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The idea has been suggested1 that after the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry visits the ruins of Godric's Hollow, where his parents were murdered. During that visit he travels back in time to the night Voldemort murdered his parents. He witnesses events and in the aftermath – the "missing" 24 hours – Dumbledore learns about some or all of the events described in books one through six. Finally, as Dumbledore travels to Privet Drive to meet Hagrid and baby Harry, our seventeen-year-old hero returns to the main timeline, better prepared to face an increasingly powerful Voldemort.
I have thought this through in some detail, and come to the conclusion that Dumbledore does not have to be involved. It's great fun if he is, but it is not necessary to have him interact with time-travelling Harry in any way. Whether Dumbledore is there or not, however, the theory offers plausible answers to questions such as why Harry's eyes are so important, what James and Lily did for a living and why James sent his Invisibility Cloak to Dumbledore before he died.
In order to grasp the idea properly, we need to think quite carefully about time travel. We also need to think about the details surrounding the night of Voldemort's attack on the Potter family and some other pieces of narrative background that have implications for time travel. Because of that, I've divided the essay into six main sections.
The first of these takes a detailed, lengthy look at time travel in the Harry Potter universe. While I've read a lot of science fiction novels that refer to the philosophy, practicalities and possible paradoxes of time travel, I don't think much – if any – of that background is relevant to Rowling's stories. Just as she is not really aware of the conventions of fantasy literature, I rather suspect that she is not aware of the extensive analysis of time travel in the world inhabited by sci-fi geeks.
All we have to go on are her descriptions of time travel, along with the dangers of messing with time as outlined by Hermione and Dumbledore towards the end of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Necessarily, therefore, the main section of this essay explores the events of the third book in some detail.
The second section looks at the background of the night Voldemort attacked the Potter family. It highlights a number of areas that need to be properly explained, and proposes some possible explanations and points of view that prove helpful later in the essay.
The third section moves away from the details and looks at how Ms Rowling is writing the story and what she has kept hidden, and tries to explain why some of those details may have been withheld from us until the final book.
A brief fourth section offers some very limited speculation about Time-Turners and deals with some problems that other readers have raised.
Next, I get on to the night when Voldemort murdered James and Lily. I describe events there, bringing in the background and explanations given earlier in the essay and try to show how these elements come together on the night of the murders to make a coherent, plausible description of what happened that night and what Harry might have seen. I also bring in some of Ms Rowling's comments in interviews and the evidence posted in the books to date as supporting evidence.
A final twist tries to offer an analysis of Dumbledore's role in events. Then it's on to a brief conclusion in which I let you know that I have convinced myself, if no one else.
Time Travel and the Author
J.K. Rowling spends some time in Prisoner of Azkaban establishing that time loops are possible. By a time loop, I refer to Harry's ability to cast his powerful Patronus Charm across the lake during the confrontation with Dementors. He says that his confidence to do it came from the knowledge that he had already seen himself succeed.2
Rowling describes in great detail the Dementors' attack on Sirius and Harry,3 and she is careful to make it clear that Harry could only summon a powerful Patronus to drive off a feeding frenzy of Dementors because he realised he had seen himself do it. She is underlining the fact that this kind of loop is not just possible, but it is fully acceptable in the world she has created.
If you think about it too hard, it becomes a completely mind-bending chicken-and-egg problem. But for those who enjoy some mind-bending, there is a detailed analysis below.
Analysing the Buckbeak Episode
Before we can explore the idea that Harry travels back in time to witness events at Godric's Hollow, we need to know more about Rowling's idea of time travel. However, in order to equip ourselves for that task, we need to spend some time reflecting on Harry and Hermione's adventure in the third book. Prior to that, however, a brief thought experiment might help explain some of the basic principles and dangers of time travel.
Suppose for a moment that Harry has a Time-Turner. He is standing in front of a cupboard and spins it three times. As soon as the swirling sensation has worn off, he steps into the cupboard behind him and waits exactly three hours. Then he steps out of the cupboard.
Any outside observers would see Harry apparently Apparating into the cupboard and then stepping out of it an instant later. If the same observers had been there three hours previously, they would have seen something slightly odd: Harry arriving out of thin air, and then stepping inside the cupboard. For the rest of the world, however, nothing unusual has happened. Life is carrying on, time is progressing, decisions are being made and the world continues to turn.
Even if Harry does not jump inside a box, but wears his Invisibility Cloak and wanders the grounds for three hours, nothing unusual happens. He sees things and watches people going about their business. He might even see himself walking with Ginny or playing Quidditch. But there is no difficulty at all with the events unfolding. Time marches forward with no issues about fate or pre-destiny or any such philosophical complexity.
In other words, so long as Harry does not allow himself to be seen or interact with anyone, there are no problems with time travel. This is what Dumbledore tries to explain to Harry when he and Hermione first went back in time. "But remember this, both of you. You must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law. You know what is at stake ... you – must – not – be – seen." 4
Now let us return to Prisoner of Azkaban. You will remember that Harry and Hermione use the Time-Turner to revisit a three-hour period in which they save both Buckbeak and Sirius Black. After Dumbledore tells Hermione that she and Harry need more time,5 they spin the Time-Turner and arrive in the Entrance Hall and immediately hide in a cupboard for a few moments.
To illustrate the principles of time travel, let us suppose that instead of proceeding out of Hogwarts to rescue Buckbeak and Sirius, they both remain in that cupboard for two hours fifty-five minutes, and then sneak back to the hospital wing, down some secret passages which only Harry knows about.
Everything that occurred in the run-up to the confrontation with the Dementors happens exactly the way Harry remembers it. Each of the other characters "repeats" his or her actions exactly, because each of the participants is living those few hours for the first and only time in their lives. There is no repeating: it is just like that initial thought experiment: everyone is simply living through those events with no awareness of anything strange. But Harry's Patronus never appears.
Time has been changed, with important consequences. Things that Harry remembers from his first trip through the time loop do not come to pass. There is no super-powerful Patronus down by the lake, so Harry and Sirius both end up as soulless zombies because nothing protects them from the Dementors. Buckbeak dies because no one unties him.
Remember, though, that this is a thought experiment. The books do not portray any such events, and it is useless to speculate (see below) at which point Harry might lose his soul – before or after he time-travels? – or whether Buckbeak is alive or dead at the end of Harry's first trip through the loop.
So long as Harry does not intervene while time travelling, he merely observes events. This is both like and unlike his experience in the Pensieve. As in the Pensieve, he watches events unfold before him. However, unlike in the Pensieve, he is not watching a recording. Nor is he watching anything repeating itself; he is witnessing other people live through those moments for the first and only time in their lives. It is important to understand that difference.
The other big difference is that in a Pensieve, Harry has no option but to simply observe, whereas with the Time-Turner, he can participate and interact. Please keep that thought in mind for later.
Now let us return to the events as described in the book. Think for a moment how some of the participants in the Buckbeak adventure remembered that night.
Walden Macnair
In the case of Macnair, the executioner, he experiences those three hours just once. He walks down to Hagrid's hut, sees the condemned hippogriff, and then spends far too long in the hut signing things and hearing speeches. When he emerges, Buckbeak is gone.6
Severus Snape
It's similar with Severus Snape. He visits Remus Lupin's office with the Wolfsbane potion, sees the Marauder's Map and goes to the Whomping Willow. There he finds Harry's Invisibility Cloak, and ducks through the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. He confronts Sirius and is blasted unconscious. When he wakes up, he finds himself lying on the grass next to Ron, and a few moments later finds Sirius, Hermione and Harry lying by the lake, also unconscious. He takes them all up to the castle and expects to get his Order of Merlin award, only to discover that Sirius mysteriously disappears between being locked up and the arrival of the Dementors.7
Even Buckbeak sees nothing odd. One moment he is tied up, watching Macnair and others walk into Hagrid's hut, and seeing some peculiar depressions in the grass, like footsteps. The next, Harry is hauling him into the forest while Hermione feeds him dead stoats (if you believe the movies). A couple of hours later, he flies Harry and Hermione up to one of the castle towers and picks up a strange man, who flies him off into the night.8 None of the people in the scene sees anything inconsistent about Harry and Hermione's activities. Snape interacts only with Harry and Hermione on their first time through the loop, while Buckbeak interacts with them only when they are on their second trip through the loop. But still, Rowling has written the text so that none of the players in these scenes notices anything inconsistent in the events described during Harry's first trip through the loop compared with his second.
This is the key to understanding Rowling's model of time travel. If a scene is witnessed by a time traveller, then that scene is successful if – and only if – everyone comes out of the loop with a completely consistent set of memories and experiences.
The only apparent quibble with the Buckbeak episode is that Patronus. So we need to think quite carefully about that. As soon as we start to think about it, we realise that, if Harry is to prevent any time paradoxes, then he (in the second spin through the loop) has to create that Patronus. He remembers it happening when he first experienced that moment, so to keep his memories consistent, he has to perform it during the second run through.
To stand by and do nothing would have been messing with time. And as we have seen, if he had not produced the Patronus during his second trip through the loop, he would have ended up as a soulless husk of a man. History would definitely have changed. And the one thing you are not allowed to do with a Time-Turner is change history: "No!" said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody!" 9
We have to be clear about this. Dumbledore said the Ministry rules state that you must not be seen; you must not interact with anyone.10 However, in saying this, the Ministry does not account for time loops. The Ministry only considers the situation described at the top of this essay: when Harry wandered the grounds in his cloak, unseen and without participating or interacting in any way.
