Reading Lupin (Was Pippin/who will betray the Order?)

[dcyasser]

No: HPFGUIDX 82918

> KathyK wrote, regarding student!Lupin:
> 
> Yes, but Dumbledore hadn't gone to great lengths to help the 
> others.  Lupin was the only one who wouldn't have been allowed at 
> the school because of his condition.  Dumbledore got him in and 
kept his secret.  He also ensured that Lupin would not endanger the 
other students and teachers.  Lupin's disregard for what Dumbledore 
did for him so that he could have some fun with his friends is a 
greater betrayal of trust than the other three.

dc: 
And I thought, why does that sound familiar?  Because Lupin gives 
Harry the same lecture, PoA US hardcover p.290

"Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way 
to repay them - gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks." 

Which doesn't have much to do with the evil Lupin arguement but 
certainly gives him a "do as I say,not as I do" moment.  As for evil-
 or- not Lupin, this thread led me to review Lupin's explanation of 
his irresponsible behavior then and now, as spoken in the Shrieking 
Shack, and commented on by Salit: 
> >If you mean because he did not tell DD that Sirius was an 
animagus, there is his own explanation (that he was ashamed of his 
youthfull transgressions). I also suspect that deep down he never 
completely accepted that Sirius was evil.<

and by KathyK:
> Lupin's explanation doesn't cut it.  It makes him an awful coward 
if he's not evil.  To put the entire population of Hogwarts in 
danger, especially Harry, because he was *ashamed* that he'd 
betrayed Dumbledore's trust is ridiculous.  If he were so ashamed, 
why not atone for it by coming clean about Sirius being an 
animagus?  And he knew Sirius wasn't evil because he's evil 
himself. ;-)
> 
Now dc:
Lupin says (with "self-disgust in his voice") that he convinced 
himself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts, and 
that his being an Animagus had nothing to do with it.  He was 
desperate to convince himself of this because 
a) he doesn't want to confess the Animagi Tales to DD and own up to 
his betrayal 
b)he doesn't want to revisit his own stupidity as a student, from 
which he is trying to distance himself  
c) he still reallly wants to be accepted, yet he is constantly aware 
of the reasons why he shouldn't be, and fights this battle in 
himself. (Look in the mirror and say "i am a good person, I deserve 
to be happy  ---  No, wait, I am a werewolf and a coward."  Hey, 
wait, couldn't this dual personality make him be Remulus and Romus? 
Or at least get him a screen test as Golum?) 

By confessing to DD he would admit his own weakness of character, 
and it would be obvious that he trusts himself neither as a werewolf 
nor as a man.  He's a person who's waiting to be found out as a 
fraud, as unworthy, and when you re-read this, you see he actually 
condemns himself.

"...so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along." 
<snip>
"He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be 
trusted." 

Is this JKR telling us Remus can't be trusted? 
Now, I don't believe in evil Lupin, (I just *can't*), but I read 
this text a new way this time, and I believe in horribly-low-esteem 
Lupin, which is reinforced by the Pensieve scene in OotP.  I think 
Lupin is too terrified of being corrupted and becoming a 
stereotypical Dark Creature to actually go to the Dark Side; but I 
could see (and this is just coming to me now) an error in judgement 
on his part, perhaps on one of those days where he is not having a 
backbone, leading to disaster.  "Oh sure, Harry, go to Hogsmeade, 
whatever...oops."  Fear of being the Dark Creature also keeps Lupin 
non-confrontational, which is perhaps why he did not challenge Snape 
in a timely manner about continuing Harry's lessons.  Yup, wimpy 
Lupin could be a danger.   

That said, what I'd really like to see is 
Angry, I'm-Mad-as-Hell-and-Ready-to-Kick-Butt, Let-the-Wolf-Roar 
Lupin.  


cheers
dc