Remus Lupin

"It is the quality of one's convictions that determines success, not the number of followers."

- Remus regarding the importance of belief

Professor Remus John Lupin,, (10 March, 1960 – 2 May, 1998), also known as Moony, was a half-blood wizard and the only son of Lyall and Hope Lupin. He was afflicted with lycanthropy during his childhood, as a result of Fenrir Greyback's revenge against Lyall. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1971-1978 and was Sorted into Gryffindor House. During his school years he was one of the Marauders, best friends with Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew. Together they created the Marauder's Map.

After Hogwarts, Remus and his friends joined the original Order of the Phoenix and fought in the First Wizarding War. However, Pettigrew betrayed James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort a week after he was made the couples' Secret Keeper. Thus Remus had lost all of his closest friends in various ways by the end of the First Wizarding War. The loss of his friends devastated him, though he and Sirius Black later rekindled their friendship.

Remus taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts during the 1993-1994 school year. Remus was regarded by students to be the best Defence teacher they have had thus far. He was also a professor of Harry Potter (James' son) whom he taught how to conjure a corporeal Patronus, but resigned after Severus Snape revealed to the public that Remus was a werewolf.

He fought against Death Eaters once more in the Second Wizarding War, during which he lost his friend Sirius. In 1997, Remus married fellow Order member Nymphadora Tonks and had a son, Edward Remus Lupin, of whom he named Harry the godfather. Remus fought at the Battle of Hogwarts on 2 May, 1998, during which his wife was murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange. Remus was also murdered by Death Eater, Antonin Dolohov, during the first half of the same battle. His death was avenged by Filius Flitwick.

Remus briefly appeared again through the Resurrection Stone for Harry, along with James Potter, Lily Potter, and Sirius Black in 1998. After his death his son was raised by Andromeda Tonks and Harry Potter.

Early life
Remus was born on 10 March, 1960 to Lyall and Hope Lupin. His father worked at the Ministry of Magic and encountered the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, who was on trial for killing two children. Lyall was the only one at court to realise that Greyback was a werewolf, as Greyback pretended to be a Muggle tramp. Outraged when Greyback was released, he voiced the opinion that Greyback deserved nothing but death. This opinion cost the Lupin family dearly, as Greyback decided to revenge himself upon Lyall by targeting his son. As the nearly five-year-old Remus slept peacefully in his bed, Greyback forced his way in through the window. Though Lyall was able to get there in time to drive Greyback off with powerful spells, he was unable to prevent him from completing his evil goal. Remus became infected with lycanthropy and he became a werewolf himself.

His parents took him to various healers and tried their best to make him a normal boy, but there was no cure for his condition. But Headmaster Albus Dumbledore made special accommodations allowing Remus to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hogwarts years
"My transformations in those days were — were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits."

- Description of Lupin's transformations



Remus attended Hogwarts and was Sorted into Gryffindor House. To secure his safety, as well as that of his peers, Remus would be brought to the Shrieking Shack once a month for his transformations in order to prevent him from attacking other students. However, this isolation caused him to attack himself out of frustration. This, and the painful monthly transformations, made the villagers of Hogsmeade mistake his screams for that of violent ghosts. Dumbledore, wanting to keep the truth of these noises a secret, encouraged these rumours. Thus, the building was dubbed the Shrieking Shack, which held the reputation for being the most haunted building in Britain.

Remus became the very best of friends with fellow Gryffindors Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew. He kept his status as a werewolf a secret from all of the students at Hogwarts, including Sirius, James, and Peter, his fellow Marauders and future Order members. He made up stories to explain his monthly disappearances, such as that his mother was ill and he needed to go home to visit her. He was terrified that they would desert him once they found out what he truly was. However, Sirius, James, and Peter worked out the truth during their second year, and due to their acceptance of who Remus was, and their unusually strong friendship with him, they decided to learn how to become Animagi in order to keep Remus company during his transformations, as a werewolf is only a danger to humans.