When time loops are involved, things get incredibly complicated and difficult. The real rules of time travel seem to be (if we think carefully about the Patronus episode) that you must not change anything which you or anyone else remembers from your first experience of that time period.
I would argue that the rule is more restrictive than that: once you choose to re-visit a scene from the past, you have to strive to make sure that all the people affected by those events leave that scene with their memories completely identical to the way they were after the first trip through the loop.
That's because if, when you leave the time loop, things are different from how you or anyone else remembers them, then you have messed with time, and someone, somewhere will have a memory malfunction. As Dumbledore said, "the consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed." 11
No one ever said time travel was easy.
What If... Questions About Time-Travel
As noted above, we can speculate endlessly about what might have happened if...
- Harry, Ron and Hermione had watched Macnair execute Buckbeak on their first run through the loop
- Harry had not cast the Patronus on his second run through the loop
- Harry had intervened (on his second cycle) to prevent Pettigrew escaping.
From what we have seen, when Rowling writes about time travel, she makes sure that all the ends are tied up, and the second trip through the loop serves for the time traveller to become a stage manager and ensure events turn out to match everyone's recollection of events.
We can get all philosophical about which models of time travel Rowling uses, and refer back to other great works where authors – predominantly in the sci-fi field – have thought about time travel and its possible paradoxes. But Rowling has already shown us how she treats time travel: she sets things up so that the time traveller is in a position to "restore" events to match his or her own recollection of those same events.
If I had to get all philosophical, then I would say Rowling appears to have used the multiple universe model, in which many outcomes are possible from a given set of circumstances. Each outcome results in a separate, parallel universe. That would mean that after the first run through of events in Prisoner of Azkaban, there are (at least) two parallel universes.
In one of them, Buckbeak is dead, executed by Macnair. In that universe, nobody travelled in time, so there was no Patronus across the lake and the Dementors sucked the soul right out of Harry. If Rowling had written that universe, then the series would have finished at the third book. But she did not write that. She wrote the other universe, in which Harry and Hermione become heroes, helping both Beaky and Sirius to escape their respective injustices.
However, there really is no point in such speculation and sophistry: this is fiction. Rowling wrote it. She controls everything and because she wrote it, there is no way she could allow any of those alternative universes to happen, because the story would then lack internal consistency and she wouldn't be such a good author and her editors would reprimand her. We are going to have to accept that Rowling has created Harry's universe and she has created these time loops to be both possible and self-consistent.
Having analysed time travel in a rather exhaustive way, I now move on to the second part of the essay, in which we look at some of the details that are likely to come into play when Harry witnesses the murder scene at Godric's Hollow.
Studying the Details
The Potters' house – or perhaps a temporary safe house – was protected by a Fidelius Charm.12 Peter Pettigrew was the Secret-Keeper for the Potters.13 Is there any way time-travelling Harry (TT!Harry) can see the house at Godric's Hollow on the night of the murders?
Yes, there is. We first have to understand the Fidelius Charm. Number twelve Grimmauld Place is protected by every spell known to wizardkind to protect it from intruders and spies, so we are not sure whether it is the Fidelius Charm or something else that makes the house invisible to passers-by. When Fudge explains the Charm to Madam Rosmerta and the others in the Three Broomsticks, he says that Voldemort could, "search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed up against their sitting-room window!", unless the Secret-Keeper revealed the secret.14
So it appears that the charm hides the people and not the dwelling.
When Pettigrew and the Potters sealed the charm, Harry would have been nearly fifteen months old. If baby Harry is not told the secret, then he would be unable to see his parents. This is obviously unacceptable to new parents, so the only sensible option is to have the Secret-Keeper tell baby Harry the secret, immediately after the charm is sealed.
If Pettigrew told baby Harry the secret, then somewhere deep inside himself, TT!Harry also knows the secret. But anyone time-travelling with him – Ron or Hermione, for example – will be unable to find the Potters. Nor can they see or hear any of the events that take place within the house. Harry will be on his own.
Another detail is the Invisibility Cloak. Harry has a terrible habit of leaving his cloak at the scene of the crime. He left it at the top of the tower when sending Norbert on his way.15 He left it under the witch statue after getting into Hogsmeade in the third book.16 He left it under the Whomping Willow for Snape to find.17 He left it at the top of the Astronomy tower at the end of the sixth book.18 He's quite likely to leave it at Godric's Hollow if things get a bit tense there, as they certainly will.
Could this be the thinking behind the never-asked-question on Rowling's site: "Why did Dumbledore have James' Invisibility Cloak at the time of James' death, given that Dumbledore could make himself invisible without a cloak?" She says to this, "There IS a significant – even crucial – answer." 19
In light of this, we should perhaps explore the cloak a bit further. When we first see the cloak, in the first book, Ron tells us that Invisibility Cloaks are both rare and valuable.20 So they are the kind of thing any sensible wizard would look after fairly carefully.
We know from Lupin that James was regularly using the cloak during their schooldays,21 so James certainly had it with him during the Marauders' school years. It's likely that James had it when he suspected Voldemort was about to attack.
Remember also that Harry's memory includes Dumbledore's telling him that James left the cloak in Dumbledore's possession before James died.22 This is one of the details that must be matched if there is any time travelling to be done. It is a tiny, almost insignificant detail, but to keep the time loop intact, it has to fit in with the events Harry is about to re-live.
The cloak Harry uses is the exact same physical object that James used. So when TT!Harry arrives in his parents' house, the cloak is there twice: once with TT!Harry, and once with James. I don't know if this causes a time problem in Rowling's world, but to keep Dumbledore's memory intact, we need to find a way for James to get one version of that cloak to Dumbledore, and let TT!Harry take the other back into the future. Otherwise the details no longer fit and the time loop is broken.
A third detail – and we have been bashed over the head by this one – is the fact that Harry looks extraordinarily like his father.23 Harry will be just over seventeen when he goes back in time. We don't know exactly how old James was when he died, but twenty-two or twenty-three is the most likely age.24 Young men don't change a great deal in appearance between the end of puberty at sixteen or seventeen, and their mid-twenties.
Harry saw his time-travelling self in Prisoner of Azkaban – at less than fourteen years old – and thought it was James.25 It is possible that someone at Godric's Hollow will see TT!Harry and mistake him for James. Personally, if Harry does time travel, I think this confusion is almost inevitable, especially if things are dark, or Harry's eyes are somehow obscured. That would be a nice twist on the events of the third book, and I can see Rowling enjoying writing that scene.
Also, this similarity suggests why Harry having his mother's eyes is so important.26 The most conclusive way for someone to distinguish TT!Harry from James is by looking at his eyes and recognising Lily there. We can speculate endlessly about who might see TT!Harry and think it is James, but the list of people who will look into his eyes and realise it is not James is relatively short.
I suspect it will be Lily. What a great moment that will be to read. Honestly, from what we know of Harry so far, if he were hiding under his cloak alone in a room with his mother, just a few hours before her death, would he really be able to resist the temptation to talk to her? Of course not!
And I think the story arc needs Harry to have a conversation with his mother, for reasons I explore in my next section.
Lily's Story
In discussing the first chapter of the first book, Rowling said that it went through several re-drafts, some of which showed scenes of Voldemort killing the Potters.27 She wants to write that scene. It is the keystone upon which whole series rests. If she is to explain things properly – as she has said she will28 – then she has to show us exactly what happened that night.
The vast majority of the series has been seen through Harry's eyes and it would make perfect sense to see this vital, powerful scene from the same perspective. How to do that, except to have Harry re-visit the events, either in a Pensieve (but whose memory would that be?) or in person?
A second issue is Harry's need to understand his mother and her love for him. Harry, like another important character, does not know nearly enough about his mother. As soon as Tom Marvolo Riddle discovered he was a wizard, he immediately thought the power had come through his father's line. He spent a great deal of time exploring that theory before finally realising that the power came from his mother.29
Harry has done the same. We know a lot about James and his friends, but almost nothing about Lily. There was a hint of it from Lupin in the fifth book, when Harry tried to find out about the Snape-baiting exercise shown in Snape's worst memory.30 But her qualities are only really highlighted in Half-Blood Prince when we hear Slughorn singing her praises. It turns out she was clever, charming, popular, attractive and skilled in both Charms and Potions.31 And she died to save her son. Yet Harry knows nothing about her. If this were real life we would think Harry mad for not finding out as much as he can about her.
As it is fiction, we can be sure that Rowling has plenty up her sleeve to tell us about Lily. Since it has been saved for the last book, we have to assume it is something significant. Indeed, Rowling has said, "you'll find out something incredibly important about her [Lily] in book seven." 32 So there has to be a moment when Harry makes contact with Lily or with her memory. I am guessing that the book seven revelation is personal, so it should not be relayed by a third party. Instead, we have to see some direct communication from Lily to Harry.
I have always thought it has to be a two-way conversation between Lily and Harry, and I still do. He has to be able to question her motives, and to find out what she thought of James and Snape during the incident described in "Snape's Worst Memory."33 Up to now, I had imagined that the conversation would take place behind the veil at the Ministry of Magic, from which Harry would somehow return. Now I'm not so sure. The veil is a wonderful, powerful object and is surely a portal into the land of the dead, but Rowling has said that once a person is properly dead, they stay dead.34
I thought maybe there would be a resurrection scene, or that Harry would do a Lyra Belacqua35 and make a return trip to the land of the dead, but this time travel thing seems to make a lot more sense. It breaks fewer of the rules Rowling has set out. To be strictly accurate, it breaks none of the rules.
