The Basilisk's voice

[annemehr <annemehr@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51529

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ingachristsuperstar 
<ingachristsuperstar at y...>" <ingachristsuperstar at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Susanne <
> siskiou at e...> wrote:
> > After reading all the discussion about parseltongue and
> > whether Dumbledore knows about the basilisk or not, I
> > started wondering why only Harry can hear it.
> > 
> > Shouldn't other people at least hear *something*? A hissing
> > sound?
> > 
<snip>
> 
> I noticed this problem recently as well.  Frankly, I think its just 
a 
> slight logical problem with the plot.  No writer can be perfect.
> 
> However, giving JKR the benefit of the doubt, I think the best 
> explanation is that a very very quiet hiss is much more llikely to 
> blend into background noises than a very low voice.  Human 
> ears are just conditioned to pick up voices over anything else.  
> The hissing may have been barely audible to non-Parselmouths 
> but just not noticable, especially if they were listening for a 
voice 
> (as were Ron and Hermione when Harry insisted he could hear 
> a voice).
> 
> -Ing

Actually, I think the case you make about the hissing blending into 
the background noised is stronger than you make out, and not a logical 
problem with the plot at all.

The halls seem to be lit with torches -- wouldn't they hiss?  The 
castle is also draughty which I would think would cause some hissing 
of air and rustling of tapestries.  Besides, I would think there may 
be some noise of water in the pipes as well.  Even a reasonably loud 
hissing of the basilisk would probably go unremarked by the average 
person (it still wouldn't be all *that* loud).  And Ing's point about 
the human brain picking out the sounds of words above other noises 
explains a lot.

Annemehr