By their fifth year, Sirius was able to become a dog, and James was able to become a stag, animals large enough to keep the wolfish Remus in check. Peter, meanwhile, was able to become a rat. Once a month during the full moon, Sirius, James and Peter would sneak out of the castle under James' Invisibility Cloak, transform, get into the Whomping Willow, walk down the tunnel and meet up with Remus in the Shrieking Shack. Under their influence, Lupin became tame; his body was still a wolf's, but his mind became less so when he was among them. The four of them soon left the Whomping Willow and would roam among the school grounds and Hogsmeade by night. Eventually, this group of friends came to call themselves the Marauders, and Remus' friends nicknamed him "Moony" because of his transformations during every full moon.

Remus was a good student, but also a prankster. He and Peter Pettigrew would sometimes join Sirius and James in detention for mischief-making, though they did not get into as much trouble as their other friends. It's unlikely that any other Hogwarts students ever found out as much about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade as they did and Sirius, James, Remus and Peter used their knowledge of it to write the Marauder's Map and signed it with their nicknames. Unfortunately, it somehow ended up being confiscated by Argus Filch, but was eventually recovered by Fred and George Weasley in the 1989-90 school year.



However, Remus' frequent disappearances riled up an unhealthy curiosity in Severus Snape, a Slytherin student whom the Marauders often bullied, in the same year as Remus. Because of Severus' enmity towards Sirius and James, he disliked Remus and Peter by association, making him all the more suspicious. He often followed Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter around in order to see what they were up to and in an effort to have them expelled. Sometime in their early school career, Sirius played a malicious prank on Snape by telling him about the Whomping Willow passageway, hoping that he would be terrified or even get seriously hurt by what he found at the other end. James, who hated Snape, was able to stop Snape and save his life in the nick of time, but Snape still uncovered Remus' secret, seeing him at the end of the passage.

Remus was also a prefect while he was at Hogwarts, although he had trouble exercising discipline over his dearest friends; he claims Dumbledore hoped he could exert control over them as a Prefect. Sirius later tells Harry that Remus wasn't an idiot like his friends because he was never cruel to Snape. But Remus admitted that he regretted that he had never stepped in to stop it.

First Wizarding War


Shortly after graduating from Hogwarts, Remus joined the Order of the Phoenix along with Sirius, James, Peter, and Lily Evans, standing up against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Remus failed to find employment following his education because of his affliction as a werewolf. However, James used his wealth to financially support him.

By the height of the war, Remus' friend Sirius Black had come to distrust him, suspecting that he might be a spy for the other side. Thus, when a prophecy was made about a child who would have the power to defeat the Dark Lord, and Dumbledore identified infant Harry Potter as a possible target, Remus was not included in the plan to keep the Potters safe, though he was aware that they used the Fidelius Charm. James and Lily Potter wanted to use Sirius as their Secret-Keeper, but Sirius thought that would be too obvious, and thus suggested Peter Pettigrew instead, who would be a nearly unpredictable move, him being known for his "measly empty-headedness." Neither Dumbledore or Lupin knew of this switch.

At the time of Lily and James' death, Lupin was in the north of the country on Order of the Phoenix business when he discovered what had, apparently, happened. This was one of the most traumatic events of Remus' life, especially since, within the next day, he would also be losing his other two best friends. Sirius was imprisoned in Azkaban for supposedly murdering Pettigrew and twelve Muggles with one curse

Between the wars
"On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. Firstly, Professor Lupin who had kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

- Remus being introduced as the new DADA professor



After Voldemort's first downfall, the Order of the Phoenix disbanded, and members returned to their busy lives with their families. Lupin, however, was left lonely and unhappy — two of his three best friends were dead, one was imprisoned for mass murder, his mother had eventually died too, and he refused to spoil his father's peaceful existence by returning to live with him. Remus was forced to take jobs that were far below his level of ability, always knowing he would have to leave them before his workmates noticed the signs of his lycanthropy. A faint ray of hope came for Remus when he heard of the new invention of the Wolfsbane Potion, which can mitigate the worst effects of lycanthropy, though this was almost immediately dashed when he saw the potion's complexity and expensive ingredients. Potions was not his strongest suit and he has a very low income rate.

