Ponderables...

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 83194

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, James Sharman <jamess at c...> 
wrote:
> Deedee: 
> > 2.  If only the heir of Slytherin could open the chamber of 
secrets 
> > how was Harry able to open the Chamber of Secrets??!?
> > 
> 
> Geoff:
> In COS, where Harry meets up with Tom Riddle in the Chamber, TR 
tells 
> him that Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber......
> 
> James:
> I've seen this heir of Slytherin subject discussed a few times and 
I think a
> possibility has been missed. My suspicion is that when Slytherin 
said that
> only his true heir could open it he might have meant any 
parcelmouth who
> wanted to kill mugleborns.

<snipped>
 

Geoff:
but that still raises the point of Ginny opening the Chamber. She is 
not a Parseltongue speaker; it seems that Riddle must have had some 
sort of control over her....

"'Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter?' said Riddle softly. 'Ginny 
Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the school 
roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the 
serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods and the Squib's cat.'
'No,' Harry whispered.
'Yes', said Riddle, calmly, 'Of course, she didn't /know/ what she 
was doing at first.....'"

Possibly an Imperius curse or something similar but that doesn't give 
the victim the ability to speak a language they don't know, i.e. 
Parseltongue....

Answers on a postcard.....