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[Aqizzar]

I don't even know what the Time Turner is (I assume it's from a later book?), but I can take a wild stab from the name.  Free and easy manipulation of the past, which popped up to solve and unsolvable problem, served a very narrow purpose which should have been better used to head off the whole situation all together, and then promptly forgotten about by everyone involved?  Yeah, no author should even attempt to mess with unlimited time travel, unless you're going for comedy.

[Jackrabbit]

The time turner was from the third book and then never showed up again. I can understand why it didn't but still. ARGH.

Presumably, it worked within only a few hours (up to a day, probably) so voldy killing is out of the question but there's so much else they could have at least handwaved not using it for.

[Neruz]

I don't even know what the Time Turner is (I assume it's from a later book?), but I can take a wild stab from the name.  Free and easy manipulation of the past, which popped up to solve and unsolvable problem, served a very narrow purpose which should have been better used to head off the whole situation all together, and then promptly forgotten about by everyone involved?  Yeah, no author should even attempt to mess with unlimited time travel, unless you're going for comedy.

It's from the third book. Hermione uses it as a key plot item in order to make the entire story work at all. Despite the fact that it is the most powerful magical artifact ever it is never seen or heard of again.

The time turner was from the third book and then never showed up again. I can understand why it didn't but still. ARGH.

Presumably, it worked within only a few hours (up to a day, probably) so voldy killing is out of the question but there's so much else they could have at least handwaved not using it for.

Didn't they go back like three days at the end in order to make everything work out the way it was supposed to?

There was certainly never any indication that there was any limit to the item's ability. The more times you turned it, the further back you went.

[MrWiggles]

It seems like magic can't be industrialized in HP universe though.

So I dont know if they can make an item repeat a spell over and over again. I suppose there are spells that either last a very long while and or different type then whats needed for this example.

We arent given enough metaphysics on magin in Harry world.

AHA!  But what about those time-visualizer binoculars, which could consistently wind backwards though time on command?  Heck, what about any magic device that operates continuously?  Is the magical-functionality of a flying broom or invisibility cloak really any different from a Bottomless Bullet Bag?  And the very fact that brooms and such have model names shows they can be mass-produced, or at least produced repeatedly and consistently.

The real answer of course is that it would break the romance, but I don't think Rowling wanted people to take Trekkie-levels of rationalization to her setting.  Were I an author, I'd be a bit more judicious.

How about that goddamn Time Turner, why not just go back in time and wand the fuck out of Fake-Moody before he has a chance to screw anything up. Then while you're at it, zip back awhile more and kill Voldemort while he's still a creepy orphan and not immortal.


Oh christ the goddamn Time Turner, i'm getting an aneurysm just thinking about that gigantic plot black hole.

I'm pretty sure the time turner had a limitation on it to help with some plot holes. Though come on, as far as time travel story goes, its a pretty decent one.

And Aqizzar brought up some good points. However there were products made in mass that were not mass made before industrialization. They maybe all hand made and we also do not know the failure rate for the creature processes, the universe does state for the different type of magics, there are different rules. We also dont know if these magics can be mixed.

If we go on with the broom, as that what we have the most data on; they do wear out and they are not on all the time. So they may have an hour of use limitation before they get shitty before the broom physically wears out.

[Aqizzar]

I don't even know what the Time Turner is (I assume it's from a later book?), but I can take a wild stab from the name.  Free and easy manipulation of the past, which popped up to solve and unsolvable problem, served a very narrow purpose which should have been better used to head off the whole situation all together, and then promptly forgotten about by everyone involved?  Yeah, no author should even attempt to mess with unlimited time travel, unless you're going for comedy.

It's from the third book. Hermione uses it as a key plot item in order to make the entire story work at all. Despite the fact that it is the most powerful magical artifact ever it is never seen or heard of again.

OH YEAH now I remember.  That was a high-caliber asspull alright.  "Hey Harry, go back and meet your dead dad, don't warn him about anything, and don't fix any of the problems in the past that aren't directly pertinent to this book."  Time travel is a terrible plot mechanic, Rowling is a crap author, and Hermione is a bitch.  Thanks thread for reminding me why I stopped giving a shit about those books at age fourteen.

[Neruz]

If we go on with the broom, as that what we have the most data on; they do wear out and they are not on all the time. So they may have an hour of use limitation before they get shitty before the broom physically wears out.

Unlikely, Quiddich matches were said to sometimes take days, iirc one was mentioned to have gone for 3 days, solid.

And ovbiously only some magic degrades over time; Voldemort's soul capsule thingies clearly didn't degrade.


Basically HP's 'Magic' followed no real serious consistancy and would be better described as "The Power of Plot."

I don't even know what the Time Turner is (I assume it's from a later book?), but I can take a wild stab from the name.  Free and easy manipulation of the past, which popped up to solve and unsolvable problem, served a very narrow purpose which should have been better used to head off the whole situation all together, and then promptly forgotten about by everyone involved?  Yeah, no author should even attempt to mess with unlimited time travel, unless you're going for comedy.

