The story we’re currently reading takes place in one iteration of the loop.
I don’t think this fits the style. Much in the same vein as Stross’s “Palimpsest” (and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure for that matter), the reader/viewer always sees only the final iteration, because that’s what the subjective experience would be to someone experiencing this. So if this is the case, we’re reading the last iteration (see both the initial time-turner prank and the attempted use of the time-turner to factor in polynomial time).
That being said, it’s my pet theory that Harry goes dark and does something horrible in the future, and sends himself way back to try to stop all that, and we’re reading the final iteration of that. And that future Harry is Mr Hat-and-Cloak. But that’s just me, and this isn’t well supported.
I don’t think this fits the style. Much in the same vein as Stross’s “Palimpsest” (and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure for that matter), the reader/viewer always sees only the final iteration, because that’s what the subjective experience would be to someone experiencing this. So if this is the case, we’re reading the last iteration (see both the initial time-turner prank and the attempted use of the time-turner to factor in polynomial time).
That being said, it’s my pet theory that Harry goes dark and does something horrible in the future, and sends himself way back to try to stop all that, and we’re reading the final iteration of that. And that future Harry is Mr Hat-and-Cloak. But that’s just me, and this isn’t well supported.