Also, from a literary perspective, the time travel theory allows this meeting to take place earlier in the book, before the final showdown. A meeting behind the veil surely has to happen during the confrontation with Voldemort. But having that scene earlier in the book gives Harry time to absorb the lessons Lily teaches him about sacrifice and unconditional love and honour, and then to realise that some things really are worth dying for. (Not that I think he is going to finish the series dead, but we can't rule it out.)
In this scenario, Rowling can easily create a scene in which TT!Harry and his mother have time to talk at some leisure, when she is alive and vivacious and happy. I think that would be a truly beautiful scene both for Rowling to write and for us to read.
Filling in the Background
Having outlined the theory let me explore it a little. First, if Harry does witness his parents' murder at some point in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, then it has to be before the final confrontation. The only reason for Rowling to take Harry back there is to learn something, or to see something that will be useful in his final confrontation with the real Voldemort.
He can't kill – erm, "vanquish" – Voldemort there, because then history would change and the books would all evaporate in an instant like Marty McFly's photograph of himself in Back to the Future36... or something.
We learned at the end of the sixth book that Harry plans to re-visit Godric's Hollow quite soon after the start of the seventh.37 He seems to tell us it is the next stop on his journey, probably after a short visit to Privet Drive and the Burrow for Bill and Fleur's wedding. So that visit is going to happen in the first half of the book, and probably in the first quarter.
I'll throw in a bit of speculation here that Time-Turners come in multiples of one hour, one week, one month and one year. Small ones (like Hermione's) are one hour per turn, while bigger ones – like we saw smashed in the Ministry at the end of Order of the Phoenix38 – are for longer periods. So let's guess that Harry somehow obtains an annual Time-Turner and, on the night of Hallowe'en three months after coming of age, he twists it 16 times. That seems to fit with the story arc, but the precise timing of the voyage backwards in time is not especially important.
It's only necessary to the theory that he travel back in time at some point before the final conflict with Voldemort. And to those who say all the Time-Turners were destroyed in the battle of the Department of Mysteries, I say look to the text. In Half-Blood Prince, Hermione tells Hagrid (and us) that the Daily Prophet (not always the most reliable of sources) reports that the Ministry's entire stock was destroyed. ("We smashed the entire stock of Ministry Time-Turners when we were there in the summer. It was in the Daily Prophet." 39)
There were enough of them in that glass-fronted cabinet40 to suggest that, while unusual, they exist in the wizarding world in small, but significant numbers – rather like Invisibility Cloaks. I have no doubt that Rowling can arrange for one of Harry's friends – or the Room of Requirement – to produce a Time-Turner should Harry need one badly enough.
That Night at Godric's Hollow
All that pre-amble was doing no more than setting the scene for Harry's journey back in time.
Whether Harry goes back in time with anyone else, or not, once he gets there, he is the only one who can get inside the house because of the Fidelius Charm.
Remember that from now on, TT!Harry has to ensure that the events he witnesses over the next few hours match everything that he remembers or knows about that night. He also needs to ensure that anyone who was affected by events that night does not have their memories compromised in any way.
If things seem to be going wrong, then Harry has to intervene to make sure everything works out the same as his own memories, and that no one else has a memory malfunction. Again, we need to be clear about this. Harry must intervene if things are not going according to his memory, and set things back on the right track. If he fails to do that, then Harry is likely to end up with his soul sucked out, or dead, or even worse: Rowling's editors will ask her to re-write the whole thing.
Do you see where this is going, I wonder?
As I said earlier, I think Harry needs to have a heart-to-heart with his mother. There is so much she can tell him (and us) about Petunia, about Snape, and even about James and Sirius.
Let's assume he arrives in Godric's Hollow during the afternoon of 31 October. He needs to be there two or three hours before Voldemort's attack if he is to have time to speak with Lily and James.
He gets inside the house, wearing the Invisibility Cloak, and keeps watch over his parents. Will he just stand there and watch passively for a couple of hours? Of course not! Eventually, his emotions will get the better of him and he'll throw off his cloak and start talking to them. More particularly, I think he talks to Lily. She, however, is confused and believes she is talking to James.
As I said, Harry has a habit of leaving that cloak at the scene of the crime. Shall we speculate that Lily, still thinking she was talking to James, picks it up for him? Later that evening she tries to return it to James. This means James has two cloaks. He notices the duplication and at that point Lily and James guess whom Lily was speaking with.
Harry does not have to be present when they realise who he is, but I think it makes everything easier if he is. He can then tell them James gives the cloak to Dumbledore and Dumbledore gives it to Harry on Harry's first Christmas at Hogwarts (hence the rather odd wording on Dumbledore's note that Christmas "… It is time it was returned to you...").41
James then sends the "spare" cloak to Dumbledore, with brief instructions on what to do with it. In the simplest version of the theory, Dumbledore is not involved, so James sends it by a slow owl. In other versions of the theory, Dumbledore needs to be at Godric's Hollow in time to meet TT!Harry, so James could send it by a more rapid means of transport: magic has many options for doing that, I am sure.
I think it now becomes rather easy to guess that either Lily or James knows a great deal about the Time Room at the Department of Mysteries. This knowledge means Lily and James are all too aware of the risks of time travel, so they (along with Rowling and her editors) will make certain that TT!Harry does not create any time paradoxes.
It also accounts for Rowling's comments that James' occupation is critical to the story, and why she has not told us about that earlier in the series.42 If we knew James or Lily had been working in the Time Room, we would quickly guess that time, or time travel, is a significant part of the plot.
In order to keep the time loop intact, therefore, it is absolutely essential that Harry has that cloak with him when he time-travels back to Godric's Hollow. In the sixth book, Dumbledore tells Harry to keep that cloak with him at all times.43 Interesting.
Back to Harry's conversation with Lily. Once he has been "outed" as their son from the future, she'll ask about the scar, or some other detail that will lead Harry to tell her (or them?) that Lily and James are about to die. Perhaps he will encourage her to escape. Perhaps the voice he heard in Prisoner of Azkaban when the Dementors draw near is his own, trying to persuade his mother to run away. There are all kinds of possibilities here.
One thing, I think, is certain. As he talks with Lily, she listens and eventually understands. By being there and through his words, Harry shows his mother what she has to do. When the attack begins, Lily knows she is going to die. When Voldemort arrives, she walks into the arena with her head held high, knowing that her son will survive and grow to a fine young man; the man in front of her now.
It is Harry's visit that drives his mother to sacrifice herself.
That is pretty much the worst thing that anyone can do or experience. Think back for a moment to Rowling's comment from the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2004. When asked which character she would like to be, the answer was, "Definitely not Harry, because I would not want to go through it all. I know what is coming for him so there is no way that I would want to be him."44
This comment starts to make a lot of sense if Harry not only has to watch his mother die, but also believes himself responsible for her death.
Harry has been tortured, possessed by an evil monster, fed a demonic drink to his favourite teacher and mentor, watched his most beloved friends and mentors die and almost had his soul sucked out. And – worst of all – he has dumped his first proper girlfriend, just in case some big bad bully goes after her. Terrible though these things are, Harry has been there and done all of that before the age of seventeen. There's nothing Voldemort or anyone else can do to Harry that is significantly worse than the things he has already experienced.
But the discovery that he persuaded his mother to sacrifice herself is far worse than anything that has happened to him so far. Especially if he chooses to do it in the full knowledge that he must force himself to stand back and watch the murder, impotent to save either his mother or his father.
By now Lily (and James?) have worked out who TT!Harry is and she (they?), mindful of the risks of time travel, persuades Harry that he has to stand by under James's cloak and watch Voldemort do his thing. It's even possible Lily puts a Petrificus Totalus on Harry to prevent him interfering.
Under the cloak, Harry sees some of the Death Eaters – possibly Snape and Pettigrew, but it doesn't matter – and watches how they behave. Then, in the nursery with Lily and the baby, he hears his father fighting and sees Voldemort burst into the nursery. Harry watches as his mother sacrifices herself and then sees Voldemort prepare an object to receive the soul-fragment which will split off with the murder of baby Harry. There are high, cold laughs every couple of seconds and Harry's scar is burning fit to burst.
It may be that Harry notices Voldemort looks ever so slightly less inhuman in Godric's Hollow than he did at the resurrection party,45 or in the Ministry.46
On second thoughts, maybe Harry's scar does not hurt – just yet. I firmly believe that a piece of Voldemort's soul lies under Harry's scar. This essay does not attempt to justify or prove that belief – the theory works whether Harry is a Horcrux or not. But if he is one, and the Voldemort who murders Lily and James still has two-sevenths of a complete soul, then there is no connection between the younger Voldemort and TT!Harry's scar. If things do turn out this way, then I suggest readers look out for the moment TT!Harry's scar starts to burn. If there is no pain when Voldemort kills James or Lily, but it bursts in agony after Voldemort attempts to kill baby Harry, then I think the case is conclusive: the scar is a Horcrux.
