Parseltongue (was Re: CHAPTER DISCUSSION: PS/SS 2, The Vanishing Glass

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 187766


 
> Zara:
> For me personally, this scene established the non-sinister nature of Parseltongue. Individual Parselmouths of our later acquanitance may have been sinister, but this scene irrevocably marked the gift itself as "not dark" in my mind. It was such a friendly, normal conversation for two creatures to have. 

Potioncat:
I hadn't thought of that. Certainly, I used to argue that Parselmouths didn't have to be Dark Wizards; DD makes that statement himself in HBP.

But this time the description of the snake took hold; it's huge. Imagining such a large snake raising up and facing Harry, on the heels of seeing HBP trailers with Tom Riddle's "I can speak to snakes. They find me." and following the events in the Shrieking shack---well, this time the whole episode gave me goosebumps. 

It seems to me the snake did "find" Harry. The snake approached Harry--how did it know? Of course, I don't think Harry is a Dark Wizard, and no snakes approached him all that time in the woods. But I have a better appreciation of the school-wide reaction to Harry's Parseltongue moment at the dueling club.

DD talks about Parseltongue after showing Harry the memory of his first meeting with young Tom. He said he wasn't so bothered at the time by Tom's ability to speak to snakes. Then he makes the comment 'We both know both the great and the good can speak Parseltongue.' (paraphrased) I still think DD means the great(me-DD) and the good (you--Harry).

DD has also commented on Harry's goodness or great ability to love. I was never as impressed as DD was. But when you consider that Harry had this Horcrux in his head; that it obviously had an effect on him; and he had a pretty poor upraising---it is amazing that he turned out so well. Think what the locket and diary were able to do!