Time flows relentlessly, each moment slipping into the next. But what exactly is time? That's a question without a definitive answer. Muggle science has its own explanation, and the wizarding world, too, has its unique understanding of it.
Roger knew a little about both perspectives on time. While the principles weren't entirely clear, he had gathered practical insights over time. The books Professor McGonagall had lent him were mostly filled with theoretical research and data reports, including an internal research document from the Ministry of Magic, published long ago.
Thanks to his absolute memory, Roger was able to use magic to reproduce a copy of the book from memory. Once Transfiguration was mastered, its usefulness became undeniable.
One of the books was titled 1899: Summary of Time Travel Experiments. The report, written by an author from the Department of Mysteries, detailed that none of the people who had undertaken ultra-long-term time travel had survived. After multiple tests, it was determined that the safe limit for time travel was a few hours at most.
Of course, this "safety" was relative. Short-term time travel wasn't risk-free, but the impact was minimal due to the chaotic butterfly effect of time and space. The shorter the journey, the less likely it was for the ripple effects to spiral out of control. As long as one avoided causing deliberate disruptions, the chances of backlash from the power of time were greatly reduced.
The report also explained that casting time-space spells—like the Hour-Reversal Charm—wasn't the best option for time travel. Unlike simpler spells like the Levitation Charm, where minor distractions wouldn't significantly affect the outcome, time-space spells required pinpoint precision. A slight mistake could lead to disastrous results, like "a hair's breadth difference leading to a thousand miles astray."
The solution, according to the Department of Mysteries, was to encapsulate time-space spells into magical artifacts, transforming them into alchemical items. This led to the creation of the Time-Turner.
At the end of the report, the author briefly mentioned a tragic incident that occurred within the Department of Mysteries that same year. A witch named 18 Mintabu had been trapped in 1402 for five days. When she returned to the present, her body had aged five centuries, and the damage was irreversible—she soon died in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
During those five days, Mintabu's actions in the past had severely disrupted the lives of everyone she encountered. At least twenty-five of their descendants had vanished from the present—people who "were never born." This was just the beginning of the observed consequences. No one could say how many other Muggles may have disappeared without anyone knowing because of a simple action, like moving a wooden stake, centuries ago.
The report ended there. Since 1899, ultra-long-term time travel had become a taboo in wizarding society. Hundreds of laws and prohibitions had been enacted specifically to regulate time travel. The related experiments within the Department of Mysteries had been permanently halted, and, as of 1991, that prohibition remained in place.
The reason for such strict measures was clear: even wizards as powerful as Dumbledore couldn't withstand the distortions caused by meddling with the timeline. What if someone, in a moment of madness, rewrote the past and destroyed the present? The chaos time could cause was simply too great. Sometimes, even a small change—like moving a chair or breaking a horseshoe—could shift the entire course of history.
No one wanted to risk disappearing from existence, nor did they want the consequences of such a disastrous intervention. If anyone dared to tamper with time, they'd soon find themselves face-to-face with the world's most powerful wizards, as well as the five ruffians who knew the true consequences, all united in a singular purpose.
The Ministry of Magic had maintained a close relationship with the British government, and similar arrangements were in place with other countries. The Statute of Secrecy existed to protect the wizarding world from the Muggle population—but there was far more at stake than simply keeping magic hidden.
The true upper echelons of Muggle society have always known about the existence of wizards.
As Harry read Roger's freshly printed report and listened to his explanation, he couldn't help but look up at him, a look of disbelief on his face. "…So, according to you, reversing time and space to save my parents is completely impossible?"
Seeing Harry's incredulous expression, Roger smiled and shook his head. "No, on the contrary, the path to salvation is hidden within this report."
He continued, his voice calm and measured. "Given that time travel accelerates the aging of the traveler, if one could achieve immortality, that side effect would no longer apply."
Harry looked puzzled, so Roger clarified. "Changing established facts in the past is always risky. It causes unpredictable consequences that ripple into the future. The key, however, is not to change the past itself, but to complete your actions in what I call the 'blind spot of time.'"
Roger paused for a moment before offering an example to explain.
"Imagine this: your heart stops, and your body dies. That's a fact, observed by time. If you attempt to rewrite that event, it would shatter the 'world line' that continues from your death, sending time spiraling into an unknown direction."
Harry's brow furrowed, trying to grasp the concept. Roger continued, unfazed.
"Now, instead of altering the past, I could operate within that 'blind spot of time.' When I have the ability to reshape the bodies of the dead in the future, I would return to this exact moment. I would deceive your perception in the present, take your soul, and bring you back to life."
Roger's voice dropped lower as he explained the intricacies. "At the same time, I would 'freeze' your body and consciousness in a space gap—created by space magic—that no one else could open but me. From the future, I could awaken your consciousness and remove you from the sealed 'time-space capsule,' bringing you back without changing anything in the past. That way, I minimize any backlash from time and space."
Harry listened, his mind racing as he tried to wrap his head around it all.
"Of course," Roger added, "the practical challenges of this idea would be far more complex than I've just described. But it's one way of thinking about the problem."
Roger paused and met Harry's eyes, a somber expression on his face. "The real issue is that your parents are gone, their bodies long buried, and their souls have already moved on. If you truly want to bring them back, time travel would indeed be the simplest method—though far from easy."
For a moment, Harry's eyes lit up with hope, but the flicker quickly faded. His mind went to the tragic truth: his parents had been murdered by Voldemort. To carry out the operation Roger described, he would need the ability to operate undetected by Voldemort, to carry out such a feat right under his nose.
…Was that even possible? Not to mention the immortality Roger had mentioned, a concept Harry didn't yet understand.
"You don't need to worry about immortality right now," Roger said, sensing Harry's concerns. "If I have any breakthroughs in that regard, I'll help you with it… but it won't be free."
Harry's expression darkened slightly, but Roger continued, "For now, focus on the more immediate challenge—reversing time and space. It's not going to be easy. It might take you centuries to achieve it."
Harry felt a weight in his chest, but Roger's next words were almost encouraging. "But having some hope, no matter how distant, is better than none at all, isn't it?"
Roger gave Harry a firm pat on the shoulder. "In any case, now you understand the challenges involved. If you're still interested in pursuing this path, come to me tomorrow. I'll provide you with a reading list."
Patreon Seasay