book 7: back to the future theory

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No: HPFGUIDX 53078

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nobodysrib <nobodysrib at y...>" 
<nobodysrib at y...> wrote:
> Way before I ever started coming here and delving far into the 
books 
> I had an idea for how the books may end.  I haven't been able to 
find 
> this discussed in any of the archives, and thought I'd post it to 
see 
> if y'all spot anything in the canon that may support (or go 
against) 
> it.
> 
> I think JKR has mentioned in an interview that either time travel 
or 
> the time turner will be used again.  My idea, which I call the 
Back 
> to the Future Theory:  Probably in book 7, Harry realizes that he 
> cannot defeat Voldemort "on his own" (Voldemort has gotten too 
> strong, etc.).  And so Harry is given the option of traveling back 
in 
> time (time turner?) to defeat Tom Riddle - and thus stop 
Voldemort.  
> (or possibly he will change an even in Riddle's life that will 
stop 
> him from becoming Voldemort).
<snip>

Me: Actually, I have a (fairly week) back to the future theory of my 
own. But, it doesn't happen in book 7.

My theory is that Harry is actually "the stranger. The teenage boy, 
dark-haired and pale" that Frank Bryce sees on the day of the Riddle 
Murders. My reasoning: At the time this event took place (Tom 
Riddle's 7th year at Hogwart's), Tom would already have taken his 
Apparating Test and could have simply apparated to the drawing room 
of the mansion, without any witnesses.  Why linger outside? 

If Harry, on the other hand, were to use the time-turner in his 5th 
or 6th year, he would not yet be able to apparate. He'd have to 
break into the Riddle house, using traditional methods (handy-dandy 
multi-purpose pen-knife, anyone)?

So, know the question is why? Why would Harry go-back in time to 
this particular event? Riddle killing his family could be more 
important than we know yet. Perhaps Harry is trying to stop it. The 
problem is, Tom could just try again...and again...and again, if 
necessary. Is Harry trying to kill Tom? If so, I don't know why he 
would choose this time and place for it, other than it really would 
be difficult to murder someone on the Hogwarts grounds. The 
orphanage might work, but we know that on this date at this time, 
Riddle will be at this location. It's a dead lock. I really can't 
see Harry going back to kill the Riddle family himself. But, you 
never know!

There are some problems. The main one being that Harry doesn't yet 
know the circumstances surrounding the Riddle murders. He doesn't 
know when or where or how they took place...only that Tom did it. He 
could always look it up in the papers, but he hasn't done so yet. 

Ok, assuming that this did happen, it's obvious (I think) that Harry 
did not succeed in his mission. Because the Riddles were murdered 
and the (assumed) new time line, is actually the time-line we've 
been reading all along. 

True, it's not a very strong theory. But I thought, what the hey? 
Why not! <g>

-Tanya