[HPforGrownups] Why didn't they ask Lupin? (was Poor snivelling little Peter)

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 53499


Christine wrote -
Why didn't the Potters ask Lupin to be their
Secret-Keeper?  Could it possibly have anything to do
with his being a werewolf?  I can't imagine why (or
maybe I'm just too tired to think).  Didn't they trust
Lupin and Sirius equally?  They (or James at least)
would have had to trust and love Lupin to learn to be
an animagus for him and stand by him when everyone
else shuns him b/c he's a werewolf.
 
Any theories?
 

Me -

I get the impression that James and Sirius were best friends and that while
James did trust and love Lupin, he trusted Sirius *more*. It's Sirius who we
see in the wedding pictures (we do right? I'm not imagining that?), Sirius
that is Harry's godfather. It's possible that Sirius and James knew each
other before they went to Hogwarts - it would seem logical that wizarding
children have wizarding friends and I can't see why James would stop beingg
friends with someone after he got to Hogwarts (unless they were sorted into
another house maybe) so if he had pre-Hogwarts friends they would have to be
part of the foursome. I also think James and Sirius may have been more alike
which would count for a lot when they were kids. Remus doesn't strike me as
being as outgoing and mischievous (although obviously he's not the same now
as he was as a child) which would be understandable since he has as secret
he has to keep hidden. This would all mean that for James it was totally
unthinkable that Sirius was the spy (and they knew there was one). the only
other obvious candidates would be Peter and Remus - Sirius implies that
Peter was more nervous, less bold than the others (although he could be
rewriting the past based on what he knows now). In which case no matter how
much they trusted Remus he would seem to be a more likely choice as the spy
than Peter. It would imo take a great deal of nerve to spy on your friends
for Voldemort for an entire year without getting caught. So who is the more
likely suspect - calm, brave Remus or slightly nervous Peter?

I see Remus, who I don't think trusts easily, giving his trust
wholeheartedly once he does give it, so he assumes that there is someone
else spying on them. Sirius on the other hand works backwards from the idea
that the spy *must* be one of them - it's clearly not James and he knows he
isn't the spy, Peter wouldn't be capable therefore no matter how
unbelievable - it must be Remus. Once he has expressed this feeling to James
and/or Lily they cannot take the risk, no matter how tiny, that Sirius is
right and so cannot trust Remus with the secret. 

I understand Sirius assuming it was Remus much more than I do James frankly
since James couldn't know for certain it wasn't Sirius, whereas Sirius could
 

K