Some counter-thoughts on ESE!Lupin in HBP

[Sherry]

No: HPFGUIDX 147440

One can also look at these from another point of view:

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lucianam73" <lucianam73 at y...>
wrote:
>
> lucianam:

> 1. Lupin/Tonks:
> 
> It's odd that Tonks never is around when Lupin visits the Weasleys.
> Did he tell her not to come, so people would definitely NOT suspect
> him as the person who was slipping her Amortentia? BTW I find it
> incredible that none of the characters thought of that possibility
> (Tonks being under the effect of a love potion).
> ... Hermione is `the cleverest witch
> her age', after all. Wouldn't she notice Tonks was under Amortentia's
> effects if she was drooling all over Lupin's feet at The Burrow?
> 

But we don't know precisely what the effects of Amortentia are--i.e.
whether they're obvious to an observer or not. In HBP, Ch. 29, Tonks
is the one who argues that Lupin should welcome her love; she seems
rather tart, hardly swooning over him. We aren't told exactly how long
they've been drawn to each other, but Molly Weasley reminds Lupin that
 she's been encouraging their relationship for some time.

There's another possible explanation for Tonks absenting herself when
Lupin visits: she doesn't want to let other people realize that she
loves him. This is an obvious explanation, but one that rings true to
me; I can think of other cases (in life and in fiction) of people
trying to hide their true feelings.

> 2. Ollivander
> 
> Lupin is supposed to be clever, sensitive, well-mannered kind of guy.
> I find it extremely Out of Character behavior that he chose to spoil
> everybody's fun at Harry's birthday.  
> 
> `To Mrs.Weasley's displeasure, Harry's sixteenth birthday celebrations
> were marred by grisly tidings brought to the party by Remus Lupin,
'
> 
> What possessed him to start talking about Dementors attacks and
> Karkaroff's and Regulus's murders? I tell you, I'm not British and
> therefore cannot swear by British manners but unless I had the
> completely wrong idea so far, that's not what I'd call appropriate
> conversation for a party.
> 

It's not appropriate in normal--i.e. peacetime--circumstances, but
there is a war going on with Voldemort and his supporters. Lupin feels
that he has to let the other Phoenix members know as soon as possible
what has happened. Molly tends to be overprotective of Ron, Harry, and
the other youngsters: in OOtP, she and Sirius clashed over how much
information Harry should get about recent events.

> 
> 3. The Montgomery kid:
> 
> Rumours say Greyback was the werewolf who attacked the 5-year-old
> Montgomery boy, but that's not what Tonks seem to think....
> If that was what Tonks was worried
> about, regardless of ESE!Lupin being the werewolf who did it or not,
> she believed he was capable of attacking a five-year-old boy. 
> 
Amontillada:
I don't see the evidence that she thinks Lupin, rather than Greyback,
attacked the child. Yes, a transformed werewolf can be capable of
attacking people whom his/her human self would never hurt! Lupin takes
Wolfsbane Potion in order to avoid that very danger. Greyback, on the
other hand, takes satisfaction from attacking children even when he's
not transformed.

In any case, as we've learned in PoA, it's quite common for other
wizards to assume that ALL werewolves are dangerous, even though there
is now a potion that helps to control this peril. It's all too common
to take action against minorities (witness, for example, Dolores
Umbridge).

> 4. The Dark Mark
> 
> I've posted a message on this
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/147301 
> Is it too much of a coincidence that we only have Lupin's word on
> Gibbon being the one who cast the Dark Mark.
> 
Amontillada:
Good question! Is it too much of a coincidence? This took place during
a crisis: the attack on and defense of Hogwarts. I'd be more
suspicious if several people all claimed to have seen Gibbon cast the
Dark Mark; in that case, I might suspect that one of them had cast a
spell on the others for corroborating evidence.

Speaking out in loyalty and sympathy for Lupin,
Amontillada