Werewolves and RL equivalents (was:Re: Snape - a werewolf bigot?...)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 170329

Lanval:
> 
> This notion that the Hogwarts students's safety somehow depended 
> solely on Lupin taking his wolfsbane potion is, IMO, blown a good 
> deal out of proportion.
>

Pippin:
Surprisingly, I agree :)
According to Draco, Hagrid and Filch, it's at least plausible that there
are werewolves living in the Forbidden Forest. Therefore, anyone who
is on the grounds during full moon is in some danger of a werewolf
attack, regardless of whether there are werewolf students or teachers.
It is this, I think, which makes the unwillingness to accept Lupin as a 
student or teacher an example of prejudice rather than an 
overreaction to a real danger. 


If Lupin is escorted off the grounds during his transformations, as
he was in his student days, or if he is given his potion, the students
do not face  any additional danger from werewolves. We see Snape
monitoring whether Lupin took  his potion or not. The danger only
arose because  Lupin missed his potion *and* Snape was
incapacitated. A similarly dangerous situation could arise if
students went into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid and Hagrid
got hurt.

Where  Lupin was at fault, IMO, is that he knew Snape was
incapacitated but he didn't do anything to make sure that the 
three students who were with him were safe  before he transformed. 
It's true that Sirius was there, but so was Pettigrew, a Death
Eater blamed for  killing twelve people. It would
be a bit of a tall order for Sirius to control a werewolf and
Pettigrew as well, and in fact he couldn't manage it.

That Lupin may have forgotten his condition would not  excuse 
him, IMO. We accept that alcoholics have a disease which keeps 
them from controlling their drinking, but would they be allowed to 
plead that the pressure they were under made them forget 
they were alcoholic if their drunkenness causes an accident?

Pippin