Harry, Parseltongue, and the Basilisk

[syndicateblue]

No: HPFGUIDX 86638

Derek Hiemforth <derek at r...> wrote:
> (Now from Steve Vander Ark's essay):
> "Why didn't Harry talk Parseltongue to the Basilisk? Good 
question. There are a couple of times in the books where Harry 
seems to ignore the obvious solution."
> [snip]
> "Here's actually a perfectly good solution to this mystery: he's a 
kid, facing unimaginable danger or major stress, and he just doesn't 
think it all through."
> 
> (Now back to Derek):
> <snip> I offer another idea for why Harry 
> didn't speak Parseltongue to it...
> 
> Throughout CoS, many -- even including Harry himself in some ways -
> - suspect him of being the Heir of Slytherin because he's a Parselmouth. 
> He knows Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth too, and still wonders
> whether the sorting hat made a mistake putting him in Gryffindor.
> Now, in the chamber, he learns that Tom Riddle is really Lord 
> Voldemort, and that *he* is a Parselmouth as well.
> 
> With all this as the background, I suggest that it's possible Harry
> didn't just fail to think of trying to speak Parseltongue to the
> Basilisk, nor fail to try it because he didn't think he could 
> command it.
> 
> Instead, perhaps he failed to try because he was afraid he *could*
> command it...
> 
> This would have been subconscious, of course.  But the last thing 
> Harry would have wanted right then would be further reinforcement of 
> the idea that he was similar the murderer of his parents and the 
> founder of the hated Slytherins.  If Harry *had* been able to command 
> the Basilisk, it would have carried a great many unpleasant ramifications 
> for him...


Syndicateblue:

There are some interesting points in this post but I believe I have 
a simpler, better solution to this "problem" that no one has raised 
as of yet.  ;)

We all know that being a Parseltongue enables one to communicate 
with serpents.  Therefore, most people assume that Harry, being a 
Parseltongue, would simply be able to tell the Basilisk to leave him 
alone and it would relent.  However, here's the part that no one 
seems to have considered: just because Harry can _talk_ to the 
Basilisk does not mean that the Basilisk would obey him.

Here's my take on the situation: Riddle is pretty much unofficially 
established as the Basilisk's master, if not owner.  Firstly, he is 
the heir of slytherin, and secondly, he has familiarity with the 
Basilisk and has known and commanded it in the past.  I would assume 
that the Basilisk also has some familiarity with Riddle, like a dog 
knows its master.  We see in the Sorceror's Stone, when the Boa 
talks to Harry, that snakes do have some sort of intelligence.  I 
would assume here, as Harry probably would, that had Harry tried to 
communicate with the Basilsk, it would have either
A) Understood, but completely ignored him.
B) Hear both his command and Riddle's commands simultaneously, but 
comprehend that Riddle is its true master and therefore go after 
Harry.

Even if my theory is not correct, it does seem to be a logical train 
of thought, and at least _Harry_ may have believed the same thing.

Syndicateblue