When he saved Justin by letting him see the Basilisk through his own body, Nearly Headless Nick was also affected. Did he see the Basilisk directly to eye?
What would have happened if he saw a Basilisk indirectly?
Canon doesn't tell us if Nearly Headless Nick looked directly into the Basilisk's eyes. It only tells us that Nick took most of the hit from the Basilisk, but that it's impossible for anyone to die twice:
'Justin must’ve seen the Basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast of it, but he couldn’t die again ...'
Harry - Philosopher's Stone
As all the Basilisk's victims saw the Basilisk indirectly, except for Moaning Myrtle and, ostensibly, Nearly Headless Nick, using Harry's logic, if Nearly Headless Nick had seen the Basilisk indirectly, he likely would have still become petrified.
answered Aug 6 '15 at 0:46
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"Nick got the full blast of it". That means Nick looked directly into the Basilisk's eyes, doesn't it? – Oriol Aug 6 '15 at 1:03
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@Oriol -- I want to say yes, but I don't know if it might possibly mean something different in British English. I sense that you're right -- perhaps some others will come by and clarify what that line means exactly. :) – Slytherincess Aug 6 '15 at 1:40
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It isn't a well-used phrase that I know in Southern England not far from London. Just suggests he was fully hit by the basilisk. Is that evidence it saw him eye-to-eye? I guess so. – ThruGog Aug 6 '15 at 8:41
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Seconded - I'm from Scotland and it's not a phrase I've ever heard as having a particular or colloquial meaning here. – DavidS Aug 6 '15 at 14:03
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@Slytherincess So if Nearly headless see the basilisk directly, he doesn't have any effect but if he sees it indirectly, he gets petrified! – axelonet Aug 6 '15 at 14:19
