Well… you know, this actually wasn’t my idea and I’m not sure it would actually work, but playing devil’s advocate here...
...anybody notice that Hermione’s testimony contradicted itself? No; if they had, it would already have mattered.
...anybody notice that Hermione knew something she shouldn’t at her age? No; she reads too much.
...anybody notice that Hermione knew something she shouldn’t about Important Player In This Game? For instance, being able to mention what Voldemort looked like. It could be a subtle reference that Harry would have to point out because it flew under the radar. But it would really hurt Harry’s relationship with Lucius.
...hey, notice how Hermione didn’t know something Hermione should have known? It’d have to be subtle, but maybe if she mentioned uncertainty about something she should have known, it could do something...
Well, I don’t know. Eliezer’s got me stumped this time.
Harry didn’t listen, and Harry is coming up with a suggestion next week. (Or in a few seconds, depending on your POV.) So this can’t be relevant to that solution. So unless Harry’s solution will fail, this altered-testimony thing should not exist.
But it can be. Harry knows what the altered testimony will be because he just decided on how to alter it. He comments on the oddity, then goes back in time and causes it. Just like when he asked for a teacher’s help when Draco was torturing him.
It’s possible. But he’d be risking someone flatly contradicting him the moment he made his statement about the testimony—“no, you didn’t listen correctly, she didn’t really say that”. And afterwards, of course, there’s no point for him to go back in time because he’s received evidence that she did not in fact testify as he wished.
Your scheme would work a lot better if he’d just listened to her testimony. Then he would know what he had to go back in time to cause, regardless of the way he used her testimony now. (grin)
Well… you know, this actually wasn’t my idea and I’m not sure it would actually work, but playing devil’s advocate here...
...anybody notice that Hermione’s testimony contradicted itself? No; if they had, it would already have mattered.
...anybody notice that Hermione knew something she shouldn’t at her age? No; she reads too much.
...anybody notice that Hermione knew something she shouldn’t about Important Player In This Game? For instance, being able to mention what Voldemort looked like. It could be a subtle reference that Harry would have to point out because it flew under the radar. But it would really hurt Harry’s relationship with Lucius.
...hey, notice how Hermione didn’t know something Hermione should have known? It’d have to be subtle, but maybe if she mentioned uncertainty about something she should have known, it could do something...
Well, I don’t know. Eliezer’s got me stumped this time.
Harry didn’t listen, and Harry is coming up with a suggestion next week. (Or in a few seconds, depending on your POV.) So this can’t be relevant to that solution. So unless Harry’s solution will fail, this altered-testimony thing should not exist.
But it can be. Harry knows what the altered testimony will be because he just decided on how to alter it. He comments on the oddity, then goes back in time and causes it. Just like when he asked for a teacher’s help when Draco was torturing him.
Causality is screwy in this universe, isn’t it?
It’s possible. But he’d be risking someone flatly contradicting him the moment he made his statement about the testimony—“no, you didn’t listen correctly, she didn’t really say that”. And afterwards, of course, there’s no point for him to go back in time because he’s received evidence that she did not in fact testify as he wished.
Your scheme would work a lot better if he’d just listened to her testimony. Then he would know what he had to go back in time to cause, regardless of the way he used her testimony now. (grin)
He would risk it the same way he risked not actually being found by a teacher.
Sure, that would be the smarter thing to do, but then it wouldn’t come as a surprise to the audience. This way it gives us and Harry a puzzle.