Character Analysis: Remus Lupin v2 #12

[RemusLupinFan]

Character Analysis Version 1 can be found here.

Welcome to the 12th incarnation of the All About Remus Lupin thread, now entitled Character Analysis: Remus Lupin. Here we discuss and analyze everything about the character of Remus Lupin. For all off-topic behavior, please visit Remus’s Shrieking Shack - Howl at the Moon, Baby! v3

Here are the last few posts from the previous version:

Originally Posted by hwyla

Re: Sybil reading the crystal ball for Remus - we really don't know what 'time of the month' she offered this reading do we? Was it mentioned elsewhere from during this Christmas meal? So, I'm not sure we can say it was about a transformation.

I do wonder if Remus' 'fleeing' might have something to do with keeping up appearances? There was the question after the boggart class as to whether Remus was afraid of crystal balls - perhaps he'd rather keep that rumor alive than leave students to think and maybe wonder if it was the moon.

I also wonder if like seeing the 'grim' in Harry's teacup (which really meant Sirius, not death) if Sybil sees the 'grim' in the crystal ball for Remus - as Padfoot was in his future, too. This would explain her 'seeing' Remus' death, but he might recognize the grim as Padfoot and wish to avoid looking at him (being so hurt over Sirius' betrayal)

Originally Posted by kingwidgit

In POA, Trelawney herself tells us that she prefers to stay in her tower, because to descend to the school proper tends to "clouds my inner eye"...it is entirely possible that her breaking her normal routine to join the school in it's Christmas feast was her first time out of her tower that year...

Originally Posted by Puchula

Then how did she ran into Lupin? I doubt he went all the way up there on his own. I mean, why would he?

Discuss!

[kingwidgit]

New digs...cool, thanks RemusLupinFan...

And here are the new Remus quotes from POA (courtesy of Macpherson), for more analysis...

"What with the promise of anti-dementor lessons from Lupin, the thought that he might never have to hear his mother's death again, and the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end
of November, Harry's mood took a definite upturn."

"I can't believe this," Harry muttered, running a hand along the Firebolt, while Ron sank onto Harry's bed, laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy. "Who -?"
"I know," said Ron, controlling himself, "I know who it could've been -- Lupin!"
"What?" said Harry, now starting to laugh himself "Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes."
"Yeah, but he likes you," said Ron. "And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you --"
"What d'you mean, he was away?" said Harry. "He was ill when I was playing in that match."
"Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Ron. "I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?"
Harry frowned at Ron.
"I can't see Lupin affording something like this."

"Tripe, Sibyll?"
Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more and said, "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"
"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Dumbledore, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."
"But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised. Professor Trelawney gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look.
"Certainly I knew, Minerva, 11 she said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All- Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous.
"That explains a great deal," said Professor McGonagall tartly. Professor Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty.
"If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him --"
"Imagine that," said Professor McGonagall dryly. "
I doubt," said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney's conversation, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"

[Credo Buffa]

Woot! First new version of the "new thread"! Hooray!

Looking at that last PoA quote, I'm struck by Trelawney's comment about Lupin knowing that his time at Hogwarts would be short. Despite the fact that it's Trelawney saying it, do you suppose that Lupin was somehow aware that he would be leaving? Perhaps his employment at Hogwarts was only intended to be temporary, at least in his mind, and it just happened to be that his resignation took place under other circumstances that he hadn't planned on.

This is interesting when we go back and question what exactly Lupin was doing during GoF. If he only intended to stay teaching at Hogwarts for a year, he must have had something else lined up afterward, because teaching was probably the best job he had for a long time, and he wouldn't so easily give it up unless there were something more important he could be doing. . .

Any thoughts?

[RemusLupinFan]

First off, to newcomers!

Originally Posted by Remsy Luck

When Sirius speaks with the trio from Gryffindor’s fire, he says Umbidge has been campaigning for “rounding up and tagging” merpeople.
You think she did it with werewolves as well?
We know she passed some legislation that makes it impossible for Remus to find a job...but what is it? You think she might have had werewolves marked?

That’s a very good question, Remsy (welcome back, by the way!). I think it might have more to do with having employers run a more thorough background check to find out if the candidate’s name appears on the Werewolf Registry. Or maybe she made it mandatory that future employees disclose that information, and if they lie about being a werewolf, they don’t get the job (of course, if they tell the truth they most likely wouldn’t get the job too, so it’s a lose-lose situation).

