[HPforGrownups] Re: Expelling Draco?

[T.M. Sommers]

No: HPFGUIDX 76274

Random wrote:
> On Sunday, Jul 13, 2003, at 19:57 America/Indianapolis, T.M. Sommers 
> wrote:
> 
>>P. 194 of the US edition: the snake "raised itself, fangs
>>exposed, poised to strike."  Non-poisonous snakes don't have fangs.
> 
> A fang is just a tooth... we're not told if these particular fangs are 
> hollow for delivering poison. 

In snakes, a fang is a specialized tooth for delivering poison. 
At least that is the common usage.

> As far as I know, most or all snakes have 
> fangs, though i could be wrong. 

Non-poisonous snakes don't have fangs.

> It's also possible that it's venomous 
> but not poisonous (to humans); are there even any snakes like this? 

None that I know of.

> Or, 
> another possibility - it is venomous, but for it to actually have any 
> effect the wizard conjuring it has to be at a certain power level. 
> Remember, it's not a "real" snake.

Or, the most likely possibility, it is a poisonous snake, in the 
usual meaning of that phrase.