Harry has much of an idea that he's capable of 
speaking/understanding parseltongue during Norbert's stay with Hagrid. 
 He (Harry) doesn't realize he's a parcelmouth until CS.  Although I 
do suggest in my post that Harry *will* communicate with Norbert at a 
later date.

There are MANY holes in this theory - ie, he didn't speak with the 
basilisk in CS, although he *could* have.  Perhaps dragons are not at 
all open to the notion of communicating with humans, this doesn't mean 
they *couldn't*, it just means they aren't so inclined (being dragons 
and all).  Maybe Harry will be the one to break their silence.


at this point I don't intend to say that dragons do, IN FACT, speak 
parseltongue, I was only pointing out that the way JKR seems to be 
using the term *basilisk*, as well as the muggle and mythological 
definitions of that term, lead me to muse about the possibility that 
dragons MIGHT also speak/understand parseltongue.

   I have no proof that dragons speak parseltongue in JKR's world; 
although in other worlds, dragons are very wise and magical 
creatures and probably not only speak parseltongue, but are magically 
multilingual - superior even to Barty Crouch, who speaks all 
manner of tongues and dialects.


                 But since we *are* in JKR's world, there is no 
indication that dragons speak parseltongue.  It is clear, however, 
that both basilisks *and* snakes speak parseltongue in JKR's world.
Since dragons are, to some extent, related to these, I'm comfortable 
speculating that dragons will be shown to be parselmouths, too.


Brian