Expert: Elizabeth - 9/13/2009

Question
Hi Elizabeth.
I was just wondering why Harry couldn't see the thestrals earlier, as he saw his parents die.
Thanks,
Rosie

Answer
Hi, Rosie,

I wondered that, too! If I remember right, that was a quite a source of conversation among the fandom for quite awhile.

JK Rowling actually answered this question on her website (http://www.jkrowling.com) in her FAQ's section. She wrote, "Harry didn't actually see his parents die. He was in his cot at the time and all he saw was the flash of green light. He didn't see Quirrel's death either. He was passed out at the time..." She goes on to say that although he saw Cedric die at the end of the 4th book, she didn't want to start a new mystery by having him see them at the end, so she decided to wait until the 5th book after Harry had had time to process what death meant.


Thanks for writing! I hope that helps!

Elizabeth