Why Couldn't Ron and Hermione Hear the Basilisk?

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 94762

Robert Jones wrote:

> COS explains that Harry could understand the Basilisk because he 
> was a Parseltongue.  But why couldn't Ron and Hermione even *hear* 
> it?  Shouldn't it have made a hiss or some other snaky noise?  
> Nothing in the book suggests that a Parseltongue could read a 
> snake's mind or had especially acute hearing — so shouldn't there 
> have been some noise for Ron and Hermione to hear?

Del :

I'm pretty sure they heard it. But they dismissed it as another 
castle background noise. We all do that all the time : we hear tons 
and tons of sounds, but we pay attention only to those that mean 
something special to us for whatever reason. In the street for 
example, we won't notice all the car sounds around us, but we will 
get instantly alert if we hear sudden braking sounds, even if it is 
50 meters away. So Ron and Hermione didn't notice the hissing 
because it meant nothing special to them, while Harry noticed it 
instantly because it was a *voice* for him. And not just a voice 
either : a voice inside the walls that spoke of murder...

Del