Snape as one of the Good Guys... analogies/Lupin as sexual predator

[juli17ptf]

No: HPFGUIDX 127690



> 
> I also agree with you that deal(ing) with Snape SHOULD be 
Dumbledore's 
> responsibility, as to whether Lupin should have been teaching - 
> well, my answer is yes, because I don't think that people with 
> untreatable disease should be unemployed and isolated, but if you 
> see him as sexual predator, then I do understand your POV.
> 
> Just my opinion,
> 
> Alla

Julie:
Whether people with untreatable diseases should be unemployed or 
isolated probably depends on whether the disease is contagious, but I 
understand what you mean. The problem with Lupin is two-fold. First, 
his disease can directly affect the welfare of the children he's 
teaching. If his disease becomes "active," i.e., he transforms into 
werewolf form, then he is an extreme danger to his students. 

Secondly, his disease *is* treatable, with the wolfsbane potion. In 
this way, Lupin is more analogous to an alcoholic. As long as he is 
able to keep his disease under control, it's fine. But if he can't, 
then others around him can suffer horribly. If an alcoholic starts 
drinking again and decides to drive, then kills someone in a 
collision, we can say he was impaired, but that doesn't matter. He's 
still guilty of not controlling his disease, and of injuring/killing 
another person in the throes of said disease.

And for Lupin it's actually easier. He has no desire or craving to 
transform into werewolf form, as an alcoholic does for alcohol. All 
he has to do is take his wolfsbane potion once a month, no matter 
what else might be going on. After all, he's a LETHAL danger to those 
around him. And yet he forgot.

I agree with DD giving him the opportunity to teach, as long as Lupin 
is responsible enough to put the students safety above all else. 
Lupin failed that trust, and should have been fired for it by DD. Not 
left to resign on his own conscience, or because he was "outed" by 
Snape or anyone else, but fired. And I LIKE Lupin a lot (I hasten to 
add), but it doesn't matter. I also realize this was a plot point, 
and the character probably suffered for it, but it still paints Lupin 
as someone who made a very irresponsible error in judgment. 

Julie
(who went on longer than she intended!)