Thank you for handling the quotes while I’m away, Mcpherson (I officially name you my Deputy Quotemistress )!

What with the promise of anti-dementor lessons from Lupin, the thought that he might never have to hear his mother’s death again, and the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, Harry’s mood took a definite upturn.

Harry is definitely looking forward to his anti-dementor lessons with Remus, a thought that lifts his mood up quite a bit.

“I can’t believe this,” Harry muttered, running a hand along the Firebolt, while Ron sank onto Harry’s bed, laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy. “Who -?”
“I know,” said Ron, controlling himself, “I know who it could’ve been -- Lupin!”
“What?” said Harry, now starting to laugh himself “Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he’d be able to buy himself some new robes.”
“Yeah, but he likes you,” said Ron. “And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might’ve heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you --”
“What d’you mean, he was away?” said Harry. “He was ill when I was playing in that match.”
“Well, he wasn’t in the hospital wing,” said Ron. “I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?”
Harry frowned at Ron.
“I can’t see Lupin affording something like this.”

I’ve seen many people say that Lupin was distant with Harry in PoA, but I think this passage shows that he in fact was not. If Ron is able to notice that Professor Lupin has taken a liking to Harry enough to think he’d go and buy Harry an expensive present, it certainly doesn’t appear to me that Lupin is distant with Harry. Though he respects the student-teacher boundaries, Remus still finds ways to show that he has a soft spot for Harry.

It’s interesting that Remus wasn’t in the hospital wing, but this can easily be explained by saying that he could have been lying down in his quarters to recover. Or else he could have been in the hospital wing in a private area away from where Ron was working, because it seems like Madam Pomfrey would want to keep her patients away from prying eyes (like she does with Hermione). So there are a few explanations as to why Ron didn’t see Lupin in the hospital wing.

”Tripe, Sibyll?”
Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more and said, “But where is dear Professor Lupin?”
“I’m afraid the poor fellow is ill again,” said Dumbledore, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. “Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day.”
“But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?” said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised. Professor Trelawney gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look.
“Certainly I knew, Minerva,” she said quietly. “But one does not parade the fact that one is All- Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous.
“That explains a great deal,” said Professor McGonagall tartly. Professor Trelawney’s voice suddenly became a good deal less misty.
“If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him --”
“Imagine that,” said Professor McGonagall dryly.”
I doubt,” said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney’s conversation, “that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you’ve made the potion for him again?”

Too bad Remus misses the Christmas dinner on account of the full moon. Re Remus running from Trelawney, I think what hobbitseeker said about the transformation being very soon is quite plausible. What hwyla says about Remus keeping up appearances to make it look like he’s afraid of crystal balls is also a very interesting idea. I had also never noticed that Trelawney's statement that Remus wouldn't be with them for much longer was indeed correct- good catch.

Originally Posted by dramageek751

I don't find Harry to be an introvert at all. He seems to let things out more than keep them in and is very outgoing. His "saving people thing" to me, is another sign of his extrovertedness, he outwardly realizes there is a problem and rashly answers the problem without thinking very much. Harry is a person that speaks his mind and acts before he thinks. Also, there hasn't been much cannon evidence that shows to me Remus' introvertedness. I think, according to what we've read about him, he is more extroverted than introverted, but perhaps I'm just crazy.

I agree with Puchula that both Harry and Remus are introverted when it comes to showing that something is bothering them. There have been so many times where Harry has insisted that he was fine when he really was not. Additionally, he has always tried not to be placed in the limelight by his fame, something that doesn't always work. I've seen evidence throughout the books that Remus is kind of the same way when it comes to keeping his emotions and feelings in control. So in to a degree, I do think both Remus and Harry are relatively introverted individuals.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Credo Buffa

This is interesting when we go back and question what exactly Lupin was doing during GoF. If he only intended to stay teaching at Hogwarts for a year, he must have had something else lined up afterward, because teaching was probably the best job he had for a long time, and he wouldn't so easily give it up unless there were something more important he could be doing. . .

Even if Remus didn't plan on leaving after one year, I'm sure he probably did have something lined up as a back-up plan just in case things fell through. I expect he had a lot of experience with being turned away and staying in a position temporarily, so I think it's plausible to say that Remus might have had something else planned for the next year if he was unable to remain at Hogwarts. I'm not really sure if Dumbledore hired him temporarily- I prefer to think he hired him on a permanent basis.

