Basilisk Attacks

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 39477

Carrie-Ann wrote:
> Hello All!  I thought I'd revisit CoS for a minute...  I'm listening 
> to the audio now.  I was wondering about how the basilisk actually 
> attacks people.  I mean I know that it travels through the pipes, but 
> the attacks are mostly in the hallways.  How does the basilisk get 
> into the hallway?  I was thinking maybe water fountains or some such 
> thing, but I'm not sure that explains everything.   

It's supposed to come out through Mirtle's bathroom, through the secret 
door in the sink (you have to wonder how long have those sinks been 
there, since it's strange that modern piping was installed in the times 
the school first opened, but maybe the wizards just remembered the 
roman technology...). There may be more ways to get out from the pipes, 
but the fact that it has to go all the way up sort of implies the only 
way out is that bathroom (remember the first attack is directly outside 
it: Filch's cat)

> If this has already 
> been discussed at length, I'm sorry for bringing it up again.  It has 
> just been bugging me.

To my knowledge, it hasn't been discussed recently, but then again, I 
may look like an established member of HP4GU, but I haven't been here 
so long, really, and CS has been out a LONG time.

> Also, how are the 
> attcks targeted?  Does anyone have any ideas?  

The attacks were targeted, presumably, by Ginny herself, when possesed 
by Riddle's memory of the diary. When in that situation, Ginny could 
speak parseltongue, and come in and out of the chamber of secrets with 
ease.

> Also, when Harry hears the voice of the basilisk, it is saying that 
> it is hungry, and that it wants to rip, etc (sorry, I don't have my 
> book with me to reference).  Why doesn't it feed on the petrified 
> victims?  I know that's pretty gross, but why not?  

Because, fortunately, it's being tightly controled by Riddle!Ginny. 
Basilisks are not the sort of creatures you want to let out of your 
sight (which is a problem, since you don't want to be in *their* sight 
either :-) ). Riddle was looking for a general panic, but keeping it 
low key, or the school would have been emptied inmediately, which 
wasn't part of his plan (he wanted to infuse Harry, not scare everyone 
away).
 
> Also, Seeing as how the entrance to the chamber is in Myrtle's 
> bathroom, why doesn't she know more about what's going on? I know 
> that she wasn't there on Halloween, but what about the other times it 
> was opened?  

Most of the time she spends in her bathroom she's probably crying 
loudly inside her private bathroom, where she doesn't hear or see 
anything and (even though it's in front of the secret entrance), she 
probably doesn't enjoy looking at it very much, so she probably keeps 
the door closed. Remember, too, that she spends quite a lot of time 
roaming the school (when she's not being flushed into the lake, she's 
peeking at the prefects in the bathroom).

On the other hand, maybe she *does* know about what's going on, but her 
personality is keeping it tight inside her, and since nobody asks...
 
> Just a few thoughts that have been nagging at me.  
> 
> Carrie-Ann (who really should get back to work...)

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf (who *is* getting back to work)