Was Harry in Danger from the Basilisk?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 108643

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <asian_lovr2 at y...> 
wrote:
Steve

> Sorry, but I think it was either random luck, or the Basilisk was 
> sent to a specific location by someone with prior knowledge of a 
> person's presences there. Most likely a combination of the two.
> 
> Can't prove it, but I just don't see the Basilisk as a very 
selective
> killing machine.

Geoff:
Hmm. But may I just repost the quote I gave yesterday in message 
108566...

'"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. It was very amusing......"

(COS "The Heir of Slytherin" p.229 UK edition)

It seems to be implied there that the Basilisk was specifically being 
directed to target Muggles, i.e. your second scenario. The wording 
suggests that the creature wasn't going round aimlessly in the 
building; if that had been the case, would there have been a much 
higher number of casualties? Go back to Riddle's time at Hogwarts - 
we only seem to have a record of one attack, that on Moaning Myrtle.