Lupin's lesson plans and transformations + JKR's humour

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 34532

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Muridae <muridae at m...> wrote:

Pippin wrote:
>He doesn't leave a lesson plan for his sub though he knows he'll be
>absent.

The way I see it, Lupin's too responsible (when not thinking under 
stress conditions as in the pre-shack scene) to forget something as 
important as that. He probably DID have a lesson plan (not just for 
full-moon, but for the entire year). Why didn't Snape use it? The 
answer is pretty simple (sorry to Snape-filies, but it IS on 
character): Snape WILL NOT use the lesson plans of anyone else but 
himself, much less a werewolf's plan, and even less the plan of a 
childhood enemy. Since Lupin probably didn't leave explicit 
instructions in case he got really sick (you could still ask him during 
day time, even in full moon, see below), Snape was free to supose that 
there were NO plans and so, he could carry out the pitiful vengeance on 
Lupin by trying to get his students to realise he's a werewolf.

Muridae said:
<snip introduction>
> His absence comes as a complete surprise to the kids, which 
> implies that it's likely something that's not happened before. And it 
> takes place in *November*, which means that Lupin's managed to
> struggle through two full moons already.
<snip further proof>

> It could well be that the side effects of taking the potion are variable in their intensity, and that while it laid him out for several days on those two occasions, most months he just felt a little queasy or groggy but was able to carry on with his normal routine enough to keep up public appearances.

As much as I prefer my own theory for Lupin's lesson plan (see above), 
I must admit I'm going to shamelessly steal this theory for my own, 
since it fits perfectly the old discussion of whether Lupin 
un-transforms during the day or stays in the wolf-form during the 
entire full moon. The evidence Muridae has found in the canon means 
that he's able to give lessons during most of the full moons, which 
implies he's human during day-time. The problem still unresolved, 
however, it's the full extent of the potion he takes. I suposse that it 
"tames" the werewolf during the nights, in exchange with a general 
sickness, and in some cases extreme sickeness which leads to being 
unable to teach. However, other views are welcomed (as always).

Amy Z asked:
And I'd love to know where you'd categorize the sorts of verbal humor 
in which JKR is very adept; they usually get classified as some kind of 
irony, e.g. "Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by turning 
into a large canary" (that's physical humor, but it's the "slight 
diversion" phrasing that makes me LOL) and "Professor Trelawney kept 
predicting Harry's death, which he found extremely annoying."

It's called "understatement" and is one of my favourites forms of 
humour when it's well done (which is one of the reasons I like D. 
Eddings: "Alorns took a childly's delight in understatement", as in 
	"If Torak learns to use the Orb of Aldur,
	he'll conquer the world", said Belgarath.
	"And we wouldn't like that", said Riva
			Somewhere in Belgarath the Sorcerer, I hope)

I believe it's a form of irony (although I'm not, by any rate, 
knowledged in humour) based on deliberately stealing the importance of 
a situation with a phrase. In stressful circunstances it's very 
welcomed, since it makes you laugh at the situation itself, thus 
managing to calm your nerves (believe me, I know, I'm in exams, and one 
of my friends is a master at understatement).

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf
(He who hopes his opinions have not been said by other members in posts 
he's not had the time to read lately, thus embarrasing him when he's 
faced with the acusation "X said that two days ago!")