Now that I think about it, I'm not sure the Basilisk was such a good idea...

[persephone_kore]

No: HPFGUIDX 57956

Darrin:
> Let us assume for the moment that whatever the reason Salazar left 
> behind the basilisk, it was not a benevolent or harmless act. 

If I may ask, why exactly are we assuming this? You proceed to give
evidence for it -- sort of -- in which case it doesn't need to be
assumed, and I rather thought the point of Andrea13's post was that it
wasn't necessarily a very good assumption.

> Then why not take it with him when he left? Didn't he miss his 
> wittle Fido?

Well, if it was supposed to defend the school....

> A defense that can only be unleashed and controlled via a 
> Parselmouth? When there -- apparently -- have been only two such 
> gifted people in the last 1,000 years? 

Er... well, first of all, we have names for three, Salazar, Riddle,
and Harry (unless Hogwarts was founded far enough back that Salazar
died before the thousand-year mark). Second, see the bit about
Runespoors -- I suppose Rowling could have been careless, but it seems
somewhat unlikely to me that Salazar Slytherin and Tom Riddle are
responsible for all known discussions (or eavesdroppings) with
Runespoors. I think the talent is rare, but not quite THAT rare. Tom
Riddle is perhaps not always a terribly reliable source.

Besides, isn't it just as illogical to leave an instrument of
genocide/very extreme method of influencing admissions policies
hanging around if it can only be unleashed by a Parselmouth? 

Going by the boa (which even seems to have known what its own sign
said, indicating some acquired command of English and possibly reading
depending on the angle), serpents can be pretty intelligent. Now, the
basilisk seemed rather dense or possibly insane, granted, but that
isn't a terribly unreasonable consequence of being locked in a chamber
alone for about a thousand years and then meeting Little Lord
Voldemort. (Perhaps we should be accusing Slytherin of cruelty to
animals instead.) 


"persephone_kore"