Keeping the wolf from the door

[greatelderone]

No: HPFGUIDX 92900

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Barry Arrowsmith 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
> I've cast doubts before on his name; it's so unbelievably 
appropriate - 
>   both first and last names having lupine connotations. Too neat. I
 
Oh dear. This is as "neat" as Sirus being able to turn into a dog 
like his namessake or that the story always climaxed at the end of 
the school year when they were finished or finishing exams. Just deal 
with it.

 
> still believe that his name is assumed, either  to  protect his 
family 
> from possible public association with a were-wolf, or because they 
> threw him out when he became infected. 

They didn't throw him out remember. They were even involved in 
getting him into Hogwarts in the first place.


> It's also likely that he 
> couldn't enter Hogwarts under his real name - all were-wolves are 
> registered at the Ministry, who presumably keep track of them. And 
an 
> almighty  row  would have erupted if the other parents had 
discovered 
> that their darlings were closeted cheek-by-fang with a ravening 
> monster. Even DD  would have had difficulty smoothing that one over.

What difference would it have made? Just because they are registered 
in the ministry doesn't mean that everyone knows who they are. 
Perhaps the ministry also helped keep Lupin and his lycanthropy a 
secret. I mean afterall Dumbledore was fairly well known even back 
then and he might have had some influence in Lupin's lycanthropy 
being kept a secret.
 
> The Gryffindor connection was  more-or-less assumed by most 
posters, 
> but confirmation is nice. It does add a little support (or rather 
> doesn't explode) my theory that the Sorting Hat may have been fixed 
on 
> more than one occasion (The Sorting Hat - 87319). In my estimation 
> Remus should have been in Ravenclaw, as should Hermione.

You're forgetting that the hat was also based on choice. Harry chose 
Gryffindors over the Slytherins just as Hermione chose the 
Gryffindors over the Ravenclaws during her first discussion with 
Harry and Ron aboard the train. No doubt Lupin did the same thing.
 
> 1. Remus has a patronus but what form does it take?
> He produced "..a silvery thing from his wand.." on the Express in 
PoA, 
> but no description of it's appearance is given.
> There are hints that the patronus gives clues to a persons inner 
self; 
> an animal form that looks a bit dubious might give  us  a clue to 
whose 
> side he's really on. I thought it a bit odd that he didn't 
demonstrate  
> his own patronus when teaching Harry how to do it.

Possibly a wolf. It'd make sense why it was hidden since one of the 
main secret points of the story was that Lupin was a werewolf. Having 
his patronus kept hidden would have helped Rowling in making sure we 
didn't connect the dots regarding Lupin.
 
> 3. Why don't  Dementors affect him?
> This is the  most intriguing aspect of the Hogwarts Express episode 
in 
> PoA. He doesn't  produce a Patronus to drive them off immediately - 
he 
> *talks* to the damn thing, quite calmly! What makes him think 
Dementors 
> listen to  instructions from anyone they meet? Has he had dealings 
with 
> them before?

Perhaps one of the effects of being a half-human werewolf. Have we 
seen the dementors effecting any of the half-humans? 

> Half in jest he tells Harry that he was made a Prefect to keep 
James 
> and Sirius in order. But he didn't. What does that tell us about 
him? 

That he has a weak personality perhaps? Rowling noted that one of his 
weaknesses was that he wanted to be liked. Good enough reason why he 
didn't try and put a leash on his two friends.

> His role in the MoM battle was conveniently glossed 
> over, he wasn't mentioned in any of  the action bits. Perhaps he 
was 
> waiting for the opportunity to zap Sirius. Some of us suspect so. 
He 
> didn't  seem to be able to restrain Sirius in Grimmauld Place any 
> better than he could when at school. Time to draw a line under a 
> beautiful friendship. If he did, who gave him the order, Voldy or 
DD?

Why can't you accept the fact that he  was weak? There are people 
like him in real life and it'd explain all of his actions.