Thestrals

[lucill]

Hi everyone,
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I can't work it out! Why could Harry see those Thestrals only since Cedric's Death? I mean, he already saw his parents dying, didn't he? You know, this flash-of-green-light - scene he recalls everytime his parents are mentioned (esp. in The prisoner of azkaban). Or is it just because he didn't realise their deaths as he was still a baby? Or didn't he watch their death but only heard it? But i think he at least must have seen Lily' death, mustn't he?
So what do you think?

[English]

erm, has he actually travelled by the coaches before? I don't know- I know book one was boats, book twwo flying car and book three >>> four >>> did it mention it? My mind is blank.

Yeah, though- you are totally right lucill. Even if he DIDN'T see his parents die he certainly saw Quirrell die in book 1.

[lucill]

I think he travelled by coach in book 3 and 4, but I am not quite sure! I first thought about Quirrel too, but I am not quite sure: I Think Harry lost consciousness when he tried to stop him, didn't he? So he couldn't actually WATCH him dying?

[zledm007]

there was actually somewhere else that this subject was discussed pretty in depth too, but i can't remember exactly where. i'll see if i can find it and then post it here.

[zledm007]

found it, but i think there were others too because i know i posted on the subject before. anyway, here's the one i found:

http://www.broomsticksandowls.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1225

[Mistress Siana]

I'm pretty convinced he went by coach in either the 3rd or the 4th book. And I'm sure that both of you are right, he must have seen his parents AND Quirrel die...so, I think it must be a mistake

[zledm007]

at the end of book 4 they took the carriges back to hogsmede station so he was eve nin the presence of the thestrals after cedric died.

[Charis]

well in an interview JK said that it ook time for the death to sink in, which was why he didn't see them at the end of book 4... but the actual question she was asked was why he didn't see them even before Ced died because of his parents, which of course is the question we're asking here. she just sort of tried to get around answering that question. its possible that she misunderstood the question, though...who knows?

[zledm007]

i don't think she misunderstood, i think it was more of a cop out. i've seen athletes and polititions especially do the same thing hundereds of times. they don't want to answer the question so they come up with an answer to a completely different question that sort of fits with the question that was asked, then, since it's quite rude to ask the same question again or point out thats not what you were asking, the questionee gets away w. not answering the question. yeah, i think she thought of the thesrals while writing book 5 and therefor couldn't put them in the others and it was such a subtle thing she didn't think many people would catch it. well, she was wrong. oh well, still a good book though.

[Gwared]

well in an interview JK said that it ook time for the death to sink in, which was why he didn't see them at the end of book 4... but the actual question she was asked was why he didn't see them even before Ced died because of his parents, which of course is the question we're asking here. she just sort of tried to get around answering that question. its possible that she misunderstood the question, though...who knows?

This is true but she also stated that as a baby Harry wasn't aware of their death, it doesn't register, just like you have no memeories from that age. Therefore the death had not been registered and accepted, unlike Cedric's which was during the summer allowing thestral perusal at the start of the new year.

[lucill]

there was actually somewhere else that this subject was discussed pretty in depth too, but i can't remember exactly where. i'll see if i can find it and then post it here.

huh, Sorry, I didn't know that! I couldn't find it on the board, so I thought there was no thread about this... Sorry!

[zledm007]

no big deal. you know, i don't think there was a thread directly involving thestrals and the like, it just sort of came up somewhere else and i thought point it out to you. i can see how you didn't see it because i really had to search for the one i found, and it wasn't even the one i was looking for! so really, it's no problem at all!

[Devinci]

well in an interview JK said that it ook time for the death to sink in, which was why he didn't see them at the end of book 4... but the actual question she was asked was why he didn't see them even before Ced died because of his parents, which of course is the question we're asking here. she just sort of tried to get around answering that question. its possible that she misunderstood the question, though...who knows?

This is true but she also stated that as a baby Harry wasn't aware of their death, it doesn't register, just like you have no memeories from that age. Therefore the death had not been registered and accepted, unlike Cedric's which was during the summer allowing thestral perusal at the start of the new year.

I think Gwared is probably right...I'd have to side with that idea. Perhaps it's because the idea of JK screwing up something in the plot makes me shudder inside...*woooo*

[Claire]

well, you guys are probably right, but I read a fan think that in the third book he fainted because of the dementors and didn't take the carriage, and it was too rainy in the fourth so he couldn't really see them. I think thats a good solution, though.

[Gwared]

Remember, JK writes everything for a reason and she's not made that many mistakes so far...in fact the only one I can think of is still debated about. The whole Harry's parents out of the wand priori incantantum scene with who exits first, James or Lilly.

I believe the initial edition had Lilly killed before James and JK said that wasn't a mistake yet it was still changed in reprints....I dunno though.

I also think that the whole death/thestral situation shows how death needs time to be accepted and realised and I think her explanation is a good statement of how death is psycologically.