As I said in this question, time turners are very simple: just turn the hourglass, and poof! You're back in time. But does it require magic? Could a Muggle do this?



The entry on pottermore regarding time-turners states that the charm needs to be worn around the neck of a witch or wizard. While this doesn't preclude their use by other beings (magical or otherwise), it certainly isn't the most inclusive of statements either.

"As our investigations currently stand, the longest period that may be relived without the possibility of serious harm to the traveller or to time itself is around five hours. We have been able to encase single Hour-Reversal Charms, which are unstable and benefit from containment, in small, enchanted hour-glasses that may be worn around a witch or wizard's neck and revolved according to the number of hours the user wishes to relive."


Like wand-use and potion-making, there appears to be a hidden magical component in the use of magical objects. A mere muggle would likely struggle to get the time-turner to do anything.

  • 1
    It might say that because they expect that only magical people will use them. It doesn't mean that they're the only ones who can. – Mithrandir Feb 25 '16 at 19:04
  • @Mithrandir - I'm reasonably sure that I said that :-) – Valorum Feb 25 '16 at 19:06
  • Filch uses a magical cleaner and he's a squib. Maybe it varies by item. Plug: VTRO pls – Slacklord the Terrible Feb 25 '16 at 20:14
  • @Axelrod - 1) He's a squib which would probably give him some magical advantage 2) The cleaner may well have been specifically designed to be used by squibs since their career options seem decidedly limited. – Valorum Feb 25 '16 at 20:26

I have no canon answer, but I think that a Muggle could use it. A Time Turner is an object which can transport you back and forth in time, and it has magic on its own.

The way I see it,it is similar to a Portkey, which can transport you back and forth in space and can be (even accidentally) used by a Muggle, as we can read on Pottermore (see http://pottermore.wikia.com/wiki/Portkeys and https://scifi.stackexchange.com/a/106433/60559). Now, I don't know if time-travelling and space-travelling are very different from the magical standpoint, but it seems to me that, if a Muggle can use a Portkey, he/she can also use a Time-Turner.

In addition to that, we know that Squibs - and probably even Muggles - can enter the Room of Requirement(Could a Muggle Access the Room of Requirement?), which is another object possessing magical properties of its own.

  • I like the idea that if a Muggle can use a Portkey then why not a Time Turner, because before that I'd have said you were wrong. Interesting. My only remaining doubt is that I feel a Portkey perhaps does the spell to you (it is quite trap-like even when used normally) whereas a Time Turner does have its own magic, but the user could be said to be activating it/more in control. So it may require more magical ability. – ThruGog Feb 27 '16 at 13:06

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