Snape and Parseltongue (wasRe: Wands with no spells)

[The Real Makarni <pat_mahony@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48034


>        Snape triggered that whole bit...and got a different reaction 
than he 
> intended. Which begs the question...is Snape a Parseltongue? 
And, for that 
> matter, why isn't Malfoy, whose whole family has been in 
Slytherin for 
> generations. Isn't Parseltongue one of the things Slytherin 
himself looked 
> for in his students?

I don't have my book with me, but after Harry leaves the Duelling 
Club, and Hermione and Ron are explaining the concept, Harry 
says something like, "I suppose heaps of people here can do it", 
to which one of them replies, "No, it's a very rare gift". So it isn't 
surprising that Malfoy is *not* a Parselmouth, and neither does it 
say that Slytherin looked for Parseltongue in prospective 
students- he probably didn't, seeing as it s a very rare gift. 
As for Snape's reaction, I think this was a reaction similar to the 
rest of those present, except that Snape isn't exactly the 
hysterical type. 
Now, there are probably those who believe that Snape was 
instructed by Dumbledore to do something like this, in order to 
reveal Harry's talent, but I won't go into that.
Roo