BA - My apologies, I didn't explain that well. I was being brief, but yes I appreciate there is a difference between not liking Time Travel stories and not liking incest Time Travel stories. And I agree that it is hard to do right - it often depends on which scientific theories the author uses (and how well they understand them) or choose not to use (for that matter). I suspect Jim will use a light touch as it is just a lot less risky, and because as Vadderung points out it is very, very difficult.
The Odin-as-a-sire theory is an interesting one, and also hints at the greater question of the origins of practitioners in general. Are they like x-men mutants, a separate or higher evolved beings? Were they tampered with by the early gods for some purpose? Are they the spawn of mortals and supernatural beings, maybe even gods or angels etc? Perhaps they are remnants of an earlier race of men, like the Hyborians? Or is it just something that each human has a small potential of, perhaps because they have a soul (which I believe Harry has hinted at)?
Morris - Time is relative, time clearly passes at the Gates or quite literally nothing would have taken place. Or everything would have taken place all at once, and likely Harry would not have been able to survive either way. Although I think it is highly likely time passes at a completely different rate to Harry's Earth. It almost certainly isn't in sync. Which isn't to say events on Earth, or events at the Gates don't effect each other. But who the hell knows how?
Yes I agree, Jim can make it whatever he wants it to be. Although he almost certainly will break cause and effect. All that stuff about Intellectus beings not even understanding cause and effect really, hint at that. How you deal with that is up to you, but he might do it well. Stranger things have happened.
Often Time Travel, at least in the past, was used as a narrative device with no bearing really on physics. And it only operated to service the story, and so was only considered good or bad on how well it did that. Unfortunately, a lot of reviewers and writers learnt from that school and still see it that way. I think the modern audience however is tired of that and expects a higher standard. Avengers Infinity War shows that (even if they violated their own rules, they did point out the ridiculousness of previous Time Travel rules and how audiences want more). Dr Who hardly even cares, because like Harry Potter the show is less about the magic rules and more about the story. Which seems strange in a show about a Time Traveller, but there you go.
Better TT rules are more about limits, and things like relativity than straight up teleporting up and down the time stream. But that's just my opinion. The universe gives no free lunch!
I like that silly WAG. Maybe that's the real story because it is so ridiculous that Jim thought no one wold be squirrel-y enough to think of it!
