Time-Travel in PoA: Yay or Nay?

[Lizzy Bennet]

Since, unlike any of the books (thus far), book #3 (Prisoner of Azkaban) ends with time-travel as opposed to a face-off with Voldemort, I was wondering what people thought of that time-travel and "different" kind of ending . . .

On the one hand, there are probably those who loved the time-travel, that the time-travel and the "different" kind of ending (from books #1, #2, and #4) has made book #3 their favorite. Some may feel that the time-travel was interesting because you finally discovered what Hermione's secret was, understood what Harry saw across the lake, and enjoyed the rescue of both Buckbeak and Sirius.

Likewise, the time-travel probably has its detractors as well. Likely, there are people who feel it was a way to tie up loose plot points and wasn't done well. Some may have felt it boring to read over things that had already happened. It's possible that people felt cheated that Ron was not able to go back in time as well. Additionally, for those out there who are fantasy genre readers, they may have felt time-travel has been better handled in other books.

What did you feel about the time-travel and why? Did you like it and/or it helped to make book #3 your favorite book? Did you not like it and/or feel it was not done well or that the book should have ended a different way? Do share your thoughts! I'm somewhere in the middle (though, book #3 is my favorite, with book #4 running a *very* close second) . . . I enjoyed the time-travel because I like that sort of thing, but I could have been happy with the book ending without it, as I felt the true climax was the meeting of the Trio with Sirius, Lupin, Pettigrew, and Snape. It'll be interesting to read your thoughts!

[Mint]

Book 3 is my favorite book, but not because of Time Travel. I liked the attention that Harry got. Unlike other books where everyone blames him for like everything - here he was protected by everyone.

Time Travel - Actually I hope they won't do too much of it again. Its waaaaay too confusing. Like you can undo your actions at any point in time, no definite answer will exist for anything because anything can be changed. .....er....that was confusing wasn't it?

So - nuh, I don't like "time travel/changing your actions" thing.

[Violet]

i dont mind the time travel - actually to an extenmt i quiet like it - i think it sorta sets the scene a bit you know.
i'm glad it's not a big thing, but i do think that it helps us as readers get a better understanding of harry's world

[TDM]

i actually like the entire thought of time travel. i use it in my own stories a bit, but just the fact of it got too confusing in the end. younger forms of current characters were clashing, many characters died because of it, but, it was worth it.

[Neo]

I love the time-travel, it is very well written; and makes you understand everything.
Actually Mint, time travel doesn't change things, if you know anout time travel you can give explanation to the things that occur. For example Harry saving himself, was something that happened because Harry time travels with Hermione.

[Mint]

For example Harry saving himself, was something that happened because Harry time travels with Hermione.

I dont get it!!!!

All i know is Harry was about to die and then he goes to the future and saves himself.

[han lin]

ahh that just went right over my head. i know what you mean i think and i know what i think but putting it into words is prooving difficult

urr. i liked the ending of #3 because you were finally like "ohh i see..."
and it all meshed together really well.

[TDM]

the way that i understood it was that future Harry saved himself. then, time went by as normal, until Harry went back in the past, becoming the "future Harry" that saved himself. had he not completed the task of saving himself, he wouldn't be there and that last few hours would've rewritten itself.

[Blaise Zabini]

I absolutely love the idea of time travel (and do hope that it's used again in future books!)

I think that the addition of it was not only a lovely way to conclude verything but also gave an entirely new scientific meaning to the books. And it wasn't unoriginal in that I had absolutely no idea it was coming. It was an excellent twist and with it, everything seemed to fit.

And now to exactly what happened at the ending (this may get a bit physics-y and surreal,) here's how I interpreted the whole thing: At the beginning of PoA, Harry's life can be represented by a single string. A line just moving along on it's course. However, when Harry flipped over the Time Turner, he created a branch on this string. The branch moved parallel to the first and represented his foray into the future. Eventually, when Harry returned to the infirmary later on, the two strings met and Harry's dual strings became one again.

Now for what happened in between. Both Harry's present self and his future self existed together in the present of his present self and the past of his future self. His future self knew what had happened but did not comprehend what had happened. He knew that he had seen another character at the lake but not who or what it had been. Furthermore, he knew that his past self had been saved by this person or thing and, because of this, Future Harry was able to save Past Harry. Similarly, it would have been impossible for Past Harry to be destroyed by the dementors. We didn't know it, but Future Harry was there the entire time and his presence was an indication that Past Harry had survived. If Past Harry had died, then Future Harry would never have existed and thus, been able to travel through time.

Furthermore, Harry and Hermione changed nothing in the past, present, or future by going through time. Buckbeak had never died, Harry had never been administered the kiss, his future self had always been there to save him. Dumbledore knew that Buckbeak hadn't died and sent Harry and Hermione into the past to make sure of it, thus, making sure that nothing would change. If they, in fact, had not been sent back, then Buckbeak would have died, which Dumbledore knew had not happened.

