Evil!lupin: a rebuttal (was Dobby/ bigotry & choices /Evil!Lily & Evil!Lupin (Was: foreshadowings in CoS)

[Jonathan Pessin]

No: HPFGUIDX 53379

Nobody's Rib wrote:

Just as the WW automatically dislikes Lupin 
for his werewolf status, the readers tend to like him for the same 
reason.  (Isn't it always easy to take sides with the person who is 
the target of bigotry and prejudice?)  But to trust someone because 
they are the victim of prejudice is just as dangerous as not trusting 
someone for the same reason - because the evidence forming both these 
stances comes from the *prejudice* rather than the *person*, the 
*rumors* rather than the *facts*, and completely discounts the 
*choices* the person has made.  

I respond:  

Well, lets look at the choices he has made. So far,  Lupin has made the
difficult decision to return Hogwarts to teach, even though the place is
surely rife with both good and bad memories for him.  He has sworn to
protect Harry Potter and the rest of the school from one of his former
best friends (I know that this isn't directly stated in canon, but I'm
certain that this is at least part of the reason Dumbledore asks him to
teach, and at least part of the reason he accepts.  His knowledge of
Sirius Black would have been a great asset if Black were truly after
Harry.).  He has done his best to resist sniping at snape throughout the
year (not easy, I'm sure!).  He has promised to help Harry defend
himself from the dementors, even though 1) the odds for success are very
low 2) seeing Harry probably reminds him very painfully of James,
dredging up yet more bad memories.  Finally, and to me, most
significantly, when faced with the possibility of gaining revenge, he
DOES NOT DWELL ON IT.  Like Sirius, Lupin is perfectly willing to take
revenge on Pettigrew, but once Harry dissuades them from it, he does not
obsess over it.  To my mind, one of the marks posessed by almost all
evil people is incredible vindictiveness.  Evil people, from what I have
always seen and read, feel that any opposition or betrayal must be
repaid in kind.  I admit, none of this is solid proof, but if we look at
the choices Lupin's made so far, I have to say that I get the picture of
a very good man.

Hobbit-guy, who'd hate it to have any more of MWPP turn evil suddenly.