Remus Lupin

Remus John Lupin (born March 10, 1959) is a fictional character in the Harry Potter novels, portrayed by David Thewlis in the films.

Related Topics:
March 10 - 1959 - Fictional character - Harry Potter - David Thewlis - Films

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Lupin first appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, during which he taught Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the end of the year Severus Snape made public the fact that he was a werewolf and whereupon Lupin had to resign. During his tenure, he gave Harry private lessons in dealing with Dementors. His students, excepting a few from Slytherin, held him in extremely high regard and loved the hands-on style of his classes. He was considered by Harry and his friends to have been their best Defence teacher, although his competition was hardly stiff in this regard (his predecessors were Quirinus Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort, and Gilderoy Lockhart, a fraudster; he was succeeded by a follower of Voldemort who pretended to be Alastor Moody, domineering and vicious Ministry of Magic official, Dolores Umbridge; and, most recently, the intimidating and suspect former Potions master, Severus Snape.)

Related Topics:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Defence Against the Dark Arts - Hogwarts - Severus Snape - Werewolf - Harry - Dementor - Slytherin - Quirinus Quirrell - Voldemort - Gilderoy Lockhart - Follower of Voldemort - Alastor Moody - Ministry of Magic - Dolores Umbridge - Most recently - Potions

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Lupin reappeared as a member of the Order of the Phoenix in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince, but his role in those books was smaller than in Prisoner of Azkaban.

Related Topics:
Order of the Phoenix - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Half-Blood Prince

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Lupin was bitten by the vicious werewolf Fenrir Greyback as a child, becoming a werewolf himself. Though he and his parents were justifiably afraid he would not be able to attend school, headteacher Albus Dumbledore allowed him to enrol at Hogwarts. A house was built in Hogsmeade with a secret passage leading to it from under the Whomping Willow. Lupin was smuggled into this house for his monthly transformations to ensure his safety and that of others. The transformation from human to werewolf is difficult and painful, and when isolated from humans or the company of other animals, a werewolf will harm itself with its own teeth and claws out of frustration. The villagers mistook Lupin's screaming as that of extremely violent ghosts. The house was dubbed "the Shrieking Shack" and became known as the most haunted building in Britain. Although the house was not really haunted at all, Dumbledore encouraged this rumour to discourage curious villagers from exploring.

Related Topics:
Fenrir Greyback - Albus Dumbledore - Hogwarts - Hogsmeade - Whomping Willow - Human - Werewolf - Ghost - Britain

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Remus kept his transformations a secret, but his friends (James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew) deduced the truth in their second year. By their fifth year they had learnt how to become Animagi themselves to keep him company during his transformations. A werewolf is only a danger to humans. He was given the nickname "Moony" by his friends because of his condition. In their sixth year, Sirius Black played a prank on Severus Snape, whom all four of them loathed. He told Snape where Remus went every month, knowing full well that Snape could be killed if he approached Lupin in his werewolf state. James stopped Snape, saving his life, but Snape still discovered that Remus was a werewolf and was sworn to secrecy by Dumbledore. Snape was never able to forgive James and Sirius for their prank and believed that James's motive in foiling the plan was nothing more than self-interest, to avoid expulsion from Hogwarts.

Related Topics:
James Potter - Sirius Black - Peter Pettigrew - Animagi - Human - Nickname

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Remus was a prefect, though he had trouble exercising discipline over his friends. In an interview, J. K. Rowling linked this to Remus's desire to be liked, "because he's been disliked so often." Sirius said Remus was the "good boy" in Order of the Phoenix, and Rowling said he was the "mature" one. Sirius says that Lupin did not participate in his and James's bullying (of Snape, in particular), but Lupin regrets never having told them to stop.

Related Topics:
Prefect - J. K. Rowling

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In Prisoner of Azkaban, he is described as having "light brown hair" that is greying. In Order of the Phoenix, he has a pale face with premature lines. He has shabby, patched clothing. Few in the magical world want to employ a werewolf and almost all are prejudiced against them. With the addition of new anti-werewolf laws passed by the Ministry of Magic, finding employment became practically impossible and almost illegal. With Wolfsbane Potion provided regularly by Snape during his time at Hogwarts, he was able to retain his human mind during transformations. Since he is a werewolf, Lupin's boggart takes the form of the full moon.

Related Topics:
Prejudice - Ministry of Magic - Boggart - Full moon

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In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lupin's werewolf is portrayed as a humanised wolf, although the books inform us that there are only minor superficial differences between the appearances of a true wolf and a transformed werewolf in the Harry Potter world.

Related Topics:
The film adaptation - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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There is evidence to suggest that Lupin is a more powerful wizard than he lets on. While on the train during Prisoner of Azkaban, he summons fire without a wand (wandless magic being difficult to perform) and holds it in the palm of his bare hand. Later, in Order of the Phoenix, he is the only fighter besides Dumbledore who was not wounded, killed or knocked unconscious in the battle at the Department of Mysteries.

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In Half-Blood Prince, it is revealed that he is hiding undercover as a spy amongst his fellow werewolves who are under the leadership of the very werewolf who originally bit him. Fenrir Greyback is now in the employ of Voldemort. Remus admits to Harry that he finds the werewolves' motives for siding with Voldemort hard to argue with, as he offers them more freedom than they are currently allowed.

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At the end of the book it is revealed that Nymphadora Tonks is in love with Remus. He resists becoming involved with her because of the risks from his being a werewolf, and because he is too old and poor for her. However, the two are seen holding hands in one of the last scenes. The pairing of Lupin and Tonks was predicted before the release of Half-Blood Prince by some "shippers," but largely thought to be unlikely.

Related Topics:
Nymphadora Tonks - Shippers

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