Werewolves/ Lupin etc.

[mitchbailey82]

No: HPFGUIDX 43907

Hi
I've been reading POA for the ? time again (I've lost count!) and 
I've got a couple of questions (oh dear!): 
First Question:

Werewolves:
Lupin has gone prematurely grey; it also seems to take a lot out of
him when he changes into a wolf. 

Examples: 
After Snape has filled in for him for DADA it is clearly stated that 
he looks like he's been ill.
Also on the train when we first see him he looks ill, though it could 
be down to poor diet etc. I've always presumed that there must have 
been a full moon near to the time he was due to start at Hogwarts. 

Also wolfsbane - also known as monkshood and aconite (PS ;-)) is
poisonous and it makes sense due to it's namesake that wolfsbane 
potion contains some wolfsbane, therefore I would presume that 
wolfsbane potion is (even if it's only mildly) poisonous. 

So put this all together:
- Prematurely grey 
-looks extremely ill after full moon
-wolfsbane potion could be mildly poisonous.

I was wondering (I've got there in the end!!) if being a werewolf 
reduces your life expectancy (sorry if its in FB but I haven't got a 
copy - I must invest in one...) 

OK Second question:

Does anyone else get the feeling that Lupin is older than James,  
Sirius, Peter and the rest of the students in his year?  I only say 
this because of the line in POA when there in the
shrieking shake and Lupin says:
"But then Dumbledore became headmaster ... he said that as long as 
we took certain precautions..."
Its the BUT THEN that I'm interested in - it sounds to me that when
Lupin came of age to go to Hogwarts that Dumbledore wasn't headmaster 
and so he wasn't allowed to go to Hogwarts BUT THEN Dumbledore became
headmaster and he was allowed to go. 
I've got a feeling that Lupin is 1 maybe 2 (not more than 2 otherwise 
all the other students in his year would figure it out due to height 
difference etc.) years older than James, Peter, Sirius etc. I just 
get the feeling that he wasn't 11 when he started at Hogwarts - I 
might be wrong but... I'm not happy with that line in the book I 
think we are supposed to read more into it?

Oh well I've gone on for long enough :-)

Michelle