ESE!Lupin Reduex

[drliss at comcast.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 111404

mizstorge:

The common denominator is Lupin, not Dementors, since the Boggart 
wasn't a real Dementor and Lupin wasn't at the lake with Harry, 
Hermione and Sirius.

So, having been made suspicious of Lupin, I wonder: is it actually 
because of Lupin's presence Harry hears the dialog? Is it because 
Lupin was at Godric's Hollow that night? Does Harry pick up thoughts 
not just from Voldemort, but maybe also those working closely with 
him? 

Lissa:

(please bear in mind the teasing tone intended in much of this post! ;))

::cracks her knuckles in readiness::

Oh, come on.  You so knew I'd be on this one in a heartbeat!

Okay, first of all, let's get one thing straight.  I was at the American Chemical Society conference for most of this week, and didn't have access to my computer for long periods of time.  Don't think I didn't see you all ganging up on Lupin.  The reason I didn't protect my werewolf was because I didn't have time, not because I have the slightest doubts about his innocence.  Thank you to all those protecting him!  I will defend my werewolf to the death, even if my death is inflicted by monotoned scientists intent on boring me silly.  (And if the guy I ran into in the B. Dalton's that had the conversation with me and two junior high kids is on here- thank you!)

Anyway.  To the point.

Specifically, I don't think that Lupin is the common demonenator- I think it IS the dementor.  However, you do admittedly have a point about Lupin not being at the Lake.

Explanations for that:

1.) Author's perogative.  Let's get technical.  If the Boggart truly affected everyone with all the powers of whatever it was imitating, wouldn't Lupin start to transform every time he saw his?  JKR gets a bit selective here when she allows the Boggart-Dementor to have such powers.  However, I'd think that Harry might feel his fear much more intensely than others feel theirs.  Lupin is almost weary whenever he faces his boggart- not surprising as he faces it every month.  The other boggarts we've seen (Ron's spider, Hermione's failure, Mrs. Weasley's dead family), while certainly intense, don't have any magical powers.  

2.)  At the lake, Harry is so focused on other things that he is NOT overwhelmed by the fear and the voices.  Notice that when he IS able to successfully produce a Patronus, he can't hear his parents so well.  Those two things are connected.  And at the lake, real time Harry (as opposed to the time traveling Harry) CAN hear the dementors- he mentions that his mother screaming would be the last thing he ever heard.  I think JKR just doesn't give great detail to the voices because we know they're there, it's getting old, and let's focus on the external action.

Now, the next question:
Harry's alone with Lupin at other crucial times.  And yet, even then he doesn't hear his parents' voices.  It's only when the dementors are around.  He's just fortunate not to be around them much when Lupin's not there!

As for ESE!Lupin in general...

I've kind of been waiting for Pippin's masterwork, but I'll argue these two points.  One is canon, one is not.  

The not canon one:

I've said this before, and I know the argument against it.  JKR is playing with the theme of intolerance with Lupin.  Making him ESE! says "see? He deserved not to be trusted all along!"

I know the argument is that it's the years of prejudice and pain that he's endured to turn Lupin ESE!  I don't refute that this is a valid possibility- I just think it's not the path JKR has chosen to go with this character.  Does she acknowledge the possiblity?  Heck YES!  What do you think Kreacher is?  Kreacher is the way Lupin COULD have gone, and I think the way many people would go if they were forced into Lupin's situation.  But I think her point with Lupin is that he is someone that is truly wonderful and that, although damaged and severely hurt, has risen above what the world has done to him.  He's been left with pretty high walls and is probably one of the loneliest characters in the series, and keeps people at arm's length (just look at how he treats Harry, the son of his best friend), but he does not falter from what's right, despite his own pain.  Okay, okay.  He doesn't falter FAR.  (If he didn't falter at all, that would be pretty nauseating.)

JKR has said that Lupin is one of her favorite characters- someone she really likes.  Not that she likes writing him, but that she likes HIM.  I'd say that's indicating he's not ESE.

Now, the canon reason:

Even disregarding the non-canon reason, I could possibly waver (although I doubt it).  But here's the other thing.

There are 6 people that we know of in Remus Lupin's life that have actively tried to help him.  His parents (they tried everything to find a cure, and that's all we know about them), James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Albus Dumbledore.  Even in the current Order, people might be nice enough to him, but those are the main people that have taken risks and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they care about HIM.  (Even if Peter ended up a traitor.)

Would you be able to convince me that Lupin was ESE if it was just a matter of joining up with Voldie to go against the world?  It might have more weight with me.  But to join up with Voldemort is to go -directly against- James, Sirius, (obstensibly) Peter, and most especially Dumbledore.  Remus knows this.  I can not believe that he would turn so violently against the only people in his life that have ever actively taken a risk on his behalf- and heavy ones as well.  Even by OotP, when so much time has gone by, Lupin would still know that to side with Voldemort is to align himself directly opposite Dumbledore, and I don't think Remus would ever do that.  We've seen him let those he loves get away with things, yes, but only when the victim is himself or someone he's not too fond of anyway.  Threaten his friends and he'll be there.  He would have killed Peter, I think, once he knew that Peter WAS the spy.  He isn't afraid to tell Snape to step back in line after Snape refuses to keep teaching Harry occlumency.  (Any failure on Remus's part is not attributed by me to lack of trying, but the fact that Snape is INCREDIBLY stubborn.)  He was ready to die to protect Harry, when he jumped in front of Harry as Lucius Malfoy was turning to curse him.  And while he couldn't get to Sirius, he did hold Harry back from the veil, which to me means he knew exactly what that veil was and didn't want Harry anywhere near it.  (NOT that he killed Sirius.  Yeah, I'm glaring around ;) )  He does love a few people, and those people are so clearly aligned against Voldemort I can't see Lupin being on the opposite side.

He's not the hero of the novel and he's not perfect, but working for Voldemort and ESE?  To quote JKR, "How dare you!"  (Of course, she was speaking about Lily being a DE, but....)

A worker from the Official Werewolf Protection Agency (WPA),
Lissa

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