It's from the third book. Hermione uses it as a key plot item in order to make the entire story work at all. Despite the fact that it is the most powerful magical artifact ever it is never seen or heard of again.

OH YEAH now I remember.  That was a high-caliber asspull alright.  "Hey Harry, go back and meet your dead dad, don't warn him about anything, and don't fix any of the problems in the past that aren't directly pertinent to this book."  Time travel is a terrible plot mechanic, Rowling is a crap author, and Hermione is a bitch.  Thanks thread for reminding me why I stopped giving a shit about those books at age fourteen.

When done correctly Time travel can be an amazing plot mechanic, the problem is most authors just aren't willing to put the extra miles in to make time travel actually work.

[Jackrabbit]

Here's how I figure brooms work.

It takes a huge amount of time and is probably quite difficult to really successfully enchant a broom well. I mean, magic is not a finite resource, and brooms are a dime a thousand, so really, the best brooms in the HP universe should be really cheap, right? Considering that if it was just 'flyey mora' and suddenly you had a flying broom, they'd be flooding the market, right? So it must be a huge time commitment to make brooms that aren't crap. The ones that do, actually do degrade over time.

[Acanthus117]

To be fair, it's a one hit kill anywhere, flies straight as an arrow and cannot be stopped at all, by contrivance (except if you're Harry) or the environment.

Still, I love to entertain fantasies of the British military going up against Wizards. And tearing them to shreds.

Don't pretend it wouldn't happen.

And in the time it takes you to fire your one energy bolt that kills one person, a man with an assault rifle has shot you, your friends and that guy hiding behind the table. Lets see you finish that invocation without a throat.

Is it bad that I just had an image of an S.A.S. squad sweeping through Hogwarts and slaughtering the staff in my head?

...

Yes, the squad were the people from MW and MW2.

Also, about the Time Turners. I recall that the entire stock was destroyed after Harry and Co busted into the Ministry of Magic and accidentally blew a whole shelf of them up.

[Jackrabbit]

That would actually cover it, considering how tight a leash the government keeps them on, but only from the end of book five onwards.

[MrWiggles]

The time necklace didn't disappear they clearly stated that she had access to it for that one year of schooling and that its usage was monitored. Since she informed Harry of the device, she forfeited who loan agreement and the privilege was revoked. They also state that time travel, in general is against the law and that it was a 'WTF' moment that Hermoine was allowed to use one.

It also could only go back a few hours. Three turns of the thing allowed her to go back three hours.

Excuse it was only seen going back a few hours and you had to progress through time at a normal pace.

[Neruz]

To be fair, it's a one hit kill anywhere, flies straight as an arrow and cannot be stopped at all, by contrivance (except if you're Harry) or the environment.

Still, I love to entertain fantasies of the British military going up against Wizards. And tearing them to shreds.

Don't pretend it wouldn't happen.

And in the time it takes you to fire your one energy bolt that kills one person, a man with an assault rifle has shot you, your friends and that guy hiding behind the table. Lets see you finish that invocation without a throat.

Is it bad that I just had an image of an S.A.S. squad sweeping through Hogwarts and slaughtering the staff in my head?

...

Yes, the squad were the people from MW and MW2.

Also, about the Time Turners. I recall that the entire stock was destroyed after Harry and Co busted into the Ministry of Magic and accidentally blew a whole shelf of them up.

Ah the old No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup trope, back in full force i see and just as rediculous as ever.


Would you seriously leave your entire stock of irreplacible time machines in one place that high-school students can break into and mess up?

I mean, srsly gies? U gies? Srsly?

[Jackrabbit]

Them getting in there was supposed to be a big thing, but seriously, they waltzed right the fuck in.

[Neruz]

The time necklace didn't disappear they clearly stated that she had access to it for that one year of schooling and that its usage was monitored. Since she informed Harry of the device, she forfeited who loan agreement and the privilege was revoked. They also state that time travel, in general is against the law and that it was a 'WTF' moment that Hermoine was allowed to use one.

So why didn't the Government just use a Time Turner when Voldemort first appeared, go back in time to, say the first place he is publicly known to be and zap the shit out of him?

[Acanthus117]

I guess they got in  because of Ron's dad giving him the fucking passcode to the majikul telephone booth that serves as one of the entrances to the MoM HQ.

Seriously. WTF?

[MrWiggles]

The time necklace didn't disappear they clearly stated that she had access to it for that one year of schooling and that its usage was monitored. Since she informed Harry of the device, she forfeited who loan agreement and the privilege was revoked. They also state that time travel, in general is against the law and that it was a 'WTF' moment that Hermoine was allowed to use one.

So why didn't the Government just use a Time Turner when Voldemort first appeared, go back in time to, say the first place he is publicly known to be and zap the shit out of him?

Ethics and moral compulsion.

And possibly, didn't think of it.