CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 34, "The Department of Mysteries"

[curriebethany]

No: HPFGUIDX 120418


> 4)  When riding the Thestrals to the Ministry of Magic, could the riders be 
> seen?  Can only people who see thestrals normally be able to see the riders 
> during flight?

I think maybe Thestrals' riders are invisible.  Thestrals may be like 
Fred's and George's Headless Hats, which extend the invisibility 
charm beyond the hats and over the head of the wearer.  Remember the 
hat isn't invisible until the person puts it on.  Likewise, people 
who can see Thestrals normally may not be able to see one when 
someone is riding it.  I'm not sure why Thestrals would make their 
riders invisible, so this theory may not work, but it's an 
interesting thought anyway.
> 
> 12)  Why is Hermione not affected by the veil like Harry and the others?  
> She is almost hysterical when trying to pry Harry away from the veil.  What 
> does she know or understand differently?
> 
Assuming the spirits of those who have died from the AK curse are 
behind (in?) the veil, I think Harry, Luna and Neville are attracted 
to it because someone on the other side (inside?) is calling to them 
specifically.  Harry's parents are both there, Sirius is (now) there, 
so obviously Harry would be drawn to it.  Neville saw his grandfather 
die - I wonder if it's related at all to the torture of his parents.  
If so, he might have died from the AK curse as well.  Luna?  Well, we 
don't know who she saw die, so I can't exactly theorize why she is 
drawn to the veil.  I just don't think we can assume those who can 
see Thestrals are all attracted to the veil and vice versa.

As for Hermione, I think she sees the fact the veil shouldn't be 
moving (yet is) and the drawing power the veil has over Harry, 
Neville and Luna.  I don't think she knows or understands anything 
differently, but maybe she remembered Mr. Weasley's advice to "never 
trust anything if you can't see where it keeps its brains."

--Bethany