Nitwit? - Remus John Lupin

[quick_silver71]

No: HPFGUIDX 168035

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Magpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:
<snip>
> > Kirp86
> > Just wanted to touch on the discussion of his Boggart lessons. He 
has
> > been criticised in this forum for making Neville take on the 
Boggart
> > Snape; self-confidence is not something that can be taught, but it
> > can be developed in situations such as this. Does he see his own 
lack
> > of self-confidence in Neville, who has a small friendship group he
> > would do anything for, but who is suffering at the hands of an old
> > adversary? Also, where is the evidence that he deliberately 
stopped
> > Hermione from taking on her Boggart? And as well as stopping the
> > classes fearful reaction to Harry's boggart, was he also 
protecting
> > his job, and his re-found home?
> 
> Magpie:
> I think the Boggart lessons is interesting, because while I do 
think he's 
> helping Neville and that it's a natural part of the lesson, I think 
it is 
> also kind of in Lupin's character that it makes him popular while 
also 
> making him nice, with Snape's humiliation seemingly an unfortunate 
> by-product. I just mean that I think JKR is very consistent about 
everybody 
> and it's cool the way you can kind of see the same Lupin even here, 
and 
> imagine how he comes across to Snape.:)

Quick_Silver:
The problem I have with the Boggart lesson is that it's really a 
subtle humiliation of Snape that continues throughout PoA
the lies to 
Snape about the Marauder's map and not drinking his potion in front 
of Snape (which seems like a subtle taunt). People read Snape's Worst 
Memory and assumed that Lupin had mainly been on the sidelines of the 
conflict with the Snape (which seems true) but they overlook that PoA 
established that Lupin was willing to mock (taunt, undermine,
take 
your pick) Snape without the support of the Marauders. And given that 
PoA also seems to show Snape having an anti-werewolf bias perhaps the 
conflict between Snape and Lupin (and/or the Marauders) was more 
complex then we've seen. 

Also it should be noted that the conflict between Lupin and Snape is

a "war between spies"
that shows a degree of subtlety compared to the 
Sirius/Snape tussles (both sides don't even try to hide their dislike 
of the other) that we've read. 

Quick_Silver