How was this minor detail missed in Harry Potter 4-5?

Question: How was this minor detail missed in Harry Potter 4-5!?

In Harry Potter, you can see thestrals if you have seen death, but at the end of Goblet of Fire they are not mentioned as the kids get on the carriages to go back to Hogsmede station!. However when they get on the carriages at the start of 5th year he can now see them!. I am re-reading them all in quick succession and just noticed that detail!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

The author has addressed this question!. I remember reading it but not where I saw it!.

The explanation as I recall it was that it just took time and the fact that when Harry left school he was still somewhat traumatized!.

Something like that!. It wasn't like see death, see thestral!. It took a while before you'd see them, perhaps you needed time to ponder on things and then they became visible!.

Although Harry saw death as an infant, he was too small to understand what happened, so it was the same as if he didn't see it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If by 'he' you mean HP sees the thestrals for the first time, could be it had to do with how Goblet of Fire ended, with a death HP witnesses (when he is older than an infant!.)

If you mean 'they' --perhaps 'they', in some way, witnessed Cedric's death, his body!.
If I'm thinking the wrong book regarding Cedric, and
If you don't mean either one, I'll back out of this one now, and wish you luck for a right answer!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

interesting!.!.!.i never noticed that! it still says "horseless carriages" and even though harry was looking for them before it never specifically says who saw them!.!.although i imagine harry would have, seeing as he had to get in one!. hmmm!.!.!.i wonder if jk rowling just didn't want to have to raise the issue yet since it was the end of the book and all and they became a kinda big part of the fifth's plot!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

no i think the key is to have had a very near-death experience, as in when harry was nearly killed by voldemort in book four, so he saw them at the start of book 5!. o wait i get you yeah that doesnt make sense>Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because the death needs to sink in!. Cedric's death hadn't really sunk in until he had the summer to think about it, since he was still sort of in shock when he left Hogwarts!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

J!.K!. Rowling later said in an interview that she didn't want to end G!.O!.B!. with a mystery, so she didn't mention the Thestrals!. Sorry, I can't find a link to the interview!.
:(Www@QuestionHome@Com

he always thought they were horseless!. he never thought to look for anything!. that's why he was surprised to see them!. in harry potter world it wouldn't be unusual to see carriages moving along by themselves right!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

They probably didn't want to bring it up until Harry could see them!. But he could see them in his fourth year any way because he saw his mother get killedWww@QuestionHome@Com

There are all sorts of mistakes and inconsistencies in the Harry Potter books!. There is a place (I think Mugglenet) where people register the ones they have found!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

And in the book, his mother died right in front of him when he was little, so he should have been able to see them since first year!. I wondered that too!Www@QuestionHome@Com

JKR may just not have mentioned them!. Or it could have been deleted in the editing process!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Harry Potter is flawed!.

Hard to believe, I know!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You have a good eye for spotting these things!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

yes i noticed that too!. harry should have seen them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com