When Voldemort casts the fateful Avada Kedavra at the baby, TT!Harry can barely watch. If he can bear to look, I think Harry will see the signature green Avada Kedavra blast, watch it reflect back toward Voldemort and then immediately the green streak hits Voldemort, he evaporates, to be replaced by a kind of ghostly snake-like thing. That thing, Voldemort's soul, rips itself into in two. One part shoots skyward. The other flies toward the baby, causing a lightning-shaped cut as it forces its way under baby Harry's forehead.
But you don't have to believe that, if you don't want to.
Once all the fireworks are over and any Death Eaters have removed Voldemort's wand and Apparated away, Harry slumps over his mother, and sobs his heart out. He might still be under the cloak. In fact he probably is.
There is no time paradox, because events at Godric's Hollow have now turned out exactly as Harry remembers and exactly as Voldemort remembers and exactly as Dumbledore remembers. Any Death Eaters present did not see Harry under the cloak, so they are none the wiser.
Lily and James saw TT!Harry and spoke with him, so there the Ministry would tell us that there is a possible time paradox. But there is not, because they are now dead, so even though their memories and experiences were affected by Harry's visit, they cannot make any decisions or actions based on that new knowledge. Also, they did not interact with anyone else except Dumbledore, but in sending the cloak to him, they ensured Dumbledore's memory of that unexpected event is uncompromised.
Just as Harry cast the Patronus in order to preserve the time line in Prisoner of Azkaban, he now has caused his mother to sacrifice herself and preserved another, much longer time line. All is well with the world, except that Harry is distraught with grief and incapable of doing anything worthwhile.
Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione are enjoying a romantic moment outside in the street, when they suddenly see the house start collapsing, and a ghostly snake-like thing coiling away from the crumbling structure.
It appears that the Fidelius Charm has been broken either with the destruction of the house, or with the death of Lily and James. We know that Sirius arrives at the house around the same time as Hagrid.47 At that time, just a few hours after the attack, Hagrid could enter the ruined house and retrieve baby Harry with no problems.48 We know that Hagrid believed Sirius to be the secret keeper, which means Pettigrew had not told Hagrid the secret. Thus, the Fidelius Charm must have been broken.
So at this point, Ron and Hermione charge into the house and find James and Lily dead and TT!Harry and baby Harry both alive. Ron retrieves the (extremely valuable) object Voldemort was intending to use as a Horcrux while Hermione discovers Harry's cloaked body slumped over Lily and removes the cloak, putting it in her own pocket. Then she fusses first over baby Harry and then TT!Harry. They wonder briefly what to do about the sleeping baby, but Hermione quickly realises that they have to leave the baby there for Hagrid to collect, and just hope he is okay. Well, they know he is going to be okay, because that is what happened.
Unfortunately for Ron, he cannot take the proto-Horcrux object away with him, because to do so would cause a memory malfunction in the person who did eventually retrieve the object, hours or days into the future. However, they can examine it and, I guess, if it is a Horcrux, they could probably disarm it with no ill effects on the time line. But it isn't a Horcrux, so there are no problems with time or causality.
And the result is that the time loop remains intact. The only loose end is that Dumbledore unexpectedly receives an Invisibility Cloak from James on the night James dies, together with instructions on what to do with it. Receiving this cloak is equivalent to Harry and Ron noticing something strange about Hermione's attendance of classes during the third book.49 Peculiar, unexplained, but not enough to cause a problem with time itself.
In the minimal version of the theory, Dumbledore does not need to know anything about events at Godric's Hollow. He just has to know it is important that he returns the cloak to Harry on Harry's 11th Christmas. As long as that happens, the time loop is complete and no one is any the wiser, except Harry who now knows far more about love and self-sacrifice than anyone, frankly, could wish to know.
The Trio then use the Time-Turner to reverse the sixteen-year time shift and after recovering from the experience, Harry realises the significance of the scar, and is filled with understanding of the power of love and self-sacrifice.
This assumes a Time-Turner can be used to return to the original time zone. If not, then Harry Hermione and Ron have to spend sixteen years in hiding, learning everything they can about the dark arts and how to destroy Horcruxes and defeat Voldemort. After sixteen years, they return to the place from which they left and an outside observer sees only that all three of them age by sixteen years in the space of a second or two. But I'm sure Rowling will find a way to return them to the main time line with no such interruption.
The Dumbledore Variation
A major variant (though, as I've noted above, an unnecessary one), is to assume that Dumbledore arrives on the scene soon after receiving the message and cloak from James. He cannot enter the house because of the Fidelius Charm, so he talks with Hermione and Ron who tell him what is going on. As soon as the house starts to crumble, he rushes in, sedates TT!Harry somehow, and then spirits all three of them away, while he requests that Hagrid collects the baby.
In the "missing" 24 hours,50 Harry and the others extract their memories of the previous sixteen years, giving Dumbledore complete knowledge of the future. He is wise enough not to interfere, though it requires immense self-control at some points. Everyone else in the drama simply lives out their lives with no sense that anything unusual has happened, and time marches on (as we saw in the thought experiments earlier in this essay).
Personally, I rather like this variant because it explains a lot about Dumbledore's character. There's something about him that appears to be taking things far less seriously than he should. I've never quite been able to put my finger on what that is, but this seems to explain it. He knows all along what is going to happen where, when and how. So he can find humour in some rather peculiar things (which he most certainly does).
It also resolves the issue of whether Dumbledore planned his own death or not. And answers it most emphatically in the positive. Once he has seen the memories of TT!Harry, TT!Hermione and TT!Ron, the rules of time travel apply to him. He must do everything he can to ensure that the events of books one to six match exactly with those sixteen-years-worth of memories. If he fails to do this, all is lost. So, yes: he planned his own death. He also reminded Hermione, in book three, that she needed a little more time51: around about three hours. He did these and many other things to ensure that all real life events matched the memories recorded during those missing 24 hours, and kept the timeline intact.
In Conclusion
This essay aims to explore some of the implications of the TT!Harry theory. I heard a brief outline of the theory on Pottercast 72 and some follow-ups at the end of Pottercast 73. I have not gone online to explore it much further. Apart from the basic idea, all the extrapolations are my own. I'm not a very original thinker, so it's quite likely that there are people out there who thought these things through better and more clearly than I was able to. If I seem to have repeated your ideas, I apologise and encourage you to claim credit for your own originality. My only interest here is in getting to the heart of the mystery before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is published.
I started writing this mostly to explore the ideas in my own mind, to see if the theory has any merit. Now that I'm done writing, I am completely convinced. It solves a lot of puzzles that I've been concerned about. It allows us to meet Lily and James and have a long conversation with them. It helps both Harry and us to realise that his scar is a Horcrux; it puts Harry through even more anguish (helping his parents decide to die) and it shows us the most critical scene of the series so far.
Most importantly of all, it resolves all those difficulties easily and with no implausible constructs and it sticks to the rules Rowling has stated both explicitly and implicitly. I've worked on plenty of theories about the Potter series, but this is the only one in which the answers seem to fall naturally out of the story. As soon as you pose a question, the answer is obvious, and then there are quotes from Rowling to support the idea. This astonishing coherence makes me think Deathly Hallows really will contain something very similar to the description above.
Let the discussion commence.
1. Pottercast 72.
2. Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban, 301.
3. Ibid., 280–82.
4. Ibid., 288.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid., 294.
7. Ibid., 301.
8. Ibid., 303.
9. Ibid., 291–2.
10. Ibid., 288.
Ibid., 311.
12. Ibid., 152.
13. Ibid., 268, 274.
14. Ibid., 152.
15. Ibid., Philosopher's Stone, 176.
16. Ibid., Prisoner of Azkaban, 208.
17. Ibid., 263.
18. Ibid., Half-Blood Prince, 557.
19. Rowling Official Site, "NAQ."
20. Rowling, Philosopher's Stone, 148.
21. Ibid., Prisoner of Azkaban, 254.
22. Ibid., Philosopher's Stone, 217.
23. Ibid., 39.
24. Lexicon, s.v."Potter Family: James."
25. Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban, 301.
26. Ibid., interview with Lizo Mzimba.
27. Rowling Official Site, "Opening Chapters of Philosopher's Stone."
28. Ibid., interview with Jeremy Paxman.
29. Ibid., Half-Blood Prince, 339.
30. Ibid., Order of the Phoenix, 591–2.
31. Ibid., Philosopher's Stone, 63, Half-Blood Prince, 70–71.
32. Ibid., Connection Interview.
33. Ibid., Order of the Phoenix, 570–71.
34. Hattenstone, "Harry, Jessica and me."
35. Pullman, Amber Spyglass, Ch.22.
36. Back to the Future.
37. Rowling, Half-Blood Prince, 606.
38. Ibid., Order of the Phoenix, 696.
39. Ibid., Half-Blood Prince, 218.
40. Ibid., Order of the Phoenix, 696.
Ibid,, Philosopher's Stone,148.
42. Ibid., Scholastic.com chat.
43. Ibid., Half-Blood Prince, 80.
44. Rowling Official Site,"J K Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival."
45. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 559.
46. Ibid., Order of the Phoenix, 716.
47. Ibid., Prisoner of Azkaban, 153.
48. Ibid.
49. Ibid., 85–6.
50. Lexicon, s.v."Missing 24 Hours."
51. Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban, 288.Bibliography
Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, Universal Pictures, 1985).
The Harry Potter Lexicon, s.v. "Timelines: The Missing 24 Hours and the Wand Order mystery." Member of the Floo Network. http://www.hp-lexicon.org/timelines/timeline_potters-old.html (accessed 28 February 2007).
