Thestrals and Quirrels Death

[ms_tamany]

No: HPFGUIDX 105426

> Ms Mo Me said:
> 
> > We all know that if you wittness death, you can see
> > thestrals.  
> >
> > Well, didn't Harry see Professor Quirrel die in PS/SS?
> > So, Shouldn't he be able to see Thestrals by book 2?
> 
>
> Then Salit answered:
>
> JKR answered that on her website. He did not witness Quirrel's
> death as he was unconscious, nor his parents' deaths (he was in
> his cot).
> What I don't understand though is why he is able to see the
> thestrals after Cedric's death considering he did not see Cedric
> die either - he had his face covered and eyes closed due to the
> pain in his scar. When he opened them, Cedric was already dead.
> 
> Salit

Now I (Tammy) reply to Salit's question:

You said it yourself, right at the first, there.  'Witness'.  Harry 
was unconcious at the end of PS/SS and didn't WITNESS Quirrel's 
death.  Harry was in his cot at GH and much too young to actually 
WITNESS his parents' deaths.  However, even with his eyes closed, he 
WITNESSED Cedric's death -- he heard it, he was right there when it 
happened, he *knew* what was happening, he could see the flash even 
through his closed eyelids.  If Harry had been asked to testify in 
court about Cedric's death, that ear-witness would have been 
sufficient to admit as evidence.  Then he opened his eyes and saw 
death -- Cedric's dead body, right there beside him, staring out at 
nothing. He hasn't seen anyone else dead yet, has he?  Cedric was 
his first dead body, right?  Myrtle and NHNick and the other ghosts 
don't count -- they're not dead BODIES, just dead PEOPLE.

So, Harry (ear-)witnessed Cedric's death, and then looked right at 
Cedric's fresh corpse, and this is the first time Harry's ever been 
intimately and immediately involved with another person's dying.  I 
think that certainly qualifies as 'seeing death'.

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***
Tammy Rizzo
ms-tamany at rcn.com