Hey guys,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In this video, we’re going to be
discussing Remus Lupin- Hogwarts professor, Werewolf, and husband to Nymphadora Tonks.
Remus Lupin was a british half-blood wizard born in the year 1960. Like most others, he
attendedHogwarts, and it was there that he befriended the other members of the ‘Marauder’s
- a gang of Gryffindors consisting of Remus, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter.
However, before he began attending the school, Remus was attacked in his early life by the
notorious Werewolf Fenrir Greyback. Fenrir sought revenge on Remus’s father, Lyall,
and attacking Remus in the middle of the night- turning him in to a werewolf- was the best
way to do this. The Marauders were completely understanding of Remus’s condition, and
did whatever they could to make his life seem as normal as possible.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Remus and the Marauders joined the Order of the Phoenix-
an organization that had one goal: take down Voldemort and his forces. When Pettigrew betrayed
the Order, his former ‘gang’ was no more. Pettigrew had changed allegiance, James Potter
had died, and Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban-framed for crimes which Pettigrew committed.
For years, Remus kept a low profile - the dark lord had been defeated by infant Harry,
and there was no immediate requirement for an opposition to dark forces. However, in
the 93-94 school year, we see Remus accept a posting at Hogwarts- professor for Defence
Against the Dark Arts. However, one thing that was never really addressed in the movies
properly was just how..shabby Lupin was.
The first time that we’re introduced to Lupin’s character, he’s described as follows:
The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard’s robes that had been darned
in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was
flecked with gray. [...]
“It’s on his case,” she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man’s head,
where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted
string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.
Then, again at the sorting ceremony:
Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best
robes.
Malfoy even took some jabs at him:
“Look at the state of his robes,” Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin
passed. “He dresses like our old house-elf.”
So, why did Remus have such a derelict appearance? Was he poor, or did he just not care?
As a professor to Harry, he’s always really generous-giving him chocolate frogs, buying
him Butterbeer, etc. So, surely he must have some money, right? Why wouldn’t he just
buy a new set of robes?
The truth is, Remus was really poor, and he only started to make a bit of money when he
got his job at Hogwarts. The only way that Remus was able to afford to buy things for
Harry, was because of his new posting. Before that, there’s no way that he could have
possibly spent anything on Harry. When he finally started working at Hogwarts, he spent
what he could on Harry so that he could spoil the son of his former best friend. But, he
still wasn’t rich.
After Harry sees Lupin on the train, his next encounter with him suggests that Lupin had
eaten properly for the first time in a while:
“Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher’s desk. He
was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had
had a few square meals.”
In the Half-Blood Prince we see Remus discussing his financial situation with Tonks:
“And I've told you a million times,” said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring
at the floor, “that I am too old for you, too poor... too dangerous...”
And in the Order of the Phoenix it’s revealed that it’s extremely difficult to find work
when you’re a Werewolf:
“I know she’s a nasty piece of work though- you should hear Remus talk about her.”
“Does he know her?”
“No, but she drafted a bit of anti-werewolf legislation two years ago that makes it almost
impossible for him to get a job.”
JK Rowling expanded on this in an interview:
Remus lived a hand-to-mouth existence, taking jobs that were far below his level of ability,
always knowing that he would have to leave them before his pattern of growing sick once
a month at the full moon was noticed by his workmates.
And it has been expressed that Dumbledore changed his life when he tracked him down
for the posting at Hogwarts:
“Once again, Albus Dumbledore changed the course of Remus Lupin’s life when he tracked
him down to a tumbledown, semi-derelict cottage in Yorkshire.”
And that’s why Remus Lupin was constantly described as looking ‘shabby’ and ‘downtrodden’
- he was poor, and as a werewolf it was exceedingly difficult for him to find consistent work.
That’s it for this video, if you enjoy the content please like the video and subscribe
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Until next time,
YER A WIZARD ARRY