Why Petrification? WAS Re: Draco's Crimes & Misdemeanors

[Diana <dianasdolls@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51731

Pip!Squeak wrote:
> 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.
 
Now me:
But I *do* believe it is a series of lucky coincidences that no one 
died. Judging by the Basilisk's thoughts overheard by Harry 
throughout CoS, the Basilisk is not super smart.  He wants to kill, 
whether or not he's controlled by Riddle [through Ginny] or not.  I 
just can't see Tom Riddle instructing [through Ginny] to tell the 
Basilisk "don't look at anyone directly" and "make sure you go after 
someone who's looking through a camera or standing behind a ghost or 
looking at a reflection in a mirror or water".  I just can't see 
that as even a remote possibility.  And Tom Riddle himself couldn't 
get that giant snake to attack Harry instead of concentrating on 
Fawkes, otherwise why would Riddle have shouted over and over for 
the Basilisk to "Ignore the bird! Get the boy! You can still smell 
him!" etc.?  I just didn't get the impression that the basilisk was 
smart enough to recognize a camera or a mirror, etc. and then attack 
people but intentionally *not* kill them.    
Besides, Riddle may have been a brilliant student, but he shows an 
amazing ability to forget important information in the heat of the 
moment - for example, that phonenix tears have healing powers, that 
lots of attacks and a death of student would result in the closure 
of the school and he would have to go back to the Muggle orphanage 
as a result and that a mother sacrificing her life for her child 
would leave a powerful magic mark of protection on that child.  
Also, we don't know at what point in the school year that Ginny told 
Riddle through the diary all about Harry.  Riddle tells Harry that 
attacking and killing mudbloods doesn't matter to him anymore, 
because for some time now his target was Harry himself.  We don't 
know exactly when Riddle's priorities changed, but I wouldn't say 
that the first attacks were meant just to lure Harry into meeting 
Riddle face-to-face many, many months later.  I think Riddle 
wouldn't have cared if the students attacked had actually died, 
because Riddle still had Ginny under his control.  Ginny would have 
written in her diary that the school was being closed and that she 
was going home.  Riddle would have just accelerated kidnapping 
Ginny, drained the life out of her and gone out looking for Harry 
afterwards in his new sixteen-year-old body.  Riddle always 
*pretends* that everything that happens was his idea all along, but 
the scene with Fawkes healing Harry's basilisk wound told me a lot 
about how Riddle thinks [or doesn't think in some cases].  Riddle 
was gloating over Harry about how he was going to die and Riddle was 
going to watch.  Then after Fawkes heals Harry, Riddle then 
proclaims he actually preferred Harry getting well so he could kill 
him himself.  The guy is loony and changes his tune at the drop of a 
hat in order to make himself believe that he is in control at all 
times.  Voldemort made the same mistake when he tried to kill Harry 
the first time and again in the graveyard.  Voldemort had Harry tied 
up and completely defenseless.  He could have pointed his wand at 
Harry and killed him just like he killed Cedric, but he 
didn't...instead he wants to duel with Harry to show all his DEs how 
superior he is to Harry.  His plan backfired, as usual.  
As for the teachers keeping the school open, I think they were 
hoping for the best, like you suggest.  I agree that Dumbledore 
might have suspected that only a parselmouth could find and open the 
chamber of secrets and, knowing that Harry is a parselmouth, might 
have hoped that Harry could at the very least find the entrance.  
Also, Dumbledore knew that Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort was indeed 
the Heir of Slytherin and that he knew how to open the CoS because 
Dumbledore wonders out loud how Voldemort could have enchanted Ginny 
at Hogwarts when he was last seen in Albania.  Granted he's helping 
Harry explain the diary and clear Ginny's name, but he still knew 
that Voldemort was the one opening it all along.
To sum up, I don't believe the either the basilisk or Riddle was 
smart enough to come up with and enact a plan to just petrify 
students wihtout actually killing any.  Riddle has shown he's not 
very good at long-term planning on many occasions, after all.  

Diana
dianasdolls