Generation parallels/ Lupin's personality (WAS Re: Lupin as next Headmaster)

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 78636

 "jwcpgh" <jwcpgh at y...> wrote:
> > The alternative is that Remus would allow Harry to be put at risk 
> in 
> > order to save his own reputation, and that's too harsh for me.  
> 
"marinafrants" <rusalka at i...> wrote:

> I don't think it's his reputation he was trying to safeguard, but 
> the bond of friendship and trust he had with Dumbledore.  
Dumbledore 
> put a great deal of faith in Remus, both when he accepted him as a 
> student and when he took him on as a teacher.  Remus has spent his 
> adult life alone, ostracized and mistrusted.  I can totally 
> understand his inability to do anything that might jeopardize his 
to 
> a man he regards as a friend and mentor.
> 
> Does this make him "morally deficient"?  That's a really loaded 
> term, just like "cowardly" and "manipulative."  They all make it 
> sound like I'm being much harsher on Remus than I really am.  He 
has 
> done a number of things wrong, all due to a persistent weakness in 
> his character which he recognizes and regrets, but seems unable to 
> overcome.  Despite this weakness, I do believe he's a decent and 
> compassionate man.  Remarkably so, given the life he's lived.  But 
> this doesn't absolve him of the responsibility to try and overcome 
> his weakness.  It's not enough to feel bad when you've done 
> something wrong.  You have to learn to refrain from doing it over 
> and over.

Laura:

Then would you (or anyone else reading this post) say that in OoP 
Remus is showing signs of being able to defeat this behavior?  He has 
no reluctance to tell Sirius when he's out of line.  I got the 
feeling that despite everything, DD still relies on Remus to act as 
de facto leader of the Order in DD's absence.  So if indeed DD felt 
disappointed in the fact that Remus kept secrets from him, they seem 
to have resolved any tension that resulted between them.  I'd also 
argue, in Remus's favor, that although in PoA he still hasn't brought 
himself to be completely forthright with DD (perhaps for Sirius's 
sake, which would mitigate the situation imo), he definitely seems to 
have realized that he acted wrongly toward Snape.  His polite, even 
deferential behavior toward SS suggests that.  Snape learned in PoA 
that Remus had nothing to do with the prank, but he chose to take his 
fury about Sirius's escape out on Remus anyhow.  Yet in OoP, Remus 
doesn't show any lingering resentment toward Snape for costing him 
his job.  Now whether Snape will ever acknowledge Remus's efforts at 
repentance is another question, but Remus does seem to be doing what 
he can in that area.