By the early 1990s, Lupin was living in poverty, in a tumbledown, semi-derelict cottage in Yorkshire. Albus Dumbledore tracked Lupin down in the summer of 1993, and offered him the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts, replacing the permanently amnesiac Gilderoy Lockhart. Lupin only accepted Dumbledore's proposal when he explained there would be a limitless supply of Wolfsbane Potion, courtesy of Severus Snape, now the Potions Master at the school.



Lupin arrived to Hogwarts via the Hogwarts Express, which was peculiar as the train is usually reserved for students, the trolley witch and the Hogwarts Express driver. It was here where Remus first met James' son, Harry Potter, directly. Lupin was apparently sleeping deeply that he did not notice Harry's attempt to wake him up to buy some food from the Honeydukes Express, but swiftly awoke to deal with a Dementor who was prowling in their cabin in search for the runaway Sirius; Remus disguised his wolf-shaped Patronus as a vague mist to prevent leaving hints about his afflictions. He then gave everybody there a piece of chocolate as a mild relief from the Dementor's effects, giving a particularly large piece to Harry. While doing so he greeted him in a casual and friendly fashion. Although Remus did not receive much enthusiasm from most students' applause during his introduction due to his rather shabby appearance, Harry and his friends were the few who gave their full approval due to the positive first impression he gave them.



Although the students were kept in the dark about his affliction, the staff were made aware that he was a werewolf. Remus taught the class a comprehensive and fascinating curriculum of identifying and sidestepping Dark creatures such as hinkypunks and Red Caps. He also taught the class about Boggarts. Remus had proven himself a skilled teacher, managing to keep the children's' interest in the subject and had shown himself far more competent than his predecessor's vain, useless lessons. It was during that class that Harry realised his "greatest fear was fear itself" when his Boggart took on the form of a Dementor. After this, Remus gave Harry private lessons in producing a Patronus as a means to repel Dementors, when it became apparent that he was especially vulnerable to them because, according to Lupin, Harry had "true horrors" in his past that were especially appealing to the Dementors. Incidentally, being a werewolf, Remus' Boggart would take on the form of the full moon. Students who saw this Boggart form mistook it for a crystal ball, except for Hermione Granger, who cleverly deduced that Remus was a werewolf and kept the discovery to herself.

During his time as a Professor, Severus Snape, who had switched sides at the end of the war and became Potions Professor, provided Remus with Wolfsbane Potion, allowing him to retain his human mind during transformations.

Slytherin students, encouraged by Draco Malfoy, sneered at Remus' shabby clothes and poor appearance, although he seemed to ignore their comments. Regardless, his other students 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 only decent Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.



Remus was soon summoned to Snape's office to identify whether a piece of parchment he caught Harry with to be Dark magic. Remus recognised it as the Marauder's Map but tried to pass it off as a product of Zonko's Joke Shop. At the same moment, Ron burst in to back up that claim. After escorting the two boys from Snape's office, Remus told them that he knew what the map was and was more astounded that they did not hand it in, and reprimanded Harry, much to their surprise. He confiscated the map, knowing that it would be too dangerous for Harry to use the secret passages with Sirius on the loose.

For his third years' end of year tests in June, he prepared an unusual exam — an obstacle course out in the grounds in which the students had to: wade across a paddling pool containing a grindylow; cross a series of pot-holes full of Red Caps; cross a marsh while being fed misleading directions by a hinkypunk; and enter a trunk to battle a newly procured boggart. Hermione Granger even commented in her fifth year that Lupin's exam was the only occasion where she and Harry took a Defence exam from a teacher who knew what they were doing (exams were cancelled in second year and Harry was exempt due to his status as a Triwizard Champion in fourth year).

