Werewolf of London? Paris? Where?

[Maria]

No: HPFGUIDX 37313




--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "southernscotland" 
<southernscotland at y...> wrote:
> This just struck me on the re-reading of the books:
> 
> Where was Remus during the time that Harry was with the Dursleys? 
Why 
> did he never attempt to contact him, or if he did, why did 
Dumbledore 
> not allow him to do so?

And Mercia answered:

<Good question. One possiblility might be that Dumbledore is well 
aware of how anti-wizarding world the Durlseys are. It seems vital 
that Harry is left in their care (that ancient protective magic 
thing) so presumably Dumbledore accepts that this will mean Harry 
will be unable to have any contact with wizarding folk except in 
very obscure or hidden ways such as Mrs Figg and being smiled at by 
Dedelus Diggle. I doubt Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would have 
taken kindly to anyone turning up on their doorstep claiming to be a 
friend of that good for nothing James Potter and wanting to build a 
relationship with Harry. 
> 
> Also, in Book 3, why didn't he tell Harry right up front who he 
was? 
> Like, "I was in a very tight group of friends at Hogwarts, which 
> included your father. Unfortunately, I'm the only one still around 
> here. I'm so sorry he's dead, come here and I'll tell you all 
about 
> him and your mom." 
> 
> And should Harry be mad about this omission?

I think Remus is sort of building up to tell Harry stuff in PoA but 
it is part of his nature to do it slowly and gently. He is reticient 
and perhaps a bit embarrassed about showing feeling - a very English 
reserve there I feel compounded by the secret he has had to hide for 
most of his life. It would make it very hard for him to trust peopel 
and let others into the very centre of his life. Think of his 
reaction when Harry tells him about hearing Lilly and James when 
around the Dementor. I haven't got the text to hand but it says 
something like Lupin made as if to reach out to put an arm round 
Harry and then thought better of it. He would be concerned I think 
not to trade on Harry's feelings about his father and would rather 
build up a relationship with him in his own right before telling him 
how well he knew James. As people have pointed out before Harry 
seems slow to question the people who would have known his parents 
about them. He has a lot of information to handle from age 11 and it 
would take time to assimiliate it all. We are led to believe that 
book 5 will see Harry discovering more and more about his family. Of 
course it is also a very effective plot device allowing JKR to drip 
feed us the readers with as much or as little information as she 
wants at any particular point which I think is the main reason we 
don't get to meet Remus til book 3.>

I think it might have to do with the fact that Lupin is a werewolf.
Part of the story of the friendship between Lupin and James and the
others has to do with that, and perhaps he is trying to avoid any
chances of the topic being revealed, any questions that may arise.

And regarding why he didn't take care of Harry, or visit him while he
was not transformed: we know he is poor because he is not given many
chances, being a werewolf, so he is poor, has to wander around
looking for jobs, etc. He is not in the best of situations to go and
meet his friend's son. Besides, it would also involve in a way the
posibility of having to reveal he is a werewolf ("Where were you on
my 8th birthday, uncle Remus?", "Sorry, Harry, i was transforming and
was extremely dangerous"). 

Maria



=====
Maryblue
----------------------------------------------------------
"Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling
in love" - Eistein

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