Remus (actually)

[Sharon]

No: HPFGUIDX 118774


> << Catlady:
> <<< I don't know if young Remus recognized the bullying as morally
> wrong or merely as against the school rules. If he did (as Harry 
did,
> and most of the reader do, but James, Sirius, Peter, and a number 
of 
> their watching classmates did not), then he had a separate internal 
> struggle between the fact that he liked those boys and the fact that
> they were behaving in a very not-like-able way. >>>
> 
> Azriona:
I think it was also something of self-preservation.  "If I tell them 
> That bullying is wrong, then I could very well be the next 
target."  
> By remaining silent (and neither condoning nor condemning their 
> actions), Remus is essentially keeping himself safe from being a 
> target in the future. >>
> 
Catlady:
> Well, that does happen in real life. But it seems inconsistent to me
> in this case. If Remus thought his friends would HURT him (would
> attack him, not just stop liking him), then he didn't have much 
trust
> in their loyalty and commitment to him. 


I don't think Remus thought for one minute that James and Sirius 
would out and out *hurt* him - I mean, they don't actually physically 
hurt Severus, but they do humiliate and hurt his feelings, and I 
think Remus might have been worried that the same level of ridicule 
could be directed toward him.

Was it likely?  No, not really.  I don't think, had he spoken up, 
that James and Sirius would have turned on him.  But fear is a funny 
thing, particularly when you're a kid and you feel vulnerable.  And I 
think Remus felt incredibly vulnerable.  He had a very huge secret 
that was potentially something that could get him expelled, and if 
James and Sirius made a slip (which they had already, leaving the OWL 
exam) and someone overheard, he'd be in a lot of trouble.

So I think he was fairly nervous, and wanting to remain in their good 
graces.  If that meant staying silent and letting Severus receive the 
short end of the wand (so to speak), then it was a decision he was 
obviously willing to live with.

Catlady:
> So my strong emotional feeling is, if Remus did all that for a 
loyalty
> that he didn't believe in, then Pippin is right about ESE!Lupin. 
Which
> would be horrible, as I love poor dear brave kind competent ethical
> Remus so much.

Agreed. Although as ESE!Lupin, kind of makes you wonder what he knew 
about Peter, that he was so quick to turn on him in the Shack and go 
from kindly teacher to blood-crazy killer.  (Okay, bit of a stretch, 
there.)

--azriona