Killer!Lupin (was: Re: Pippin, you've done it again!)

[Kirstini]

No: HPFGUIDX 82814

So, as the character assassins gather round Remus like a bunch of 
hungry sharks, a few thoughts occur to me:

 Samnaya:
  
>>In the climactic battle at the MoM, the one assumption that 
everyone seems to make including Harry is that Bellatrix killed 
Sirius. Even Harry says so in no uncertain terms..... but on a 
careful reread and reread again and under the assumption that Lupin 
is evil, I am not so sure anymore.....>>
 
KathyK: 
>It even works if Lupin is not evil.  Initially I thought Lupin did 
it because he was in cahoots with Dumbledore.  I now believe 
differently, but I still think there is evidence that Lupin could 
have killed Sirius without being Evil.  That's why I call him Killer!
Lupin rather than Evil!Lupin.  Because he fits in a couple different 
theories. <snip> However, for clarification there is reason to 
believe that Bellatrix was on the dais with Sirius.  "As Harry 
scrambled up again he looked around and saw Malfoy smash into the 
dais on which Sirius and Bellatrix were now dueling."  (OoP, US 
edition 804)
While no further mention of where Bellatrix is in relation to 
Sirius, it is entirely possible that Bellatrix and Sirius were still 
on the dais together.  I tend to think so.  However, it can't be 
proven.> 
 
Okayyyy <cracks knuckles>, so how about a little compromise? I'll 
take your Killer!Lupin and give you Assassin With Dodgy Aim!Lupin. 
Bellatrix and Sirius are up on the dais. Bellatrix uses a spell which 
produces a red jet of light - we assume this is a Stunner, but then 
we haven't been told what colour the Crustacius curse, for example, 
produces. Perhaps Bellatrix's "red light" spell was something so 
Unforgivable <g> within the rules of duelling that Remus felt obliged 
to step in and help his friend - by eliminating Bellatrix. BUT - the 
duel is moving too fast, there's too much confusion to get a proper 
aim, he fires, and in an instant, someone else steps into the jet 
meant for Ms B. Lestrange... Heartbreak, remorse, guilt...
No? You don't like that one? I wonder why. Possibly because it 
doesn't quite fit with the description in the book? Let's look at 
that again...new paragraph for dramatic emphasis, JK, well done...

   The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.

*Squarely* on the chest. *Squarely*. Right in the centre. As though 
it was meant for his chest (hey, I can do these one sentence-emphasis 
things too...).
So whoever hit him would have to be facing him dead on. In a duelling 
situation, who is most likely to be facing one of the opponents dead 
on?
Is it a) The other opponent?
or b) a spectator watching from a lowered position in relation to the 
duelling couple? 
Right. For Lupin, or Dumbledore, or anyone other than Bellatrix to 
have fired that shot, they would have had to be exactly behind 
Bellatrix, on the same level, waiting for her to bob down out of the 
way so that they could hit Sirius. And, from the little we know about 
her, is Bellatrix likely to give off a "triumphant scream" at the 
death of an enemy if someone else had robbed her of the pleasure of 
killing him? What's that? Very true. It *could* be a 
misinterpretation - Harry assumes that it is a triumphant scream when 
it's really a scream of frustration. But I don't think that screams 
of triumph ("woohoo! I've done it! Whoseya mamma?") sound too much 
like screams of frustration ("ARRRRRGH! NO! WHY DID YOU DO THAT? HE 
WAS MINE!")even to the grief-stricken ear.

Oh, wait, there's more.

Phil wrote:
>>In talking about the goblins going over to LV, in OOP, 5:
"I think it depends what they're offered," said Lupin. "And I'm
 not talking about gold; if they're offered freedoms we've been
 denying them for centuries they're going to be tempted."
 Lupin might be tempted by an offer from LV to cure him of being a 
werewolf.>>

Kathy K:
>Or perhaps Voldemort simply had to offer Lupin the chance to be free 
to choose a job, earn a living, and wear clothes without patches and 
holes.  Lupin is not stupid.  He knows his own condition.  He'd need 
proof that Voldemort had the cure, which I don't think he does.  I  
don't think Lupin is under the impression that Voldemort is going to 
make great strides for him in Human-Werewolf relations but perhaps  
Voldemort offered Lupin himself these freedoms and he's decided not 
to worry about other werewolves.>

Kirstini rolls up her sleeves and affixes a know-it-all, Hermione-y 
expression to her face.
1.) Lupin does care about other werewolves. Think about the scene in 
Arthur's hospital ward, where Lupin toddles over to reassure the new 
werewolf that it isn't all that bad after all.
2.) No, Lupin isn't stupid. He is however all too aware that 
Voldemort's Brave New World is going to be one populated by extremely 
violent racists. Racists who don't like people like him, because he 
isn't a pure-blood wizard.
3.)Dumbledore, on the other hand, *is* working, and now fighting, for 
a more tolerant society. Remus will benefit directly from this.
4.) The person who found the cure is probably in the Australian 
equivilant of St. Mungos (nb - *one* hospital for the whole of 
Britain?!) living out the effects of Gilderoy Lockhart's Memory Charm 
(this is speculation). Dumbledore presumably knows the extent of 
Gilderoy's crimes. If the person who really did defeat the Wagga 
Wagga Werewolf had worked out a cure, why would Dumbledore keep this 
information from one of his trusted Order members, who was 
particularly affected by it? Especially if there was a possibility 
that said trusted member might be lured away by false hope? 
5.) Very few wizards "are up" to making the potion that turns 
werewolves into harmless wolves at the full moon.(PoA) Snape is one 
of these wizards. Snape works for *Dumbledore*. 

All this taken into account, what on earth is Remus to gain from 
switching sides? Also, why on earth would a man who struggles to make 
friends, who spends much of his time isolated from society, and who 
has such an obvious desire to be *liked*, kill off his oldest and 
only real friend? Because of some residual bitterness about Snape 
finding out about the Prank? It doesn't make sense.
  
  'Come on, you can do better than that!' she yelled, her voice 
echoing around the cavernous list.

Kirstini, who wonders if it might be a worthwhile venture setting up 
a chapter of Apologists for Remus, and if so, what colour the robes 
would be.