Skip to main content

harry potter - Why didn't anyone else hear the Basilisk hiss?


I understand that as Harry can speak and understand Parseltongue, he could hear the Basilisk's voice from through the walls.


(So, people who can't understand Parseltongue would hear it speak, as a hiss.)


But, when a basilisk is speaking, it means that people who aren't Parseltongue should hear a hissing sound?


Then, why didn't Ron and Hermione hear the hissing sound, even though when they are straining their ears to hear one?



Some points to keep in mind:



  1. The basilisk spoke only to Harry, as it's on a mission. So, it might not have even hissed apart from the two occasions when it spoke(or inform?) to Harry through the walls/pipes.

  2. [Connected question, but not similar]




Answer



Hissing might be hard to distinguish unless it's very clear, in a very quiet environment. A snake that is visible and hissing in a quiet area is much more obvious than a hissing or shushing sound with no visible source.


In a busy castle, the hissing would be muted by the thickness and layering of the walls and pipes, and might also be covered by the noise of people moving about, voices, footsteps, and the occasional bit of drama, like a spell, or shouting, or thumps and bangs. The hissing itself, since it had no visible source, might have been taken for the kind of shushing sound from the movement of water in the pipes, the swishing of fabric (from robes or tapestries), or the distant sweep of the wind.


And people aren't used to listening for hissing - it might not stand out. @Lily K Tudor is right that in that scene they were actively looking for voices, and discounting any other sounds as distractions. As for other places and other times, people might be distracted with their thoughts or each other, they might have clearly heard the hissing but not connected it to a snake or what was going on with the petrificaitons, nor mentioned it so that someone might have a chance of realizing this was happening quite frequently.


Honestly, the basilisk might have been talking to itself daily, and it's likely people wouldn't connect the sound with anything unusual. Maybe Filch had a list of requests "to have someone look at the plumbing, it was sounding kind of loud", that he merely didn't get a chance to before the basilisk was revealed.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed....
Post a Comment
Read more

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...
Post a Comment
Read more