Lupin as a metaphor (was: DD and the rat)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 116120


Debbie:
> There may be an idealized vision of Lupin in which he is too 
good to be resentful, but there's no evidence of that Lupin in 
canon.  Lupin's suggestion to Neville of how to humiliate 
Snape's boggart is a perfect example of how Lupin could exact 
revenge against Snape despite his relative powerlessness.  But 
Revengeful!Lupin doesn't lead to ESE!Lupin.  Just look at the 
Twins, who reserve their most devastating stunts for those who, 
in Harry's words, "really deserve it," yet no one believes they are 
evil.  

Pippin:
We may be slightly at cross purposes here. I've never said that 
because Lupin has minor character flaws he must be ESE!. My 
argument was with those who say that because he has only 
minor character flaws, he *can't* be ESE.  

  JKR has already shown us that minor character flaws can lead 
to major lapses in judgment, and we agree that Lupin made 
one of those when he   kept back the information he had about 
Sirius.  Though Lupin could honestly say that he wasn't helping 
Sirius get into the castle, he certainly wasn't doing all in his 
power to keep him out. That amounts to a betrayal of 
Dumbledore, as Lupin himself admits. 

We've already seen that Voldemort can analyze people's 
characters and lure them into making bad decisions.  We've 
seen people keep  making bad decisions  because the 
consequences of admitting the first one was poor would be so 
painful. The argument was that Lupin must be spared this trap, 
because if he showed such poor judgment it would justify the 
persecution of werewolves. It's as if when Harry screws up it's 
because he's only human, but if Lupin did, it would be because 
he's a werewolf. That's demeaning, IMO.

Debbie:
>Why would Lupin betray James, one of the friends who gave 
him the best times of his life, and who saved Lupin from 
possible catastrophe when he pulled Snape back in the tunnel?  
Even if he distrusted Sirius after the prank, there was no reason 
for him to betray James.<

Pippin:
Why did Lupin betray Dumbledore in PoA? Because he thought 
he already had. Could the same thing have happened with 
James?  I don't know, but I don't see how it can be ruled out. If 
Lupin saw  a  choice between giving Voldemort information that 
would save Lily, and admitting to James that he had done 
something James might never forgive, what would he do?   

Lupin is another person who knows an awful lot about the dark 
arts...and James always hated them. Interesting, eh?

Debbie:
  It would be really pointless if he turned out to be just another 
DE, but a glimpse of the desperate straits  our attitudes force 
upon the disabled (mental or physical) and the Hobson's 
choices they have to make, is something different altogether, 
and unique among the characters in HP.<

Pippin:
All the villains are unique -- it's one of the things that puts the 
story a cut above others in its genre. Each of them has their own 
story and their own unique motive for joining Voldemort. They're 
not clones. 

Pippin