The summer before Remus began his tenure as the Defence professor, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. Remus, like the rest of the wizarding world, believed that Sirius had betrayed the Potters to Voldemort and murdered Peter Pettigrew.



By the end of the school year, however, Remus knew the truth of what had happened and that Pettigrew was still alive, hiding in his Animagus form — Scabbers, the pet rat of Ron Weasley. He was watching the Marauder's Map, expecting Harry and his friends to go down to see Hagrid before Buckbeak's execution and was shocked to see Pettigrew coming out of Hagrid's with them. Remus was reunited with his old friend Sirius, and the two resolved to kill Pettigrew for his part in the deaths of James and Lily and in framing Sirius. They were stopped by Harry Potter, who believed it would be better to hand Pettigrew over to the Ministry of Magic to prove Sirius' innocence, and also did not think his father would want Remus and Sirius to become killers.

However, that night happened to be a full moon, and Remus transformed into a werewolf (having forgotten to take the Wolfsbane Potion). Sirius was forced to turn into his Animagus form to protect Harry, Hermione, and Ron from Remus. In the chaos, Pettigrew unfortunately escaped and would later return to his master. Once in the forest, Lupin proceeded to attack Harry and Hermione, but was stopped by Buckbeak the hippogriff. After the attempted attack on Harry and Hermione, Remus spent the rest of the night deep in the Forbidden Forest.



After the danger had passed, Remus resigned from his position when parents learned that he was a werewolf. His sudden resignation was much to the regret of the majority of the Hogwarts students and staff, who had all grown deeply fond of him. Harry, in particular, begged him earnestly to stay, declaring that he was the best Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher that the students had ever had. Remus simply shook his head, handed him the Marauder's Map and also returned the Invisibility Cloak that was left at the Shrieking Shack, and told him that it had been a real pleasure teaching him, and that he was perfectly sure that they would soon meet again.

He sent a letter to his successor informing him of what he taught Harry and the others, but it was intercepted.

Second Wizarding War
"The last time Voldemort gained power he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear. Now he's returned, and I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."

- Remus regarding the Minister's denial of Voldemort's return

When Lord Voldemort returned, Remus rejoined the Order of the Phoenix. He was a member of the Advance Guard that escorted Harry Potter from 4 Privet Drive to 12 Grimmauld Place. Lupin lived for some time at Sirius' house, but he was not around very often as he was usually sent on many missions for the Order.

Battle of the Department of Mysteries


Remus participated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996 and defeated a number of Death Eaters including their leader, Lucius Malfoy. He was one of the only three combatants to see the end of the battle unscathed, the others being Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, proving Remus' exceptional skill at duelling. During this battle, Remus witnessed and was devastated by the death of his last surviving Marauder friend, Sirius, who was pushed through the veil in the Death Chamber by a curse cast by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Remus barely managed to prevent Harry from diving in after Sirius, who was already lost. Later that year, Remus began working as a spy for the Order, living among fellow werewolves and trying to convince them to join Dumbledore's side. It is said that he volunteered just to keep away from Tonks, as they were both very much in love with each other by this point and he would not risk his child having lycanthropy. Alas, it was difficult to convince them due to the fact that many were frightened and intimidated by Fenrir Greyback and that Remus showed signs of living among humans.

Battle of the Astronomy Tower
"NO!"

- Lupin's loss of control upon hearing of Dumbledore's death



The following year, Remus fought bravely again at the Battle of the Astronomy Tower where he narrowly avoided death by a curse from Thorfinn Rowle. Remus, was devastated upon hearing about the death of Albus Dumbledore, who had been killed by Snape. However, the aftermath of the battle led to him to accept the love of Nymphadora Tonks, who pointed out that Fleur Delacour still loved Bill Weasley in spite of being attacked and scarred by Greyback. The pair attended their former Headmaster's funeral together and soon married in the north of Scotland with only witnesses from the local tavern. They were forced to do so quietly, given the general prejudice against werewolves.

