[HPforGrownups] Time-Travel and Free Will in POA

[Beata Wai Ieng Ho Deitrick]

No: HPFGUIDX 132501

Richard Jones wrote:
> Notice that when Dumbledore first walked into the Infirmary at 
> around 11:55 PM and saw Harry and Hermione, he must have realized 
> that they had in fact already decided to time-travel and had in 
> fact succeeded in their time-traveling mission — for if they had 
> not succeeded, they would have had the Dementor's Kiss applied and 
> would not be in their condition in the Infirmary at that time.  So 
> he knew they must have accepted their time-traveling mission and 
> accomplished their task before he asked them!
> 
> So is Dumbledore's foreknowledge compatible with Harry and 
> Hermione's free will?  That is, Dumbledore already knew they must 
> have done it — so did they then really have any free will in the 
> matter?  Or did they somehow exercise free will before Dumbledore 
> arrived at the Infirmary?  Could they now refuse to time-travel 
> when he suggests it?  


I heard this explanation  a while ago about time travel:

Say your friend has the ability to time travel.  She traveled to a
week later, saw you and her buying ice cream and saw that you bought
chocolate.  She didn't tell you what she saw; you went to get ice
cream together, and you choose chocolate.  Just because she knew that
you chose chocolate doesn't mean that you didn't go through the
decision process and decide upon chocolate.  In fact, she couldn't
have affected your decision process unless she intervened in the
future, which Harry and Hermione weren't allowed to do.

So even if Dumbledore knew that Harry and Hermione would go back in
time, it doesn't mean that their free-will was taken away.  Dumbledore just happened to know what they would choose (kind of like how some people know their best friendso so well they know what they would do/say in certain situations).

Beata Deitrick
(BTW - I'm new.  So hi to everyone!  I've really enjoyed all the
intellectual talk on this board about Harry Potter and can't wait for
the HBP)