[m0nkeydump]

Didnt Dumbledore say she had no real seer skills/abilities? So anything she would "see" would probably be her (trelawney) making it up... in the PoA movie in Harry's cup was clearly a dog... I thought it shouldn't have been so clear and blatant... and Lupin's boggart turning into a moon with clouds...

[Puchula]

Originally Posted by Credo Buffa

Looking at that last PoA quote, I'm struck by Trelawney's comment about Lupin knowing that his time at Hogwarts would be short. Despite the fact that it's Trelawney saying it, do you suppose that Lupin was somehow aware that he would be leaving? Perhaps his employment at Hogwarts was only intended to be temporary, at least in his mind, and it just happened to be that his resignation took place under other circumstances that he hadn't planned on.

Well, seeing as Trelawney isn't very good at getting people's feelings I wouldn't trust her too much. But I think that inside him Lupin had always feared being discovered and his job being jeopardized, specially after Snape's DADA class. He has to live with this risk, even though he knows it's not fair it's reality, people will react against him the moment they find out the truth, even Ron did it, they way he shouts "Back off lycatrope!" (sp?) had to be pretty strong to Lupin, because he had a great relationship with the kids. So I'm almost sure he always fears being discovered and having to leave.

[Credo Buffa]

Originally Posted by RemusLupinFan

Edit:Even if Remus didn't plan on leaving after one year, I'm sure he probably did have something lined up as a back-up plan just in case things fell through. I expect he had a lot of experience with being turned away and staying in a position temporarily, so I think it's plausible to say that Remus might have had something else planned for the next year if he was unable to remain at Hogwarts. I'm not really sure if Dumbledore hired him temporarily- I prefer to think he hired him on a permanent basis.

But what could be so good or so important that he would leave Hogwarts to pursue it? Yes, as m0nkeydump said, Trelawney isn't exactly trustworthy, but her prediction ended up being true in this case. . . not only does she say he won't be around much longer, but that he himself knows it. If, considering that the one portion of the prediction ended up coming to pass, Lupin did in fact expect to be leaving, he must have had some other reason than being discovered as a werewolf. . . And since teaching is obviously a great profession for him, and put him in the closest contact with Harry that he could possibly have, it seems like there'd have to be something pretty spectacular to take him away.

Does that make sense? I'm not suggesting that Lupin thought something might happen and that he would have to leave this job (of course, he probably had that expectation, as you say RemusLupinFan, with every job), but that he planned to leave this job. Perhaps it could hold some clue to what he was doing during GoF, and could support the idea that it was something quite important.

[hobbitseeker]

Yay! Version two! Or twelve if we're really counting...

Originally Posted by RemusLupinFan

I’ve seen many people say that Lupin was distant with Harry in PoA, but I think this passage shows that he in fact was not. If Ron is able to notice that Professor Lupin has taken a liking to Harry enough to think he’d go and buy Harry an expensive present, it certainly doesn’t appear to me that Lupin is distant with Harry. Though he respects the student-teacher boundaries, Remus still finds ways to show that he has a soft spot for Harry.

Yes, I definitely agree with you here--if Ron, who has "the emotional range of a teaspoon" can notice Lupin's fondness for Harry, than Lupin definitely couldn't have been distant with him. I think people are mistaking Lupin's professional and ethical behaviors with being "distant." Certainly I have fondness for some of the children I work with, but professionally and ethically I cannot go around hugging them or spending personal time with them--I'm a social worker, not a friend. And in POA Remus is a Professor and mentor, not a father figure.

Originally Posted by RemusLupinFan

It’s interesting that Remus wasn’t in the hospital wing, but this can easily be explained by saying that he could have been lying down in his quarters to recover. Or else he could have been in the hospital wing in a private area away from where Ron was working, because it seems like Madam Pomfrey would want to keep her patients away from prying eyes (like she does with Hermione). So there are a few explanations as to why Ron didn’t see Lupin in the hospital wing.

I always assumed Remus was in his office or room recovering. I think he tries to keep his transformations and the aftermath of them as quiet and private as possible so as not to disturb others and so that he can heal on his own terms. Which leads me to whether I think he is extroverted or introverted:

Originally Posted by RemusLupinFan

I agree with Puchula that both Harry and Remus are introverted when it comes to showing that something is bothering them. There have been so many times where Harry has insisted that he was fine when he really was not. Additionally, he has always tried not to be placed in the limelight by his fame, something that doesn't always work. I've seen evidence throughout the books that Remus is kind of the same way when it comes to keeping his emotions and feelings in control. So in to a degree, I do think both Remus and Harry are relatively introverted individuals.

