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Vladimir_Nesov comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 5 - Less Wrong
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Ch. 57-58: I'm finally forced to abandon my original misplaced expectations about the fic. I thought it was trying to be realistic in the Watt-Evans sense, but now I see that awesomeness is more important to Eliezer than plausibility. (Scaring away twelve Dementors who approach close while the Patronus is down? Building a rocket from memory?) Okay, this kind of fiction makes for an enjoyable read too.
Now that I think of it, the plan has been doomed since Ch. 56, and possibly earlier. Harry's idea of dealing with McGonagall involves using the Time-Turner again. This means a version of Harry must leave Mary's Place before Harry and Quirrell begin their elaborate precautions, and maybe before they even order their food (Ch. 51). Whoops.
Harry's response is correct, assuming McGonagall's Patronus visited after they activated Time-Turner the first time. It means that they can Time-Turn again (somewhere hidden), enter the room before it's sealed by their first versions, wait hidden in the room for first versions to travel in the past (disappear from timeline), then open the room and let Harry meet McGonagall.
Right. Given the Cloak of Invisibility, "must leave Mary's Place" does not imply "must be seen leaving Mary's Place".
That's the problem. McGonagall's Patronus visited before they activated the Time-Turner the first time, because according to Quirrell's plan, all the events of Ch. 52-58 are taking place within one time-turn.
ETA: oh, sorry, I see what you mean. Maybe you're right. Maybe the allotted time ran out during Ch. 55, thus saving them by pure chance. Then Eliezer only needs to change Quirrell's phrase in Ch. 58 saying "original plan carries on undisturbed". On further reflection, this would've been be a smart plan from the start: if you have an unrestricted Time-Turner, you can carry out complicated plots in the future. Go back by 2 hours, escape the room, wait 3 hours unseen, do your job, go back by arbitrary amount. Like Ocean's Eleven in reverse.
Why do you believe that was the plan? Committing the crime simultaneously with being in Mary's room makes perfect sense.