Battle of the Seven Potters
"Harry, the time for Disarming is past! These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least stun if you aren't prepared to kill!"

- Remus scolds Harry Potter for showing mercy during the sky battle



In July of 1997, Remus participated in the Order's operation to remove Harry from his home before Voldemort could get to him. Remus acted as the protector of George Weasley, who took Polyjuice Potion to become one of the "seven Potters." The party was ambushed by at least thirty cloaked Death Eaters. George was accidentally struck by Snape, who was trying to aim for a Death Eater, but accidentally stuck George instead with his Sectumsempra curse while George and Remus flew. Remus was unable to pay Snape back in time, it being all he could do to keep George on the broom, as the latter was losing a copious amount of blood.



He eventually got the injured George back to the Burrow to be cleaned up, though George permanently lost an ear. Upon arrival, Remus accosted Harry to prove that Harry was the real Harry. It was later revealed that Snape had sent the spell in an attempt to cut off the hand of a Death Eater aiming at Remus' back, presumably about to kill him. Remus was very anxious about the late arrival of his wife; Tonks had been aggressively pursued by her murderous, cruel aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange. When the party mourned the death of Alastor Moody, they discussed their betrayal. Harry voiced the opinion that he trusted all of them with his life. Remus urged caution, seeing as Harry's father was killed because he put his trust in the wrong friend.

Remus and Tonks both attended the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour shortly afterwards, and bravely defended the Burrow when it came under attack as Voldemort took over the Ministry.

On the run
"Don't you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I've made her an outcast! And the child — the child...my kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it! How can I forgive myself when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child?! And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it should always be ashamed!"

- Remus' view of his marriage to Tonks and her pregnancy



Remus suffered great mental anguish as the war escalated when he learned that his wife was pregnant. He even tore out a clump of his own hair in anxiety over the possibility that his child would be born a werewolf. He visited Harry, Ron, and Hermione while they hid out in Grimmauld Place and offered to help with their search for Voldemort's Horcruxes. However, Harry denounced him, calling him a coward for even considering leaving his wife alone while pregnant. Remus left them greatly agitated.

Harry and his friends next heard of Remus on Potterwatch, under the code name "Romulus". Remus made Harry realise that they were still good friends, with his putting forth the opinion that Harry's instincts were good and they were usually right.

Remus eventually came to his senses and reunited with Tonks in time to see his son's birth. They named him Edward Remus "Teddy" Lupin, after Tonks' father, who had recently been murdered by Snatchers after refusing to turn himself in to the Muggle-Born Registration Commission. Appearing to forgive and forget their earlier disagreement in Grimmauld Place, Remus asked Harry to be Teddy's godfather.

Battle of Hogwarts and death


Remus was one of the many Order members who answered Neville Longbottom's call to arms on 1 May, 1998. Harry, Hermione, and Ron returned to Hogwarts and Lord Voldemort gathered his army to attack the school in order to capture Harry Potter. He organised and led groups to fight Death Eaters on the school grounds, along with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley. His wife initially agreed not to participate in the Battle of Hogwarts, instead staying with their infant son, but was ultimately unable to bear leaving her husband to face such danger without her.



She left Teddy with her mother and raced to Hogwarts, where she was informed that Remus was last seen duelling Death Eater Antonin Dolohov. Dolohov murdered Remus, who was no longer in prime fighting condition, due to months of protective and concealment charms in order to keep his wife and son safe from possible attacks. He was murdered in the Main Courtyard during the first half of the battle along with many others, including Tonks, his wife, who was murdered by her aunt Bellatrix Lestrange. Lupin's death was avenged by Filius Flitwick who defeated or possibly murdered Dolohov.

Post-mortem
"I am sorry too... Sorry I will never know him... but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand."

- Lupin's parting words to Harry Potter

During the brief pause in the battle, Remus and Tonks' bodies were laid out beside each other in the Great Hall. The nature of Remus' death was not revealed, but his body was described as peaceful-looking, implying that he was struck with either a Killing Curse or Dolohov's own curse; both are known to leave no visible marks on the outer body.



