In Harry Potter book three Hermione and Harry used the time turner...?

Question

to save buckbeak. my first question is what are the laws that govern its use and what are the consequences? and the second is if both Sirius and Dumbledore are both actually dead then why couldn't it be used to save them both?

Answer 1

No magic can reawaken the dead. The reason that the time turner was able to be used to save Buckbeak's life and Sirius's in Prisoner of Azkaban was because neither of them had died when they went back in time. McNair missed when he swung to behead Buckbeak and hit the fencepost instead. If you go back and reread the passage in the book that describes his "execution" you'll find that it never said that he died. It was only assumed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione because they hear Hagrid howl. But, Hagrid is very emotional and cried at the very prospect of Buckbeak being executed. So, that isn't evidence that he was actually killed. And, Sirius hadn't been executed yet either. He was locked in the uppermost tower, awaiting a Dementor's Kiss when Harry and Hermione used the time turner to go back and save him.

If McNair had successfully executed Buckbeak or a Dementor had Kissed Sirius, then the time-turner wouldn't have been able to change their fates. They would just be dead. J.K. Rowling has been very clear that people don't come back from the dead in the stories that she writes. Peter Pettigrew seemed to come back from the dead, but people only believed that he had died. He never actually did, so it was okay for him to come back. Voldemort wasn't truly dead either, because his Horcruxes tied part of his soul to earth and prevented him from really dying when his body was destroyed. So, even if all of the time-turners hadn't been destroyed in the Department of Mysteries, one couldn't be used to bring Sirius or Dumbledore back to life. They really are dead and will stay that way. Although, I'm hoping to see them again in a portrait or a memory.

JKR: Well, it would be nice, but - I'll tell you something - you - you've raised a really interesting point there, Peter, because when I started writing the books, the first thing I had to decide was not what magic can do, but what it can't do. I had to set limits on it - immediately, and decide what the parameters are ... and one of the most important things I - I decided was that magic cannot bring dead people back to life; that' - that's one of the most profound things, the - the natural law of - of - of death applies to wizards as it applies to Muggles and there is no returning once you're properly dead, you know, they might be able to save very close-to-death people better than we can, by magic - that they - that they have certain knowledge we don't, but once you're dead, you're dead. So - erm - yeah, I'm afraid there will be no coming back fro- for Harry's parents

Answer 2

I'm srry, but I dont know the laws and consequences of the time turner, but I do know why it couldn't be used to save Sirius Black and Dumbledore. In HP5, when they go to the ministry to try and save Sirius, the ministry's supply of time turners gets smashed during the battle. Great question, though!

Answer 3

About the laws I think that the consequences are having your wand snapped in half. I don't know the laws but they have to do with the Department of Mysteries.

Sirius and Dumbledore can't be saved because they smashed the Time Turners in book 5 and supposedly it takes an extremely long time to make them.

Answer 4

the laws about the time turner is that the user cant be seen by the user in the time is being used, thats the one i remember and why it cant be used to save sirius and dumbledore? thats because in book 5, the one where sirius dies, all the time turners are destroyed when one of the death eaters crashes a cabinet in one of the fights at the ministry. there are no time turners available after that so sirius cant be saved because he dies after that and obviously dumbledore either because he dies in book 6.

Answer 5

You can't just get a time-turner because you want one. Hermione only got one because she needed it for school purposes and after that year she returned therefore they can't use it. As for it saving Sirius and dumbledore, well J.K. needed them out of the way so Harry could get through his problems on his own.

Answer 6

I am pretty sure that the consequences of useing the time turner for anything but classes would be expullsion and most likely a crime.

In book 5 (Order of the Pheonix) when they are fighting in the Department of Mysteries they smash the whole stock of time turners and I don't think they are made very easily. Plus it would be hard to get ahold of them.

Answer 7

the laws of the timeturner were that they couldnt be seen, they could only go back to the time right before to change only what they set out to change.
To bring back sirius and dumbledore, not sure about that..perhaps there is a reason that no one was allowed to bring back the dead of a person..but that could be another story..

Answer 8

The rule is you cannot let yourself see yourself. Otherwise you'll 1) think you are going crazy or 2) think someone is using dark magic to mess with you therefore you might attack yourself.
No one could have used to the time turners cause they smash them all in book 5 at the ministry of defense.

Answer 9

The laws that govern it are in the same place all the other laws are...the Ministry of Magic.

It could, in theory I suppose. But that would be redundant, and not allow Harry to go through all the things he goes through to make him a whiny little emo boy.

(I love Harry Potter...but sometimes Harry gets on my nerves. Big Time.)

PS...Who do you suppose JKRowling kills off in Book 7? ~_^

Answer 10

Also they no longer had the time turner at this point.