Why Couldn't Ron and Hermione Hear the Basilisk?

[Tammy Rizzo]

No: HPFGUIDX 94696

Robert Jones asked:

> 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?


Now Tammy replies:

Have you ever spent much time in a castle?  I have, as a child in Germany (Dad was 
in the Army).  There are *always* faint echoes (try walking quietly on stone, in boots), 
and stone-settling sounds, and creaks and groans and other little noises.  Pipes in 
walls gurgle.  Wind whistles through tiny cracks and howls through larger holes.  
They're noisy places.  What's a little extra hissing?  ;-)

***
Tammy
ms-tamany at rcn.com




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