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Scariness[]

Two Basilisks[]

Gender?[]

Was Slytherin's Basilisk male or female? It is referred to as either in this article, I just wondered which one it was. 69.76.203.130 00:21, July 18, 2010 (UTC)

It was female, as it didn't have a scarlet plume on it's head. I'll fix that inconsistency up.--L.V.K.T.V.J.Hogwarts(Send an owl!) 01:59, July 18, 2010 (UTC)

I just realized something![]

Mrs. Norris was petrified as she saw its reflection. Colin saw it through his camera, Justin saw it through a ghost, Hermione and Penelope saw it in a mirror they were only petrified. Harry Potter wouldn't be dead if he looked at its eyes becuse HE WOULD SEE IT THROUGH HIS GLASSES AND WOULD ONLY BE PETRIFIED. Colin Creevey 00:36, June 3, 2011 (UTC)

Nope, Rowling says that glasses won't protect you. Read it here. 70.249.148.125 01:18, June 3, 2011 (UTC)
'Cause, glasses don't reflect. Colin didn't see the actual thing through his camera, but glasses would just make it seem clearer (not the best thing). Not quite sure how the ghost thing works though, anyone? GunsFallSilent (talk) 15:54, October 28, 2015 (UTC)
You do realise that this discussion is over four years old, right? ― C.Syde (talk | contribs) 06:44, October 29, 2015 (UTC)

Voice cast[]

Who voiced the Basilisk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?? You know, the voice that only Harry Potter could hear. It was Jason Isaacs. He confirmed it at a convention.Thy11111 (talk) 01:18, June 9, 2019 (UTC)

Upside down mistake[]

In the second film the basilisk dies upside down, this means that the skeleton in the eight film is seen upside down. The mistake is that this also is done in the eight video game, and then completely ignores its death position in the second video game, in which she dies with her teeths stabbing the diary. Just mentioning it. --Danniesen

Name[]

In Chamber of Secrets - Chapter 17 (pg. 310 of the American hardback), Tom Riddle refers to this basilisk as "the Serpent of Slytherin", capitalized as thus. Would this be considered the basilisk's actual name, thus warranting a page move, or just a title Riddle bestowed upon it? -- 1337star (Owl Post) 20:45, December 13, 2011 (UTC)

The book makes repeated references in the text to "Slytherin's monster" (although it is never capitalised), implying that's what most people refer to it as. Seeing as "Serpent of Slytherin" is, too, referred in the text and capitalised, I wouldn't oppose if we changed the title of the article into it. --  Seth Cooper  owl post! 22:53, December 13, 2011 (UTC)

So, I kinda forgot about this for a time, but it just came to mind again today. I think "Serpent of Slytherin" is the most official name given for this creature. Any objections? -- 1337star (Owl Post) 21:20, March 12, 2012 (UTC)

I noticed you already changed it, but I think it sounds better then Salazar Slytherin's basilisk. Stilll, that's what I'm used to, but as long as this name has canonical origins, then I have no problem with it. - Deathislife2011 22:27, March 31, 2012 (UTC)

In the British version of the book, it is written as 'serpent of Slytherin' with 'serpent' in lowercase. So now what do we do? -  MrSiriusBlack  Talk  13:11, 15 January 2024 (UTC)

I see it as "serpent of Slytherin" too. But if the American edition still has "Serpent of Slytherin" I wouldn't say the article title needs to be changed to something else. MalchonC (talk) 13:22, 15 January 2024 (UTC)
Don't we treat the British edition as higher canon than international editions? -  MrSiriusBlack  Talk  13:55, 15 January 2024 (UTC)
Yeah but in this case the American edition may just serve as a confirmation that "Serpent of Slytherin" can be used as a proper noun (I guess). MalchonC (talk) 14:01, 15 January 2024 (UTC)

Diary[]

"As there is no mention of Riddle having another diary when he was younger, there is no reason to specify the one he used as a horcrux as his 'childhood diary'" is what I meant to say as the edit summary. Dr. Galenos (talk) 15:51, November 8, 2013 (UTC)

Link between Basilisk and Horcrux[]

Due to Herpo the Foul has been the first to create a Basilisk and a Horcrux, is it possible that when he created both, it was done to one to be opposed to other or it occurred naturally (due to some natural magical law)? By definition, one is opposed to other, since a Basilisk kills a living being and a Horcrux maintains a being's soul alive. Andre G. Dias (talk) 13:05, April 5, 2014 (Brazil)

About another discussion, is it possible that Voldemort discovered about Horcrux after searching the origin of basilisk (after he discovered the Salazar Slytherin's basilisk) since both were created by the same dark wizard, Herpo the Foul? Andre G. Dias (talk) 13:11, April 5, 2014 (Brazil)

Attacks on Muggle-borns[]

What interests me is how Tom Riddle was able to set the Basilisk on several muggle born students in the 1940s when the Chamber of Secrets was first opened, and again in the 1990s without harming any of the pure blood / half blood students. -- C.Syde (talk | contribs) 05:29, November 5, 2014 (UTC)

Well, if Salazar Slytherin is correct and Muggleborns do have dirty blood... then maybe they have a different smell to Half-bloods and Pure-bloods, who have wizarding parents? The Basilisk could be trained to recognize a specific smell. --HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 19:54, November 20, 2014 (UTC)

"Only the heir of Slytherin"[]

I'm not sure I agree with the preamble of this article. It states, without citation, that only the heir of Slytherin could control it, and therefore other parselmouths couldn't. We do know that basically only descendants of Salazar himself could speak parseltounge. This leads me to believe that Salazar thought that no one other than his heirs would be able to do so (not foreseeing a human horcrux), when really anyone who could properly speak parseltounge could control the basilisk. This was never explored however, due to Dumbledore (presumably) not knowing where the chamber was, and the fact that Riddle had already manipulated the basilisk when Harry first encountered it. 

In short, my view on this is that the "heir of Slytherin" talk became the popular belief, because if you can speak parseltongue you're most likely a descendant of Salazar. You don't have to be, though.

Counter arguments warmly welcome! -- Itsgallus (talk) 14:16, November 20, 2014 (UTC)

No, Harry cannot control the Basilisk; Riddle even says it. Parseltongue won't save Harry because the Basilisk only obeys Riddle (and, in turn, heirs of Slytherin). Direct quote: "Parseltongue won't save you now, Potter, it only obeys me!" --HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 20:43, November 20, 2014 (UTC)

Factual error: Horcruxes[]

In the trivia section, it is stated, "Also, in the film, the fang was used to destroy an additional Horcrux, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem." but, in fact, the fang was used to destroy Helga Hufflepuff's cup, not the diadem.

SparkySparkyBoomWoman (talk) 09:18, October 27, 2015 (UTC)

The basilisk fang was used to destroy both horcruxes you mentioned in the film. In the book, the fang was only used to destroy the cup. ― C.Syde (talk | contribs) 09:26, October 27, 2015 (UTC)
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