Dumbledore the parselmouth?

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 151074

 
> Catherine again: 
>   It would be hard for me to believe that Dumbledore would not do 
everything possible to know exactly what was said during those 
pensieve scenes. I'm afraid that this might be one of the un-answered 
questions in the series. I mean, does it really matter if/how DD 
understood all that. It doesn't really seem all that important to the 
plot line. It would be a nice-to-know thing.

Potioncat:
This is very interesting! Why is it so hard for this group to think 
DD is a Parselmouth?

Snipping quotes from chp 11 of CoS:

>>>Ron says, "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."
...both Ron and Hermione "were looking as though someone had died."

...Hermione speaking: "It matters,because being able to talk to 
snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's wy the 
symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."<<<

The point is, everyone is looking for the Heir of Slytherin and Harry 
has just demonstrated a skill that was Slytherin's trademark. As I 
read the section now, that really seems all there is to it. Not that 
Parselmouth is for Dark Wizards, but that it marked Harry as an Heir 
os Slytherin. (In people's minds.)

>>>In chp 17 CoS Diary!Riddle says about himself and Harry: "Probably 
the only two Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great 
Slytherin himself." <<<

If you ask me, Riddle is assuming a great deal. He's trying to make 
his ability seem even more rare. Ron says it's not a common gift, but 
Riddle makes it out as having been absent for nearly 1000 years! DD, 
on the other hand, is the type to keep his abilities to himself. He 
does indicate, from time to time, that he has considerable powers, 
but he doesn't go into details.

>>>Now from HBP, chp13, the quote I mentioned upthread:
"He was a Parselmouth," interjected Harry.
"Yes indeed; a rare ability, and one supposedly connected with the 
Dark Arts,although as we know,there are Parselmouths amoung the great 
and good too."<<<

Such as Dumbledore and Harry?


Potioncat, who would have commented on the Portrait section too, but 
can't find the canon.