Name: Oregonian (Signed) · Date: 13 Oct 2022 12:47 AM · For: The Serpent's Tale

Hello, Leo.

 

Here I am in 2022 reading your wonderful story, so extremely original, so imaginative, so perfectly in the mind of the basilisk, even up to the final moment when she eats her friend, the common snake Rafeek, because by the time she wakes up after her centuries-long sleep, he would have been dead from old age anyway.

 

As we become acquainted with the basilisk Safiyah, she doesn't sound evil, at least not from her point of view.  She just wants to roam around outdoors, have freedom, and eat whatever creatures are her prey.  Like a normal snake, one might say, but of course on a much larger scale, and then there's the idea of killing her prey with a glance from her eyes.  But all carnivores kill their prey somehow, so one can hardlly hold it against her.

 

There are so many fascinating details -- Safiyah's annoyance with how Salazar pronounces parseltongue (not the right way!), her dissatisfaction with having to eat rats for lack of any other food in the cavern, her perception of the chamber as filthy, the fact that she has no choice but to obey him, the presence of other little snakes in the cracks of the walls who are able to move in and out as they please... It's all such a pleasure to read.

 

It is interesting to hear Salazar's story from his point of view, how he had become impatient and dismissive of the values and opinions of the other three Founders.  I loved that line:  "Salazar believed himself so brilliant, but he was blind to the obvious and deaf to reason." 

 

An excellent story, one of a kind!  I am very glad that I came across it when searching for stories set in the Founders Era.

 

Vicki

Name: teh tarik (Signed) · Date: 21 Jan 2019 05:39 AM · For: The Serpent's Tale

Hello!

 

I loved this. This is such a creative and unique perspective. Chamber of Secrets has always been one of my favourite books in the series, simply because of the existence of the basilisk. I've always been interested in the whole giant deadly serpent which can kill with a glance, and to read a fic from the basilisk's point of view is wonderful.

 

And you definitely did a wonderful job creating Safiyah's voice and character. I always thought that the basilisk and Salazar were kind of companions during the Founders' days, and that perhaps Salazar took comfort in the rearing of his pet basilisk while he was constantly at odds with the other Founders in terms of their shared vision of Hogwarts. But you've presented a completely different kind of relationship between Salazar and his basilisk, to what I envisioned. I love what you've done - how Safiyah, in the end, is a snake, a creature who, like all other creatures, long for freedom, for a full belly, and just to be able to live their life.

 

I really enjoyed this - Safiyah's perspective is not as malicious or as bloodthirsty as Harry must have thought of her when he first ventured into the Chamber. In fact, she's very...snakelike. Wanting to bathe in the lake, hunt fresh prey, bask in the sun like other snakes...I did feel rather sorry for her. How badly Salazar misunderstands his own creature. Or perhaps he understands her but simply does not care about her needs.

 

The decision to give Safiyah a little friend in the form of Rafeek was such a lovely detail. And perhaps Safiyah's only link to the outside world. There's such a contrast between them. Yes, Safiyah may be the magnificent Queen of Serpents, but it's little Rafeek who has freedom, and who has the happier of lives. Until, of course, Safiyah eats him. Again, not out of ill will, but out of sheer hunger.

 

I know Salazar keeps talking about his heir, and Safiyah is bored about all his self-glorifying tales, and yet she's also hopeful that the heir might be a better person than Salazar? A better companion, perhaps? But I'm not sure that Tom Riddle would be better than Salazar Slytherin. He seems even more manipulative and arrogant and power hungry, and more likely to force her to obey his will...just like his ancestor.

 

I really enjoyed this unique little story about Safiyah, the basilisk! Thank you for sharing this.

 

(Magical Menagerie: Team Gorgon)

Name: Rumpelstiltskin (Signed) · Date: 20 Oct 2018 07:41 PM · For: The Serpent's Tale

Hello ^_^!  I am here for the House Cup Maze #1 Task! 

 

There is something exceptionally perfect about telling the Basilisk's tale through her perspective. It must have been exceedingly lonely to be trapped in the chamber for so long, especially because it defied all of her natural instincts (like hunting, for example). It does make me wonder what she DID eat when she was hungry and trapped deep, deep in the dungeons. I actually feel pretty bad for her, having Tom trap her there for so many years. 

 

I do like the dynamic between the Basilisk and Tom, though. Even though, when he speaks Parseltongue, she can't disobey him -- she's wholly unafraid of him because well, she's a Basilisk. But the poor thing is so hungry and confused because all Tom wants is glory and fame and power, and she's really not interested in any of that. She just wants to be a big snake and go hunt things. It's too bad she had to eat her snakey friend. Poor snake. 

 

Anyway, lovely job!

 

-Rumpels