———, s.v. "Wizards: Potter Family: James." Member of the Floo Network. http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/james.html (accessed 24 February 2007).
Hattenstone, Simon. "Harry, Jessica and me." The Guardian, July 8, 2000. http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/0700-guardian-hattenstone.htm.
J.K. Rowling Official Site. "Extra Stuff: NAQ." http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=23 (accessed 26 February 2007).
———. "Extra Stuff: Opening Chapters of Philosopher's Stone." http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=1.
———. "News: J K Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival." http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=80.
"Pottercast 72." The Leaky Cauldron, 26 February 2007. /pottercast/transcript/show/92?ordernum=4.
Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass / His Dark Materials. New York: Scholastic, 2000.
J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London: Bloomsbury, 1998.
———. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury, 2000.
———. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. London: Bloomsbury, 2005.
———. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. London: Bloomsbury, 2003.
———. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997.
———. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. London: Bloomsbury, 1999.
———. The Connection Interview.WBUR Radio, 12 October, 1999. Transcript, Accio Quote!, courtesy of Sugarquill.net transcription project. http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/1999/1099-connectiontransc.html.
———. Interview with Jeremy Paxman. "JK's OOTP interview,"BBC Newsnight, 19 June 2003. Transcript, Accio Quote! http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2003/0619-bbcnews-paxman.htm (accessed 26 February 2007).
———. Interview with Lizo Mzimba. "JK Rowling talks about Book Four."cBBC Newsround, July 2000. http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/0700-cbbc-mzimba.htm (accessed 26 February 2007).
———. Online chat transcript, Scholastic.com, 3 February 2000. http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/0200-scholastic-chat.htm#living (accessed 26 February 2007).


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One thing after another: Haiti detains 'Baby Doc'
Haiti held former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier in custody yesterday to prosecute him on possible corruption charges after human rights groups had demanded his arrest following his surprise return from exile.
Duvalier, 59, who fled Haiti in 1986 from a popular uprising, was questioned at the chief prosecutor's office in Port-au-Prince after armed police escorted him from the luxury hotel where he had stayed since his unexpected arrival on Sunday.
His return to his poor, earthquake-battered Caribbean homeland was a shock to Haitians and to foreign governments at a time when the country is in the midst of a political crisis caused by chaotic and inconclusive elections held on Nov. 28.
The political uncertainty comes on top of an ongoing cholera epidemic that has killed more than 3,800 people and efforts to rebuild the crippled nation after the huge earthquake a year ago that claimed more than 316,000 lives.
As Duvalier was led from his hotel room under heavy police guard, accompanied by his wife, he waved at journalists and some supporters gathered outside the hotel.


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Quick Links
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or 1-800-392-4340, ext. 1361
Local Girl Scout Holds Fun Day to Earn Girl Scouts Highest Honor, the Gold Award
Local Girl Scout Lisa G., partnered with Focusing Family Agency to create a "Fun Day" that catered to children in the Hempstead community, in order to complete all the requirements to earn the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve, the Gold Award.
The "Fun Day" consisted of a picnic and carnival games. Lisa also hosted a 10-day after school volleyball camp for girls in the community. The camp taught the girls the value of teamwork. "I saw kids in the community not interacting with each other," said Lisa. "I wanted to bring them together."
It is a significant honor to earn the Gold Award. Girl Scouts who earn this award have demonstrated leadership skills, career planning, community involvement, and personal development. It takes two to three years of intensive work to complete all the requirements for the award. Less than five percent of girls who join Girl Scouts earn this recognition. A major component of earning the Gold Award is planning and completing a Gold Award Project that is a service to the community.
Lisa, a recent graduate of Hempstead High School, and more than 15 volunteers spent many hours preparing and hosting these events. The combined total of participants was nearly 70 people. "It takes more than one person to earn a Gold Award," said the recipient's father Leonard G. "It is a community effort."
Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's preeminent organization for girls, with a membership of more than 3.5 million girls and adults. Today, as when founded in 1912, GSUSA helps cultivate values, social conscience, and self-esteem in young girls, while also teaching them critical life skills that will enable them to succeed as adults. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
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More than two-million bottles of cough and cold syrup have been recalled. It's not because of the medicine, but because the cap is not keeping kids out. Drug maker Novartis has issued a voluntary recall of Triaminic and Theraflu. The Consumer Products Safety Commission says twelve kids have opened the bottle themselves, and four of the 12 have taken a taste. One needed medical attention. The recalled medicines contain acetaminophen, and doctors say young children can easily overdose on the ingredient. Large amounts can cause liver damage. If you have Triaminic or Theraflu in your house, check for a safety cap. If it doesn't work, or if you have questions about the recall, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or call 866-553-6742. They are available Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am to midnight eastern time.
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Continuing a trend towards bolstering its customer experience bonafides, Minneapolis-based Allianz Life has named IT veteran Margaret Peck Senior Director of Change Implementation in its operations department.
Reporting to VP of customer experience management, Julie Feirtag, Peck will be responsible for strategic leadership and direction around change management to improve administration of the business, ensuring development and performance benchmarks are in place that are consistent with the strategic goals of the department.
[Check out what Allianz Life CIO Jeff Palm thinks are the most important IT performance metrics in his enterprise.]
"Peck has been recognized for her leadership in both developing teams and bringing divisions together to achieve results," Feirtag says in a statement. "I'm confident her leadership, collaboration skills and her business acumen will be a great addition to Operations at Allianz Life."
Feirtag, who last worked at Express Scripts, has insurance IT experience from a stint at Ameriprise Financial. There, she led insurance and annuity IT functions and client systems technologies, delivering results through significant mergers, infrastructure expansion, and business process reengineering. At Express Scripts, she led application development and business analysis activities. She has also served as an IT consultant.


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This Week's Top Leadership Posts From Around the Web, Curated by Leadership Editor Dale Thomas Vaughn
This Week's Top Leadership Posts From Around the Web, Curated by Leadership Editor Dale Thomas Vaughn
The fact that our leaders still meet black anger with riot shields and stun grenades is a clear sign that we don't yet know how to fully care for each other.
Look out Eminem. This dad can really rip it up!
Hart Reiniger tells the story of his dad, his ultimate hero despite having to rectify feelings for the man he idolized against the one who cruelly rejected him as an adult.
No one knows what the future will hold. But if we live a little less in the moment, and plan more for who we want to be in the years to come, we may facilitate our happiness today.
Sometimes you just have to make that turn into the unfamiliar. It might surprise you what you'll find.
N.C. Harrison sings the praises of the massive, powerful bad guys who force our fictional heroes to rise to the occasion.
The Whole Parent ponders whether the end of his marriage killed the sex, or the end of the sex killed his marriage.
When an Afghanistan war veteran and quadruple amputee twists his prosthetic knee in an airport, help comes from an unexpected source – an airline mechanic.
Thomas Fiffer reveals the psychology that has made the Ice Bucket Challenge so wildly successful.
Shawn Fludd doesn't believe taking care of his children is not the most important thing anymore. What's most important to him is how he takes care of future generations.
Is it an old classic? A TV adaptation? The ultimate party game? Or something only hardcore gamers ever talk about?
Allan Mott quickly discovered that the average middle-of-the-night customer at a sex shop isn't a creep, but just a normal lonely guy.
You've heard it before, but here's how to use the power of words to make it more effective. Because the last thing you need is another monkey on your back.
Charles J. Orlando points out the flaws in a popular movie genre.
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Well she did very well considering how heavy the sand is that we were moving.
I finished up moving the wrest of the back fill this afternoon which would be my 2:30am since I am working nights right now. It was 35 degrees with a 15mph cross wind soo it was pretty cool to say the least but she did fine just a little smoke.
Here are a few pics from the first day we got to use her it was a bit warmer then
My wife takeing a few loads
Yep she approves!!!
I look forward to getting my binder books and turning some wrenches and busting some knuckles.
I will be swapping fluids for winter use and hooking up the 8 foot snow blade some time this winter.


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The word Christmas literally means "Christ time," the traditional time of celebrating the birth of Jesus. No matter how you like to celebrate the season -- singing Christmas carols, decorating the tree, baking cookies for Santa's visit, feasting with family or friends -- it's a grand time of year that calls for selfless giving and lots of merriment.
Decorating and gift-giving at the home or office can be easier than ever. Pick a poster or a print of your favorite Christmas scene or sentiment, frame it and hang it on the wall or give it to someone who loves Christmas as much as you do.


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Truffle Cherries Recipe
Chocolate is popular at our house, especially during the holidays, so these double-chocolate gems never last long!
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 jar (8 ounces) maraschino cherries with stems, well drained
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- In a small saucepan, bring the cream, butter and sugar to a boil; stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate until melted. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until easy to handle.
- Pat cherries with paper towels until very dry. Shape a teaspoonful of chocolate mixture around each cherry, forming a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until firm.
- In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip cherries until coated; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper to set. Yield: about 2 dozen.
Originally published as Truffle Cherries in Country Woman Christmas Annual 2002, p37
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Reviewed Dec. 31, 2010
I used cherries without the stems and they worked well too. It made them look more like the other chocolate that I make at Christmas time. These were fantastic!
Reviewed Dec. 14, 2007
Oh where oh where will I ever find the time???
Definitely will have to make these - maybe for Valentines Day!
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How to select a sub-niche within a niche.
