Questions/Rowling, cont'd.
One I totally forgot:
7. Why can't Harry see thestrals before OotP? Okay, so thestrals are magic horses that are invisible unless you've seen someone die. Check. Okay, Harry can see them at the start of Order of the Phoenix because he saw Cedric die at the end of Goblet of Fire. Che... wait a minute.
The single most important feature of Harry's backstory and character is that he's an orphan, who is alive only because his parents gave their lives to save his when he was a baby. His mother died pretty much directly over him; he's even got repressed memories of her screams. That's it; that's his tag line. He's even called "The Boy Who Lived" in commemoration of the event. So why can't he see thestrals when he first turns up at the School?
It can't be because he was too young when his parents died, because one of his classmates (can't remember which and can't be arsed looking it up) was only a baby when he'd seen death, and he can see thestrals. It doesn't seem likely his mother didn't die in Harry's presence, as he has memories of her death that he relives during Dementor attacks. So it must just be that he wasn't directly looking at her when she dies. That's sorted, then.
Hang on a minute. He didn't look directly at Cedric dying either. Goblet is very specific on that point. He closes his eyes and turns his head because he doesn't want to see. So how does that make him able to see dementors when his mother's death years before didn't?
Unless Rowling just makes shit up as she goes along from book to book.
Reading Deathly Hallows now. I'll let you know what I think.
7. Why can't Harry see thestrals before OotP? Okay, so thestrals are magic horses that are invisible unless you've seen someone die. Check. Okay, Harry can see them at the start of Order of the Phoenix because he saw Cedric die at the end of Goblet of Fire. Che... wait a minute.
The single most important feature of Harry's backstory and character is that he's an orphan, who is alive only because his parents gave their lives to save his when he was a baby. His mother died pretty much directly over him; he's even got repressed memories of her screams. That's it; that's his tag line. He's even called "The Boy Who Lived" in commemoration of the event. So why can't he see thestrals when he first turns up at the School?
It can't be because he was too young when his parents died, because one of his classmates (can't remember which and can't be arsed looking it up) was only a baby when he'd seen death, and he can see thestrals. It doesn't seem likely his mother didn't die in Harry's presence, as he has memories of her death that he relives during Dementor attacks. So it must just be that he wasn't directly looking at her when she dies. That's sorted, then.
Hang on a minute. He didn't look directly at Cedric dying either. Goblet is very specific on that point. He closes his eyes and turns his head because he doesn't want to see. So how does that make him able to see dementors when his mother's death years before didn't?
Unless Rowling just makes shit up as she goes along from book to book.
Reading Deathly Hallows now. I'll let you know what I think.