However, Remus still had an important part to play in the war. When Harry proceeded to the Death Eater camp to be struck down by Lord Voldemort, he first activated the Resurrection Stone, bringing back the spirits of his parents, Sirius, and Remus; Remus expressed the hope that Harry would care for his son, lamenting that he would never know him, but also found comfort in the fact that his son would know and understand why he died: he was trying to make a world in which his son could live a happier life.

Remus Lupin was posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, the first werewolf ever to have been accorded this honour. The example of his life and death played an important role in lifting the stigma on werewolves among the wizarding society.

Physical appearance
"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 grey."

- Description of Lupin's outward appearance



Remus was described as having a pale face with premature lines, and light brown hair that, as he progressed through his thirties, became more and more grey. The lines on his face and his greying hair were the results of the great deal of stress his body underwent with each full moon. His clothing is consistently shabby and patched, presumably because of his inability to find a decently-paid job due to his status as a werewolf.

In 1993, he sported a thin moustache, and from 1995 until his death, he sported more of a rough beard. He had scars cutting across his face and given Remus' comments on werewolf inflicted injuries being cursed wounds that are unlikely to fully heal after Fenrir Greyback's attack on Bill Weasley, it is possible he had more scars from his self-inflicted injuries during his transformations. In death, however, the flaws of his appearance were rectified, just like his friend Sirius Black; his spirit was described as "younger, less shabby, and his hair was thicker and darker."

He was also quite tall, standing six feet, two inches tall. His height was not often mentioned, but is notable as his height corresponded roughly to the full length of a wolf's body from nose to tail.

In his werewolf form, he was a large beast with grey fur, and the only differences between his appearance and that of a true wolf being his shorter snout, more human eyes, and tufted tail.

Personality and traits
Remus was compassionate, intelligent, tolerant, levelheaded, peaceful, selfless, brave, kind, and good-natured. Despite having suffered a great deal of prejudice in his life due to his lycanthropy, he managed to retain an ability to see the good in almost everybody and was extremely forgiving. Remus also had an excellent sense of humour. When he was a student at school he was also part of the Marauders. However, unlike his friends, he never partook in bullying. He hence could be described as the most mature and responsible one of the group. He even became a prefect in his fifth year. Also he was able to, or at least would try to maintain civil conversation with those he did not get along well with.



Remus was unusually perceptive, with an uncanny ability to guess the thoughts of those around him. This is especially clear in his conversations with Harry Potter, such as his intuiting that Harry was afraid that he thought he couldn't handle working with the boggart. He was a gifted teacher, with a rare flair for his subject and a profound understanding of his pupils. He was, as ever, drawn to the underdog, and Neville Longbottom especially benefited from his wisdom and encouragement. His perceptive nature is a rather ironic trait, given that wolves are rather intuitive and astute judges of character and communicate primarily through body language, a skill that Remus was extremely developed and talented at.

True to being a Gryffindor, Lupin was quite courageous. Nonetheless, he suffered deep-seated feelings of shame and fear of rejection which, in certain situations, led him to consider backing down. His greatest weakness was that, in his desperate longing to belong and be liked, he was neither as brave or honest as he should have been at times. Remus once claimed that he was cowardly, because he was unable to bring himself to tell Dumbledore that James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew were Animagi, as it would have meant that he had betrayed Dumbledore's trust, which meant everything to him. His love for James and Sirius also led him to not do anything to stop their bullying other students, a most notable example being when Snape was constantly bullied by his friends, but Remus was terrified of losing them and therefore did nothing to stop the bullying, something that he later admits to regret. Perhaps the most critical example of this was his temptation to join Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger on Dumbledore's mission and abandon his wife and unborn son because he was afraid that her family would be ashamed of him being a werewolf. However, ultimately he came to his senses.

