Time Travel and Mirror Mirror

[dspringer1]

It has been said that Harry would break all the laws of magic, but in some what that we gets away with it.   Time travel is one that still needs to be broken.

And we know in Mirror Mirror that Harry will visit a parallel universe where a dark harry exists.  This universe split off from the mainline universe at some point in the series.  Most people think around "Grave Peril"

Theory -- Maybe Crack Theory -- Harry has to use time travel to escape the Mirror Mirror Universe.   In effect, he must travel back before the universe splits.  Then travel forward in time to get back to his real time.

Arguably this is not a crime because
*) he did not travel into the past (at least in this universe)
*) he did not travel into the future-- he just returned from the past
*) his presence in the past is arguably more of a risk to the universe than his returning to his own time. 
*) He can show that his presence in the past was meant to happen -- ie he fixed Little Chicago for himself - and event that "already" occurred before any of this time travel occurred.  This could even support multiple "stops" as he moves forward in time to satisfy specific "must do" items on Harry's checklist.   


It feels like a neat way to fit in the Time Travel action "safely", nicely ties to Mirror Mirror Concept and potentially answers many open questions.   

Thoughts?

[ethical crackpot]

I think it makes sense.  I was wondering how Harry could figure out where exactly the universes diverge and time travel seems like the most obvious answer.

[Snark Knight]

I wouldn't be surprised if the solution in MM ends up being to send himself a reminder to make the right decision in GP so the crapsack world gets ctrl-z'ed right out of existence.

[LordDresden2]

Arguably this is not a crime because
*) he did not travel into the past (at least in this universe)
*) he did not travel into the future-- he just returned from the past
*) his presence in the past is arguably more of a risk to the universe than his returning to his own time. 
*) He can show that his presence in the past was meant to happen -- ie he fixed Little Chicago for himself - and event that "already" occurred before any of this time travel occurred.  This could even support multiple "stops" as he moves forward in time to satisfy specific "must do" items on Harry's checklist.   

Thoughts?

Nitpick:  Time travel is not forbidden under the Council Laws.

Wizard:  "I'm going to project myself forward in time to next week."

Council:  "See you next week."

The Council only freaks out if you try to go backward in time, or draw information from the future into the present.  The former is forbidden, the latter is highly restricted, because of paradox and possibly other reasons.

Visiting alternative time lines is technically going sideways in time.  I'm not sure how the Council views that.

[groinkick]

I think when time travel happens it will be too big to be in Mirror Mirror where other things will be going on.

[DonBugen]

Wild prediction: Harry will go back in time in a future book, only after Ebenezer's unexpected death and Harry's inheritance of the blackstaff.

[LordDresden2]

Wild prediction: Harry will go back in time in a future book, only after Ebenezer's unexpected death and Harry's inheritance of the blackstaff.

I don't doubt that at some point Harry will use the blackstaff.

That said, I can't picture the Council not completely freaking going bonkers over the idea of Harry being both The Warden and The Blackstaff.  I can't picture them being OK with any one Wizard having both titles as an ongoing official thing.

Of course, the Council may be upended at some point, too, so it's a whole new ball game.

[Quantus]

I think when time travel happens it will be too big to be in Mirror Mirror where other things will be going on.

Your probably right, though I supposed if you are going to go futzing with the Timeline, not futzing with your OWN timeline might be the safest way to go about it.

[dspringer1]

I think when time travel happens it will be too big to be in Mirror Mirror where other things will be going on.

I am on the fence on this one as I see arguments both ways. 
1) Time travel can be the anticlimax events where Harry heads home and checks off quickly a bunch of lose ends on his mental to do list based on information he discovered in Mirror Mirror.   2-3 chapters and done -- tying up lose ends basically.  This is really how he handled Harry's use of necromancy in dead beat where it enabled a few things to happen, gave us some very nice scenes, but did not dominate the book. 

2) Time travel can be the focus of a single book -- in which case we are going to see a complex dance as Harry interrupts enemy plots while dodging around to avoid his own past self or changing history.  This option would be the focus of most of the book and probably involve more than one set of time travelers.   

I think either option can be good.   It really depends on how the time travel "action" is supposed to move the overall series forward.   

[Rasins]

I am on the fence on this one as I see arguments both ways. 
1) Time travel can be the anticlimax events where Harry heads home and checks off quickly a bunch of lose ends on his mental to do list based on information he discovered in Mirror Mirror.   2-3 chapters and done -- tying up lose ends basically.  This is really how he handled Harry's use of necromancy in dead beat where it enabled a few things to happen, gave us some very nice scenes, but did not dominate the book. 

2) Time travel can be the focus of a single book -- in which case we are going to see a complex dance as Harry interrupts enemy plots while dodging around to avoid his own past self or changing history.  This option would be the focus of most of the book and probably involve more than one set of time travelers.   

I think either option can be good.   It really depends on how the time travel "action" is supposed to move the overall series forward.   

Regarding this and the OP.

It sounds like a lot of Retconning.  I really hope Jim has this one mapped out well.  I'd rather see Harry travel back in time and meet/do something with his mom or dad, or something.  I doubt that'll happen, but I'd prefer that than him jumping around his own personal past.

[Me Grimlock King]

Well to really do time travel correctly, it already happened that way in the past, the only thing that I could see him doing is fixing little Chicago, because that was something that was done, but harry doesn't know how it got fixed, so that would make the most sense, something like that.  He thinks he changed the past, but really that's how it happened.

[jonas]

Regarding this and the OP.

It sounds like a lot of Retconning.  I really hope Jim has this one mapped out well.  I'd rather see Harry travel back in time and meet/do something with his mom or dad, or something.  I doubt that'll happen, but I'd prefer that than him jumping around his own personal past.

He has it VERY well planned out imo. Will probably dominate it's book, but will also inherently tie into making the story work. If PT takes place directly after SG and MM pretty much after that, I believe I've spotted future Harry in PG

(click to show/hide)

He's the guy with the broken arm and wheel chair Harry picks up off the floor after the odd ward delays him. Harry broke his arm in SG so if Harry either A. looses the mantle in the direct story or B. doesn't have the mantle inside that timeline as the current events lead up to a different conclusion(it's not the best example, but the one easiest given to how past events effect ones future self directly, is the movie Looper) that could be him lying on the ground, with Molly screaming disguised as an old lady as the deaths and violence paralyze her, after the fight she's unharmed. During she's screeching in horrible pain...

wrote up a whole line of reasoning behind PG time travel at one point.

[Zaphodess]

This is information from the released 1. chapter of PT, so spoilery.

(click to show/hide)

Harry didn't show any signs of having a broken arm there.

[jonas]

This is information from the released 1. chapter of PT, so spoilery.

(click to show/hide)

Harry didn't show any signs of having a broken arm there.

it's only two weeks later. Didn't show signs of, or had no reason to reference it?
Wizards heal better, not necessarily faster?

[Rasins]

it's only two weeks later. Didn't show signs of, or had no reason to reference it?
Wizards heal better, not necessarily faster?

I thought it was 2 or 3 months later.