Time-turning as literary device (was: Just a comment about Lupin's malady)

[iamvine]

No: HPFGUIDX 108681

SSSusan wrote, speaking of the Time-Turner and Polyjuice Potion:

> For some, these parts of the storyline are fun, adventurous and a 
> challenge to figure out.  For others, they feel like "deus ex 
> machina"--almost like a cop-out.  "How can I get X to happen when 
> it's really not very likely or possible?  Oh, I know--I'll use time-
> travel.  Or maybe I'll allow one person to be disguised as another 
> for an entire year."

To me, the Time-Turner is less of a deus ex machina than it looks,
because the characters aren't allowed to change the past - or rather,
they could only change things they assumed had happened, but turned
out really not to have done.  They thought Buckbeak had been killed
because they saw the axe swing, but what they saw was never really the
killing stroke.  And they could only save Sirius because they set off
while he was still un-Kissed.  Circumstances like that are rare.  I
don't think they can use the Time-Turner to save anyone's life again,
but there are many other original ways it could be used.  How about
Fred pretending to be both himself and George, while the real George
went off on a secret mission, for instance?  To me that would be an
acceptable way to bring the Time-Turner back.

Also I don't know if you've ever thought about it this way, but there
are two basic ways for JKR to use a plot device:

1) Harry uses it to do something clever, or someone else uses it with
his knowledge.

2) Someone else uses it, probably against Harry, and he and the
readers are surprised when he finds out.

We've had Polyjuice Potion used both ways - first by Harry and Ron,
then by Crouch Jr.  I always thought Harry and Ron's Polyjuice episode
was setup to make Crouch's more plausible when it happened (though JKR
wove it very cleverly into the plot of CoS at the same time).  We've
only had the Time-Turner used in sense 1 (I don't count Hermione using
it to manage her timetable, because that was mainly setup too).  I do
suspect JKR has been preparing us for some other use of the
Time-Turner later.  She's told us about it - now when the next Death
Eater starts appearing in multiple places at once, we stand a chance
of guessing what's going on.  I wouldn't mind if that happened, but I
don't want to see Polyjuice again.  It's been used twice, once rather
implausibly, and I've had enough of it.

Eleanor