Lupin's touch

[drliss at comcast.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 112354

Finwitch:

Well, now that Harry knows Remus is one of the friends of his parents
- partly why he's close to Sirius as well - shaking hands is too
formal. Hugging would be too intimate, considering Harry's still
calling him Professor Lupin despite of Remus' insistence to call him
Remus... It's an awkward situation and Lupin doesn't know how to take
it. They could be close, if not for certain events- but the events ARE
there.

But I can imagine more: Lily's love-protection hurts a werewolf, even
if the werewolf in question is friendly and not a danger *at the
moment*, just because he'd be mortal danger once a moon? OTOH, Lupin
doesn't seem to feel pain when touching Harry (like saving him from
the Veil) Then again, he's probably good at hiding it, after all that
moonly practise for years.

Lissa:

Does Lupin ask Harry to call him Remus?  For some reason I was thinking he never did.

I agree that in PoA Lupin didn't touch Harry because he was his teacher.  Being a werewolf is bad enough- and I'm sure Snape would LOVE to catch Lupin in what he'd call inappropriate action!  If I recall right, Lupin also never shuts the door when he and Harry are alone, either.  Good call on his part- just to cover his own behind.

For all that Lupin and Harry SHOULD be close, they're not- not after the werewolf revelation has been made.  It partly comes from Harry, yes, but even more from Lupin.  Lupin makes absolutely no effort to contact Harry thoughout GoF.  I think there's a few reasons for it: the whole teacher/student dynamic, and not wanting to interfere with Sirius's relationship with Harry, but I think more than that Lupin is just exceptionally closed off.  Molly constantly accuses Sirius of thinking that Harry is James, but is Sirius the only one doing that?  I think Lupin can't look at Harry and NOT think of James, and that hurts him.  And while Sirius clings to Harry because of the resemblence, Lupin pushes himself away.

Even in OotP, they're not that close.  It's clear Lupin cares very much about Harry- when Harry wants reassurance (from Sirius) about his father's behavior in the Penseive scene, Lupin joins in that conversation by right, as an equal, despite the fact he's not technically invited.  But Lupin rarely seeks Harry out, and vice versa.  Harry's plenty wrapped up in his own problems, so I can understand it.  (Besides, adults aren't THAT interesting to a 15 year old boy.)  And Lupin has his work for the order, true, but I think there are very, very few people permitted to be emotionally close to him, and he's fighting it with Harry.

As for why Lupin grabbed Harry so quickly, that doesn't raise questions for me about whether Lupin is good or evil, but what Lupin -knows-.  It seems like he knows something about that veil.  How?  He didn't work at the Department of Mysteries (at least, not for long)- the poor guy hasn't been able to find paid work and has been shunned all of his adult life.  But maybe one of the others did?  

I agree there's a mystery about Lupin.  We're missing far too much of his life to think otherwise.  Of course, the frustrating (in a good way!) thing about JKR is I haven't been able to guess many of her twists- even though they're perfectly logical when you look back on them.  However, I tend to think the touching thing doesn't have anything to do with it- it's just the response of a very emotionally withdrawn and damaged man to a situation he doesn't know how to cope with.  Bear in mind, too, that the HP males are not touchy-feely.  How often does Sirius hug Harry?  What about Mr. Weasley?  What about Ron?  Heck, how often does Vernon touch Dudley?  A clap on the back is about it!

Anyway, there's my two cents :)
Lissa

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