Identifying the Put-Outer

[corinthum]

No: HPFGUIDX 85712

Oryomai asked:
 
> <Quote>
> OoP, Chapter Three: page 58 (American):
> "Got it," he muttered, raising what looked like a silver cigarette
lighter into the air and clicking it.
> 
> The nearest streetlamp went out with a pop.  He clicked the
unlighter again; the next lamp went out.  He kept clicking until every
lamp in the square was extinguished and the only light in the square
came from curtained windows and the sickle moon overhead.
> 
> "Borrowed it from Dumbledore," growled Moody, pocketing the Put-Outer.
> </Quote>
> 
> My question is this: how did Harry know it was the Put-Outer?  We
usually learn about things like that from Harry's POV and nowhere in
that area did anyone mention the Put-Outers name.  Are we just
supposed to assume Harry just *knew* the name?  

I don't think it necessarily implies that he does know the name.  If
he did, I think it would say, "raising a Put-Outer into the air and
clicking it".  Instead Rowling used the description, which implies
Harry had never seen or heard of this device before.  The word
Put-Outer is used in a fairly neutral area, so it could a description
 from the perspective of the omnicient narrator (who is present,
despite the fact that she usually limits her decriptions to Harry's
perpective)   rather than Harry's.

-Corinth