Time Travel in the Series

[mss4a at cstone.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 19706

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Dave Hardenbrook <DaveH47 at m...> wrote:

> But then you've got a world in which there's no free will, which
> always really bothers me, especially in the Hogwarts universe,
> given Dumbledore's statements about "the choices we make".

Ha!  Great catch!  Yes, you're correct; in fact, my friend who came up 
with this theory happens to be a Calvinist.  :)  Without getting into 
the finer points of the theology, I'll just say that choice/will is 
not incompatible with predestination (though FREE will is).  And I do 
think the notion of "destiny" will become an important one in the 
series--already you have Prof. Trelawney predicting things.  How can 
she do that if they're not already predetermined?

> My own theory is that occasionally when the Wizarding World
> is at the cusp of two important branches in history, someone
> glimpses a vision of one possible reality, as Harry did when he
> saw his future self.  From this moment, Harry, Ron, Hermione,
> and Sirius are actually in an ambiguous "limbo" state until Harry
> and Hermione actually go back and resolve everything.  If
> Harry had failed, he, Hermione, and Sirius would have vanished
> and rematerialized in front of the Dementors, "worse than dead"!

Hmm, I'm not sure I understand.  When Harry passed out, he saw himself 
conjuring the Patronus.  So, basically at that point it was a done 
deal--he had conjured the Patronus--even though he chronologically 
HADN'T yet.  It was already determined.  So how would it be possible 
for him to fail?

Similarly, Barbara Purdom wrote:

> I don't think Hermione misspoke.  I think that there's one timeline 
> in PoA because they Hermione goes to so much trouble to make sure
> there is.  <snip>  

But you still have the problem of Harry conjuring the Patronus, and it 
already having been done--he didn't change the past, creating an 
alternate timeline, he was simply in two places at once, within the 
SAME timeline.  If it were possible in JKR's universe to create 
alternate timelines, I would think it would have been done here.

Geez, the more I think about the plot of PoA the more I appreciate it.

And BTW, I love the idea of the Time Turner being a special kind of 
Portkey.  I always wondered why it took them to the entrance hall.

Melanie