THE WORLD

[Kieran]

TIME TRAVEL

(This is based on the Prisoner of Azkaban book and nothing else.)

There is only one way to time travel and a muggle can't do so alone but needs to have a witch or a wizard with them operating the Time Turner.

This magic is so deep and complex that not just anybody could create a Time Turner - not even almost-working one. People capable of such deep mahig are truly rare, and I won't accept here any character who'd be capable of doing time magic – for the sake of fairness.

Professor Saul Croaker – (a side character controlled only by me) - was a close trusted friend of the old wizard who created the Hour Reversal Charm and the Time Turners in 1890. At the time of their creation Croaker was 50 years old and had worked as an Unspeakable for many decades and had become the Head of the Department of Mysteries. He was entrusted with the incantation and helped the creator to experiment with it and eventually the Time Turners, though was never able to succesfully cast the charm himself.

They suspected that it's so deep and complex magic that it requires more magical power than 99% of the wizardkind could ever possess. Becoming the reason why the creator enclosed the charm, so that anyone who needs it could use it while of course not just anyone would be given access to it and certainly not to be used without a good enough reason. They kept this incredible discovery to themselves for several years, wanting to be sure it's safe enough to keep around before spreading the knowledge of it at all.

The year was 1899, some time after the creator died of old age, when Croaker introduced the Time Turners to the other Unspeakables but did not reveal the incantation of the charm – knowing from personal experience it would likely go horribly wrong. They kept further experimenting with the Time Turners for a couple of years until in 1901 Croaker banned those experiments. He felt they'd been tested enough while also wanting to minimise the risk of something going terribly wrong on a time travel without his friend around, the only one he knew could've possibly helped ar all in such event.

That same year their existence was revealed to the members of the International Confedeation of Wizards and the members of the British Wizengamot. Again, only the Time Turners, not the incantation of the charm which still remained known only by professor Croaker. The Confedeation decided all of the Time Turners to be stored at the Department of Mysteries in the British Ministry of Magic under extreme security system, and the experimenting with them remain banned. Loads of strict laws were written also around the use of Time Turners specifically.

The Hour Reversal Charm's incantation remains known only by Saul Croaker but on January 1st 1902 the existence of the Time Turners was revealed to the wizarding media across the globe, but not where they were kept. Seeing to that media has the tendency to misprint info, or downright deliberately twist facts around and colour or scandalise stories – the Ministries of Magic in each country were required to publish their own official newsletter about their existence. Including that they were created by an old English wizard (including his name) who passed away years ago, and the information how to apply for one through one's own country's Ministry.

And that they should only be used for mundane tasks and travel no further than 5 hours back, while not just any application would be approved. The reason for the need must be extremely good and the applicant proven to be responsible and trustworthy. No applicant would ever get a Time Turner to keep forever, but only up to one year depending on the purpose and how well the use goes. Further instructions and rules would be given if an application was approved.

The newsletters either did not say anything about where they're kept.
The applications forms have been riddled with spells that prevent anyone from casting any confusion charms or anything like that on them. As in, tricking an application to pass is not possible.

A time travel does not create two timelines, but simply a closed loop in time. Therefore, if your face wasn't bruised when you began the travel it can't get bruised during it - your health remains the same as your past self for you're the one and same person just divided into two places at the same time by the power of magic. And, your present/future self can't die during the travel because it would create a paradox in other people's minds and the travel indeed creates a loop. So, time travel creates a paradox in reality (having one person in two different places doing two different things), but never in the minds of the traveller or anyone else.

* * *

Every Time Turner has a text engraved, running around its edge:
"I mark the hours, every one, nor have I yet outrun the Sun.
My use and value, unto you, are gauged by what you have to do."

It means:

--> You can't travel to the future.
Not even from the past back to the present where you stared, as that would be future at the moment.

--> You can't change the past.
Whatever you do during your time travel, it can't make anyone disappear into thin air or cause any other change in the world. Because you're in the past, therefore anything you do there has already happened and affected everything.

--> You can travel back no more than 5 hours at once.
As you can't travel to the future you must live through the time period you set. When you reach the present moment, you can't use the Time Turner again until one hour has passed. And then, only go back that one hour.

The Time Turner was never meant for long travels, or fun trips, or to change the past - but it was created to be used in secret, to gain a few extra hours for some good thing - like Hermione's motive was to have extra hours in her day so she could study all available school subjects. Even she was granted one because her academic achievements were remarkable, her personality responsible and she'd be using the Time Turner in a safe environment under the supervision of Albus Dumbledore. Even so professor McGonigall had to write numerous letters to the Ministry of Magic, trying to convince them that Hermione was extremely responsible and trustworthy. Thus, no matter how pure and valid a motive, Time Turner may not be granted in all situations.

* * *

There are a few tens of Time Turners in the world, and all of them are in London, controlled by the Ministry of Magic and kept in the Time Room at the Department of Mysteries. In the year 1899 the Ministry quit experimental time travels and since then they've just laid there when not in use by someone who's applied for and been granted one.
Although during the testing years they noted some of the limitations (such as the maximum amount of hours and that you can't travel forward) and nothing catastrophic ever happened, all its possibilities are not known for not everything could be tested.

Violating time's flow is considered extremely dangerous and regardless of evidence many believe that you could change the past. That's why Time Turners are only granted for certain type of reasons, to extremely responsible persons, for a limited time period and with hundreds of rules to be followed. You must apply for one in the Ministry of Magic and it usually takes weeks to go through if granted at all. The Time Turner must be returned to the Ministry at the latest on the day previously discussed between you and them.

The main rules:

1. You are not allowed to tell anyone in the present time, that you possess a Time Turner. (Depending on the reason for the use it is revealed to only those who need to know, such as in Hermione's case to all of Hogwarts' staff.)
2. You must not let anyone see both versions of yourself at the same time nor let yourself see you, while on the time travel.
3. You may use it only for the purpose it was granted for and absolutely nothing else.

Breaking these rules and being caught leads to a terrible punishment - for adults most likely a sentence of some length in Azkaban, as this would be considered a serious and dangerous crime.

Nobody knows that the past can not be changed at all, which is why the use of a Time Turner is extremely controlled.