Why Distrust Lupin?

[drliss at comcast.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 123294

Alshain:

"He's pulled 
the wool over our eyes once, he can do it again. He was our friend, 
and he lied to us." Peter, OTOH, was a toady and a fairly dim one at 
that, but his loyalty was unquestionable. 

Remus seems to have been the better liar, the better actor, the one 
with more to gain from betraying his friends than Peter (Voldemort 
was courting the outcasts like the giants), and he *is* a werewolf. 
James and Sirius at least, Peter too if he had any wizard blood, 
would have been steeped in horror stories, which gave a foothold to 
any anti-Dark creatures propaganda. Finally, with the way people were 
treating werewolves, I don't blame J & S for thinking that even Remus 
Lupin could get enough and give in to self-fulfilling prophecies.


Lissa:

I could not agree more with this.  

I think that the marauders- Sirius and Remus included- WERE still very close when 1981 hit.  In the Shack, Peter seems pretty convinced that Sirius would have told Remus if the plans changed... or at least he seems pretty convinced that argument would work.  He doesn't bank on Remus having figured out Sirius thought he was the spy.  Granted, Peter was desperate, but still.  The Potters knew someone close to them was giving away info- not someone alienated and distant.

I don't think Sirius wanted to suspect Peter or Remus.  I think it came down to the fact it was proved the spy had to be the Potters (eliminated because they were being hunted), Dumbledore (obvious no), Sirius, Peter, or Remus.  Sirius knew it wasn't him, so it HAD to be Peter or Remus.  And for the reasons Alshain described, he decided it was Remus.

As for Sirius's behavior towards Remus in the Pensieve scene: sure, he didn't help him study.  But how often do Ron and Harry refuse to help Hermione study?  I think Remus was trying to head Sirius off at the pass before he could do something exactly like what he did, and Sirius knew that's what he was doing.  Plus he was 15, and that scene took place before he ran away from home or played the Prank.  I suspect Sirius grew up a lot after those two events.

Oooh.  Better get back to work.
Lissa
 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]