James Potter Still Alive?

[alshainofthenorth]

No: HPFGUIDX 81740

William, could I borrow your razor for a moment? Thanks.

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "rach9112000" <RACH911 at a...> wrote:

>     1) Unlike everyone else, Lupin on first seeing Harry never 
> stared at his scar or mentioned his resemblance to James. (ch 5)
>     2)Harry tells Lupin that when a dementor gets near him, he hears 
> his mum being murdered by voldemort. On hearing this, Lupin had 
> made "a sudden motion with his arm, as though to grip Harry's 
> shoulder, but thought better of it". (ch 10)
>     3) Trelawny said that Lupin "positively fled when I offered to 
> crystal gaze for him-"(ch11)
>     4) When Harry tells lupin he hears his mums voice louder, Lupin 
> looks "paler than usual" and when he says he heard his dad, lupin 
> says "you heard James?" in a strange voice.(ch12)
>     5) "I certainly don't want Harry dead...""An odd shiver passed 
> over his face". (ch 17)
>     6) lupin has "no hesitation" about what harry's father would 
> think (ch 18).
> 

The more I hear of Waters' book, the more I want to take a look at it,
for a lesson in constructing arguments if nothing else.

Whether James and Remus have switched bodies keeps coming up from time
to time. Some people seem to like this theory, others don't. I
personally won't believe it until I have JKR's word on it. 

The rule when theories are tested is that if you make an exceptional
claim, you need exceptional proof to support it. If you want to prove
that the Crumple-horned Snorkacks exist, you'd better bring one to the
Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures.

Every piece of evidence that Waters cite in his book is
circumstantial. There are other explanations which are simpler and
less far-fetched, such as: 

Remus Lupin was a close personal friend of Harry's father and knew
that James might have found it exhilarating to see his son follow in
his footsteps, at least prank-wise (#6). It's quite probable that
Remus held Harry in his arms the same day he was born, babysat him,
changed his nappies and so on during the fifteen months Harry lived
with his parents. Thus, he has more of a personal connection with him
than those who know him as "The Boy Who Lived" (#1, #5).

Remus is a rather reserved, lonely, logical person who doesn't seem to
have much patience for Trelawney's mumbo-jumbo ("I daresay you've had
enough of tea-leaves?"*; #3). He was quite likely devastated by three
friends' death by the hands of the fourth, who was sent off to Azkaban
(the closest friends he had, mind you) and still mourns them (#2, #4)

*I'm reserved and logical and I'd definitely have fled if Trelawney
offered me half an hour of her nonsense.

James Potter had a crush on Lily when they were in fifth year, but
Remus on the other hand doesn't seem to notice her. Is the suggestion
that they would have changed bodies prior to "Snape's worst memory"?

That's my take on the "James and Remus changed bodies" theory.
William, you can have your razor back now.

Alshain, who still wants to know Remus's second name. Could be Janus
-- the two-faced god.