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

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 116121


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:
> 
> Renee:
> Whatever Lupin's status, Peter still remains a traitor; the real
> tragedy lies way back. (By the way, Sirius might have had mercy 
> on Peter if Peter had asked him forgiveness - which he never 
> does.)
> 
> Pippin:
> 
> He never gets a chance. Sirius roars him into silence and tells 
> him he should have died, then raises his wand to carry out the 
> sentence. 

Renee:
Come on! Peter denies everything for no less than four pages, trying 
to convince the others Sirius is the guilty party. When this fails, 
he starts to crawl, cower and beg for mercy, still without admitting 
anything or saying he's sorry. Then Sirius asks him explicitly if he 
denies being guilty and wait for his answer. 

At that moment, Peter could have confessed and asked forgiveness, 
but instead, he begins to come up with excuses for his actions. 
After Sirius' question he gets *three* opportunities to react before 
Sirius and Lupin raise their wands, but all he does is claim that 
surrendering to Voldemort was inevitable. 

Pippin:   
> But  I do find it extremely curious that Peter, who is 
> supposed to know a spell that will kill thirteen people at once, 
> merely stuns Ron and runs away. No one knew he was there, 
> Sirius was present to take the blame just like before...why not 
> blow them all up, leave Lupin's wand in Sirius's maimed hand, 
> and run for it?
> 

Renee:
I can think of several explanations. It could be too difficult a 
curse to cast with someone else's wand. 

Or he didn't think people would believe Sirius had blown himself up -
 after all, that's not what Sirius did when he "killed" Pettigrew 
and all those Muggles, is it? 

Maybe he was afraid that one of his victims would come back as a 
ghost to accuse him... 

Or maybe he doesn't have a reason to wreak havoc as long as 
Voldemort isn't re-embodied. (After all, he could have killed Harry 
many times over in the Gryffindor dorm, but he doesn't.)

And lastly, the plot-device answer: maybe JKR couldn't have Harry 
die, just like she couldn't have Lupin transform until the moonlight 
actually hit him.         
   

 Pippin:
> LOL! No, I expect ESE!Lupin to be outed in Book 7, probably in 
> the final chapters. I expect him to die at the hand (literally) of 
> redeemed Peter P, who will no doubt perish himself in the task. 
> ESE!Lupin is a mystery plot theory, not a textual subversion 
> except insofar as it is subversive to try and guess the outcome of 
> a mystery story while it is still in progress, and I will 
cheerfully 
> abandon it to AU fanfiction if it doesn't pan out.
> 

Renee:
Well, at least we agree that book 6 won't bring the answer yet! 

Renee