My domain is <snip>Link deleted</snip> and after listening to Adam Short I got trade forex on my domain. So I thought I use this keyword to my advantage.
Little did I know it has high competition with only 368000 global searches and 60500 local search for US. lets see for Singapore at least that is my target.
only 4400 searches.
My question is should I do SEO for a high competition keyword on my articles and title header or
Should I look for low competition and do a keyword density on my articles as well as header?
Low competition keyword relevancy is only down to the following
"How to Trade" 45 million global searches and Singapore 246 million searches.
or should I focus on this
"Currency Trading from home" with less competition but only 320 global searches and less then 10 from Singapore.
Keyword Use
I'm looking at currency trading but these as no relation to my domain which start off with tradeforex so should i use trade forex as my base keyword instead?
But this is what google have to say
Keyword - Trade Forex
Competition - high
Global Searches - 368 000
Local Searches - 4400 (Singapore)
Keyword - How to Trade
Competition - low
Global Searches - 45 million
Local Searches - 246 000 (Singapore)
Keyword - Currency Trading from Home
Competition - low
Global Searches - 320
Local Searches - less then 10 (Singapore)
Keyword - How to do Trading / How to do the Trading
Competition - low
Global Searches - 90 500
Local Searches - 880 (Singapore)
By the way how many keywords should we target? My Niche is Forex and sub niche would be a breakdown of type of trading or currency pair to trade or trading strategies am I true?
Audience: Maybe Singaporeans then later US market.
Right not my article range from beginners to psychological aspect of trading and I am not getting any eyeballs for it.
So my question is where did I go wrong from keyword point of view.
Warm Regards
David Aw
Last edited by molona; Nov 16, 2011 at 05:12. Reason: Sorry but links to our own sites is not allowed... and it was not really necessary for this question :)


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Endovascular Stent Grafts for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms
DESCRIPTIONThe traditional standard therapy for thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is open operative repair with graft replacement of the diseased segment. This procedure requires lateral thoracotomy, use of cardiopulmonary bypass, long operation times, and a variety of peri- and postoperative complications, with spinal cord ischemia considered the most devastating. Aortic dissection can be subdivided into Type A, which involves the aortic arch, and Type B, which is confined to the descending aorta. Type A dissections are usually treated surgically, while Type B dissections are usually treated medically, with surgery indicated for serious complications, such as visceral ischemia, impending rupture, intractable pain or sudden reduction in aortic size. Dissections associated with obstruction and ischemia can also be subdivided into an obstruction caused by an intimal tear at branch vessel orifices, or by compression of the true lumen by the pressurized false lumen. It has been proposed that endovascular therapy can repair the latter group of dissections by redirecting flow into the true lumen. The success of endovascular stent grafts of abdominal aortic aneurysms has created interest in applying the same technology to the aneurysms and dissections of the descending or thorabdominal aorta.
In March 2005, the GORE-TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for endovascular repair of aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta. Use of this device requires patients have adequate iliac/femoral access; aortic inner diameter in the range of 23-37 mm; and 2 cm non-aneurysmal aorta proximal and distal to the aneurysm.
In May 2008, the Zenith TX2® TAA Endovascular Graft" (Cook Incorporated, Bloomington, IN) was approved by the FDA through the PMA process for the endovascular treatment of patients with aneurysms or ulcers of the descending thoracic aorta. Indicated aortic inner diameter is in the range of 24-38 mm.
In June 2008, the Talent™ Thoracic Stent Graft System (Medtronic Vascular, Santa Rosa, CA) was approved by the FDA through the PMA process for the endovascular repair of fusiform and saccular aneurysms/penetrating ulcers of the descending thoracic aorta. Indicated aortic inner diameter is in the range of 18 - 42mm.
In October 2012, the FDA granted approval for the Valiant™ Thoracic Stent Graft with the Captivia® Delivery System (Medtronic Vascular, Santa Rosa, CA) to include isolated lesions of the thoracic aorta. Isolated lesions refer to aneurysms, ruptures, tears, penetrating ulcers and/or isolated hematomas, but do not include dissections. Indicated aortic diameter is 18-42 mm for aneurysms and penetrating ulcers, and 18-44 mm for blunt traumatic injuries.
Other devices are under development, and in some situations, physicians have adapted other commercially available stent grafts for use in the thoracic aorta.
POLICYEndovascular stent grafts using devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may be considered medically necessary in the following situations:
Endovascular stent grafts are considered investigational for the treatment of thoracic aortic lesions that do not meet the above criteria, including but not limited to thoracic aortic arch aneurysms.
POLICY GUIDELINESEndograft placement relies on non-aneurysmal aortic segments proximal and distal to the aneurysm and/or dissection for anchoring, and a maximal graft diameter that varies by device.
Investigative service is defined as the use of any treatment procedure, facility, equipment, drug, device, or supply not yet recognized by certifying boards and/or approving or licensing agencies or published peer review criteria as standard, effective medical practice for the treatment of the condition being treated and as such therefore is not considered medically necessary.
The coverage guidelines outlined in the Medical Policy Manual should not be used in lieu of the Member's specific benefit plan language.
POLICY HISTORY7/2003: Approved by Medical Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC)
4/20/2005: Hyperlink to Endovascular Grafts for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms deleted
3/23/2006: Coding updated. CPT4 2006 revisions added to policy
5/18/2006: Policy revised. Revisions approved by Medical Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC)
6/22/2006: Code reference section updated, all CPT codes moved from non-covered table to covered table. CPT code 33891 added to covered table. ICD-9 procedure code 39.73 added to covered table.
8/19/2009: Policy reviewed, no changes
05/09/2011: Policy description revised to add additional FDA-approved devices: Zenith 2X2® device and Talent™ Thoracic Stent Graft System. The first policy statement was revised to indicate that endovascular stent grafts may be considered medically necessary for the treatment of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms using devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their approved specifications. The approved specifications for each device were added to the Policy Guidelines section.
09/23/2011: Policy statement revised to indicate that thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair may be considered medically necessary for complicated Type B dissections.
09/25/2012: Policy reviewed; no changes.
10/14/2013: Treatment of rupture of the descending thoracic aorta added as medically necessary. Investigational policy statement expanded to include any thoracic aortic lesions that do not meet the above criteria, including but not limited to thoracic aortic arch aneurysms. Deleted outdated references from the Sources section.
SOURCE(S)Blue Cross Blue Shield Association policy # 7.01.86
CODE REFERENCEThis may not be a comprehensive list of procedure codes applicable to this policy.
The code(s) listed below are ONLY medically necessary if the procedure is performed according to the "Policy" section of this document.
Covered Codes


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This week student organizations from around the world came together for a conference at the University of Montreal to discuss "globalization's†negative effects on post-secondary education.
As a result, organizers are calling for an international student day of action on September 13th against the World Trade Organization's possible inclusion of education in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations.
Students worry that if GATS negotiations include education, this could seriously imperil public post-secondary institutions. If the WTO's "non-discriminatory†clause came into effect it could require governments to provide at least equal amounts of funding to private enterprises (universities) as is given to public entities, irrespective of tuition and housing rates that are levied at private institutions.
This would seriously undermine public post-secondary education around the world, especially in those countries with decent public systems.
While blocking any inclusion of education in WTO or Free Trade Area of the America negotiations is certainly a laudable objective, defenders of public post-secondary education need to broaden our analysis. Capitalist globalization harms public post-secondary education in a myriad of ways.
What is commonly termed "globalization†is actually the process of re-structuring the world economy in the interests of transnational corporations and international investors. It is being orchestrated through the ascendance of neo-liberal ideology.
Neo-liberalism can be summarized as free trade and investment, privatizations or commercialization and a reduction in social spending (corporate subsides seem to be okay). Basically, neo-liberalism is an attack against social entitlements through the championing of capitalist entitlements and the capitalist marketplace.
All of which harms public PSE.
Central to the process of corporate globalization are "free†trade agreements, which in a more honest world would be known as free investment agreements. Agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), WTO and the proposed FTAA, reduce governments' ability to fund social programs. These agreements give corporations and their wealthy shareholders increased power to demand lower taxes to "compete†with lower-taxed regions. This reduces governments' ability to tax corporations and their wealthy shareholders, thwarting the necessary redirection of this money toward social spending.
According to a Financial Times editorial, "since 1996 the average corporate tax rate across the 15 nations of the European Union has declined from 39 per cent to just under 31.7 per cent. The story is similar among the 30 industrialized countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, where the average tax rate has fallen from 37.5 to 30.8 per cent … The reason: Competition (FT May 2, 2003)â€
Governments have entered a race to attract businesses by driving down the rates at which they levy tax on companies. Similarly, there has been a reduction in personal income taxes, disproportionately to the benefit of the wealthy. These reductions are sometimes justified with references to ideology but proponents also often claim they attract corporations whose 'skilled' (high-paid employees) desire lower taxes.
While the business friendly FT may praise a reduction in corporate taxation, the benefits to those of us not connected to the corporate world are less evident. In fact, a reduced tax base usually leads to a decline in spending on important social services like university funding.
According to Statistics Canada, between 1990 and 2000, government money as a percentage of the Post-Secondary Education (PSE) budget dropped from 69 per cent to 55 per cent. In the U.S., "state aid to public universities has been falling, now accounting for just 25% of the budget at the University of Wisconsin, 13% at the University of Virginia and a bare 10% at the University of Michigan.†(April 18 2003, WSJ) Overall, "state aid accounted for 36% of university budgets nationwide in 2000, down from 46% in 1980.†(April 18 2003, WSJ).
