Time Only Moves Forward Theory

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48944

The Time Travel thread has really started to get interesting, and I
really hate to break the thread by starting a new one, but there is
some much good information that I can't decide who to respond to.
That, combine with the fact that I have my own time travel explanation.

Here is the foundation of my theory -

Time only moves forward, never back.

Part of the problem with understanding time travel is that we start in
the future and then jump to the past and move through time until we
reach the future and jump to the past again, seeming to cause a
infinitely repeating loop of jumping back and moving forward.

I think the only way to have a functional analysis is to start in the
past and only move forward. Time never travels backwards although
people do.

Let's not look at when Harry1 and Hermione1 (H1/H1 - the originals)
exit the timeline. Let's just start in the past and move forward
second by second.

H1/H1/R1 come down and hide until the coast is clear, then they exit
the castle to go down to Hagrid's. At roughly this time, H2/H2 enter
the timeline. Time moves forward; Hagrid's, returning under the cloak,
the presumed execution, Scabbers escapes, Ron in the tunnel, the
Shrieking Shack, the return, the Dementors, the Petronus, the escape,
.... During most of this H2/H2 are hiding in the forest.

The Map -
There are blank spots on the map; places where people can't be seen.
Harry doesn't see himself on the map until he steps outside the
classroom in which Fred/George gave him the map. Lupin doesn't see
Peter until H1/H1/R1 come out of Hagrid's. It seems unlikely that the
Marauder would ever need to know if a teacher was in the forest. I
think a lot of the 'dead' areas are either area where there would
likely be so many people as to make the map useless or places of no
interest like Hagrid's. The purpose of the map is not to see where
ever person is at all times, but to see if the coast is clear for
whatever they may be attempting to do at the moment. Which is likely
to be either moving around the castle or trying to get in/out of the
castle. That's what the function of the map focuses on.

Why didn't Lupin at some point or at some time see two of Harry and
Hermione? It's possible he did, but didn't realize it. Once he had
H/H/R located on the map, he was concentrating on what they were
doing. It's unlikely that he said to himself, 'Gee, I wonder if there
is another Harry and Hermione on here somewhere.' He saw what he
wanted to see, and was concentrating on those events on the map.

Remember, the entire floorplan for a very large seven story building
and it's grounds are on once piece of parchment. By Harry's own
statements, the writing is miniscule. You have to strain your eyes to
read it. That certainly wouldn't have made it easy for Lupin to
accidently see the additional H/H. I really have no problem with Lupin
not noticing 2 of Harry and Hermione even if they did appear on the
map at the same time.

Time Marches On-

If we only keep the timeline moving forward, at some point, H2/H2 are
running up the hallway toward the hospital. Dumbledore holds them
outside the hospital door until H1/H1 vanish from the timeline, then
allows them into the hospital ward where .... time marches on.

If we only look at time moving forward, then we have H2/H2 entering
the timeline and then later, we have H1/H1 vanishing from the
timeline. In between those events, we have two H/H who are in reality
the same person. H2/H2 have all the knowledge, experience, and history
that H1/H1 will have up to the point where they vanish. 

The original (H1/H1) Harry and Hermione have a single knowledge of the
history of the previous three hours. H2/H2 have knowledge of that
history from two different perspectives. At the point where H1/H1
disappear, the perspectives converge and a single knowledge of history
moves forward from there. 

I admit that even with my explaination of time only moving forward
there is still an element of uncertainty; a degree of paradox. But
from a historical perspective, at some point a second H/H join the
timeline, then three hours later the first H/H vanish from the
timeline. We do know why H1/H1 vanished, and why H2/H2 appeared in the
timeline but time still only moves forward. 

The key to time travel is to not alter anything that has been
resolved. You can't change a historically documented event. It was not
a known fact, it was presumed, that Buckbeak was executed. It was a
known fact the someone who look like Harry's father cast a Partomus
charm from across the lake. When Harry and Hermione woke in the
hospital it was assumed as a fact that Sirius was still lock in
Flintwick's office.

When H1/H1 vanish and H2/H2 re-enter the hospital, all presumptions,
assumptions, and ambiguities have been resolved and history becomes
etched in stone. H2/H2 did not alter history, they merely confirmed it.

A very difficult subject to discuss.

Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn