magic time turner

[Judy]

 Sean Dwyer wrote:
>  if Granger got her Time Turner from MacGonagal, Dumbledore
> must have had access to that one at least, and could have 
> reprogrammed the trophy in GoF or have been able to alter events. 
> Of course it's also possible he already did.
> If this is true, this would be corroborrating evidence for MAGIC 
> DISHWASHER.
> My only problem with that theory is that it makes Snape altogether 
> too wonderful. I prefer my Snapes bitter. Prost.

There is a theory that time-travel is possible, but that there is 
only one past. Therefore, any changes made by time-travelers have 
*already* been incorporated into history.  In other words, if I tried 
to travel back in time and stop Lincoln's assassination, I would be 
doomed to failure.  Why?  Because if I had succeeded, then Lincoln 
never would have been assassinated in the first place.  Essentially, 
this theory says that one can travel back into time, but the past 
can't be changed.

It seems to me that JKR subscribes to this theory of time-travel.  
Harry and Hermione never *change* the past. The things that Harry and 
Hermione go back and do have *already* happened by the time they put 
on the time-turner in the infirmary. Harry and Hermione even see 
their future selves doing these things (such as driving away the 
dementors) -- they just didn't recognize themselves. 

So, once Dumbledore *knows* that the events of GoF have happened, he 
also knows that he can't change them. 


I'm curious -- why would your theory make Snape wonderful? 

-- Judy