OK, what is missing from OoP and Thestrals

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 69071

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett" 
<bard7696 at a...> wrote:
> On to Thestrals, I just continually find it hard to believe that 
> these things were such a secret.
> 
> Harry has been at school for four years prior to OoP. Remember, 
> Hogwarts is a gossipy-place. They know all about the Sorcerer's 
> Stone, and the Chamber of Secrets and Riddle.
> 
> In all the time Harry has been there, and really, he has access to 
> longer knowledge history because of his connections with Bill, 
> Charlie, Oliver and Percy, there hasn't been one student who could 
> see these things? 

Well, we know that Luna, Neville and that anonymous Slytherin kid 
could see them.  Neville doesn't confide in people, Luna is 
universally considered crazy, and as for the Slytherin kid -- we 
don't know, but there could be any number of reasons why he didn't 
talk or wasn't believed.

Overall, I don't find it very unlikely that in a group of kids aged 
11-17, very few would see thestrals.  I'm assuming that "seeing 
death" means actually seeing it happen, not just seeing a body laid 
out for a funeral or something.  That's something very few people in 
general ever get to see, let alone children, whom adults try to 
shelter from these things.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com