Nitwit? - Remus John Lupin

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 168027

Goddlefrood:

> I did not overlook it, I simply failed to mention it ;). 
> It all goes to the code of the schoolyard. The kids were 
> having fun, why tell anyone who might stop them?

Kirp86:

> I'm afraid I'm biased in that Lupin is my favourite 
> character. He reminds me, in his actions, of Harry; 
> doing everything possible for his friends. This can 
> be interpreted as weak-willed - feeling guilty over 
> disobeying Dumbledore but doing it just to retain his 
> friends, for example. But consider his background; he 
> never had friends, he'd never been accepted before
> [...]
> I think he's the most tragic figure in the books; a lot 
> of people will disagree, but his four best childhood 
> friends are dead or betrayers, to borrow a nicer word 
> than traitor ;)

houyhnhnm:

Neville Longbottom could also have been a tragic figure.  
For all practical purposes he is an orphan, except that 
he has to visit his demented parents and have the wound 
continually reopened.  Raised by a dragon of a grandmother, 
constantly reminded of how disappointing he is compared 
to his insane father, reviled by his family for his lack 
of magical ability, dropped on his head by his uncle, 
Neville is a continual butt of derision at Hogwarts.

The Trio shows him a certain degree of kindness.  Hermione 
helped him look for his toad on the first journey from 
platform nine and three-quarters.  Harry told him that 
he was worth twelve of Malfoy.  He's allowed to tag along, 
sit with HRH at the Quidditch matches and so forth, but 
he's not really one of them.  He is a dependent.  All of 
this could have set Neville up as a character who would, 
understandably, be willing to do anything for his 
friends including being an enabler for their rule breaking.

But it doesn't.  "I won't let you do it.  I'll--I'll fight 
you!" he says to the Trio.  This is Rowling's model for 
the right way to behave in the case of friends who are 
doing something one believes to be wrong.  Neville didn't 
rat them out, but he did stand up to them. Just in case 
anyone didn't get the moral, she had Dumbledore repeat 
it at the end-of-year feast. "It takes a great deal of 
bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to 
stand up to our friends."  So, I think that Lupin stands 
condemned out of Rowling's own mouthpiece and I think 
his moral failure will have to be shown to have consequences 
before the story ends.

BTW, Lupin was my favorite character up until the Pensieve 
scene in "SWM". That scene sickened me more than just about 
anything I've read in all six books.  It permanently changed 
the way I feel about several characters. I recently read it 
again and found it even more apalling than I did the first time.

houyhnhnm, thinking Neville had more to teach Lupin than 
the other way around.