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

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 132058

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" <delwynmarch at y...>
wrote:
> davenclaw wrote:
> "Then why are people worried about seeing their past-selves when
> they go back?  They should already know if it happened.  "
> 
> Del replies:
> ...edited...
> 
> The problem is not the TT!people seeing their past selves. It's the
> other way around: the past selves seeing the TT!people. As Hermione
> explains to Harry, if past!Harry saw TT!Harry, he would most 
> probably assume that some dark magic was at work, and he might 
> attack TT!Harry before any explanation could be given.
> 
> Hermione's insistent reminder is "we must not BE seen", not "we must
> not see". Big difference.
> 
> Del

bboyminn:

Del has certainly made the central point here, but it does go a tiny
bit beyond that.

It's not so much that 'we can't be seen', it's that we can't be seen
by our UNKNOWING SELVES. The key is not about being seen, it's about
the fact that there is a version of yourself, your normal self, that
doesn't know what going on, and that creates dangers which Hermione
clearly explains.

But, when Hermione is time traveling to several classes at once, it
doesn't matter if she sees herself because ALL VERSIONS of herself are
KNOWING. They all know what's going on, so seeing each other is
meaningless, so their is no danger. In her particular case, what is 
more important is that no student or teacher see more than one version
 of Hermione at a given time. If Seamus walks down the hall, turns a
corner, and sees three Hermiones in casual conversation, I can safely
say he is going to FREAK OUT.

So, in that sense, the various version of Hermione shouldn't see each
other but only because that increases the chances of someone seeing
more that one of them at the same time. But there is no inherent time
travel danger. 

In simpler terms, the danger is not in seeing yourself, but in the
results and reactions caused by seeing yourself. 

Just one more small piece of the puzzle.

Steve/bboyminn