Eastern European HBP?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 105053

Entropy:
> Alchemy plays such an important role in the HP books (it can't be 
an
> accident that Albus, Rubeus, and Black relate to the alchemical 
stages
> white, red, and black) and Prague plays such an interesting role in
> the history of alchemy that I'm sure JKR is leading us to Prague in
> some way or another!

Jen: People have said this before (waves to Hans!), but I'm becoming 
more convinced of it myself: JKR's story, the one she tells us she's 
writing for herself, is the alchemical process come to life, acted 
out so to speak. I'd be very interested to have Prague explored, 
although my first choice is an explanation of the Egyptian clues she 
scatters around. They are much fewer than the Eastern European clues 
& characters though, so you'll probably get your wish Entropy! 

Entropy: 
> I've got a sneaking suspicion that Lupin may have ties to the city 
as
> well.  
> 
> We've heard so little of Lupin's family and history before 
Hogwarts,
> that I think it's highly possible that they  may have come from 
Prague
> originally.  Eastern Europe's, and particularly Prague's, ties to
> werewolves is well-established.  How was Lupin bitten, anyway? 
Could a
> young, pampered, half-blooded Prince Remus been frolicking through 
a
> section of the Bohemian Forest unattended? I sure hope so!  ; )

Jen: There's canon for him at least living in another country, if 
not being born in one. He carried that tattered bag with the peeling 
Professor R.J. Lupin label which he didn't buy new for Hogwarts. 
Also, where was he after Hogwarts, when the others thought he was 
the spy? I like to think he got a job as a Prof. in some remote 
Wizarding school, or even Durmstrang, where fewer questions were 
asked, etc. 

If he was at Durmstrang, because that was the only place he could 
find a job, James/Sirius might think twice about it since they are 
so opposed to the Dark Arts. They both had the luxury of not having 
to work hard, and wouldn't understand Lupin's choice to work 
*anywhere* with Dark arts.

OK, now I'm on a roll ;).  Say Dumbledore even helped Lupin get this 
job, encouraging Lupin to learn as much as he could because 
Voldemort would return. Lupin uses this time for research about the 
Dark arts and how to defend them, in hopes one day he could return 
to Hogwarts as a Prof. and train the next generation of 
witches/wizards for the return of Voldemort.

IF any of this is the case (Hehe), we'll see much more of Lupin and 
his skills in combatting the Dark Arts. 

Jen Reese