Poorly aiming Baselisk '42 and '92 [Re: Was Harry in Danger]

[Josh Warren]

No: HPFGUIDX 108749

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
> An interesting side observation. Isn't it an extraordinary 
> coincidence that in the latest attacks all the students manage to 
> avoid being killed and only get petrified and on the previous 
> occasion, several students must have got themselves petrified with 
> only one fatality (assuming that we belive Riddle's version). There 
> must be a lot of spilt water, mirrors, cameras and convenient ghosts 
> around.....

Probaly analogous to a very efficient virus that kills its hosts 
before it can spread. The first glance at the Baselisk's eyes (direct 
or indirect) is the final word, and with all the suits of armor, 
windows, etc, it's not all that unlikely that the first glance could 
be indirect. Poor Myrtle was ambushed in the toilet, and thus didn't 
have a chance. 

With the exception of Hermione and Penelope and if you don't count 
ghosts, all known victims were alone. Harry comments in OotP when 
looking for Nick that the place is usually overflowing with ghosts, 
so it is quite possible that other victims might have been conversing 
with ghosts as I would assume Justin was (Nick shouldn't have 
looked!) or staring out a window being wistful, etc.

Josh