Why Didn't Harry see the threstrals before now?

[redhead2531]

Harry saw his parents die, so why is that after he sees Cedric die he can see them. It doesn't make sense. He even sees them die in his dreams remember? What do you think?

[Devinci]

We've had this discussion before....*sigh* But, I don't think we really came to any conclusion as to why. There were a lot of...speculations and theories, but nothing solid.
A few ideas (namely mine...) were as follows

1. Harry was too young to really grasp the full meaning of his parents death, therefor, it didn't really matter.
2. Quirrell's death meant about as much to Harry as the sock he gave to Dobby, so it wouldn't really matter.
3. Quirrell was possessed by the big VD, therefor, since Voldemort didn't die, Quirrell's death didn't really count...(maybe???)
4. Cedric dying really hit Harry hard, it was his first real taste of serious (waaaaahhhh) loss....

Anyway, like I said, someone who read the last dicussion on this topic can...add more. Or correct me if I'm wrong....(I dare you...)

[Meg Boyd]

hmmm....in Harry's visions of his parents death, he never sees the death...he sees green light...that's the curse, but he never prolly saw his parents die

As for Quirrell, that's a toughy. Still stumped on that one. I like the whole idea of the death actually having to mean something...like Luna's mother and Neville's...uh...grandpa...(i think he's lying about that, i mean why such a delayed response??)

[June]

Redhead... please do check if there are already similar topics around before posting a new thread...? In any case, there's already a thread centering on the mystery around the thestrals in the Book 5 Discussion forum, under the thread "Thestrals". The link is here:

http://www.broomsticksandowls.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1468&start=0

Hope it helps. =)

[HuffleDuck]

I agreed with Meg. I don't think he has ever seen his parents death beside the flashback memories through others. if he have seen his parents got killed then he would have known when the Dursley told him his parents died in car accident.

Just think if you see somebody died on TV news, it didn't affect you as much as if you see it right in front of you.

[Albus]

I think he didn't see his parents die because he was sleeping.
It's only my opinion, but I think it can work, because he was very little and he was sleeping too when Hagrid brought him at Privet Drive and when Dumbledore left him at the Dursleys' door.
And this would explain the thing about his parents.
About Quirrel (sorry, I'm Italian, is he DADA teacher in first year ?), again, in my opinion he didn't see him die, beacuse he fainted and was saved by Dumbledore's arrival.

[Neo]

Jo (J.K. Rowling) has already explained this. Fot you to see the threstrals you have to assimilate death, Harry as a baby wasn't able to do so with the death of his parents, he had already faint by the time Quirrel died, and when Harry ended the fourth term he hadn't assimilated Cedric's death, it took all sumer for that, and when he returned now he couls see the threstrals.

And if there was another topic for this, we shouldn't be posting here.