[HPforGrownups] Dumbledore the Parselmouth?

[Laura Lynn Walsh]

No: HPFGUIDX 134440

>In the first visit that Dumbledore & Harry take into the Pensieve, they
>go to the Gaunt's house as a member of the Ministry is arriving.  The
>Ministry member does not understand what is being said but Dumbledore
>helps Harry figure out that Parseltongue is being used.  With that in
>mind, how does Dumbledore understand the conversations that ensue
>within the house?  He seems to have an extraordinary knowledge of the
>events inside and the conversations they are having to be guessing what
>is being said...  that said, Dumbledore must be a Parselmouth. 
>Thoughts?
>
>Genma

Since Dumbledore can speak Mermish (GoF), it doesn't
surprise me that he can understand Parselmouth.  I
don't think that that necessarily means that he can
speak it himself.  There is a substantial linguist
difference between understanding a spoken language
and being able to generate it as part of a normal
conversation.

Laura Walsh   lwalsh at acsalaska.net