How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Quote #4
LUNA LOVEGOOD: They're called Thestrals. They're quite gentle, really, but people avoid them, because they're a bit...
HARRY POTTER: Different. But why can't the others see them?
LUNA LOVEGOOD: The only people who can see them are those who've seen death.
HARRY POTTER: So, you've known someone who died?
LUNA LOVEGOOD: My mum. She was quite an extraordinary witch, but she did like to experiment, and one day, one of her spells went badly wrong. I was nine.
HARRY POTTER: I'm sorry.
LUNA LOVEGOOD: Yes, it was rather horrible. I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I've still got Dad.
Harry finally understands why he can see the horses from the carriage… and finds a new friend, too. Watching someone die right in front of your eyes is pretty traumatic. Luna gets it though. And so do the Thestrals.
Quote #5
HARRY POTTER: Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake you can just try again tomorrow, but out there, when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes... you don't know what that's like.
Harry brings the truth during the first meeting of Dumbledore's Army. Sure it sounds fun to talk about all his awesome adventures (it sure is fun to read and watch them), but living them is a whole different thing. When you might actually be murdered by the most evil dark wizard of all time, it's a whole different ball game.
Quote #6
SEVERUS SNAPE: In the past, it was often the Dark Lord's pleasure to invade the minds of his victims creating visions designed to torture them into madness. Only after extracting the last exquisite ounce of agony, only when he had them literally begging for death, would he finally kill them.
Yeah, Voldemort's a real treat. Snape's warning here is important. If Harry thinks he'll just float off peacefully into death he has another thing coming.