The Replacement of the Time-Turners destroyed in the Department of Mysteries in June, 1996
Authors:
Gmariam and Mugglemathdork
To Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic
Ministry of Magic
London, England
July, 1996
I am writing in regards to recent reports concerning the break-in at the Ministry of Magic this past June, in which Lord Voldemort was confirmed to have returned as recounted a year ago at the conclusion of the TriWizard Tournament. Specifically, I am referring to the damage in the Time Room done by Voldemort’s Death Eaters: I have heard that the stock of Time-Turners which were destroyed will not be replaced by the Department of Mysteries, and feel I must express my deepest concern over these troubling rumors.
I have always expressed and extended my full support of the research accomplished in the Department of Mysteries by the many talented Unspeakables employed to investigate the mysteries of the magical world. Their study of time in particular has allowed the wizarding community to gain a deeper knowledge of this complex element that runs and rules the universe. Through their inquiries into the intricacies of time we have come to better understand and manipulate this element for the enhancement of our community.
We are better able to create and control the settings on Portkeys, and have finally begun to truly understand the inner workings – and timing – of the Floo Network, thereby improving both methods of transportation for our fellow witches and wizards. We have also developed a number of unusual devices that allow for the precise measurements of time, such as clocks that detail a person’s movements through both time and space and allow for instant knowledge of their whereabouts.
The creation of the Time-Turner is possibly the pinnacle of achievement in the Department of Mysteries. They have been used to great effect by individuals both within and without the Ministry for many extraordinary and beneficial purposes. They first and foremost allow for more learning and accomplishment by extending the number of hours in which a witch or wizard has to study. Over my long tenure at Hogwarts a strong handful of students have benefited from being able to take more classes due to the Ministry’s allowance of a Time-Turner for their use; they are now successful witches and wizards in positions of renown and authority both in the Ministry, in academia, and around the world.
Unspeakables in the Time Room have also been able to study the finely interwoven threads of fate by observing the minute details of a given event with the use of Time-Turners. For this reason alone these priceless devices must be maintained as instruments of study. Allowing Unspeakables to travel back in time to study a particular moment has given us precious information on not only our history, but on how action effects outcome and how time flows relentlessly forward in response to our choices.
Most importantly, if the Ministry bans the re-creation of these amazing devices, they limit their ability to affect the future in positive ways. Though conspiracy theories abound on how the Ministry manipulates time for its selfish own uses, I doubt any to be true. I happen to know from personal experience that positive change can be affected and negative consequences minimized by the slightest tweaks to the timeline. I would not want to see the Ministry lose this incalculable ability for whatever reason, even were it never used.
I realize that the creation of a single Time-Turner is a long and arduous process that is both expensive and not without risk. I feel strongly that cost should not prohibit the Ministry from replacing these precious instruments, and that the risk is one worth taking in these dark times. Not even a seer can see into the future to detail the needs of the Ministry in our current battle against the forces of Lord Voldemort, or the needs of the wizarding world in the years to come.
I urge you with the strongest sentiments possible to reconsider your decision regarding the replacement of the Time-Turners. While I hope that it will not come to such an outcome, I fear for the future of the wizarding world if this door to our past is shut forever.
Cordially,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Order of Merlin, First Class
Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards
Chief Warlock, Wizengamot
To Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic
Ministry of Magic
London, England
August 1996
Upon the knowledge that Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, wrote in for the support of re-establishing the creation and use of Time-Turners, I felt it was my duty as a concerned member of Wizarding society to present an oppositional and objective view to the one submitted so that a well-informed decision be made by our leaders during these dark times ahead of us.
In regards to the damage created at the Time Room in the Department of Mysteries, one can only assume that it serves to show that not only is the Ministry not well guarded, but anyone can easily exploit this lack of security to steal important magical items to use for their own personal gain and benefit. The thought of anyone being able to infiltrate our institution of governance is outrageous and disturbing. The lax security does not allow for the creation or housing of such important and dangerous magical objects as Time-Turners.
Whilst the research done by Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries is not only important, and valuable, it has also proven to be dangerous and badly handled during its creation and history. Consider the fact that of the seven departments at the Ministry of Magic, the Department of Mysteries is the least answerable and regulated. The Unspeakables are at their leisure to experiment, on petty whims, with dangerous, volatile, and unexplored magic, which has often ended in disastrous results.
The study of time, itself, is a worthy cause and has contributed to the creations of many wizarding commodities like the Floo Network, and better Portkeys, but the fact remains that time is a most unstable substance to meddle with unnecessarily.
I hope that it is taken into account that, only three summers ago, a Time-Turner was placed in the hands of a Hogwarts student, no older than fourteen, so that she may take extra classes to further her workload, and therefore allowing her to become ahead of her classmates. Not only did this result in an unfair academic advantage for that particular student, but the use of a Time-Turner to further the study hours one undertakes was not offered as a choice to the rest of the student population. This fact alone is enough to show that the main reason this choice was not offered or even considered is that in the wrong hands, Time-Turners could be misused and abused – let alone at the hands of hormonal teenagers who can on a whim turn back ‘time’ to redeem a mistake or change the past for their benefit, or possibly to extend the time of another.
Meddling with time is unacceptable – even in the smallest degree.
Also consider that with the lax security already in place at the Ministry of Magic, another break-in could be planned with the sole purpose of stealing a Time-Turner for the Dark Lord, who has now been fully recognized as having returned. The havoc that the Dark Lord's Death Eaters can create to the timeline is unfathomable. Take a moment to consider that the Dark Lord might return to the time of his first demise and change the past. Our society is just not ready for the ramifications of time-meddlers, nor are sanctions established for offenders.
The process of creating a Time-Turner is expensive, and time-consuming. The Ministry of Magic does not have the funds needed to invest in this extravagant object. The fiscal consequences of irresponsible spending should not be passed on to the general public if wholly unnecessary.
It is my hope that an objective, well informed, and thoughtful decision will be made in regards to this most pressing issue.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Severus Snape
Potions Master
Hogwarts Head of Slytherin