Why Petrification?

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 51658

Melody:
>Sorry this is so short, but I have to leave in like ten minutes and I
>*had* to defend dear Pip.

Oh dear, it wasn't supposed to be an attack! 
I just don't understand.

>>Eloise wrote:
>>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?

>CoS, Ch 17.
>Riddle, "..I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived
>here. I knew you'd come."
>
>How Riddle expected Harry to know how to come down there does not seem
>to worry him. He "knew" Harry would find a way to save his friend.
>And Riddle was right.

True, it doesn't worry him......but it worries me!

>Also, if Harry had not appeared, then Riddle would have a body to go
>and *find* Harry.

True. As long as he wasn't already on the HE on his way home.

>Either way, Riddle's goals are met.

Agreed. But I still don't understand why he undertook such a careful campaign 
of petrification and then did the one thing that would ensure the instant 
closure of the school *before* he knew that Harry was anywhere near working 
out how to find him.
Yes, he would have a body to find Harry, but as you point out, that's not 
what he says. He expects Harry to find him.


>One last thing before I go...
>Eloise asked:
>>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?
>
>Well petrifying someone's best friend does rather step up the search
>or the person responsible, don't you think?

Of course. Except that Hermione is the brains of the operation, the one who 
tends to work out obscure things that the rest of the WW can't quite grasp - 
like that if something is going round petrifying things and roosters are 
being killed and spiders running away, etc., etc., then it's a Basilisk. If 
Hermione had been petrified *on the way to* the library, or hadn't vandalised 
the book to tear out the page, or written "pipes" on it - if, indeed Harry 
hadn't noticed the paper in her hand, or Madam Pomfrey had got there first, 
our hero wouldn't have realised that it was a monstous snake using the 
plumbing and a Great Big Last Minute Essential Clue would have been missing.

That was my point.

~Eloise

Also rushing off