However, anything that happened after Harry and Hermione left the infirmary (that is, what occurred in the present while they were in the past,) was up to chance. They may not have gotten to Black in time. Fudge may have gotten there first. Any of a thousand things could have happened, but the past would have remained the same. I guess the bottom line is, it is impossible to change the past. It would be impossible for me to travel to the past and change something. The present is currently happening and cannot, under any circumstances, be altered because I already exist in the present under the events that happened originally. I couldn't exist the way I do now if I were to go into the past and change that.

Whew. Goodness, that was long. I apologise for the confusion that will ensue from all that. In a nerdy way, I think that time is just a fascinating thing to ponder! We could probably get into alternate timelines and universes, space-time continuum, curved time, etc. but my head would probably hurt more than it does right now! Will now go take asprin. and think some more...

[azn wizard]

i don't really like the concept of time travelling b/c it makes thing way to complicated and easy. I mean, if something goes wrong, all you have to do is time travel, go back and change it. But itz complicated b/c how does it really work? I mean, would you be able to talk to your self or something?

[Boycey]

I liked book three, in fact its my favorite book, but I think that the time tuner bit was cheesy, and I wish JKR did not but it in. The reason I don't like the time tuner is I cant see why they cant go back in time and stop Voldemort before his hight of power, kinda like the terminator, with the robots wanting to kill Sarah Conner. If JKR brings back the time tuner, with some condictions why they can't acutally do that (for example in the film time machine, he could not save his wife because if he did, he would not of made the time machine, so who can you go back and save someones life without the tool), then i will except the time tuner bit in the story, otherwise I will forever wonder why they did not do that, I mean I know that the MOM says that people should not use them to change history, but you would of thought they would of made an exception in this case.

[Violet]

In book 3 doesn't Mcgonagal give hermione the thing to turn back time becuase she knows that she'll use it sensibly.
and the rest of the wizarding world knows that they couldn't use the thing to go back and stop voldermort because it's such a massive part of their lives that it would alter everything, some poeple who still be alive some people wouldn't have been born etc. I think that they understand that people learn from events such as what happened with Voldermort, otherwise life would be too simple!

[Neo]

Zab explained it very well; when you time travel things do not change, thery were meant to happen that way.

For example, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione hear the "unmistakable swish and thud of an axe"; we think that Buck waskilled, but really when Harry travels in time we see that it was when Macnair got angry and threw the axe to the tree.

Do you understand? Time is not change, travel in time, makes the things happen as they are supposed to.

[Holly Golightly]

Exaclty, Blaise and Neo!

They didnt' change anything when they went back in time... They couldnt' have, time doesn't work that way. Buckbeak was always saved, it's just that we didnt' know how. Andlike Hagrid waling out when Harry was going to get the Inivisibility cloak... that had to happen, becuase if Harry had grabbed it, it would have changed the past, and that coudnt' have hapened...

Understanding yet?

They had to go back in time, because, according to the past, they already had. Which is why they cant' go back similarliy and kill Voldie, because they haven't...

If just stop a think about it, it all makes sense, you've just got to concentrate onthe details!

[Boycey]

Okay here is a few points for you to think of that I would like to share and for you to think of, it would be good to hear your reasonise on these.

and the rest of the wizarding world knows that they couldn't use the thing to go back and stop voldermort because it's such a massive part of their lives that it would alter everything, some poeple who still be alive some people wouldn't have been born etc. I think that they understand that people learn from events such as what happened with Voldermort, otherwise life would be too simple!

well when Voldemort was at his hight of power, the MOM would of thought that there was nothing going to stop him, so for someone to go back in time and kill voldemort, yes time will alter competely, and lives would be born/lost that was not ment to as you pointed out, but if they did alter it, think who many lives would be saved, and like I said it might of been something that they might of negleted at first, leave it to the last second as you will, but when it must of seemed that nothing else will do, I think its somthing that would and should of done.

For example, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione hear the "unmistakable swish and thud of an axe"; we think that Buck waskilled, but really when Harry travels in time we see that it was when Macnair got angry and threw the axe to the tree.

Do you understand? Time is not change, travel in time, makes the things happen as they are supposed to.

yes Neo and Hollygodlightly you do make sense, and a very good point if I do say so myself, but heres a question for you to ponder on, and one I would like to here your views on.
Well this sounds like dimentions to me, meaning in the very first dimention harry would change time, then with all the following dimentions would mean harry sees the changes and would go back in time and do the same thing that he sees, as you pointed out, but someone, or dimention has to go back in time first, meaning that if a black hooded man can go back in time and kill an innorcent poor orphan, then no one would of been killed via voldemort, and that according to your point, someone would have to go back and kill this boy as time would have not altered and that someone was always going to kill that boy, you see to me your point is that when you alter time, it seems nothing is altered because you see life as how it was when it was altered, but that does not mean that its not impossible to change history, because if you get the time tuner and goes back in time then why can't you kill voldemort. I hope this makes sense to you, I tried to write it the best i could, and as i said before, if JKR beings some condictions, like in the "time machine", then I would except it more, but otherwise to me it would be what if.