I definitely think both Remus and Harry are intoverted individuals. Harry especially keeps his thoughts to himself unless asked by others or if there are special circumstances. In fact, Harry doesn't always share important things with the people he trusts most--for example, he never told Dumbledore he could hear the disembodied voice in COS, even after DD asked if Harry needed to tell him anything. It seems Harry only truly voices his feelings when he is quite upset, otherwise he bottles them inside. I think Lupin is similar in some ways. Lupin does not seem to share his innermost thoughts and feelings with anyone that we know of, though we do not know what he and Sirius discussed behind closed doors (other than how Umbridge is horrible! ). Remus seems like a pretty private individual. He is confident, yes, but I wouldn't call him extroverted.

Originally Posted by Credo Buffa

Looking at that last PoA quote, I'm struck by Trelawney's comment about Lupin knowing that his time at Hogwarts would be short. Despite the fact that it's Trelawney saying it, do you suppose that Lupin was somehow aware that he would be leaving? Perhaps his employment at Hogwarts was only intended to be temporary, at least in his mind, and it just happened to be that his resignation took place under other circumstances that he hadn't planned on.

This is interesting when we go back and question what exactly Lupin was doing during GoF. If he only intended to stay teaching at Hogwarts for a year, he must have had something else lined up afterward, because teaching was probably the best job he had for a long time, and he wouldn't so easily give it up unless there were something more important he could be doing. . .

Any thoughts?

You know, now that you bring this up, the first thing that came to mind was the Remus might have been planning on only teaching as long as Voldemort was not doing anything big. What I'm trying to say is perhaps Remus only planned on teaching until Voldemort returned, after which he'd begin doing his "mysterious work for the Order" and would be otherwise engaged.

[Credo Buffa]

Originally Posted by hobbitseeker

You know, now that you bring this up, the first thing that came to mind was the Remus might have been planning on only teaching as long as Voldemort was not doing anything big. What I'm trying to say is perhaps Remus only planned on teaching until Voldemort returned, after which he'd begin doing his "mysterious work for the Order" and would be otherwise engaged.

That was my first thought. . . but Voldemort hadn't returned yet by the end of PoA. Maybe Dumbledore, or Lupin himself, knew something was up?

[hobbitseeker]

Originally Posted by Credo Buffa

That was my first thought. . . but Voldemort hadn't returned yet by the end of PoA. Maybe Dumbledore, or Lupin himself, knew something was up?

I'm sure Dumbledore knew something was up, because at the end of COS he talks about how he wonders how Voldemort was possessing Ginny when all his sources told him he was currently in Albania. So Dumbledore was definitely keeping tabs on Voldemort, and probably figured it was only a matter of time before he showed up again.

And speaking of Dumbledore "sources," could Remus have been one of those sources?

[Puchula]

Originally Posted by m0nkeydump

Didnt Dumbledore say she had no real seer skills/abilities? So anything she would "see" would probably be her (trelawney) making it up...

Oh, what we meant is that it was a funny coincidence, she said he was leaving soon and he did, pretty much like what happened with Hermione leaving class (We are going on with a conversation which started in the previous thread, feel free to take a look there if you want )

Originally Posted by RemusLupinFan

Even if Remus didn't plan on leaving after one year, I'm sure he probably did have something lined up as a back-up plan just in case things fell through. I expect he had a lot of experience with being turned away and staying in a position temporarily, so I think it's plausible to say that Remus might have had something else planned for the next year if he was unable to remain at Hogwarts. I'm not really sure if Dumbledore hired him temporarily- I prefer to think he hired him on a permanent basis.

What I wanted to say, but you sumarized it better than I did

Originally Posted by hobbitseeker

I'm sure Dumbledore knew something was up, because at the end of COS he talks about how he wonders how Voldemort was possessing Ginny when all his sources told him he was currently in Albania.

I think that by this he meant to say that it was no other than Lucius the one who had put Riddle's Diary among Ginny's books...

[hjohnson]

Yeah!! New version thanks RLF I have not been posting long and this is a first for me, how exciting.

“I can’t believe this,” Harry muttered, running a hand along the Firebolt, while Ron sank onto Harry’s bed, laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy. “Who -?”
“I know,” said Ron, controlling himself, “I know who it could’ve been -- Lupin!”
“What?” said Harry, now starting to laugh himself “Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he’d be able to buy himself some new robes.”
“Yeah, but he likes you,” said Ron. “And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might’ve heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you --”
“What d’you mean, he was away?” said Harry. “He was ill when I was playing in that match.”
“Well, he wasn’t in the hospital wing,” said Ron. “I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?”
Harry frowned at Ron.
“I can’t see Lupin affording something like this.”

