CoS questions.

So, I was just re-reading CoS and I have two questions.

1) Harry keeps hearing the basilisk through the walls, but no one else can hear it at all. In fact, Ron even says, "Harry, I don't hear anything." However, at the dueling club and in the other books (like the beginning of GoF, and the memories in HBP, and maybe in the beginning of SS), when someone/something is speaking Parseltongue, all everyone else can hear is hissing. So why don't Hermione and Ron hear random hissing instead of nothing at all?

2) When the trio is found in Myrtle's bathroom by Percy, Percy takes away house points from them. He is a prefect at this point, and we are led to believe that that's why he can take away house points. Buuuut, in OotP, when Malfoy goes to take points away from Harry and Hermione (because he's in the Inquisitorial Squad, but they don't know it), they tell Malfoy that prefects can't take away points, at which point he explains about the Inquisitorial Squad. Why can prefects take away points in CoS but not OotP?

readergirl1028 wrote:

So, I was just re-reading CoS and I have two questions.

1) Harry keeps hearing the basilisk through the walls, but no one else can hear it at all. In fact, Ron even says, "Harry, I don't hear anything." However, at the dueling club and in the other books (like the beginning of GoF, and the memories in HBP, and maybe in the beginning of SS), when someone/something is speaking Parseltongue, all everyone else can hear is hissing. So why don't Hermione and Ron hear random hissing instead of nothing at all?

2) When the trio is found in Myrtle's bathroom by Percy, Percy takes away house points from them. He is a prefect at this point, and we are led to believe that that's why he can take away house points. Buuuut, in OotP, when Malfoy goes to take points away from Harry and Hermione (because he's in the Inquisitorial Squad, but they don't know it), they tell Malfoy that prefects can't take away points, at which point he explains about the Inquisitorial Squad. Why can prefects take away points in CoS but not OotP?

1) I always just assumed that in the hissing was too quiet for them to hear while in the hallways, and Harry could only hear it quietly. And then in the dueling club since everyone is quiet and all the attention is on Harry and Draco they obviously heard Harry talking to the snake.

2) I'm pretty sure Hermione says Draco can't take house points away from other prefects, because if prefects could dock prefects it would undermine the whole system, but prefects CAN take away from regular student. But I'll try to find the place in OotP to make sure...



EDIT: Ok, I found the part in OotP it's on paperback page 625:

"Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.
"You can't take points from fellow prefects, Malfoy," said Ernie at once.
"I know prefects can't dock points from eachother," sneered Malfoy; Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad--"
"The what?" said Hermione sharply.
...
"He was bluffing," said Ernie, looking appalled. "He can't be allowed to dock points... that would be ridiculous.... It would completely undermine the prefect system..."

1) I agree with DorkyBookworm. The basilisk is using the pipes so it's probably not loud enough for them to hear it.

2) DorkyBookworm's got it again! I remember reading online that Ron said he can't take away points just because he's a prefect (something along the lines of that...) but he actually CAN take away points. (Okay, my little fun fact was kind of pointless... I just thought I should say it. xD)

The question I have is how was Nearly Headless Nick cured from being petrified? At his Deathday party, the ghosts can't eat or drink but do potions work on ghosts..?
?_?

Or maybe it's just one of those things that only Jo knows.

1) They probably just assumed it was the pipes hissing. Indoor plumbing actually goes back about 2,000 years, to Ancient Rome (ever wonder why lead is marked as "Pb" on the periodic table? Because it used to be called "Plumbium" and it was the metal of choice for Roman plumbing. And yes, they all ended up with lead poisoning.), and the systems used back then were pretty loud. They can still be loud today; my dad used to live in an apartment with steam heaters, and when I'd spend a weekend with him, I wouldn't be able to sleep because of the racket. Those steam heaters are LOOOOUUUUUUD.

2) Either Percy was bluffing, Malfoy was lying, or JKR messed up. (I'm leaning towards an authorial slip, but I can't hold it against her; it would be impossible to remember *every* little detail from that big a series.)