Crying wolf?

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 81882

<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
> What to make of Remus Lupin?
> 
> OK, hands up all those that trust him.
> Thank you.

> Laura:

Me!
<lots of snips> 

Kneasy, have you no shame?  Wasn't it enough that you trashed Sirius 
when his many fans were still mourning his most untimely death?  Now 
you're going after Remus-when will it stop?  <bg>

Most of the points you raise in your post have been addressed ably 
by Yahtzee and Salit, but this last one intrigues me.

Kneasy:
> It's still  that name that bothers me. Unless, of course, his 
parents were also werewolves themselves. Which means that they 
probably infected him <snip> Doesn't sound like a JKR thing to me.
> 
> Could it be a pseudonym? A name he chose himself, hiding his true 
> identity to save the family face? In which case, it could be 
> significant. The original Remus was killed by his brother. Just 
what do we know about Lupin's family? Hmm?
> 
Laura:

I like the idea that "Remus Lupin" is a pseudonym. And there could 
be one of two opposite reasons for it.  It seems very consistent 
with Remus' character (although it's also consistent with JKR's 
naming scheme).  I can see Remus changing his name to protect his 
family from the stigma that would result from being associated with 
a werewolf.  I choose to take him as he appears, and he appears to 
me to be a caring, compassionate, gentle man.  

Or you could read it as Remus acknowledging the estrangement he 
feels from his family.  Whether they rejected him or whether he 
chose to turn his back on the family that negligently allowed him to 
be bitten we don't know.  But changing his name would be a powerful 
way of taking on the identity that has changed his life.  

We know almost nothing about Remus' family.  They are only mentioned 
(as far as I can remember) in PoA (p. 352 US) when Remus explains 
how he became a werewolf.  He says after he was bitten as a very 
young child, his parents "tried everything" to cure him, but nothing 
worked.  (We assume from this that his parents were members of the 
WW-imagine the diplomatic crisis that would result from a muggle 
being turned into a werewolf).  Again, we don't know the backstory-
did they try to cure their son out of love for him or fear of the 
consequences for him and themselves once the word got out?  Or 
both?  

Nor do we know who wanted Remus to come to Hogwarts-Remus, his 
parents or both.  And why-was his family eager to get rid of him?  
Did Remus want to get away from them?  Or did his parents love him 
and want the best for him despite his condition?  

It seems clear that Remus is not receiving significant financial 
support from his family (no werewolf-bite insurance available in the 
WW?), but again, we don't know why.  It could be that his parents 
don't have the means to help him-perhaps they spent it all trying to 
find a cure.  Or maybe Remus and his family (any sibs?) are not on 
speaking terms.  Or maybe they're dead.  Or maybe he won't accept 
it.  

We know that Sirius goes to Lupin's place to hide out at the end of 
BoF, but what and where that place is, we have no way of knowing.  
We might surmise that he's living off his Hogwarts salary, since 
presumably room and board are provided to staff, but this is only a 
surmise.  

Yes, there's quite a lot we don't know about Remus. But I don't 
anticipate any unpleasant surprises...because I don't think I could 
stand it...