Why is everyone surprised at Harry's Patronus?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 76039

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jonathan" <jwilliams44118 at y...>
wrote:
> For example..  OoP 16/342 (US) it sounds like a big secret that 
> Harry can cast a Patronus.
> 
> But, in PoA 13/262, Harry casts a Patronus *in the middle of a 
> Quidditch match*.  You'd think a few Hogwarts students might have 
> noticed then.
> 
> "Jonathan"

bboy_mn:
 
The Quidditch match-
He cast the Patronus in the Quidditch match where Draco and his friend
appeared on the field pretending to be Dementors. 

First, I don't think anyone even remotely thought that a Quidditch
player would cast a spell in the middle of a game. I'm sure they were
supprise to discover that Harry even had a wand with him. So the
sudden appearance of a Patronus would have certainly caught everyone
off guard. 

Harry is racing across the field closing in on the Ravenclaw end where
the Snitch is hovering. He hears someone cry out, looks down and sees
three Dementors (Draco indisguise), he cast the Patronus charm and
'something silver-white, something enormous' erupted from his wand.
Notice that, as close as he was, even Harry didn't see the Patronus
animal form. Then he stretches out his hand and catches the Snitch.

End of game, team races over to hug him, they drift to the ground,
where they are surrounded by Gryffindor supporters.  Sounds like
everyone's attention was focused on the game, Harry, and the Snitch.
The scene continues on, but through out, everyone seems focused on the
game. No one except Lupin mentions the Patronus.

I think the reason, no one mentions the Patronus, is that it happened
so fast, and was so unexpected, that most people didn't even realize
what was going on. Harry must have been near the end of the field and
that would limit the number of people who could see clearly, When he
cast it, all anyone say was a big silver streak racing toward the
ground where it instantly disappeared when it didn't find any
Dementors there. I'm guessing, really just guessing, that it lasted no
more than three seconds.

So, I'm guessing that most people just missed it, or at least missed
the details of it, others simply weren't in a postion to see well, at
the Ravenclaw end of the field there were probably a few who saw what
is was, but they really didn't know what it was or understand what was
happening.

So, most didn't see it clearly, and those who did, didn't understand it.

I don't think it's fair to say that no one knows what Harry Patronus
looks like, but I think it's fair to say that few understood it, and
those few didn't really spread the word around.

Just a few rambling thoughts.

bboy_mn