Lupin vs Snape (was Lupin and "Severus")

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 157190

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> > Renee:
>  As I'm going on vacation tomorrow and have very little time, I'll
have to keep this short, to my regret. (OTOH, we could probably argue
until we drop dead without ceding the point until Book 7 appears.) 
> > 
> Renee:
> > I agree with you that Lupin is no hero. But that doesn't mean he's a
> > villain. With all his flaws *and* good points, he's exceedingly human
> > - one of the most human characters in the series. Ironical, seeing
> > that he's a werewolf. But I'm sure the irony is intentional on JKR's
> > part.     
> > 
> 
> Pippin:
> Who says it's not human to be evil? 

Renee:
You seemed to allow no middle ground between hero and villain. So I
brought up the term human to supply one, and I'd be very surprised if
you didn't get that. But if the term human doesn't work for you in
this context, as apparently it doesn't, replace it by one of your own
choice, by all means.   
 
Pippin:
No, what Lupin seems to be interested in, is how Sirius came to
believe that Pettigrew was guilty.

Renee:
Eh, because Sirius knew Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper?


> > Pippin:
> > > As for the lesson to be learned, how about 'terrorism does not
pay'? 
> > > Could  that be what JKR wants Lupin to teach her daughter? Is one
> > > of the 'good lessons'  Lupin gives that even kind and clever people 
> > > can be caught in the web of someone like Voldemort unless they
> > > cultivate the moral courage to resist?
> > 
> > Renee:
> > That would be teaching by bad example.
> 
> Pippin:
> Which JKR loves to do. We see a lot more bad teachers in the books
> than good ones, a lot more unhappy families than happy ones.
> 
Renee:
I notice that you snip the text of the JKR quote that shows this
interpretation of it (teaching by example) is much less plausible from
a grammatical point of view than the obvious one of acting as a
schoolteacher. 

(BTW, the way JKR speaks about Lupin remains one of the most important
argument, if not *the* most important one, why I don't believe in
ESE!Lupin. The theory is highly ingenious, and the point that could be
made with it is worth making, but if I look at all JKRs Lupin quotes,
I know it's not going to happen.)

Renee