Lupin on the train (was Re: conjuring things - Remus)

[Rosmerta]

No: HPFGUIDX 18873

I apologize for joining the train discussion so late, but the "he was 
there for a reason" reasoning just raised my eyebrows so much I had 
to respond. 

Catlady summed up that school of thought most specifically: 

> After enough re-readings, I suddenly realised that Dumbledore had 
asked > Remus to ride the Hogwarts Express and guard Harry from the 
Dementors. > Remus found out somehow that Harry was travelling with 
the Weasleys who > are always late, so he could be sure that if he 
got in the last> carriage, by the time that the Weasley party 
arrived, that would be the> closest to empty of the carriages, which 
they would take, and he could> pretend to be asleep the whole time to 
avoid embarrassing them by having> an adult to babysit them.

But this to me seems to be an enormous number of coincidences that 
needed to occur before Remus, the trio, the dementors would all be in 
once place. And as Catlady herself as so eloquently pointed out in 
recent posts, Dumbledore's prescience isn't all it's cooked up to be. 
Is it like him to micro-manage an event that may or may not happen?  
Further, if Harry's welfare were Lupin's reason for being on the 
train, why fake sleep and say nothing till the attack is at hand 
rather than warn him in advance? And what protection did Lupin 
actually offer, anyway, since Harry still had a fit and blacked out? 
He had chocolate, yes, but so does the witch with the little snacks 
cart....

It seems to me much more likely that Lupin's poverty and potentially 
diminished powers are the reasons he's on the train. It seems clear 
that he's just come off a full moon, and we're told elsewhere how 
difficult it is to apparate--does it makes sense that Lupin can't do 
that kind of complicated magic so soon after a transformation (and 
yes, we know about the Hogwarts-apparation rule; I personally picture 
people apparating to Hogsmeade, hiting the local cafe, and walking up 
the hill to Hogwarts with a tall latte iced in hand.) Note also that 
Lupin leaves Hogwarts not by apparating or flying but by magical 
carriage (courtsey of his recently former employer)--just after 
another transformation which again diminished his powers?  

Also, I'm sure this has been discussed before, but can people 
apparate with things in tow? Like a grindylow tank? Lupin has one 
battered case for his inbound journey, but I'm sure the other 
teachers arrive with a full complement of books, robes, geegaws and 
pictures of their loved ones; that stuff seems to indicate magical 
carriage-type transportation rather than broomstick or apparating. Or 
perhaps they have a cadre of house elves to tote their stuff before 
or after their own arrival? In any case, any of those options are out 
of Lupin's range moneywise. Hence the train. 

It's kind of like seeing a teacher ride the yellow bus to school. 

What does anyone else think?  

~Rosmerta