Did Harry speak to the Basilisk?

[finwitch <finwitch@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50502

--- Tom wrote:
> 
> I'll be darned if I didn't spend almost an hour looking for 
something 
> in the archives on Harry speaking to the Basilisk.  I know that, 
> somewhere, somehow, I ran across posts wondering why Harry didn't 
> speak to the snake in the Chamber of Secrets, why he didn't attempt 
> to counter-control it.
> 
> After rereading said installment in the series, this bit caused me 
to 
> stop and ponder:
> 
> ----
> "Help me, help me," Harry muttered wildly, "someone - anyone - "
> 
> The snake's tail whipped across the floor again. Harry ducked. 
> Something soft hit his face.
> 
> The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms.(CoS 319)
> ----

Me:

Yes-- I think that Harry could have spoken in Parseltongue and the 
Basilisk helped him. Did it know about Gryffindor's sword in the hat? 
Possibly. After all, the basilisk was Salazar Slytherin's pet, and 
people do tell things to their pets, so there is a possibility, 
providing that S. Slytherin - or Tom Marvolo Riddle - knew that 
Godric Gryffindor put it there.

And-- I do believe that Parseltongue can be discussive (as Harry was 
in the Zoo with the Boa or Nadine giving information to Voldemort), 
but also commanding. Such as Harry telling the snake Draco summoned 
in Duel club to leave Justin, Tom Riddle giving orders to the 
basilisk.

It is possible that a snake must obey parseltongue commands. That 
might have lead to the invention of Imperius Curse by one parselmouth 
or other, I think...

-- Finwitch