Fawkes and the basilisk

[corinthum]

No: HPFGUIDX 81306

I wrote:
> > Back to the question, the stare of a basilisk is deadly, but
> > what about a sidelong glance?  If Fawkes was to sneak up on the
> > basilisk from behind and injure one eye before the basilisk could
> > properly "stare" at him, I think he would be safe.> > -Corinth

And Aussie replied:

> The Poor Basalisk would die of starvation if it's prey suddenly 
> became stone before it had the chance to eat it. 
> 
> Maybe instead of the qualities of Fawkes, we should be looking at 
the 
> characteristics of the basalisk. 
> 
> A Basalisk will:
> a) turn to stone any creature that looks it INDIRECTLY in the eye.
> b) kill any creature that looks directly, except for weasles (Greek 
> mythology). That is how Moaning Myrtle died, but she wasn't eaten. 

Part a) is 100% assumption on your part; there is no evidence that a 
Potterverse basilisk can turn anything to stone (in other mythology 
yes, but not here).  Unless you're referring to petrification, which 
I consider to be a different concept.  Petrification in CoS seemed to 
require a full stare that was somehow weakened (reflection by water 
or mirror, refraction by a camera lense, distortion through Nick) 
rather than a partial glance.  So by canon, a sideways glance might 
be neither lethal nor petrifying.

-Corinth