[HPforGrownups] On the complex issue of time travel

[Tammy Rizzo]

No: HPFGUIDX 56421

On 29 Apr 2003 at 3:20, abc10011 wrote:

> It states that wizards have killed their
> past selves, well if it is the actual person from the past then if he
> is killed how was the wizard alive at the time that he went back.  For
> ex. I went back at 5:00 to 2:00 and killed my past self at 3:00, so
> how was I there at 5:00 to go back in time, therefore it must be that
> the person who goes back in time is a "different" person and its like
> the second way of understanding. I do not profess to understand the
> second way and the truth is that the first way makes more sense but
> the proof is there. WHEW! Joe *who has a pounding headache*


Hey, Joe, have an aspirin or two, on me.  :-)  Now, are you sure it said in the books 
that some wizards have killed their *PAST* selves, or just their selves?  Because 
the way I remember reading it (haven't gotten to PoA again yet, but I'm close) was 
that their past selves would see their future selves, freak out 'cause they wouldn't 
really understand what was going on, and kill their future selves.  No more wizard, 
but no paradox, either.  One might wonder why, if a wizard had seen and killed 
someone who looked uncannily like himself, he would then later trust himself to a 
TimeTurner, but it could well be that his future self, the one who gets killed by his 
past self, wouldn't realize until too late that he was treading dangerous ground, 
because things always look different from different perspectives.  Harry didn't quite 
realize that he was the one he'd seen casting the Patronus, until he was right there 
on the spot and his 'savior' hadn't shown up yet.  A wizard who plays with a 
TimeTurner might not realize that he was the one he'd killed until he was already in 
the death zone and saw his own wand raised against him.  Too late.

Argh.  It's too late for me to be thinking, let alone thinking about time travel and 
paradoxes!!  :-)  I don't know -- did this make any sense at all?
***
Tammy
tammy at mauswerks.net