Comparing Lupin and Harry ( Lupin in Book 7 )

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 142793

Jen previous:
> Why else did JKR leave the last Marauder standing if not to help 
> bridge the gap between the past Harry is finally exploring and the 
> onerous task he has left to accomplish?
 
> Christina:
> When asked whether JKR would write a "prequel" series about the
> Marauders, she said no because after this series is done, we'll
> know everything there is to know about them.  I am convinced that
> Lupin will be playing a role in relaying this information (because
> really, who else can?).

Jen: This list grows smaller with each passing book! Lupin appears 
to be the only character left with intimate knowledge of Harry's 
past whom Harry trusts completely. In fact, JKR has really woven the 
Lupin character into the narrative very well, placing him in the 
background while the more dramatic and pivotal adults in Harry's 
life take center stage. Finally in HBP Harry learned the reason for 
Lupin's reticence and distance from Harry (a reason hinted at but 
not fully explained in POA), and it's a very believable reason to 
me: Like Harry, Lupin considered himself too dangerous to be 
involved in intimate relationships. Like Harry, he was victimized as 
a boy and has had to live with the consequences of someone else's 
actions, isolating himself for other's safety. The difference 
between them is the degree to which they have chosen to cut 
themselves off from others, and the little fact that Lupin really is 
a direct threat.

If love is the raison d'etre for the story, then Lupin accepting 
Tonks into his life promises an opening up of the character and 
finally, a more meaningful connection with Harry. Harry would seem 
the easier first step on the surface, except as we saw in POA, Lupin 
found Harry particularly difficult to embrace as wholeheartedly as 
Sirius did. The pain of the past, of losing all his friends and 
probably his meaning for living for awhile, was not acted out in 
rage like Sirius and then put behind him. Seeing Harry, a miniature 
of James with Lily's eyes, caused him to fold up inside himself 
instead.

> Jen previous: For starters, he could go to Godric's Hollow with
> Harry, to put his own ghosts to rest as well as fill Harry in on
> vital information

Christina:
> YES.  There's no way Harry can go to GH alone (he doesn't know his
> way around, and it's much too dangerous), and I think that it
> would be awkward and out-of-place for Hermione and Ron to be there
> with him. Putting Harry and Lupin together for GH could kill about
> a billionbirds with one stone, which is attractive considering how
> much needsto be packed into book seven.  I see Lupin as the most
> tragic figure of the entire series (sorry, Harry), and I'd love to
> see him lay his demons to rest. 

Jen: Lol, yes, Harry does need a tour guide to find Godric's Hollow, 
didn't think of that. Although I wonder if Ron and Hermione won't 
also be there as planned? One purpose of HBP was Harry growing 
beyond the need for protection and mentoring, and finding those 
abilities inside himself. So I could see Lupin meeting Harry as a 
man, still with information to share and teaching to offer, but in 
the sense of an equal.

Christina:
>I think that facing GH together would be a nice bridging of the two
> generations.  Talking about James seemed to cheer Lupin up in HBP,
> so I think he would be very receptive to Harry's questions about
> his folks.  

Jen: Hopefully this isn't wishful thinking, but I find a missing 
piece for me is hearing about the parts of Harry's life that were 
all his own, before Voldemort, if there was such a time--the joy his 
parents felt at his birth, their love for him and perhaps a few 
anecdotes about James and Lily as a couple. We now know more about 
Riddle's beginnings than Harry's!

> Christina: 
> I've been wondering that for a long time.  Why bother to have him
> have a case with his name on it all?  Was it really necessary to
> the plot? It has to have some sort of significance, although I
> think this bit of backstory might be type of thing JKR will feed
> us after all of the books are finished.  I figure she has some
> kind of cute little story about it that won't make it into the
> books (it's a really battered case- maybe the Marauders gave it to
> him long ago as a sort of funny gift?).

Jen: Ah well, that would be OK too!!

> Christina:
> Lupin and Lily were prefects together before she started to date
> James.  Lupin is polite, unassuming, and puts time into his
> studies, and I definitely could see why Lily would like him (I can
> just see her running into Lupin in the library or after a meeting
> or something and saying, "You're such a decent person, Remus, why
> do you run about with those arrogant bullies?"). 

Jen: Hee. Well, since those girlfriends she was splashing in the 
lake with seem long gone, Lupin does appear to be the only person 
left who knew her well and probably loved her as a friend. Like you, 
I thought Slughorn might be the key, but the relationship was all 
wrong for that. He remembered her as a favorite student which made 
for a nice story, but he wasn't an intimate.

> Christina
> I agree on the platonic love part, but I'm actually convinced that
> the "awful boy" was Snape, just because I have difficulty accepting
> Petunia describing any of the Marauders in that particular way.
> Even Lupin is so civil and polite that I think Petunia would have
> chosen some other sort of adjective.  I think that Snape, with his
> long greasy hair and rough edges, would be much more likely to be
> described as "awful."  And I think that he would probably be the
> one who would actually know about Dementors.

Jen: I know, Snape was my first choice too, and really was an 'awful 
boy' it looked like! I suppose that's just my denial, not wanting to 
find out he and Lily were friends and *gag* especially not that he 
had a crush on her. But Petunia was so biased by the WW that 
probably anyone Lily brought home would be awful. So I'm still 
considering Snape and even Peter as prime candidates, with Lupin as 
an outside possibility because he did look a bit ragged and poor--
that might be enough for Petunia to consider him awful. :-) 

Jen