Harry and Thestrals

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 92858

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "earendil_fr" 
> <earendil_fr at y...> wrote:
> 
> Earendil:
> > Is anyone other than I intrigued by the fact that Harry can 
> suddenly 
> > see Thestrals in Order of the Phoenix?
> > 
> 
> <snip>
> 
> Geoff:
> There was a thread some while ago entitled "Thestrals and seeing 
> death" which might help.
> 
> It began at message 80944.

bboy_mn:

First point, to the original poster, it's not 'contact' with death; a
person has to have 'seen' death. If we assume Harry was in some type
of crib or cradle, the his field of vision would have been limited.

Next, JKR, per one of her interviews, knew she had a problem with
Harry seening the Thestrals, but she did not want to introduce them
right at the very end of GoF, and have to leave them unexplained. 

So, given that she gets to invent the world she creates and therefore
create all the rules, JKR decided that you couldn't see the Thestrals
until you had time to process the death you had seen. For some, this
may be very soon after the death, other's may take a longer time. In a
sense, and I'm speculating, you must go through a grieving process,
you must have time to spiritually and emotionally absorb the death you
have witnessed.

JKR gets to make the rule, and this was her solution which, as she
desired, allowed her to not introduce the Thestrals at the end of GoF.

Just passing it along.

bboy_mn