[HPforGrownups] Re: Did Lupin do it? (was Tactics & Prescience)

[yellows at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 76436

In a message dated 8/10/2003 12:04:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time, KathyK writes:

<<Ooh,ooh, I just thought of something!  Probably others have thought this, but I don't remember seeing anything (of course that doesn't mean I didn't see it, just that I don't remember).  Okay, what if Remus "the thinker who has to keep his emotions in check at all times" was the one who caused Sirius to die?  I think Talisman mentioned in Message #66983 that the second jet of light, the one that hit Sirius, comes from a point of unknown origin.  Reading OoP, it gives the impression that Bellatrix hit him with the light, but it does not say specifically.  What if Remus is the one who hit Sirius with a spell, causing him to fall through the veil (or allowing Dumbledore to float him to it)? I can see Dumbledore being able to reason with Lupin in this matter.  He would understand Dumbledore's reasoning.  He could see that Sirius  is in the way.  Okay, so maybe that seems quite callous that Lupin could kill his good friend, but for Harry and for the greater good, I think he could be swayed.  But then maybe he couldn't do it when it came down to it.  What if he was supposed to hit Sirius with the killing curse, but instead only stunned him?  Dumbledore sees that Sirius isn't dead and floats him beyond the veil.  When Harry wants to go after Dumbledore, Lupin has this understated 
grief.  Because he's lost his friend?  Oh, sure, but maybe it's because he knows he just contributed to his friends death?  Or maybe Dumbledore killed Sirius on his own but Lupin had an inkling of what was to come?>>

I think you've hit it! (but what it is, I have no idea <g>) 

Sirius just doesn't have the personality to accept something like this. I think he'd die for Harry if the time came, but not *plan to die* for Harry ahead of time.

Now, Lupin is another story. Lupin is practical and does follow reason to the best of his ability.

I've looked back at the page where ... *sniff* ... and, yes, I see the jet of light coming from an unknown, but implied, source. I can see that it could easily be someone else's jet of light. I don't know where Lupin is facing at the time, but it seems as though DD is NOT facing the veil. 

In my hardback, US version, page 805: The final jet hits Sirius "squarely on the chest." Sirius' eyes "widened in shock."

This, of course, could be shock that he's going to die. But many of us seem to agree that it's not the jet of light that kills him, but crossing through the veil. If he hasn't crossed the veil at that point, why would he look shocked? But if someone who shouldn't be shooting at him has just delivered a blow, that *would* be shocking. Even more shocking to Sirius would be the feeling that he's being pushed backward into the deadly veil against his will. 

After the jet hits him and he's shocked, Harry drops Neville and "He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore turned to the dais too." (page 806)

DD was not, as far as we can tell, facing Sirius, and therefore, I think not a candidate for the one who sent the final jet of light. 

Then, of course, there's the mingled fear and surprise on Siruis' face two paragraphs down. 

And Lupin seems to accept that he's dead right away. This could be read as Lupin's practical side taking over, but it could also be read that he knew it would happen ahead of time and had already been grieving long before the Department of Mysteries.

Now, Bellatrix screams in triumph when Sirius passes through the veil, but she never says anything about having killed him. She taunts Harry with, "Aaaaaah... did you *love* him, little baby Potter?" (page 810 US Hardback) But she never brags about killing Sirius. 

Okay, I'm officially going to accept that Lupin *may* have had something to do with Sirius' death.  :)  But I need some more convincing. Who wants to analyze DD's and Lupin's behaviors both before and after the death? JKR usually presents us with a number of clues. Other than the surprise and the jet of light from nowhere, what do we have to work with?

Brief Chronicles