OoP: Thestrals

[Alon van Dam]

No: HPFGUIDX 65647

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "medeia_no" <medeia_no at y...> 
wrote:
> Except if Harry can see thestrals because of having witnessed 
> Cedric's death, why didn't he see them when leaving school last 
term? 
> 
> Varana
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jesta Hijinx" 
> <jestahijinx at h...> wrote:
> > >On that note, Neville could see the thestrals because
> > > >he saw his grandfather die, I'm assuming when he was
> > > >very young.  If that's true, then Harry witnessed at
> > > >least his mother's death when he was a baby, so how
> > > >come he couldn't see the thestral's then?
> > > >
> > > >Me:
> > > >Well, Neville could've been older than Harry. Enough to
> > comprehend
> > > >everything and understand what was happening. Harry wasn't
> > exactly at a
> > > >point to do so.
> > > >
> > > >--Taryn
> > > >
> > >I thought that Harry could see the thestrals now because of
> > witnessing
> > >Cedric's death.
> > >
> > >I don't think we're shown in the books what Harry's POV was.  The
> > movie
> > >dramatizes Lily's death as happening in front of Harry.
> > >
> > >Felinia

This is from the Royal Albert Hall interview:

Stephen Fry (gets handed an e-mail):
This is from a Jessica Wells, originally from Australia, now living 
in London and this is her question: Harry saw his parents die, so why 
hasn't he been able to see the Thestrals before? 

JK Rowling:
At the end of Goblet of Fire, we sent Harry home more depressed than 
he had ever been leaving Hogwarts. Now I knew that the Thestrals were 
coming and I can prove that because they are in the book that I 
produced for comic relief, "Fantastic Beasts and where to find them" 
These unlucky black winged horses. However if Harry had seen them 
then and we hadn't explained them then, I thought that would be 
rather a cheat on the reader in that Harry suddenly sees these 
monsters but we don't go anywhere with them, so to explain to myself 
I said that you had to have seen the death and allowed it to sink in 
a little bit before slowly these creatures became solid in front of 
you, so that's how I am going to sneak past that one.