The effects of a decline in funding are many, but most importantly, at least from a student's (and probably societal) perspective, is a reduction in accessibility through rising tuition. Between 1992 and 2002 Canadian undergraduate arts tuition increased by 135%, approximately six times inflation. Today, adjusted for inflation, tuition and incidental fees are at their highest recorded level ever, and more than six times what they were in 1914. Families in the bottom quintile of Canadian wealth, for example, would have had to put aside 14% of their after-tax income in 1990/91 to pay the costs of university tuition and fees, but by 1998/99 they would need to devote 23%.
American students have been subjected to a similar assault. "The American Association of State Colleges and Universities, projects that, on average, tuitions at state schools will increase about 12.5% for in-state undergraduates†in 2003/04 in addition to an already sizable increase of 9.6% in 2002/03 (WSJ June 4 2003). According to the Reno Gazette, "The percentage of family income required nationwide for tuition at public colleges and universities has doubled since 1980. The amount of family income that went to pay for tuition at four-year public institutions increased from an average 13 percent in 1980 to 25 percent in 2000.†In addition to increased tuition costs as a percentage of income, loans are dropping. "The average federal Pell Grant award given to financially strapped students going to a public four-year college or university covered 98 percent of tuition in 1986, but only 57 percent in 1999, the report said. State grant aid awards for both low-income and non-need-based students paid 75 percent of tuition in 1986 but only 64 percent in 1999. (Online Reno Gazette Journal 5/1/2002)
Basically, poor and working class children in North America are being told that unless they have terrific grades or that they are willing to incur huge debts, university is not for them. Around the world a similar pattern is developing.
It would be wrong to attribute reductions in government spending on public post-secondary education and tuition increases solely to reduced tax bases brought about by government's need to "compete†for investment. Aside from promoting trade and investment agreements that weaken government's ability to tax corporations, neo-liberal ideology opposes social spending (of course military and road spending doesn't seem to count).
At its core neo-liberalism is antagonistic to social entitlements, preferring capitalist entitlements. Neo-liberal ideologues oppose the concept of people's universal right to post-secondary education. Similarly, dominant discourse today is that the individual who benefits from education should pay for it. In this conception of society, post-secondary education has little social value. PSE is only about getting a better corporate job not learning for the sake of it or bettering society.
In addition, neo-liberalism claims that the private sector does a better job in providing services, post-secondary education included — privatization is central to neo-liberalism.
After tuition increases, the replacement of government funding with private "donations†is one of the most obvious ways by which universities recoup lost public moneys. While some donors are alumni who earnestly care about their alma mater, in the majority of cases this money is coming from corporations and others with their own agenda.
In Canada, around 20% of university financing now comes from private sources. U.S., public universities are even more reliant on private dollars. Some states are even considering completely eliminating state funding. Where this leads is clear. The Wall Street Journal reports that "about one-fourth of university-based medical researchers receive funding from drug companies, ties that sometimes distort study results according to a review done by two researchers with industry connections of their own.†(Jan 22 2003) Similarly, a recent report by a team of Canadian professors concluded that "drug firms compromise research.†The National Post says "the contracts researchers sign with pharmaceutical companies routinely prevent the scientists from disclosing drug risks to patients and the public.â€
Part of the rise of capitalist entitlement is the ubiquitous 'privatizing of the commons' which at universities has occurred through a change to patent law and shift of focus towards research for business interests. Since the Reagan administration implemented the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980 the process of privatizing publicly funded university research has expanded multifold. This bill allowed universities to patent and profit from inventions discovered with public money. Prior to 1980 research conducted at universities was owned by the U.S. government and was generally held in the public domain. With the Bayh-Dole Act, however, what had belonged to the public became private.
The effects of this change go beyond simply allowing universities to profit from research. It's part of a process of shaping universities in the interests of the private sector. The commercialization of research pushes universities to focus on private profit instead of the public good. It's also intertwined with an ideology that demands an increase in funding for research at the cost of other aspects of the university.
In 2000, universities were granted "3,273 patents; 269 were granted in 1979.†Moreover, in 2000, American "universities collected $1.1 billion in royalties from [the] 13,000 patents they hold.†(Boston Globe April 28, 2003) This increase in patent holdings is leading universities to spawn private corporations. According to the Wall Street Journal, "roughly two-thirds of the nation's academic institutions hold stock in start-up companies that sponsor research performed at the same institution.†(Jan 22, 2003 WSJ)
Canadian universities are also rapidly learning how to play the patent game. "In 2001, 27 Canadian universities generated $64.5 million US, an 82-per-cent increase [in patent royalties] over the previous year (Toronto Star May 22, 2003).†The perceived benefits of "commercializing†universities are such that "the recent federal budget pledged $225 million a year for more staff and services aimed at bringing research to market. (Toronto Star, April 10, 2003)†This, even though commercializing research will realistically only ever add a relatively small portion to university budgets. It does, however, suit capitalist ideology quite nicely: The private market is supreme. The Canadian government's strategy for universities is to direct funding towards what is in the interests of the capitalist market. That is why "the total amount of research funding to universities reached $3.2 billion in 2001 — up one-third from two years earlier (Ottawa Citizen April 10, 2003).
Outside of Canada and the U.S. a similar process is being pursued. In 1999, France passed the Allegre law, which, like the Bayh-Dole Act, will increase the patenting of university-based research. It seeks to "create innovative technology companies and transfer public sector-funded research to industry.†(Boston Globe) In other words, it emanates from the ideology that claims universities should operate as much as possible in the interests of capitalist enterprise.
In addition to the shift of academic focus towards research that is profitable and away from other socially useful venues, some "say patents stifle innovation by fostering secrecy among academic peers, instead of promoting an exchange of ideas.†(Boston Globe April 28, 2003) The Canadian Association of University Teachers explains that, "the commercialization of a product depends on patenting it. Patentability, in turn, depends on secrecy. Any public disclosure of a discovery derails the patent process and the new product's ultimate commercialization. From the market perspective, therefore, the tradition of open communication among scholars is a major threat.†(September 30, 1999)
Research done collaboratively is usually more efficient. After all, two or a hundred heads are better than one. The research accomplished in the aftermath of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) scare, exemplifies the effectiveness of open research. According to Dr. David Heymann, Executive Director, World Health Organization Communicable Diseases programs, "the pace of SARS research has been astounding. … Because of an extraordinary collaboration among laboratories from countries around the world, we now know with certainty what causes SARS (16 April 2003).†In fact, it took less than two weeks to find the virus responsible for SARS. As a result of the scare, research norms were pushed aside and scientists around the world collaborated openly. The World Health Organization in March of 2003 asked 11 laboratories from around the world to participate in a collaborative research project on SARS diagnosis.
Canadian researchers who knew each other only on a first name basis from a number of different institutes across the country worked at it together while in Singapore they created a SARS Clinical Consortium, comprised of 15 research institutes. Seth Shulman writing in Technology Review explains; "the success of a global research network in identifying the [SARS] pathogen is an example of the huge payoff that can result when researchers put aside visions of patents and glory for their individual laboratories and let their work behave more like, well, a virus. (August 2003)â€
Another result of money being moved to areas that are more conducive to innovation (i.e. private profit) is that students become increasingly neglected. Economically and ideologically, universities are increasingly becoming institutions of research directed towards endeavors beneficial to private interests. David Robinson of the Canadian Association of University Teachers claims that, "in the current climate, research is weighted far more highly than teaching is, and it creates a culture where professors are rewarded for bringing in research and corporate funding.†(Globe and Mail October 23, 2002) Students' ability to bring in "corporate funding†is limited. Thus, so is their value to both the academic community and governments.
The numbers corroborate David Robinson's fear. "In the decade ending in the 2000/2001 school year, the operating grants collected by universities for every full-time student dropped from $8,607 to $6,991 in constant year-2000 dollars. Over the same stretch of time, federal research grants rose by $455 million a year, to $1.51-billion.†(Globe and Mail October 23, 2002) Governments are choosing research funding over accessibility. American universities have pumped even greater sums into research simultaneous to increasing student costs. For example, while tuition costs are expected to increase by over 12% in 2003 the Dayton Business Journal reports that "universities and other non-profit organizations will increase R&D spending by about seven per cent to $18 billion.†(January 3, 2003)
So, to sum up, there are three major components to neo-liberal globalization's assault on public post-secondary education: (1) A reduction in government tax bases due to trade and investment agreements that increase the power of corporations and investors to demand lower taxes thereby reducing public spending on education; (2) Neo-liberal ideology's antagonism towards social entitlements, PSE included, and its advocacy of capitalist entitlements and marketplace; (3) The institutionalization of the process of privatization through making post-secondary education a commodity in WTO or FTAA agreements.
When we take to the streets in support of public post-secondary education on September 13 or in November while the FTAA ministers meet we should keep this in mind.
Yves engler is a member of the Concordia Student Union council and is currently working on a book about student activism at Concordia. This article was adapted from a chapter in the book. He can be reached at [email protected]


text: A routine traffic stop in Sinton Tuesday morning led to the discovery of 14 illegal immigrants.When U.S. Border Patrol agents pulled over a cargo truck Tuesday morning, the driver and two passengers fled on foot. The back of the truck was opened and 14 illegal immigrants were found, 12 from Mexico and two from El Salvador.Agents said the back of the truck was unventilated, and many of the immigrants needed medical attention. They are now in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol.


