In terms of the discussion, one thing you’ll find from time to time is people jumping back into a discussion – lots of readers have subscribed to the comments on a particular page, so if somebody posts they’ll get an e-mail and pop back in to share their thoughts again. So that may at least help some. :)

Apparently time travelers were already in the past all along, and the things that they did were things that showed themselves even before they went back. So you can’t go back and, say, stop Voldemort from killing Cedric Diggory, because nobody stopped him from killing Cedric. But you can conjure up a Patronus to drive the dememtors away from your younger self, if it had already happened. (I hope I’m making myself clear.)

However regarding the map and the two Harry/hermiones, I think you may possibly be reading too much in to it. I don’t think lupin knew any time traveling was going on. Whether he didn’t see Harry and hermione twice because they were out of bounds of the map, it’s part of the magic of the time turner that they wouldn’t show up or he simply didn’t notice, I don’t think anyone was aware of what happened that night except Dumbledore, Harry, hermione and ron ( after they told him.)

I wonder if they ever even explained to Sirius how he was saved. Hmm..

As for the idea that the Map wouldn’t have shown two Harry and Hermione dots because Lupin wouldn’t be expecting them, it just doesn’t make sense to me. The Map would be completely useless against watching for “enemies” as you roam the corridors of Hogwarts. Harry would never be *expecting* Filch or Snape to be headed toward him, if he just happened to glance at the Map at the right time. He would see them anyway, because they exist in the school. I don’t think it has anything to do with expecting to see anyone, if they’re there, they show up, cause the Map never lies.

And I agree with lovelyheartedlady. At least to the point that we don’t know just how much the Map shows. We don’t really know what it’s limits are. Harry is always seen thinking “headed toward the Forest” or “headed toward Hogsmeade” but this could just be his knowledge of the area speaking. Or it just says “to the Forest” or “to Hogsmeade” on the side of the map. However, Lupin says he saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron head to Hagrid’s. So doesn’t that mean he would have at least seen the other Harry and Hermione in the broom closet off the Entrance Hall? I think it’s definitely a possibility he saw this, and informed Dumbledore. I think Dumbledore had an idea all year that he would have Harry and co. save Buckbeak from execution, and that’s why he was so amused at the site of what would have been the execution. But he didn’t know just how much this rescue mission would involve. I think he started to put the pieces together, knowing Sirius wouldn’t slash the portrait unless he was mad, since he knows Sirius was a Gryffindor, and then Sirius didn’t kill anyone when he found his way to Harry’s dormitory. He had his thoughts, and then the way events unfolded on June 6th, hearing from Lupin beforehand, talking to Sirius, and seeing Harry and Hermione’s sincerity (obviously not Confunded) he made up his mind that Sirius must be innocent and hatched the complete rescue plan for Harry and Hermione in the end.

And I also think all the teachers must know of Hermione’s Time-Turner, because they must communicate with each other somehow at meal times and in the staff room. I can just see them all discussing how Hermione is coping with her immense workload, McGonagall being proud yet worried, and Snape being a jerk talking about how she’s still an insufferable know-it-all. I think that’s also a part of the reason why Snape is so angry about how things unfold for him in the last chapter. He realized what happened, and it always drives him crazy when Dumbledore allows all of this to happen and let them all get away with these things.

And last but not least, why Dumbledore didn’t go in to help Harry at the Shack. Of course, I’ve already explained that I think Dumbledore already had an idea that Sirius was innocent. He also knew Lupin was going to go in after them, and as I see how Lupin must have been appointed as a defender for Harry, he knew nothing bad would happen to Harry in case Sirius was guilty. He also has always let Harry figure things out for himself unless he’s in serious danger from Voldemort. I don’t think Harry would have learned as much if Dumbledore had interfered, and I think Dumbledore fears that. He wants Harry to experience things for himself, because that’s the best way to grow and learn.I’m sure he must have been extremely worried for his safety that night, but somehow knew Harry would be alright in the end, knowing it’s Harry. He has already seen him go up against Voldemort and protect the Philosopher’s Stone, *and* go into the Chamber of Secrets and come back out, bloodstained and dirty, but safe. He puts a lot of store in Harry’s abilities, and hasn’t been wrong yet.

Sorry about the length. That was huge =P

(Moderated for language)