Why the time turner stinks/Hermione's homework

[a_reader2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 80108

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "severusbook4" 
<severusbook4 at y...> wrote (80021):

Hermione did use it for homework, that is why she was so exhausted 
> > > all the time, it wasn't just the fact of adding 2 hours to her 
day, 
> > > it was also the 2 - 3 hours she was adding for homework.  
> > 
> > CW replies:
> > Sevvie, can you give me a quote to back this up ?> 
> Severus here:
> 
> O.K:
> Pg. 395 PoA US softback
> 
> "It's called a time turner," Hermione whispered "and I got it from 
Professor 
> McGonagall on our first day back.  I've been using it all year to 
get to all my lessons.
"I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies...I've been 
turning it back so I 
> could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several 
lessons at once, see?"
> 
> Hermione is using the word "studies" indicating homework, and then 
uses the word "lessons" again to indicate classes.  The only thing 
she didn't use it for was more sleep, which she could have used.  But 
that is JMHO.  Feel free to tear it apart. And I 
> think there is another reference but I can't seem to find it.  And 
sorry this took so long. 
> Sevvie

Reply from CW:

I guess you could read it this way at a stretch ! But the more 
circumstantial evidence, that we continually see her surrounded by 
towering piles of books, frantically trying to catch up on all sorts 
of essays, I think suggests that she is only using the time-turner to 
attend the actual classes. 

Surely, if she used the time-turner to do her homework, she would 
also be slightly calmer and more organised, if still very, very 
tired? That feeling you get when you finish a piece of work late at 
night, and you stagger to bed exhausted, but relieved ? (I speak as a 
self-employed person working long hours at home !)

Constance Vigilance in message 80026 further commented about the UK 
term Hermione would have used:

>I think Hermione is using the word "studies" to mean "education". If 
she had meant studying, as in homework, I think she would have used 
the British term "revising". I have to agree with Carolyn and say 
that I think Hermione is using the timeturner only for attending 
simulaneous lessons, and is using her own time for homework and 
studying.

(CW again):
As another Brit, I agree on the terminology here. But the situation 
is a bit more complicated isn't it ? Steve commented (79818):

>You have to understand that Hermione, when she is time-turning, is
experiencing linear time. That is, if she time turns 6 hours a day,
then her days (linear time) are 30 hours long even though the day
itself (timeline) is only 24 hourse long.I give some good examples of 
how time turning really puts a strain on the time tuner (the person) 
in this post -
Hermione Aging via Time turner
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/53555
And you are right... No wonder she was exhausted.

(CW again): and then there are the practical problems associated with 
time-turning:	

Nemi commented (79809): 

>I can understand WHY she couldn't use it for her homework though. 
She'd be in her dorm doing it. And you aren't allowed to see your 
past self, right? So it's a no go. Doesn't mean she still couldn't 
have used it between classes, or right after all of the classes were 
done, time turn back a few hours hide, do her home work. Seems to me 
Hermione just wasn't thinking.

Wyld commented (79820): And, on second thought, if she was sitting in 
the Gryffindor common 
room doing her homework, every time she turned it back there would be 
another Hermione sitting there beside her. I have to think someone 
would notice that.

Draco382 commented (79831):

>My thoughts on why she couldn't use the time turner to do homework 
was, if she could sleep in, spend all the time she wanted on 
homework, and use the time turner as and when she pleased, it 
wouldn't make her very different from any other student. What i mean 
is, she wouldn't really be any MORE challenged than any ordinary 
student at Hogwarts since she'll basically have all the time in the 
world to do her assignments. Since she's been singled out as 
a "exemplary student" i suppose she's got to have some challenge 
beyond the mad 9-10 class schedule. Otherwise, it would probably be 
too easy for Hermione i would imagine.

CW again:

Without wishing to get into the many complex theories about how time-
turning actually works that have been posted, it does seem to me that 
there are still some inconsistencies here. Whatever theory you 
believe in, I don't see why it shouldn't work equally well for 
classes and homework.

Hermione uses the time-turner to attend any class she needs to, 
wherever it conflicts with another class she needs to attend. 
Although she is doing some courses that Harry and Ron are not eg 
muggle studies, arithmancy and runes, surely some of her fellow 
Gryffindors are in these other classes too? Even if they are not, the 
different houses do talk to each other: did no-one notice Hermione 
was in one place, and not think it odd that she was also in another 
place at the same time ? Classes are not silent places, interaction 
goes on, jokes, swapping notes, all the usual stuff, Hermione would 
be part of all that a couple of times over each day.

Assuming this problem is easily sorted out by one of the time-turning 
theories (I liked Corinth's explanation in 79924 !), why can't the 
same principles be applied to let her do her homework ? Or, if she 
can't be seen doing it, there must be a room somewhere which would be 
suitable (?the room of requirement maybe) ?

However it works though, she has to retain a memory of what she's 
doing, obviously, or the whole exercise would be pointless.

Any thoughts ? (she said somewhat nervously, girding herself for the 
stinging replies from the experts on time travel and memory 
mutiliation..)