[HPforGrownups] time travel in PoA

[Amanda Geist]

No: HPFGUIDX 41889

Marc asked

> Did anyone find it strange that towards the end of PoA when Dumbledore
> suggested the kids go back in time, that they can "save more than one
> innoccent life"? Besides Sirius, who was he talking about? According to
what
> he KNEW at the time, Buckbeak was already saved and had escaped.

I didn't find it strange at all, it made perfect sense to me (then again, I
have never had a problem with the whole time thing). Here is my
intepretation of this:

Buckbeak was already saved because H&H *did* go back in time--even if they
don't know this yet. Dumbledore knew that Buckbeak had to be part of the
equation, so he was giving H&H a clue, so that when they did go back, they'd
be able to figure it out. So Buckbeak *was* the other innocent life to be
saved.

Dumbledore, from his perspective (knowing that Buckbeak apparently
disappeared, suspecting it's more), knows that H&H have to involve Buckbeak.
Yes, when he makes this statement, the saving of Buckbeak has already
occurred. However, the action which saves him will be H&H's *future* action
(viewed from their perspective). He's giving them a hint, to help them take
the action, once they have used the Turner, that he knows has already
happened.

Okay, that made sense when I typed it....did anyone follow it?

--Amanda