[the_old_crowd] Re: Give a dog a bad name

[Eileen Rebstock]

Amanda:
 However wouldn't the WW know this? And if so renders Snape's reveal
> of Lupin to the parents of Hogwarts redundant.  Wolf name equals
> werewolf?  It couldn't be something the MoM could keep secret, not
> for very long with all people named wolf disappearing every full
> moon.

This is exactly my problem with the idea. Sirius, James, and Peter
didn't figure it out either for a full year in the same dormitory, while
no one else at Hogwarts figured it out at all, as far as we know. Can
official policy really be such a secret? And if it were a dark secret
known only to Newt Scamander himself, what would be the point of the
name change in the first place? 

> My thought was that perhaps it is the werewolf culture itself that
> dictates a new name when joining the clan.  In order to be accepted
> as a true non-human you discard your human name and assume a
> decidedly wolfish one.
> 
> Of course this would imply that Lupin had joined the werewolf-
> kingdom as some point in his life? 

Is there any evidence in canon of a werewolf kingdom? Or clans? I can't
recall.

But as for Lupin, canon seems to be quite clear that he lived with
parents who were devoted to him after his bite. 

> I suppose it adds fuel to the ESE!
> Lupin camp. 

I'd contend only along the same lines that if wishes were horses,
beggars could ride. If this far-fetched theory which goes against most
canonical evidence were true, then indeed Lupin would be massively
conspiracy-involved.  

I'm pulling out A.N.T.I.T.H.E.S.I.S. on this one, which from memory I
believe went "All Nice Theories I Think. However, Every Supposition Is
Strained." ;-)

Pippin:
> who likes Kneasy's idea of noms de chien, but thinks that werewolves
and
> textbook authors are cursed with prophetic names the better to
> remind us that this is a toy universe. Some things are only painted
on.

That could be it. Of course, my new theory is going to be that JKR is
reporting real facts, and has changed the names from the original quite
boring ones to protect the wizarding world! 

*sees Faith glaring at her*

Oh, ok. You're right.

Eileen