Vampires and Werewolves

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 88114

Amanda

> Okay, I am treading on shaky ground for a L.O.O.N., answering from 
> work without my books handy. 
> 
> I *believe* that it was established that Lupin was safe to be around 
> when he was a human, that you couldn't catch lycanthropy from a human 
> bite. That may have been circumstantial; I'm remembering Lupin 
> explaining in PoA, "A werewolf is only a danger..." but I can't 
> remember how the quote ends. Rgh.

~Eloise
L.O.O.N.'s assistant riding to rescue:

"A werewolf is only a danger to people" (explaining why James et al became 
animagi).
PoA, 260, UK PB.

Amanda:
> 
> We *have* established that a wizard cannot catch the disease while in 
> animal form--for Sirius fought Lupin-wolf as a dog, and is not 
> subsequently a werewolf; nor does it follow that becoming animagi in 
> the first place would be a way for them to be with Lupin, if they 
> could still catch it.

Eloise:

No. Quite.
In the past we've argued about  why Sirius wasn't infected - whether he was 
bitten or scratched by Lupin - pointlessly, it seems, as this quote makes it 
quite clear that whichever, he wouldn't have been infected by the lycanthropy. 

Amanda:
> ARGH. Need books. Must find quote. I think it's during the Shrieking 
> Shack sequence.

Eloise:
Yes, it is.

But, IIRC, there is no direct evidence that an untransformed werewolf's bite 
*couldn't* infect someone. I doubt very much that it would, but it might be 
simply that the untransformed werewolf *knows* that he mustn't bite anyone (and 
frankly, under most circumstances, as older children or adults it's not 
something we go round doing very much <g>) and has to restrain him/herself.

The biting, of course, is a direct parallel with the transmission of 
vampirism, isn't it, although the werewolf is not in control of his actions, whhle the 
vampire is and, I presume, *needs* to bite to live. If that's what the undead 
do.

~Eloise



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