thestrals not seen by harry

[aves]

Why couldn't Harry see the thestrals when he was going on the horseless but thestralful carriages after fourth year ?

[woofgang]

thestrals can only be seen by people who have experienced death

[Francis Asis]

I read somewhere that it's because Cedric's death hadn't really sunk in at that time. A bit too convenient for my liking.

[Googler]

ok, I asked this on jk's site (jkrowling.com) and she said it was because when harry ws a baby, he didn't see his parent's deaths, he just saw a green flash of light, and he was in his cot. when he saw cedric die, he really did see him die, and jk actually claimed in an interview " this just added to the trauma of harry seeing his parents' deaths" so he should have been able to see the thestrals, but she's jsut making exuses. she said it hadn't sunk in yet - whatever!?!?!

[Sirius731]

JKR said on her website that for someone to see the thestrals the death must have sunken in.

[aves]

harry had not seen cedric's death too. cedric was on his side, he just saw the green light. death doesn't need to sink into harry. remembered how he behaved in the GoF and didn't want to talk about it?

[Stone17]

Well, after fourth year he didn't see them because JK didn't want to open up a new mystery.  And maybe Harry just wanted to deny the fact that Cedric was really gone.

Or maybe JK just hadn't had it in her plot until the fifth book and just overlooked a tiny little fact.

Give her a break.  She's a mom who is writing SEVEN books for us and is pregnant again. 

[potterfan3]

i wonderded this as well perphapaps jk forgot yo put them in book 4 and now making exuses or that he hadn't seen cedric die in the graveyard but the spell then seen him die in his dreams and made him see the therstrals