He also has been noted to dislike the form of his Patronus as it takes the shape of a wolf. Lupin was disgusted by all things wolfish as they reminded him of his condition, and due to this has been known to deliberately cast a non-corporeal Patronus, particularly when in the company of others, for fear it would give him away as a werewolf. The irony of this is that his desires to belong and be liked are that wolves are social animals, and often act in the interests of their pack, much like Remus' self-sacrificing nature, making him rather wolf-like even in his human form. In many ways, he represents the best parts of wolves, including his intelligence, adaptability, nurturing instincts, and his fierce desire to protect his loved ones.

His Boggart is a full moon, reflecting on his terror of transforming near humans. It also shows his hatred of his condition.

Remus' nurturing instincts were incredibly wolfish. Due to his position being that of a moderator, teacher, and nurturer, Remus fits the wolf pack position of the "nanny" or sergeant, looking after and teaching younger wolves - in this case his students and younger Order members - and keeping his friends in line, albeit with limited success at times.

In contrast to Sirius' more competitive and combative nature, Remus was far more peaceful, reserved, and prone to negotiation despite his nature as a werewolf. This is symbolic of how dogs often tend to fight for dominance versus the more pragmatic and somewhat democratic nature of wolves in a pack who organise themselves peacefully unless threatened. However, Remus was by no means weak and marched into battle against Voldemort's soldiers like a true warrior. Remus referred to Voldemort by name, unafraid of the Dark Lord or his loyal Death Eaters.

After losing James, Sirius and Lily and all hope of reconciliation with Pettegrew gone, Remus had every reason to succumb to depression and despondency. However, he retained his appreciation for the good people existing in his life and continued to draw strength from them.

Magical abilities and skills
"You're the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!"

- Harry Potter regarding Remus' skills

Remus was an accomplished and skilful wizard, with extensive knowledge of Dark creatures. He also possessed the ability to properly impart practical and theoretical skills of defensive magic to others. Remus was capable of conjuring a corporeal wolf Patronus (a mark of superior magical ability). He also proved to be a skilful duellist, surviving numerous battles.


 * Defence Against the Dark Arts: In 1993, Remus took the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Considered by most of his pupils to be the best teacher they had had in the subject, he was very knowledgeable on the subject of Dark creatures and how to handle them, as shown how he expertly taught this to Harry Potter and his classmates during their third year. Known to have displayed a rare flair for his own subject, he would also have been very proficient on the subject of counter-curses and defensive spellwork, and, being a very proficient duelist, might very well have helped some of his older students become accomplished in combative magic themselves. He also taught Harry Potter the highly advanced Patronus Charm, which he himself must have mastered at a relatively young age, at least when he joined the first Order of the Phoenix. Remus' Patronus takes the form of a wolf, a reflection of his condition, but he can disguise it into a non-corporeal form to hide that fact.

"There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames."

- Lupin using a nonverbal flame spell

"Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint."
 * Non-verbal and wandless magic: While on the Hogwarts Express in 1993, Remus conjured fire (possibly Bluebell Flames) without using a wand and non-verbally. He could also open locks and chests and relight candles with just the wave of his hand. When Remus and Harry had a heated argument in 1997, Remus struck him with a silent spell so quickly that Harry barely had time to reach for his own wand. These were a testament to Remus being a truly powerful wizard, as both wandless and non-verbal magic are very difficult.
 * Duelling: Remus was a highly talented duellist. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he was the only fighter besides Albus Dumbledore and his pupil, Harry, who was not wounded, killed, or incapacitated. He is seen duelling Lucius Malfoy (the leader of the Death Eaters) in order to defend Harry and Neville and presumably was able to defeat him due to his unscathed appearance shortly after. He also came out of the Battle of the Astronomy Tower unscathed, and later survived the Battle of the Seven Potters despite his having to support an injured George Weasley while fighting and flying during the conflict. However, Remus was ultimately killed in a duel during the Battle of Hogwarts with Antonin Dolohov, a highly skilled and dangerous Death Eater, who had previously defeated extremely talented wizards such as Alastor Moody and the Prewett brothers, though chances were that he had put up an excellent fight; this downfall was due to Remus' months of staying at home with his wife under various protective enchantments, the inactivity dulling his reflexes enough to weaken him for Dolohov to finally end him.
 * Charms: Remus appears to have been talented in Charms from a young age: as teenagers, he and his fellow Marauders (James, Sirius, and Peter) managed to create the magically complex Marauder's Map, the magic of which endured even long after the deaths of all four Marauders. He was also able to cast a corporeal Patronus (form of a wolf), which is regarded as a very advanced piece of magic as well as a sign of superior magical ability. The fact that he was even able to decide whether he wanted his Patronus to be corporeal or not was also a testament to his extraordinary talent in Charms.

