CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 13: Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw

[Geoff]

No: HPFGUIDX 189963

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, June Ewing <doctorwhofan02 at ...> wrote:
>
> Geoff wrote:
> > 3. Harry is still letting thoughts of the Grim bother him. Is
> he right in thinking that the creature exists or were the various
> apparent sightings just coincidences or products of his over-
> excited imagination?
> >
> > June responded:
> > > The Grim turned out to be Sirius Black.
> >
> > Geoff again:
> > I would beg to disagree on that point. We need to remember that
> we are considering how we viewed events as we read the book for
> the first time and not allowing what we read in later books to
> colour our hindsight.
> 
> Carol responds to both:
> > I can understand June's response to this question, which asks
> in the present tense "Is he right in thinking that the creature
> exists?" I think you meant "Did you think Harry was right that the
> creature exists?" I was also unsure how to respond (in my head--
> I'm not planning to respond on list for lack of time) because I
> know that you know that we now know that the "Grim" was Sirius
> Black's Animagus form. Several other questions are also posed in
> > the present tense.
> 
> 
> June:
> The question that was asked was Harry is still letting thoughts
> of the Grim bother him. Is he right in thinking that the creature
> exists or were the various apparent sightings just coincidences or
> products of his over-excited imagination? It said nothing about
> before we find out the truth. Therefore my answer is correct there
> was (and in my opinion there is no such thing as) a Grim.

Geoff:
I think that both questions and tenses are admissible. My question, 
in the present tense is looking at Harry's POV in the situation involved
whereas we, as external observers, are permitted to pose the question
in a more general context.

June, your last sentence appears to be contradictory at first reading. 
You appear to be saying on the one hand:
Therefore my answer is correct there was a Grim.

and on the other:
In my opinion there is no such thing as a Grim.

Can you expand on that please?