...at first. The problem was that Draco had also asserted that Parselmouths could send snakes on extended complex missions. And if that was true, then Parselmouths had to make snakes persistently intelligent by talking to them. In the worst-case scenario that would make the snake self-aware, like what Harry had accidentally done to the Sorting Hat.
And when Harry had offered that hypothesis, Draco had claimed that he could remember a story—Harry hoped to Cthulhu that this one story was just a fairy tale, it had that ring to it, but there was a story—about Salazar Slytherin sending a brave young viper on a mission to gather information from other snakes.
HPMOR:
...at first. The problem was that Draco had also asserted that Parselmouths could send snakes on extended complex missions. And if that was true, then Parselmouths had to make snakes persistently intelligent by talking to them. In the worst-case scenario that would make the snake self-aware, like what Harry had accidentally done to the Sorting Hat.
And when Harry had offered that hypothesis, Draco had claimed that he could remember a story—Harry hoped to Cthulhu that this one story was just a fairy tale, it had that ring to it, but there was a story—about Salazar Slytherin sending a brave young viper on a mission to gather information from other snakes.
this was the inspiration, of course! though it seems the ants have found a different equilibrium...