Buckbeak's Execution and Other Questions

[Barbara]

No: HPFGUIDX 100470

>>>Maggie Barclay <rzl46 at y...> wrote:

. . . In other words, was Buckbeak really executed the first time 
and then the time turner brought him back to life or did he not 
really die the first time (because HH were already there to rescue 
him)?  The argument was made that as HRH didn't SEE Buckbeak 
executed, merely heard the thud, it was possible that they heard 
some other noise and interpreted it to mean that Buckbeak was dead.  
I liked that the movie answered that question, though probably not 
to the satisfaction of everyone in this group ;), by showing the 
executioner taking out his frustrations on a poor defenseless 
pumpkin.<<<

When I read these scenes originally, I think my reaction was, "Oh, 
that's make sense!" When Harry and Hermione heard the executioner 
slam down the axe and they already had Buckbeak away from there, it 
just explained what happened in the earlier chapter (when they think 
Buckbeak is being executed). They also heard Hagrid (his "wild 
howling") afterwards, and they assumed he was expressing grief, but 
then when H&H went back in time, they see he was howling with tears 
of relief. Those parts were actually less confusing to me than the 
part with the Patronus. Harry knowing he could create the Patronus 
when he went back in time with Hermione, because he "did it before." 
That was weird.

To answer your question, I think the book was written in a way that 
made me believe there was actually one timeline. The difference was 
in what H&H knew. Of course, if they had not gone back because of 
what they thought happened, then what they feared (Buckbeak being 
killed) would have happened after all. Does that make sense?

Someone else mentioned Star Trek when discussing all this Time 
Turner stuff. I'm a big Star Trek fan and that reminded me of this 
line, from Star Trek Voyager:

Capt Janeway: Ever since my first day in the job as a Starfleet 
Captain I swore I'm never let myself get caught in one of these god-
forsaken paradoxes. The future is the past, the past is the future. 
It all gives me a headache.

Barbara
aka bd-bear