[Oop Spoiler!] Intriguing creatures: Mystery or Discrepancy?

[Laura]

No: HPFGUIDX 61409

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Sayuri" <sayuri_tama at h...> 
wrote:
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> Just a quick post about an intriguing to creature Rowling has put in
> her new book -- the Thestrals, and what I think is either a mystery 
or
> a discrepancy about their appearance (Haven't decided which yet, and
> hopefully someone here can help). 
> 
> The Thestrals, as we may recall, are only visible to those "who have
> seen death" (OoP, 394). Harry, returning to Hogwarts in fifth year, 
is
> able to see these  creatures pulling the Hogwarts "horseless
> carriages" for the first time--presumably due to his experience in 
the
> graveyard during the Triwizard tournament, where he  saw Voldemort
> murder Cedric Diggory.
> 
> However, this is an apparent inconsistancy, as in previous books we
> are led to believe that Harry has seen death before, when his mother
> died, protecting him as a baby. Would it not stand to reason, then,
> that Harry should have always seen the Thestrals? Or is this 
Rowling's
> way of subtely telling us that Harry had not witnessed her death, 
and
> Cedric was the first person he actually saw die?


Now Laura:
My first impression was that perhaps he had NOT seen his mother die 
(which seemed somewhat inexplicable) and that Cedric was the first 
death that he had witnessed.  However, this is ALSO an inconsistancy, 
as GoF clearly states, well after the death of Cedric that the 
carriages are still horseless.

"Hermione turned away, smiling at the horseless carriages that were 
now trundling toward them up the drive, as Krum, looking surprised 
but grateful, signed a fragment of parchment for Ron." (GoF, US 
paperback, p.725-726)

Surely if Harry had suddenly noticed the horeses, he would have 
commented on it, if not to Ron or Hermione, at least in the narrative?

So was JKR trying to save this dramatic revelation for OOP, is it a 
Flint, or did Harry actually SEE someone die over the summer?  
Because if you read GoF carefully, you will see that Harry's eyes 
were closed when Cedric died, and he merely saw the flash of green 
light through his closed eyelids.

Curious.  Very curious.

-Laura