"I believe you're my first!" Verity said cheerfully. "I thought you were a greater gorgon for a moment because of your...uhh...cranial appendages?" Hopefully that was a non-offensive way of saying 'head tentacles'. "And to make eye-contact with a greater gorgon if neither of you are taking precautions leads to a very painful death, so I was being cautious."

It wasn't like cockatrice and basilisk petrifaction that was reversible if treated in time. While it was possible there was a cure for greater gorgon petrification, Verity hadn't heard about it.