[the_old_crowd] Re: Lupin quotes

[Rynne]

Getting into the debate because Lupin's my favorite character and if
JKR makes him ESE I'll be heartily depressed...

Pippin:
> Is there really a moral difference between dangling  Snape 
> upside down because he's a weird little oddball, and dangling 
> the Robertses upside down because they're Muggles? Lupin  
> knew it was wrong, but he didn't want to go against the boys who 
> were his friends and the height of cool. Couldn't there have been 
> some DE's in the crowd at the World Cup who felt the same 
> way?

There *is* a difference--Snape could fight back.  And he did,
remember?  That spell that cut James's cheek?  James actually didn't
dangle Snape upside down *until* Snape had cut his cheek (though he
did nearly choke him with the Scourgify first).  The difference is
that the Robertses couldn't fight back, and Snape could--and did.

Never mind that Lupin himself is fifteen/sixteen here.  When you were
that age, did you know many people who had the moral conviction to
defy their friends when they think their friends are wrong,
*publicly*, especially when their biggest flaw is that they want their
friends to like them?  I don't.  I'm seventeen, and I go to school
with people that age, and I could name you maybe one or two who I know
would stand up to their friends like that--but they don't have that
big flaw that Lupin does; they're rather...aggressive anyway.

The DEs at the World Cup are adults, and they made their choices long
ago.  At the time of Snape's Worst Memory, Lupin is still a teenager,
and still figuring things out.  I don't blame him (much) for having
made the wrong choice at that point, but I can't see how standing by
when his friends hung Snape upside down equates to being a DE.

A question, Pippin.  What do you think Lupin's motives would be, for
turning ESE?  I can see some reasons, but I can't see them as being
strong enough for Lupin to turn his back against his friends and
mentors.

--Rynne