I agree with all that this really shows that it is obvious that their is a special relationship between Remus and Harry. Ron who really doesn't notice much, has noticed that Remus likes Harry more than just student/teacher but it is not blatant enough to be a problem.

Originally posted by Hobbitseeker:
And speaking of Dumbledore "sources," could Remus have been one of those sources?

I have always wondered if Remus wasn't working for Dumbledore sort of speak as one of his sources, Dumbledore had said he always knew VM was out there and was not gone for good. Maybe with Peter getting away at the end of POA Dumbledore felt he might be going to find VM and make him come back to power, maybe he somehow knew the prediction Trelawney made about VM and his servent breaking free and helping him back to power. If that was the case when the truth came out and everyone knew Peter was the traitor and running, Remus spent most of GOF looking for him. I could be way off base on this one but just an idea.

It is glad to be back I was gone for a few days couldn't get online but once and it is amazing how much I missed reading all of your great posts, I think I am an official Lupinite, knew I was all along.

[Elf]

Wow, thread number 12! If that doesn't prove that Lupin is important, I don't know what does! Alright, maybe this...

I had a tidbit I wanted to share with you guys even though it's from a scene we have already discussed. Loup and I have mentioned before that we think Jo has incorporated some allusions to Narnia into her series, one being the wardrobe in the boggart scene. There's another little detail in that particular passage that suggests this might be the case. When the students follow Remus to the staff room we read that Lupin beckons "...the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing except an old wardrobe in which the teachers kept their spare robes." Now the spare robes certainly seem reminiscent of the fur coats in the wardrobe that leads to Narnia, but the word spare used here could be an even more specific reference. This reminds me of how Mr. Tumnus thinks Lucy is from the city of "War Drobe" in the land of "Spare Oom."

Anyway, some of you know that Loup and I think Jo is connecting Remus and Godric Gryffindor to Aslan via lion imagery, so I thought I would share this idea about the boggart scene.

I would also like to point out that the wardrobe containing the boggart during Remus' first lesson is the very same wardrobe in which Harry and Ron hide in CoS when they overhear that Ginny has been taken into the Chamber. We are told that the boys duck into the deserted staff room because they don't want to be caught in the corridors at which point Harry suggests that they hide in "...an ugly sort of wardrobe to his left, full of the teacher's cloaks". The teachers arrive and McGonagall informs them that Ginny (Hmmm, the youngest sister like Lucy...) has been taken by the monster. Ron and Harry listen in to the whole conversation from their hiding spot in the wardrobe.

So then we see the very same wardrobe during the boggart lesson, which I believe is meant to connect Remus to the events of the Chamber of Secrets. Some people get hung up on the fact that Remus was always intended to be introduced in book three, using this as "proof" that he isn't the HBP, as Jo once admitted to removing the HBP storyline from book two. Well, the fact that Jo links Remus and the Chamber via this wardrobe is certainly suspicious to me, especially considering the parallels between him and the Sorting Hat...

Just thought you guys might find that interesting.

[kingwidgit]

Wow! I've said it before--but Loup & Elf, ya'll rock my socks...

A nice tie-in to CoS.

[MauraderNo 5]

that is an incredible theory, this is the first time ive been to the lupin threads and I am now going to find the parts about the narnia series, I love the narnia series and also saw a connection with the wardrobe when I read book tree but totally forgot about it until now. EXCELLENT!

[kingwidgit]

Get over here Wormtail!

Hi MarauderNo 5!

Welcome to the Lyceum--home of the Lupinites!

Originally Posted by hjohnson

I have always wondered if Remus wasn't working for Dumbledore sort of speak as one of his sources, Dumbledore had said he always knew VM was out there and was not gone for good. Maybe with Peter getting away at the end of POA Dumbledore felt he might be going to find VM and make him come back to power, maybe he somehow knew the prediction Trelawney made about VM and his servent breaking free and helping him back to power. If that was the case when the truth came out and everyone knew Peter was the traitor and running, Remus spent most of GOF looking for him. I could be way off base on this one but just an idea.

This is a good idea, hjohnson. We all know that Remus was frequently gone from 12 Grimmauld Place in OoP, doing work for the Order...perhaps he was keeping tabs on VM et al...

