Where was Lupin? (was: The Timing of Lupin WAS)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 109274

> HunterGreen:
> Sirius, the fugitive, is heard from. He's hiding in a cave in 
> Hogsmeade and living off rats to stay close to Hogwarts. He's 
right 
> at hand at the end of the book when the action start. In fact it 
> would appear that Lupin (despite having close ties to Sirius, if 
not 
> Dumbledore) is barely aware of the situation. 
> [GoF chpt 36 - emphasis mine]
> ' "That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping 
> between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's 
> attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I 
need 
> you to set off at once. You are to **alert** Remus Lupin, Arabella 
> Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a 
> while; I will contact you there." '
> 
> Lupin is active in the Order in the fifth book, and he was, at the 
> very least, a member of the first order, so its interesting that 
he 
> wasn't concerned about the events unfolding in GoF like Sirius 
was. 
> What was he doing for that year?

Jen: And the year the Potters died, and the year of OOTP?? I don't 
know, but that question seems like a crucially important bit of 
information.

I can understand why Lupin didn't try to make contact with Harry 
prior to POA, nor keep up contact once Sirius was in the picture. In 
my mind Lupin lives a very "survival-mode" life--always looking for 
work, trying to keep his head above water. Perhaps he takes a few 
steps forward, then he has to transform again and possibly ruin 
whatever foundation he's laid. He reminds me of Sisyphus doomed to 
roll the rock up the hill forever.

Given his situation, and the loss of all his close friends at the 
time, it would probably be painful to connect with Harry on a 
personal level. Plus, I doubt he would feel that *personally* he has 
much to offer Harry. But as a teacher, where he does have something 
to offer and he can meet Harry within the context of teacher-
student, well, he probably thought that would be the best way to 
meet and interact with Harry. 

Then Sirius came along, and Lupin seemed to bow out of the story 
again, as acknowledgement that Sirius was Harry's Godfather and 
needed time to conncet with him.

As to where he goes in the story when he disappears and why....well, 
he seems to be a very powerful wizard. There's canon references that 
could indicate he's a Legilimens (POA in the Shrieking Shack & OOTP 
at Grimmauld), and we saw that with little effort he could conjure a 
Patronus in the face of a Dementor. He can produce flames in his 
hands without so much as a whispered incantation. Whatever he's been 
doing when was conspicuously absent,it appears he's also been 
learning and perfecting his wizarding skills. 

I hope his mysterious work won't turn out to be an unimportant 
detail JKR leaves out of the story. Somehow I doubt it though, she's 
said he'll have a larger role in Book 7.

Jen Reese