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[Sandra Collins]

No: HPFGUIDX 173050

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Alice Franceschini" 
<ladypotentpotions1 at ...> wrote:
>
> Libby wrote:
> > I'm curious if anyone was as surprised/dismayed at Ron's 
ability to fake Parseltongue .
> 
> 
> Here's my take on this.  Ron was around when Harry was 
using Parseltongue.  He was standing there in the girl's 
bathroom when Harry spoke in parseltongue to the sink.
> So when Hermione and Ron went to the Chamber Of Secrets I 
think all Ron did was imitate the sounds he heard Harry make 
and he was very lucky that he produced the correct sounds. But 
that sometimes happens don't it ?  Plus these kids are magical 
and when they really need or want something, they can do some 
extraoridinary things.
> 
> Lady Potions
>


Hello Lady P! That's an interesting point, but you have to bear in 
mind how long ago Ron and Harry were in the girls bathroom. I 
think about 5 years earlier, because it was back in book two. So 
Ron would need qquite a memory to recall a totally bizarre 
language like that, wouldn't he? And even if he had heard Harry 
since then, like with the snitch in TDH, and somehow 
immediately committed the strange sounds to memory, 
Parseltongue is not portrayed as alnguage which can be 
learned. Remember how scared everyone was when in book 2 (I 
think) during the dueling classes when Harry talks to Draco's 
snake? It wasn't just the fact that Harry apparently set it on 
someone, it was the fact that he COULD speak to it at all. I got 
the impression you were born with the ability, rather like being 
born with the ability to be a wizard or witch. So for a 
language which could easily and effectively be imitated, Harry 
certainly got a big reaction out of  everyone in book two. Maybe 
I'm wrong, but I thought he was believed to be "The Heir Of 
Slytherin" when he demonstrated this talent?
So I stand by my first point, that JKR was either losing interest or 
was under pressure to get the book finished for a deadline and 
decided to let a couple of pages slip by, by using a lame couple 
of  sentences instead. I wasn't too happy when I read that R and 
H  had suddenly gone into the Chamber Of Secrets and .found a 
pile of basilisk fangs. It was far too convenient and too simple, 
and was one of many plot-points which upset the balance of the 
book  for me.  I couldn't believe it when I read it, I had to go over it 
twice  to be sure that such a weak plot escape hatch had been 
used.
I know people like to see the best in JKR's work (that's why we 
come here) and there's always lots to enjoy, but every now and 
then some absolute howlers get through the net, and in my view 
that was a prime example.

Sandra (still reeling!)