Werewolves and RL equivalents

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 170457

Goddlefrood:

> a differing mechanism at play as to why Severus 
> told his tale. Lupin, per the DADA curse, would be 
> only able to teach DADA for a year. In other words 
> he would have had to leave anyway. Is it not then 
> possible that his little secret leaking out was 
> planned precisely so that he would leave?

houyhnhnm:

I don't understand. Why would anyone have to plan to 
make the curse come true? A curse works by itself, 
doesn't it, in spite of everyone's plans?  At least 
that's my understanding of curses in general and the 
DADA curse in particular.

Goddlefrood:

> Lupin, while having been a member of the Order 
> and a spy on the werewolves, was only under 
> Dumbledore's school administration for a year 
> as a teacher. It makes sense to this reader that 
> Dumbledore would be more concerned for Hagrid's 
> wellbeing than for Lupin's. He quiote possibly 
> also needed Remus to return to his Order duties. 
> Lupin does benefit either way in that he continues 
> to have DD's patronage.

houyhnhnm:

Lupin had no Order duties to return to.  The Order 
was disbanded at the time. Hagrid, for whom Dumbledore 
stood up twice, is not the only comparison.  There are 
also the examples of Trelawney and Firenze, neither of 
whom Dumbledore would turn away because they had no safe 
place to go.  It makes sense to me that Dumbledore would 
be concerned for the well-being of all those served under 
him, especially Lupin who was apparantly destitute and 
starving when he came to Hogwarts.  There is no example 
to the contrary. 

Alla:

> My premise is that Dumbledore **maybe** , not 
> necessarily, but maybe angry at Snape and does not 
> want to show anything in front of Harry, so what do 
> you think JKR would have done differently if she 
> wanted to show just that?

houyhnhnm:

I agree that Dumbledore would not show his displeasure 
with an employee, either Snape or Lupin, in front of 
Harry or any other student.  I don't doubt, either, 
that Snape received some sort of reproof from Dumbledore.  
On the other hand, Snape kept the more important 
secret--the fact that Harry and Hermione had used 
a time-turner with DD's blessing to free Sirius and 
Buckbeak--so I don't expect it was a very severe 
reproof, and after the scene in the hospital wing 
the night before, I doubt if Snape's letting slip 
Lupin's secret to the Slytherins came as any great 
surprise to DD.  And as others have pointed out, 
Snape's outing of Lupin was irrelevant to Lupin's 
fate.  He was already toast.


wynnleaf:

> Yet JKR says something in an interview:

> "Alas, no. Lupin's exposure as a werewolf did 
> irreparable damage to his prospects for a career 
> in teaching, and with the likes of Fenrir Greyback 
> out there, werewolves are unlikely to receive a 
> good press any time soon."

> The question really is *how* specifically was Lupin 
> exposed as a werewolf. Does JKR mean primarily by 
> this that his exposure as a werewolf (by Snape) did 
> damage to his prospects as a teacher?

houyhnhnm:

That is a good point.  Rowling worded it carefully.  
One could just as easily interpret her words to mean 
that Lupin exposed himself when he transformed in 
front of three students.