All things Lupin

[Elizabeth Dalton]

No: HPFGUIDX 31570

Chip Olson asked:

> > What I want to know is why Lupin's briefcase has "Professor
> > R.J. Lupin" stenciled on it in peeling gold letters, when he
> > (presumably) wasn't a professor until he got the Hogwarts gig
> > (remember he'd been unabe to find paid work before then).

Good question, and one that had always kind of nagged at me, as well.

Heathernmoor has a nice theory about Lupin working as a tutor before, which I
think is most plausible given his manner with the students. I'm a professional
instructor, and I find nothing to fault in his actions-- he's got the job down
pat. But I do really like Pippin's idea that Lupin had a relative who inspired
him in teaching (whether Muggle or not), from whom he inherited that case. And I
agree with Heathernmoor when she pointed out that "It would seem that wizards
just Don't Use Magic That Way [to repair shabby items], for some unfathomable
reason." They'll fix glasses with magic, but not a fireproof balaclava, for
example. Otherwise the Weasleys would be a lot less shabby, probably. Though
they don't seem obsessed by appearances the way some are. :)

Regarding why the kids didn't notice Lupin on the Express when they were storing
their luggage, my theories are (and I'm assuming he was really awake through all
this):

1 - Like Dumbledore, he doesn't need a cloak to be invisible (we don't KNOW that
Dumbledore is talking about being an animagus on that occasion)

or (my favorite)

2 - He's the kind of guy it's easy to overlook if he's not interested in being
noticed.

Some time back, I read Sherri S. Tepper's "True Game" stories, in which one
character, Jinian, learns to be invisible not by magic, but by behavior, by
doing only what is expected in such an inconspicuous way that no one sees her. I
was amazed to find a description in print of something I'd been doing for years.
I well remember as a teen having a group of friends searching a house playing
hide-and-seek, while I sat in plain sight (admittedly in somewhat dim light),
watching them look for me. It was not the only such occasion. My young adult
years were not especially pleasant, and it was useful to be able to avoid notice
at will. I am still able to do this as an adult (and prone to do it
automatically, in times of stress).

Lupin has had a need not to be noticed for years. He faces some of the harshest
prejudice in the highly prejudiced wizard community, without being outright
banished (as the Giants were). If anyone would be motivated to learn this kind
of "invisibility," it would be he. I can easily imagine him being an unseen
observer through much of his life.

In this case, he may have been being hard to see until he recognized Harry (at
least), and knew this batch of kids wasn't likely to give him trouble (based on
Dumbledore's descriptions). Then he may very well have taken a nap. Certainly he
didn't seem to want to interfere with the kids, until the Dementors arrived.

I'm not, btw, saying that Rowling or the books are racist-- far from it. Like
other members here, I think Rowling uses the books to attack racism and
prejudice, precisely by showing characters like Lupin and Hermione dealing with
the problems.

Elizabeth
(who was only kidding about Flitwick being "cute", Cornflower, and would
probably most easily befriend Lupin, of the lot, but doesn't form romantic
attachments with fictional characters. Or even most non-fictional characters.
That being said, Lupin really does need someone to remind him to take his
potions on time. ;)