I've had the idea to write a time travel fic for a while now, and I'm hoping to start it after the seventh book comes out (hoping crappy canon Harry doesn't die). My question is in regards to the method of time travel. I already have the concept written out, but I was wondering if overtly complex methods of time travel is boring to read. I personally don't think it is as it makes the possibility of the act more believable. I would much rather read a time travel fic where time is difficult to reverse, rather then Harry gets a package from Dumbledore that reads "good luck" and is wished away into another land.

Now my idea was based around a game my cousin was playing the other day called Prince of Persia, in which a rather large Hour Glass contained the Sands of Time. I was wondering if it sounds appealing to incorporate that concept (all of the smaller time turners stem from this one) and a ritual involving heavy duty sacrifices and a lot of use of the number 7, to traverse time in leaps of years.
Just trying to get input on the matter.

Also I was wondering what you all think in regards to Harry traveling to areas previously discussed in the books (such as magical Eastern Europe and such). The reason I ask this is because I have two thoughts on the matter. On the one hand it presents a whole new aspect of magical culture and challenges that are often neglected, while on the other it can become horribly AU and basically become non Harry Potter story all together (ala Second Chance at life). Thoughts? Comments?

 

A semi-realistic time travel method is always better than Harry meeting Fate or something like that and being given 'a second chance', for some reason.

As for world travel, I'm always up for it, of course if you're able to deliver. That means if you're capable of inventing a surrounding compatible with Hogwarts, but with details that stem from the time and place you're working in (this includes frequent visits to Wikipedia and a lot of forethought).

 

I think that if the time travel itself is not the main part of the story, don't make it too complicated. If it's just the tool to get things rolling, stick with something simple. A modified time turner or something like that would work. It's best to stick with what canon gives you in terms of magic. I know when I come across invented spells or new magical theories, I'm usually not impressed.

In anything else I write, if there's time travel, I try and make it scientific, but this is Harry Potter. Magic is illogical.

 

Agreed with the others in that making it too easy just comes off dumb (Here take this special timekey, it's like a portkey but through time). But even if you've come up with a very well thought out argument and plan on how it can happen, miring us in details won't make for an interesting read.

A reader will more than likely have read your summary so they are entering in knowing time travel on a massive scale is possible and happening. You don't need to spend three pages explaining just how it really is possible. Unless of course it's going to play a major part in the story later (with many repeated uses of time travel magic, perhaps needing specifics for help).

Another thing to consider is when going to different places, find a balance. Don't overload us with too many new details, but don't gloss over everything either. But also make sure it's going to remain interesting and relevant to fans of Harry Potter (assuming that's the purpose of your Harry Potter fan fiction). You make up some new Japanese school of magical assassins then you need to give us a reason to care about them. You stick with Durmstrang and a few recognizable names, and we already have a few ideas of how we envisioned it. It's a LOT easier to care about things we have even a brief understanding of. You introduce an original character who is a redheaded wizard no one's heard of and we don't care. You make him a cousin of the Weasleys and suddenly we have a point of reference and a much more vested interest. There is a difference from the reader's POV even if there really isn't one as far as the story is concerned.

 

I wasn't planning on introducing new characters, but I was planning on using Durmstrang and Gregorovich, as well as touching on the Eastern European Government of Magic. I also wasn't planning on making the time travel excruciatingly long but I was thinking of making it complex, involving high levels of ritual magic and explaining each step briefly. My question is not in regards to over describing but more along the lines of 'is a complex method of time travel boring to read?" I know it's simply a device to move the plot along but am I the only one who doesn't like it when one minute Harry is at the Dursley's and he remembers the Uber Time Turner in his pocket?

 

I love Prince of Persia, I couldn't imagine how Harry could feasibly travel back in time using Physics because then he would need a lot of energy, the knowledge to create the shuttle to transport him and maybe about 10,000 years worth of food. What are your ideas so far in his method of time travel? xx

 

That's fine. If you want to make it difficult to travel in time, that really just makes sense. I just meant if you're going to spend ten pages describing the mechanics of how he's traveling back, you'd better be able to make the writing interesting.

 

I'm not sure as to what exactly you were asking Fatal but if you were wondering if i was going to use physics to have Harry go back, I'm not. I was thinking along the lines of Harry finding the Locked Room and discovering that the power within is not love (on a side note how can love be in a room. Would it be packed full of care bears and gumdrops), but the Sands of time, an enormous Hour Glass from which all other time turners stem from (thought i'd give a bit of history for how it was found and such). Using a ritual (which I would need to give reason for him knowing it) to activate it He propels himself back to 1968. And hopefully if all goes well this won't be a harry teaching DADA to his parents kinda of fic.

 

Sounds interesting. Though I am for Harry using a flux capacitor and a DeLorean. If you are going to give a little back story to the huge hour glass, you could mention that it once belonged to the character from Prince of Persia, who was some uber wizard.

So, what would Harry's goal be? To kill Voldemort and disappear? Would he study magic from around the world and become a Dark Lord himself? Become an Auror and make a name for himself like Moody did?

Anyway, when you start the fic let me know.

 

I have the plot and basic outline setup but I stalling to see what happens in (sigh) the seventh book. I was thinking of having Harry attempt to stop Voldemort but can't right away for a number of reasons. First I don't want random Harry to become all buddy buddy with Dumbledore and the Order. I don't want a fic where he randomly appears with a different name and everyone fawns over him. I want him to earn their trust. Thats when an idea popped in my head. I figured if Lockhart received so much fame for stealing other peoples deeds in other countries, and was able to be an honorary member in the Dark Force Defense League; why can't Harry gain fame by actually doing such deeds, and becoming an actual member of the League? Thus I imagine it would take a few years to gain such recognition so that by the time past Harry was born, future Harry would already be renown for his defense against the dark arts. I was then planning on the events going similar to canon but with future Harry intervening in certain instances, changing future events significantly, hopefully leading to a final original time line. Again this all depends on how crappy book 7 will be.

 

If you want things to actually change than you are going to need to use a fanon definition of time travel. In canon, time travel really doesn't change anything because it has already been done. So you are going to have to either make Harry a character that is already in the books and let things happen the way they did in canon- which will get boring and repetative if you aren't careful- or you can do a fanon concept of time travel and make it so Harry can actually change things- which can turn superhero!Harry if you aren't careful.