Why Petrification?

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 51653


Pip:
>From that, it's a safe bet that only a certain number of deaths 
>would be tolerated before the school was shut down [in the event, 
>one presumed death is enough].
>
>**And Harry would be sent home with the other students.**
>
>So Riddle's task is to keep the terror going, try and suck Harry in, 
>*whilst* keeping the school open. The answer is petrification.
>
>It is *not* a long series of rather far-fetched coincidences that 
>the Basilisk doesn't actually *kill* anyone. It's [or Ginny, its 
>physical controller] under orders. Probably those orders are to 
>*not* to look directly in anyones eyes; but to seek out situations 
>where victims could see the 'reflections' of its eyes.
>
>With no students dead, the chances are that the teachers will 
>continue to keep the school open in the hopes that things will die 
>down like they did last time.


So why take Ginny down into the Chamber, thus precipitating the closure of 
the school, *before* he has had the chance to get to Harry?

If Hermione hadn't been holding that slip of paper when she was petrified and 
if Harry and Ron hadn't happened to find out that the Basilisk's last 
fatality had met her end in a bathroom, and if they hadn't needed a location 
for making Polyjuice Potion and Hermione hadn't known about Myrtle and her 
bathroom in the first place - well, no matter how much Harry would have 
wanted to save Ginny, he couldn't have done anything about it. Did Riddle 
know all this? Did he know that Harry had finally put all the clues together 
and would be able to find the Chamber? 

If so, how?

And if the Basilisk *was* being so closely controlled and Riddle *wanted* 
Harry to find his way to the Chamber - then why petrify Hermione of all 
people? It does smack a little of shooting oneself in the foot. Even for an 
nascent Evil Overlord.

~Eloise
Resisting saying anything about mystery stories and convenient, far-fetched 
co-incidences.  

PS. Totally OT
>Wendy ... making her first post to the list after moving from Scotland to 
California 
>last month. And, who does love Lupin, but would still rather be seeing Snape 

>on page 3).

<LOL>
So would I! 
(Not quite sure whether that was a deliberate Britspeak double entendre, or 
merely a ref to OoP.)