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The fingers of the rain are tapping again.
I send out my heart's drum.
Blood stripe on the feathered tulip dissolves into
All night a low thrumming.
Up, up the two-toned hosta
green from sopped earth.
Along your bruised ribs, cream bells.
Jul 28, 2014 - Implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery colorectal program is feasible in a community hospital setting and significantly improves outcomes, according to a study published online July 23 in JAMA Surgery.
Sep 3, 2014


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The Utility Workers Union of America wants West Virginia American Water Company to put more emphasis on shoring up its distribution system.
In a letter issued Thursday, Jan. 23, to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, UWUA voiced concern that some of the chemicals spilled into the Elk River Jan. 9 from a Freedom Industries storage tank could have leached into the ground through WVAWC's leaky pipes.
"We do not know – and take no position on – whether any deficiencies in American Water's infrastructure contributed to this water crisis," UWUA President D. Michael Langford wrote. "Our purpose in writing is not to point fingers, but to focus on the future.
"Toward that end, we urge the (PSC) and other agencies charged with investigating this situation and crafting going-forward recommendations to consider how best to address any deficiencies they find in American Water's physical and human infrastructure."
A storage tank at Freedom Industries Etowah Terminal in Charleston ruptured Jan. 9, spilling thousands of gallons of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol into the Elk River, contaminating the water supply for WVAWC customers in a nine-county area. More than a week after the spill, Freedom Industries told officials some PPH, a hydrophobic glycol ether, also was mixed in with the MCHM and released.
UWUA Local 537 represents workers in Huntington "and has for several years participated actively in (proceedings) involving American Water," Langford said. "The local has testified from first-hand experience about the need for substantial upgrades to American Water's infrastructure and the impact of continuing manpower shortages on the ability of the workforce to operate and maintain aging mains and other facilities."
"We are not alone in voicing such concerns," he continued. "The commission itself expressed frustration in late 2011 over American Water's emphasis on investing in new accounting software rather than on distribution system upgrades, and noted in an order issued as part of a general investigation of the company that 'neglecting distribution system infrastructure spending over time is shortsighted and not in the best interests of WVAWC or its customers.'"
Langford noted that in a review of WVAWC's quarterly metrics report for the third quarter 2013, the PSC's engineering division highlighted concerns about the system's leaky pipes and notes that its "unaccounted for" water was well above the commission's acceptable figure of 15 percent, including a 12-month rolling period of 37.57 percent for the Kanawha Valley District in both May and June of 2013.
"The staff went on to express concerns about the number of leak repairs and the failure to meet valve inspection targets," he added. "The data highlighted by the staff were prepared by American Water, Moreover, in identifying 'resource' concerns, the staff pointed out that American Water's staffing levels were below commission-approved numbers."
Langford said that "excessively high" leak rate in WVAWC's distribution system raises concern that "a significant amount of the contaminated water pumped through the system will have leaked into the ground. The UWUA does not know whether this presents a public health concern, but believes that the matter warrants investigation."
He also alluded to reports that Freedom Industries believes a leaky water pipe near its storage site may have contributed to the tank's rupture, saying UWUA doesn't know and takes no position on whether deficiencies in American Water's infrastructure contributed to the water crisis.
"Our purpose in writing is not to point fingers, but to focus on the future," he wrote. "Toward that end, we urge the commission and other agencies charged with investigating this situation and crafting going-forward recommendations to consider how best to address any deficiencies they find in American Water's physical and human infrastructure."


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The City of South Pittsburg, located in Marion County, has hit hard times financially.
State officials have ordered it to pay back a debt caused by the previous administration, and that's on top of money problems caused by the historic flash flooding that ravaged the town in July.
Tennessee's Comptroller Office has ordered South Pittsburg to pay around $800,000 back to the utility company, as a result of the previous administration transferring money meant for the utility company's road repair fund, to the city's general fund.
"I'm not going to let this town, and my board is not going to let this town go bankrupt," Mayor Jane Dawkins said.
The saying "when it rains it pours," is hitting home for the city of South Pittsburg. This summer started with the state comptroller's office ordering the city to pay back $802,890 in funds the previous administration illegally transferred.
"Then came the flood," Mayor Dawkins said.
Record breaking flash floods in July left a long list of costly repairs behind, to things like roads, city vehicles and streams.
"We're just in a situation where all these things came up that we've got to pay this money back and our revenue stream was not enough to meet our obligations," City Administrator Sammy Burrows said.
Grants will help with flood repairs, but they all require matches, meaning the city needs to put up about half a million dollars to get the ones they've been awarded.. money that's clearly not in the budget. The state wants the city to pay back that $802,890 within five years.
"That's where the comptroller came in on the illegal transfer of that money, so we've got to pay it back to the utility company," Burrows said.
To make that happen, commissioners voted to nearly double the property tax $0.99 per $100 of assessed property value. For the average $85,000 home in South Pittsburg, that means about a $100 dollars more a year. The bill comes next month. Many residents aren't happy about it.
"That's a little steep and it will be for most of the people in this area. It's not a rich town," resident Raymond Sisco said.
"It's a blow but it's going to be necessary given our financial status that we inherited," Mayor Dawkins said.
Former South Pittsburg Mayor Mike Killian pleaded guilty in federal court a few days ago to charges of illegal gambling out of his personal businesses, during the same time he was mayor.
Mayor Dawkins stresses there's no evidence he stole or misused the city's funds, instead says he spent money on city needs, but that was not allowed to be used in that way.
She says she's trying to boost morale around town by promoting community togetherness through several upcoming events.


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text:
Home duty beckons again for York City sentinel McGurk (From York Press)
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Home duty beckons again for York City centre-back David McGurk
12:00pm Friday 23rd November 2012 in Sport By Steve Carroll, Sports reporter
GARY MILLS may throw centre-back David McGurk into the starting line up for the first time in almost a year when York City entertain Torquay in League Two tomorrow.
The 30-year-old hasn't played since limping out of the Minstermen's 2-2 draw with Mansfield Town in the Blue Square Premier on New Year's Day – having suffered calf and knee injuries along with a throat problem.
But with Chris Smith having been laid low by a virus, the former Darlington defender, who has spent recent matches on the bench, may get a chance to press his claims for a shirt should the skipper not recover in time to lead out York against the Gulls at Bootham Crescent.
Mills said he wouldn't have any qualms about fielding McGurk, nicknamed TY, although with Scott Kerr back having served a one-match ban for being sent off in the FA Cup first-round replay at AFC Wimbledon, the City chief has a number of options.
Daniel Parslow could drop back from the anchoring midfield berth he occupied at Port Vale into his favourite position, while other possibles include both Jamal Fyfield and Lanre Oyebanjo partnering Chris Doig.
"No, he won't go out," said Mills when asked if a loan move was still planned for McGurk following the sudden departure of Clarke Carlisle to Northampton earlier this week.
"I am disappointed that he didn't go out a few weeks ago to get half a dozen games under his belt and for his fitness. That hasn't happened.
"Chris Smith hasn't trained. He has gone down with a virus. Things happens and he (McGurk) might just be thrown in on Saturday if Smudger is not available. He needs match fitness. If Chris Smith is still ill on Saturday then my options are Dan Parslow dropping back there or TY. They are the obvious ones.
"Lanre (Oyebanjo) can play there. He played most of his games for Histon there. But certainly, TY has got to start playing sooner or later.
"It is a test for him. He had the opportunity to go out and play a couple of leagues lower and get a bit fitter and didn't take that. Maybe now he wishes he did."
Mills drew a line under the Carlisle affair – arguing York were still well served with defenders – and he decided not to bolster his squad ahead of the closure of the loan window last night.
"I made a couple of inquiries," Mills added. "There were a couple of players that, if I could have brought them in, I would have liked to. They are too close to their first team. I just don't want to bring in, and I have said this before, just anyone for the sake of it.
"It has got to be someone better than what I have got. I have tried a couple knowing that maybe I was going to get knocked back – and that's what happened."
Lee Bullock's loan period with Gateshead is due to expire tomorrow and Mills added he would speak with Heed boss Ian Bogie to discuss the future for the former Bradford player. "It's a little bit different because he is there on loan already so we don't have to make a decision until after Saturday.
"I'll be speaking with Ian Bogie over the next 24 hours. I get on great with Ian and we will see what's going to happen with that."
Comments (8)
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12:35pm Fri 23 Nov 12
OLD - HEAD says...
2:08pm Fri 23 Nov 12
rogue84 says...
it will be a great moment when TY makes an appearance as a league player for City as he's deserved it, but I would agree with OH above and say Parslow is a definate first choice for tomorrow alongside Doig.
3:39pm Fri 23 Nov 12
bartsimmo says...
4:16pm Fri 23 Nov 12
TerryYork says...
7:33pm Fri 23 Nov 12
Even AndyD says...
Cannot have it both ways Mr Mills.
8:41pm Fri 23 Nov 12
joejamestom says...
11:49pm Fri 23 Nov 12
YO1 says...
Kerr, Kearns, Banjo in midfield. Walker, Rodman, Blair or Reed in front three. Trust Gary Mills, he will get it right.
9:34am Sat 24 Nov 12
RooBeck says...
Comments are closed on this article.