Lupin's silence - What to call him - Chess flint

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 19272

Rosmerta wrote:

>First of all, *doesn't* Lupin say something netural like "oh really?"
>(sorry, don't have my book here). 

Kristin answered this, but here's the rest & my 2 Knuts.

  "Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," he blurted 
out.
  "Really?" said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took 
another gulp of potion.
  "Some people reckon--" Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, 
"some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense against the 
Dark Arts job."
  Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face.
  "Disgusting," he said.  "Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work.  
I'll see you at the feast later."  (PA 8)

Rosmerta continued:

>Either way, I think his non-
>reaction is brought on by two desires,

>1) professionalism. 

<snip>

>2) He seems intent in this scene and other one-on-one-with-Harry
>scenes to tell him as little as possible about his own life and his
>intimate involvement with Harry's father and friends and enemy (i.e.,
>Snape). So his response would also be neutral to avoid having to
>indicate that he knows anything at all about Snape.

I agree (esp. with #1), and also wonder what we think Lupin ought to 
say.  Harry is basically saying, "Don't drink that--Snape wants your 
job badly enough to poison you," and Lupin knows that's what he's 
saying, but is also certain that Snape wouldn't try to kill him (at 
least not in front of a witness <g>).  In answer to Sara's original 
question, yes, I think it's foolish for Harry to think otherwise & by 
extension, foolish of him to say anything about it to Lupin.  For 
Lupin to respond "Are you accusing Professor Snape of trying to kill 
me?" would make Harry really feel foolish, wouldn't it?  More or less 
ignoring Harry's warning, and quietly proving it wrong by drinking the 
potion and failing to drop dead, seems the tactful way to respond.

Rosmerta wrote:

>"why people on this list refer to Sirius as Sirius but Lupin as 
Lupin"

I for one tend that way because that's how they're referred to most 
often in the books.  I.e. I call them what Harry calls them.

As for when Lupin returns, I think Harry will keep calling him 
Professor Lupin unless Lupin urges him to do otherwise.  Then the 
usual awkwardness that comes with such switches will ensue until he 
gets used to it.  Lupin's not =that= reserved, IMO.  He's not as 
emotionally forthcoming as Sirius (e.g. we haven't seen him cry), but 
I think the basic issue is that Sirius is Sirius because he's family, 
and Lupin is Lupin because he's a professor.

Susan Hall wrote:

>If there was only one legal move that the knight could make at that 
point,
>and the chess board obeyed the ordinary rule that one a player has 
touched a
>piece they have to move it, even if they suddenly realise that they 
have
>made a mistake, the queen would be legally entitled to take Ron the 
instant
>he moved, though it is better etiquette (and psychology) to wait till 
the
>piece actually lands on the disputed square.

Ah!  But given the particular circumstances, wherein the queen doesn't 
just politely edge Ron off the board but clubs him over the head, 
etiquette is nil and psychology is the psychology of terror and 
intimidation.  So it all fits very well: with chess rules, with the 
personalities of wizard chess, and with the intimidation McGonagall 
is trying to convey.

Jo, I think you may have committed a Flint with this one, but creative 
thinkers are saving your bacon.

A couple of "me too" things:

Envy and thanks to CMC for managing to sneak in one of my favorite Tom 
Lehrer bits while remaining on topic.  I like the Trinity idea too 
(though do we have to have yet another all-male trinity?  Whatever 
happened to the Holy Spirit as female?).

Pippin wrote:

>I have stated in earlier posts my theory that the Mirror is itself a 
trap. If Voldemort had dared to look in it
>himself, would he not have seen himself achieving immortality, and so
>been trapped in front of it forever?

I'm glad you said it again, 'cause it's brilliant and you must 
have posted it before my time. 

Amy Z

P.S.  Happy belated birthday, Monika!

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   "What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia.  Her lips tightened
 as they always did if he dared to ask a question.
   "Your new school uniform," she said.
   Harry looked in the bowl again.
   "Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."
                           -HP and the Philosopher's Stone 
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