The point of Time-Turning (was Paradox of Time Travel in PoA)

[madorganization]

No: HPFGUIDX 132044

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "davenclaw" <daveshardell at y...> 
wrote:
> Del wrote:
> > The whole point of Time-Turning is to make the past happen the way 
it
> > happened.
> 
> 
davenclaw:
> Then why are people worried about seeing their past-selves when they 
> go back?  They should already know if it happened.  
> 


Alisha:
I think this particular warning was either a)an exaggeration to 
frighten people tempted to mess with time for fun or b)JKR not clearly 
thinking about the consequences of what she said.

It cannot be dangerous for you to see your past self.  As you pointed 
out, you already know it happened.  What is dangerous (as Hermione 
explains to Harry) is if your past self sees you.  They do not yet 
know that you have time traveled and would assume they'd gone mad or 
soemthing.  It is also not possible for you to go back in time and 
kill your past self "by accident" or otherwise.  If you killed your 
past self, you wouldn't exist to go back in time to kill yourself.  
Your past self, however, is perfectly capable of killing you (not 
knowing it was really their future self).

Confusing?  Yes, but not if you always take warnings of dire 
consequences in the wizarding world with a large grain of salt.

-Alisha