Unfinished Business (was: Did Lupin Kill Sirius?)

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 82912


 "pippin_999" 
> >
> > Since James was undone by treachery, Harry must face 
> > treachery and defeat it. Not knowing whom to trust is a major 
> > theme in all the books. 

Abigail:
> That's a very interesting idea, Pippin, and it answers a question 
that 
> has been in the back of my mind since I read OOP.  While I was 
> saddened by Sirius' death, I mostly didn't lament the many things 
that 
> he never got to do.  With one exception - it bothered me 
tremendously 
> that Sirius was never able to lay to rest his quarrel with Snape.  
More 
> accurately, it bothered me that Snape now holds a grudge which he 
can 
> never resolve against not one but two dead men.  

Me:
At the end of GoF, when Dumbledore insists that Snape and Sirius 
shake hands, I had thought that JKR was laying the groundwork for 
some sort of reconciliation between the two.  Not that they would 
have tearfully fallen into each other's arms, washing away years of 
bitterness and anger. Or that they'd become great friends, because I 
never thought that was possible, but that they'd reach an 
understanding of each other and both be able to let go of all the 
baggage they still carry. Silly me.
 
Abigail:
> Snape has a great deal of unfinished business with the Marauders, 
and 
> at the end of OOP, the last man who was in any position to resolve 
the 
> situation was killed (I don't consider Lupin an active party in the 
discord, 
> although Snape clearly does.  He was obviously only a passive 
observer).  
> This led to the uncomfortable conclusion that JKR might intend to 
leave 
> Snape to fester in his anger for the rest of his life.

Me:
Well, maybe she'll kill him off and put him out of his misery. ;-).

Abigail:
> Now you've suggested a more interesting possibility - Harry will 
not only 
> learn from his father's mistakes, he will work to rectify them.  
The feud 
> between Snape and the Marauders will be laid to rest by their 
collective 
> son.

Me:
I'm not quite getting this.  I'm prepared to believe that Harry and 
Snape can each eventually get over the issues that lay between them, 
especially since their views of each other are so heavily influenced 
by their somewhat biased, incorrect views of each other.  But, I'm 
not sure how that puts to rest any residual feelings Snape still has 
towards James and Sirius.  

Abigail:
> As for Lupin, while I'm having trouble accepting the notion of 
Lupin the DE 
> or Lupin as Sirius' killer, I have to admit that on a thematic 
level, the idea is 
> intriguing.  Lupin is essentially the last of the Marauders.  Two 
are dead.  
> One has committed an unpardonable betrayal and will almost 
certainly die 
> before the series ends.  We're left with a vestigial character, and 
I personally 
> would find it awfully repetitive if Lupin were to die a righteous 
death in the 
> line of duty like James and Sirius.  

Me:
How about he plays a crucial, powerful role in helping Harry win the 
battle, and still ends up an outcast?  

Abigail:
> However, Lupin the DE is even more ant-climatic.  We already have 
the 
> quintessential betrayer in Peter Pettigrew, and that character has 
the 
> distinction of owing a life-debt to Harry.  No matter how 
spectacularly Lupin 
> betrays the OOP, he could never be as important as Pettigrew 
already is.

Me:
Ah, yes, but Lupin could be ever so much more evil in that it would 
be a deliberate, conscious choice.  Peter's betrayal smacks of 
weakness and desperation.  He's never struck me as ever being a 
dedicated DE like Bellatrix, but, rather someone who was enticed or 
somehow threatened into going to the Dark side. And then, once he was 
there, he couldn't get out even had he wanted to because he knew the 
DEs would kill him.  If Lupin were to turn or already be on the 
Voldemort's side, my impression is that he'd be fully committed to it.

And, having said that, I, too, have to say that I just don't buy 
Lupin as DE or as Sirius' killer.  I'm not going to rehash things 
others have said - it just doesn't *feel* right.  

Marianne