Is Lupin James?

[drliss at comcast.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 109694

MumWeasley7:

 In Book 3 Prisoner of Azkaban: Shrieking Shack  
Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixedly at Black.  The professor 
walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so 
Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother.
Notice 'gazing fixedly' - really looking him over. And embraced Black 
like a brother.

In Book 5 OOtP, Sirius is explaining his family to Harry when he says 
he went to live with James' family after his family rejected him and 
they treated him like their own son.

Is the reason Lupin doesn't touch Harry simply because he's so 
overcome with emotion that he can't afford to give away his secret 
and therefore chooses not embrace his son, and also why he shivers to 
hear Harry talk about his mother's screams?


Lissa:

I've seen this theory before, most notably in the guide that's been published.  I simply just don't buy it.

First of all, I can totally understand why Lupin doesn't touch Harry.  Lupin's not a touchy feely type of person to start with.  His lycanthropy has really isolated him, and he's been shunned for the past twelve years.  But more than that, Lupin is Harry's teacher.  He's been fired from enough jobs that he's not going to risk this one over breaching student-teacher lines.  (And if you favor the Lupin/Sirius ship, he'd have double reason to hold back from ANY physical contact with a male student.)  

As for shivering when he hears Harry talk about hearing his mother's screams, I can see where he'd be extremely sympathetic.  Wouldn't you?  After all, he knew and cared about Lily, and he knows and cares about Harry.  Plus, he's probably been haunted by those few days for the past twelve years.  He can only imagine too well what Harry's just starting to go through.

Lupin's very into gazing fixedly.  Although a lot of people have attributed this to him being a Legil... heck with it, mindreader (sorry Snape)... I think it's more a characteristic of Lupin himself.  I think it translates to Lupin thinking- he doesn't often act before he thinks.  Remember, when he sees Sirius again in the Shrieking Shack, he's after the truth, and very desperate to hear that the truth is Sirius was NOT the traitor.  

If Lupin's been James all this time, James has been doing a pretty darn good acting job.  Lupin hasn't broken character once, and although they were extremely good friends, we can see from the Pensieve scene that there were some major differences in their personalities.  Plus, even though Harry probably would have responded, Lupin makes NO attempt to contact Harry throughout GoF.  If he were really James, I suspect he would have sent a letter.  It would have been natural enough- they did develop a relatively close relationship, and by the end of PoA Harry knew that Lupin had been one of his father's best friends, so he was more than a teacher.  

We've already had one masquerader.  And we have Tonks.  (Who all's got bets on her being the traitor this time?)  I think Lupin being James would be too repetitive.  

Sad to say, I think James is definitely dead.

Liss

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