Lupin and Legilimency: Why Wait to Reveal?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 129736

I'm thinking about Lupin again, and the evidence we have that he is 
a Legilimens. The most notable example is in the Shrieking Shack:

"But then....," Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it 
seemed he was trying to read his mind, ".....why hasn't he shown 
himself before now? Unless"---Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as 
though seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest 
could see...." (POA, US Chap. 17)

There are other examples of Lupin staring 'intently', but that 
passage actually makes the connection between staring intently and 
reading someone's mind.

Througout the series we've seen both Dumbledore and Snape 
looking 'intently' at Harry 'as if they could read his mind' and 
sure enough in OOTP we find out about Legilimency. So why find out 
Snape and DD are skilled in Legilimency/Occlumency but not Lupin?

Granted there's ESE!Lupin to explain this, and I actually feel it 
could be suspicious that Lupin wasn't revealed as a Legilimens in 
OOTP. But I'm putting that aside for the moment to examine other 
possible reasons.

First and most obvious, I guess it's possible Lupin isn't a 
Legilimens/Occlumens. But canon really supports that he is! Besides 
the examples, Lupin appears knowledgeable about Occlumency in OOTP, 
more so than Sirius or other adults except for DD and Snape. And 
there's that ambiguous statement when Harry visits Grimmauld Place 
by Floo powder and Lupin tells Sirius if anyone will talk to Snape 
about ending Occlumency it will be him. I interpreted that to mean 
he is somehow more qualified to talk with Snape about the lessons 
than Sirius. And while it's true Snape may like Lupin a tiny bit 
better than Sirius, Lupin still isn't the *obvious* choice for 
confronting Snape, given their history.

So let's say for argument's sake that canon supports Legilimens!
Lupin. Why wait to tell Harry and the readers?

One strong possibility is we're going to hear more backstory about 
Lupin in the next two books, like where exactly he went after 
Hogwarts, why his best friends suspected he was the spy, and how he 
became an expert in DADA. If this is true, then it makes sense we 
will hear about becoming a Legilimens in the context of Lupin's 
magical development post-Hogwarts.

Waiting to explore these unanswered questions is also support for 
Lupin as HBP. While I don't think this would be a bangy as a new 
character or someone like DD being revealed as HBP (my first 
choice), it might go a long way to explain why Rowling has carefully 
made sure Lupin is the only surviving good Marauder. That there's a 
reason he's still part of the story and didn't just die or otherwise 
fade away already.

Other than those possibilities, I'm at a loss. Anyone else?

Jen