talking to basilisks (was fighting dragons)

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 18844

Brian wrote:

> <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.  

That hole doesn't have anything to do with whether basilisks speak 
Parseltongue, though, and I think it's easily filled.  By the time he 
gets to the Chamber of Secrets, Harry knows that he's a Parselmouth, 
that he has been hearing the basilisk talk, and that whoever has been 
setting it loose is a Parselmouth too and has been controlling the 
basilisk that way.  Whatever a basilisk is, Harry knows he can talk to 
it.  So why doesn't he say "stay, boy!" to it when it comes after him? 
 Probably because he doesn't think it will heed him, with another 
Parselmouth giving it orders to the contrary.  Probably a good bet.

Amy Z

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 The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that
 stood alone in the middle of the grounds.
                 -HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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