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

[davenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 132144

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" <delwynmarch at y...> 
wrote:
> 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.

If there is no way to "change" the past, but only to "participate" in 
it, then wouldn't the TT-Harry already know if he had encountered his 
TT-self?  Then we would see this conversation:

Harry: "Let's use the time-turner!"
Hermione: "Okay, but you can't let your past self see your time-
traveling self!"
Harry: "Well, if I had seen my TT-self, I would know now, wouldn't I? 
But in the past three hours, I never saw another me.  So there's 
nothing to worry about!"
Hermione: "Oh... well... but maybe that's only because you're going to 
be careful!"
Harry: "Well, if we already know I'm going to be careful, then you 
don't need to tell me to be careful, do you?"
Hermione: "I suppose not... but be careful, just the same!"


Now, just so we understand, since you are saying that the past can't 
be changed, but only fulfilled, then the only reason you would use the 
TT would be to witness or participate in a different set of events 
than your non-TT self.  So Hermione can be in two classes at once.  
You would NEVER say "well, what just happened was really awful, let's 
go change it!" Because then you would say, "Well, it just happened, 
period, so if I choose to go back, it means that either going back 
will cause it, or at least not prevent it, so I can't change things, 
or else they would be chagned."  So if something bad happened, you 
wouldn't bother going back.  And if something good happened, you might 
say "Well, I'm so glad things turned out that way... but what if the 
only reason things worked out is because I used the time-turner to 
change them?  Well, I just won't bother, since things turned out as 
they did, so whatever decision I make now won't change things." 

 So no one would actually ever use the time-turner, since they would 
never know that it was necessary in order to bring about events as 
they occured, unless they saw something when they weren't time-
traveling that tipped them off to the presence of their time-traveling 
selves.  Or in this case, something tipped off Dumbledore.

I think this is my last post on the topic...

- davenclaw