Lupin's vampire essay

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 89626

Lupin's vampire essay has been cited as evidence that Snape is a
vampire, but the essay shows has nothing to do with Snape. It has
already been assigned before Snape tries to stop Harry from sneaking
into Hogsmeade. The fact that Harry and Neville are discussing it when
Snape shows up (clearly suspecting that the humpbacked witch hides a
secret entrance into Hogsmeade) is pure coincidence (PoA 276-77), as
is Lupin's use of the essay as an excuse to talk to Harry in the hall
(PoA  289). An essay on ghouls or ogres or any other creature
associated with the Dark Arts would have served the same purpose. 

Why, then, should the essay be about vampires? The answer is the
structure of Professor Lupin's class and of the textbook he is using.
According to the Lexicon calendar, which I'm using to determine dates
here, the essay is assigned at a time when the class would naturally
be studying vampires. The references to the essay cited above occur on
Saturday February 12, meaning that the essay must have been assigned
during the week of Feb. 7-11--more than three months after Snape
assigned the werewolf essay on February 5. Lupin's vampire essay,
therefore, can't be an act of retaliation for Snape's werewolf essay.
Lupin is merely going through the book chapter by chapter and has
reached the point where the class is studying vampires.

A closer examination shows that the book progresses from moderately
dangerous to extremely dangerous Dark Creatures (or beings). As
Hermione tells Snape, the first eight weeks have been devoted to
boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows (170). The class is about
to start on hinkypunks (186) when Snape takes over and makes the class
read about werewolves instead. Werewolves, the most dangerous
creatures/beings in the book, are in "the very back chapter" (171). It
stands to reason that vampires, being nearly as dangerous as
werewolves (the MoM seems to be determined to wipe them out of
existence) would also be near the back of the book, along with (say)
mummies, banshees, zombies, and hags, with such intermediate creatures
as ogres, giants, and trolls filling up the ten weeks (not counting
vacation) between hinkypunks and vampires. Significantly, the vampire
essay is assigned only about six weeks before the Easter holidays,
when the students begin reviewing for their exams. Considering Lupin's
average of two weeks per creature, there is room in the schedule for
vampires, two unnamed creatures, and werewolves before the holidays.

In other words, the vampire essay is assigned exactly when it should
be, with no connection to Snape whatever.

Incidentally (and this has nothing to do with my vampire essay
argument), I'm wondering whether Doxies and the other pests that the
Weasleys et al. encounter in cleaning up 12 Grimauld Place in OoP
should have been covered in Harry's second year (along with Cornish
pixies) if they'd had a competent DADA teacher. Also it's interesting
that hippogriffs and blast-ended skrewts are considered "interestin'"
magical creatures to be cared for rather than Dark Beings to be
defended against. I suppose that at Hogwarts they're considered to be
beasts and therefore not responsible for the danger they present to
wizards (unlike the MoM, which considers Buckbeak as a criminal worthy
of execution for injuring an underage wizard).

I'm wondering where really dangerous beasts, such as dragons,
acromantulas, and especially basilisks, would fit in. Are they magical
creatures to be cared for or Dark Beasts to be exterminated? (The MoM
and Hogwarts seem to have differing views on this point.) And would
ghouls, ghosts, and poltergeists, which so far appear to be relatively
harmless (annoying, in Peeves's case, but not dangerous) be included
in the third year DADA textbook? They seem to fit in the middle
chapters of the book--beings rather than beasts so they belong in
DADA, not CoMC, and more dangerous than hinkypunks but less dangerous
than vampires. But I'm guessing that ghosts as former wizards are
probably excluded from the text. I can just hear Sir Nick's reaction.
("Dark Creatures, indeed!")

Carol, who has spent way too much time on this post!