[hobbitseeker]

Originally Posted by hjohnson

I have always wondered if Remus wasn't working for Dumbledore sort of speak as one of his sources, Dumbledore had said he always knew VM was out there and was not gone for good. Maybe with Peter getting away at the end of POA Dumbledore felt he might be going to find VM and make him come back to power, maybe he somehow knew the prediction Trelawney made about VM and his servent breaking free and helping him back to power. If that was the case when the truth came out and everyone knew Peter was the traitor and running, Remus spent most of GOF looking for him. I could be way off base on this one but just an idea.

It is glad to be back I was gone for a few days couldn't get online but once and it is amazing how much I missed reading all of your great posts, I think I am an official Lupinite, knew I was all along.

Actually, I was speaking about Remus possibly being one of Dumbledore's "sources" before the events of POA took place--like perhaps he was keeping tabs on Voldemort when he was nothing more than VaporMort trying to regain his strength after losing Quirrell. In COS, Dumbledore states that his "sources" told him Voldemort was currently hiding in Albania, so what if Remus was one of his sources? It'd be another tie-in from Remus to COS....

Dumbledore definitely knew about Trelawney's prediction, Harry told him about it at the end of POA (I just finished rereading it ). I do think Remus made himself useful during GOF and was probably doing something important like his "mysterious work for the Order." Anyone who is absent like that we must take note of, just like when Peter was absent for OotP.

And welcome to Lupinitis!! It's a wonderful affliction, I tell you....

[Allemande]

Originally Posted by Elf

Wow, thread number 12! If that doesn't prove that Lupin is important, I don't know what does! Alright, maybe this...

I had a tidbit I wanted to share with you guys even though it's from a scene we have already discussed. Loup and I have mentioned before that we think Jo has incorporated some allusions to Narnia into her series, one being the wardrobe in the boggart scene. There's another little detail in that particular passage that suggests this might be the case. When the students follow Remus to the staff room we read that Lupin beckons "...the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing except an old wardrobe in which the teachers kept their spare robes." Now the spare robes certainly seem reminiscent of the fur coats in the wardrobe that leads to Narnia, but the word spare used here could be an even more specific reference. This reminds me of how Mr. Tumnus thinks Lucy is from the city of "War Drobe" in the land of "Spare Oom."

Anyway, some of you know that Loup and I think Jo is connecting Remus and Godric Gryffindor to Aslan via lion imagery, so I thought I would share this idea about the boggart scene.

I would also like to point out that the wardrobe containing the boggart during Remus' first lesson is the very same wardrobe in which Harry and Ron hide in CoS when they overhear that Ginny has been taken into the Chamber. We are told that the boys duck into the deserted staff room because they don't want to be caught in the corridors at which point Harry suggests that they hide in "...an ugly sort of wardrobe to his left, full of the teacher's cloaks". The teachers arrive and McGonagall informs them that Ginny (Hmmm, the youngest sister like Lucy...) has been taken by the monster. Ron and Harry listen in to the whole conversation from their hiding spot in the wardrobe.

So then we see the very same wardrobe during the boggart lesson, which I believe is meant to connect Remus to the events of the Chamber of Secrets. Some people get hung up on the fact that Remus was always intended to be introduced in book three, using this as "proof" that he isn't the HBP, as Jo once admitted to removing the HBP storyline from book two. Well, the fact that Jo links Remus and the Chamber via this wardrobe is certainly suspicious to me, especially considering the parallels between him and the Sorting Hat...

Just thought you guys might find that interesting.

haven't posted here in quite awhile now, because I was somewhat intimdated by everyone's intelligent comments, but I am delurking to say, this is really brilliant, and I am now more convinced than ever that Remus is the HBP.
9 more days!!!

[rbpjsg]

I know this sounds weird but is it possible that he was one of Dumbledore's 'sources' for keeping track of Death Eaters not caught by the ministry rather than Voldemort/Vapermort himself? I mean when HRH first see Lupin his case says in peeling letters [/i]Professor[i] R. J. Lupin. Could he have been teaching at another school, perhaps keeping tabs on Karkaroff or something of the sort? I don't know. I suppose it sounds unlikely to me and I'm bringing it up but I thought I'd bring it up anyway.

[strange magic]

I'm pretty sure Lupin was one of Dumbeldore's sources along with Moody maybe. I also believe that some of those pictures Harry got of Lily and James were from Lupin too.