Lupin Tonks/Draco/LV's wand

[kchuplis]

No: HPFGUIDX 146041

Kchuplis: Just some thoughts that occurred today  and oddly enough, includes some 
of what you bring up here:

Lindseyharrisst wrote:

> a. not foreshadowed or calculable, even in retrospect, contrary to 
> most things in the books, esp. shipping

Kchuplis: Mostly because we see what Harry sees (with the exception of the opening 
chapters of HBP). Harry isn't around Lupin and Tonks much so he doesn't see the 
development, neither do we, but we do see Tonks and her meltdown (doubly 
incomprehensible without knowing the cause). 

> b. because it is a narrative afterthought it was not well thought out, 
> what good could Lupin and Tonks see in each other (over being with 
> someone else, or alone)?

Kchuplis:Not sure this matters. What do any couple that fall in love see in each other. For 
me, personally, I find Lupin one of the most intriguing and likeable characters of the 
series. He's gentle (when not afflicted) - and personally, I think that is Lupin's great 
feat. Despite his "furry problem" he has remained a "good man" (obviously, I do NOT 
subscribe to the ESE!Lupin theory). He's a great teacher. He has many qualities to 
recommend to him. Tonks is young, attractive, perky, why should he not like her? 

> c. does it seem in chracter for Lupin to fall in love (and with Tonks)?

Kchuplis: Sure. Why not? Once again, love isn't an equation. It's something undefineable 
that happens. If we could quantify the why's and wherefores of falling in love, well, 
someone would get rich. 

> d. Do you think it's authentic love on his or her part?

Kchuplis: Sure. It's been pushed pretty hard that wizard's who are depressed, but 
particularly depressed over an unrequitted love are prone to losing their power. 
Hence Tonks mousy lank hair and inability to really be affective. Her change of 
patronus form. Love is a powerful thing. I'd think by Book 6 we should all get that by 
now.

> I confess to having a belief he should be with another, but that 
> aside, I just don't see the point. 

Kchuplis here on down: But I was thinking tonight...I was reading the big conversation 
between Harry and Dumbledore regarding the horcruxes after Harry obtained Slugo's 
memory and Harry, in a way, says the same thing "what is the point" of being able to 
love? Yet, DD stresses it again and again. I begin to wonder if there *isn't* a very 
important point to the shipping in these books. Personally, I do not see these 
relationships as "shipping". They are relationships (shipping to me indicates fan 
wishes for certain parties to get together, not actual relationships that are intended 
by the author - perhaps I'm wrong but that is how I've always seen the term).  We now 
know by book six that 

1) Fleur REALLY loves Bill. She doesn't care if he is eating meat off the floor, he's hers 
and that is that. We can assume that Bill is just as attached. (any man that sends his 
fiance to his mom's house ALONE has made up his mind and is just saying "get used 
to her".) Love is unconditional.

2) Tonks is SO upset over Lupin feeling he is too old (and ocassionally too furry) for 
her, she begins to lose her ability to metamorph and her patronus assumes a new 
shape. That isn't "crush" material.  So we know that here is another case of someone 
loving unconditionally. 

3) We see by the end of 6 Ron and Hermione finally stop beating about the bush. 
There is no time now for coy teenage shennanigans. And if Hermione is still willing to 
put up with Ron after the last couple of years, she must really love him. 

4) Harry and Ginny - well, we've gone on about THAT enough already.

Still, it isn't just pure love, but unconditional love that sacrifices that is so powerful in 
DD's eyes and so negligeable in LV's.  Snape while in DE mode even hints at it when 
he tells Tonks her new patronus is "weak". By the end of HBP we realize that he means 
"ohhhh...you changed your patronus to resemble HIM. She's in luuuuuurve with a 
werewolf ... How noble...how weak". His comment makes no sense any other way. 
"People who wear their hearts on their sleeves..." 

Could it be that all this "shipping" IS important for book 7? As LV's leadership 
cultivates arguments and distrust, DD's cultivates love. Which environment 
encourages growth and, as a by product, strength? After all, we expend a LOT more 
effort on behalf of those we love and just try to forget those we hate. I can't form a 
more exact thesis than this right now, but somehow, I don't think that all this was 
just for romantic interest on a novelists part.

Now, Draco. 

These are just some thoughts I had last night after reading the Moaning Myrtle scene 
in HBP:

The only "outside" image (out of HP's POV)of Draco we ever see is what we see from 
Moaning Myrtle. Obviously her view is tinted in another way BUT one thing you can 
bank on is that Malfoy isn't "posturing" for Myrtle, nor trying to manipulate her (why 
would he?) so she is giving us about the most unbiased view of Draco we've ever had. 
It's so out of step with what we know of him, Harry and Ron would never in a million 
years guess who she meant if HP didn't actually see him in that room later. 

He's crying, he feels bullied. It begged me to aske the question "How much pressure 
is Draco under?" Not just now, from Lv but really his whole life. How hard is it to live 
up to Lucius Malfoy? DE extraordinaire. He is always more "in the know' about things 
so obviously Lucius talks freely around Draco. But he may not talk TO Draco much so 
D has to guess at what it takes to live up to expectations. 

I can well believe Draco feels bullied. We assume by Harry but maybe he feels it from 
his father and, by now, probably some of teh DE. But also I can see him feeling that 
way about Harry as well. For all of his nasty intentions (no matter the seat of 
motivation, he is pretty nasty) he rarely comes off winner. Off hand, I can't really think 
of one "trick" he played on Harry that didn't have at least mild consequences, 
eventually, for him. Most public and disastrously was the dementor trick. That was a 
spectacular public failure. So from Draco's POV it really could lead him to feel bullied 
there as well. 

We are definitely feeling some pity for him by the end of HBP. Even though Snape 
prevents him from making a soul killing move, does Draco still have an option? Could 
he somehow be instrumental in the downfall of LV? Could a blunder triggered by 
something Harry does backfire in an even more spectacular way for Draco? It wouldn't 
make him the hero, but rather be more of that what comes around goes around 
syndrome. 

I often think that even though we think of "the trio" as Harry, Ron and Hermione, the 
main triumverate is going to end up being Harry, Neville and Draco as far as 
important roles in the demise of LV goes.

____________

Last thought:

Where was LV's wand all that time he was hiding in snakes and squirrels in the forest?


kchuplis