Good werewolf required

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 96424

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:
> 
> Bellatrix screams in triumph, and Harry thinks he 
> saw her kill Sirius.  But Lupin was in position between Harry and 
> Sirius, because he's able to catch Harry a moment later when he 
> springs down the steps to the dais. 

Renee:
Not necessarily. "Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest." You can 
only grab a person around the chest if you're behind them. So Lupin 
definitely wasn't between Harry and Sirius, or he would have blocked 
him in a different way. I place him somewhere to the side, close to 
where Harry is when he starts running toward the veil. Which would 
make it difficult for him to fire a spell that hit Sirius "squarely" 
in the chest. (I admit it's not entirely impossible, just very 
unlikely.)  
 
By the way, does anyone else think Harry has a life debt to Lupin 
now?

Renee: (previous post - this is getting a bit convoluted!)
> I'm convinced  she'll be going for a basically good Lupin who only 
> lies when his friendships are being threatened and is later 
> willing to admit he  was a coward. (Just like she seems to be 
> going for a wise and good  but not perfect Dumbledore despite 
> the man's behaviour in OotP.)   

Pippin:
> I'd be surprised if JKR hasn't thought this through. When to be 
> open with  the truth and when to approach it "with great caution" 
> is one of the major themes of the books.

Renee:
I wasn't doubting her plot and her arrangement of the various 
themes, merely her psychology. (see below, my comments about 
Dumbledore)

Pippin:
> I don't know about "basically good." It strikes me that  JKR 
> believes that being good is not a default state. It takes a 
> tremendous amount of effort and above all courage.

Renee:
Sorry. My wording was a bit sloppy here. What I meant was that I 
believe JKR means Lupin to be on the side of the good guys, or at 
least on Dumbledore's side - which IMO is not as good as Voldemort's 
side is evil. Though he may screw things up again quite badly if he 
doesn't get over his desire to be liked, and end up completely alone 
and unloved.   
 
Pippin 
> Despite his tremendous wisdom, Dumbledore made a mistake. 
> He  believed that he was being less than open with Harry for 
> Harry's own good, and once he realized  that this was not the 
> case,  he says should have known all along that it was too easy. 

Renee:
I don't quite believe in Dumbledore's tremendous wisdom since he 
made himself guilty of "blaming the victim" during that last 
conversation with Harry. Blaming Sirius partly for his own death 
because of the way he treated Kreacher is more than just weak. It's 
a horrible thing to do in the face of the bereaved Harry, regardless 
of the question whether it's true or not. Terrible timing, and total 
lack of empathy. It's not something I expected from such an ancient, 
wise and experienced character. To me, this is unconvincing 
psychology. JKR wanted to make a point, and in order to do so she 
sacrificed Dumbledore in the eyes of this particular reader. 
 
> As McGonagall says, it's not about truth and lies. Dumbledore, 
> Hermione, Lupin and Harry himself  are all very capable of being 
> misleading. It's about choosing between what is right and what 
> is easy. Lupin *knows*  he's  lying only to make things easy on 
> himself,  and he still does it. That's a big difference, IMO.

Renee: 
That's true, and in theory, I still agree with your suggestion that 
a good werewolf would make a good Lupin superfluous (though, as the 
world is not divided into good people and Death Eaters, I don't 
think he needs to be a Death Eater to be a negative character.) But 
Luna? Sorry, no, not convinced. Too repetitive. Maybe the werewolf 
in St. Mungo's? I suppose we'll have to wait...

Renee