Spys in the Order - Then and Now

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 158837


>Steve
 So,
> the logical conclusion was that there was a Spy in the 
> Order. But who...?
> 
> We hear references in the books and on-line to Sirius 
> thinking Lupin was the spy, and Lupin thinking Sirius was
> the spy, but I think those thoughts are false or at least
> misinterpreted.
> 
> Many people are convinced that Sirius thought Lupin WAS
> a spy. Or that any given so-and-so thought that any given
> such-and-such was a spy. But I want people to consider 
> the distinction between considering the possbility and
> actually thinking that some is is or might be the spy.
> 
> Partly because people are coming up with wild theories
> based on vague implications that this person suspected
> that person, when in reality, I don't think it was belief
> or suspicion at all, but merely a consideration of the 
> possibility.

wynnleaf
I think there's a big difference between in real life having 
suspicions about a person -- even a spy in a group like the Order -- 
and looking at a piece of literature and deciding which characters 
are suspect.

In literature we can look at things that don't have anything to do 
with real life.  In the HP books, if we suspect that JKR might pull 
another traitor out of the hat in book 7, and we are asking 
ourselves who that person might be, we have to look at which 
characters JKR has set up to be the most likely traitor, from a 
literary point of view.  There will be no new major characters in 
book 7.  One assumes that if JKR is going to have a traitor (like in 
all the other books), she'd want the person to be a surprise.  Yet 
once an author springs a surprise twist, the surprise is not 
believable unless the reader can go back through the books and find 
the threads through which one can see clues and hints of the 
surprise.  We could do that, for instance, with Barty-Moody, 
Quirrell, even Pettigrew, and others.  If she springs a traitor on 
us in Book 7, it will not be a new character, so we'll likely have 
to see the threads of that person's true colors throughout the books.

So the question for us is:  Who has JKR set up with all of those 
threads already in place?  Lupin is probably the very best 
candidate, because no matter how strange it may seem this side of 
book 7, JKR has given him everything she needs to make him a 
traitor.  1.  Motive in his considering werewolves his "equals," the 
plight of the werewolves, his frustrations with the Ministry 
treatment of them, etc.  2.  Opportunity - assigned to infilter the 
werewolves, he could be more on their side than not, and could have 
done this prior to LV's fall.  3.  Ability -- although we generally 
sympathize with the circumstances (hiding his being a werewolf, at 
first hiding his relationship with the Marauders from Harry, 
deceiving Snape about the Map, etc.) Lupin has shown a marked 
ability at deception.  Further, he has strong DADA ability, and is 
generally cool and calm in a crisis. 4.  The past suspicions of 
others -- James, Sirius, and Snape for different reasons.  5.  He 
has already betrayed the trust of Dumbledore in the past, even 
though we forgive him because he seemed so sorry about it.  6.  The 
huge 12 year gap in his history -- the only major character for whom 
we're given no info on such a large span of time.  This is often in 
literature an indicator that the author is hiding something in the 
character's background.  7.  He's one of last the reader would 
suspect.  In real life, this is a plus.  In literature, it's not.  
Especially with all those other threads already woven into the books.

wynnleaf -- who suspects Lupin more on literary grounds, but likes 
him as a character.