- Rumus bandaging Ron Weasley's leg


 * Healing magic: In the spring of 1994, Remus effectively used a healing spell to bandage and splint broken bones on Ron, whose leg had been broken.
 * Transfiguration: Remus, along with Sirius, was able to perform Untransfiguration to force Peter to change into his human form (Peter's Animagus form was a rat). He was also able to use conjuration, which was an advanced form of Transfiguration: in 1994, he once conjured chains to bind Peter to Ron.
 * Flying: As seen during the instance where he escorted Harry with the rest of the Advance Guard from the Dursleys' house, Remus was actually a skilful flyer, being able to evade and duel Death Eaters while supporting an injured George during the Battle of the Seven Potters.
 * Teaching skills: Despite his lack of previous teaching experience and his poverty lifestyle, Remus nevertheless proved to be a very skilled and talented teacher when he was briefly the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. This was because his lessons were more practical rather than theoretical and he had a profound understanding of his students, which motivated even Neville to improve. He was an enthusiastic teacher, inspiring students to take part and was very fair. Unlike the two teachers before him, he actually had a desire to teach students. As a result of his effective teaching methods, almost everyone (except some of the Slytherin students) regarded him as the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher ever in the school despite his poor and shabby appearance and the revelation that he was a werewolf. His teaching skills were also effective enough to keep the Slytherin students and other wrongdoers under control even though they were critical of his poor and shabby appearance.

Possessions

 * Wand: Like the vast majority of witches and wizards, it could be said that Remus' wand was most likely purchased at the age of eleven from Ollivanders, and was counted among his most valued possessions. His wand was 10¼", Cypress wood, and with unicorn hair core.
 * Cottage: In 1993, Remus lived alone in a cottage in Yorkshire, England. Albus Dumbledore tracked him to this cottage and offered him the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Family
The extent of Remus' relationship with his family is unknown, aside from how adored he was by his parents. During Remus' youth, his father offended Fenrir Greyback, causing Greyback to attack Remus, when he was merely four years old. Mr and Mrs Lupin are known to have been concerned over Remus being a werewolf, believing that this condition meant their son would be unable to attend Hogwarts. However, this was proven untrue.

Nymphadora Tonks


Remus and Tonks came to know each other as members of the Order of the Phoenix during the Second Wizarding War. Remus, so often melancholy and lonely, was first amused, then impressed, then seriously smitten by the young witch. He had never fallen in love before. If it had happened in peacetime, Remus would have simply taken himself off to a new place and a new job, so that he did not have to endure the pain of watching Tonks fall in love with a handsome, young wizard in the Auror Office (which was what he expected to happen). However, this was war; they were both needed in the Order of the Phoenix, and nobody knew what the next day would bring. Remus felt justified in remaining exactly where he was, keeping his feelings to himself but secretly rejoicing every time somebody paired him with Tonks on some overnight mission.

It had never occurred to Remus that Tonks could return his feelings because he had become so used to considering himself unclean and unworthy. One night when they lay in hiding outside a known Death Eater’s house, after a year of increasingly warm friendship, Tonks made an idle remark about one of their fellow Order members ("He’s still handsome, isn't he, even after Azkaban?"). Before he could stop himself, Remus had replied bitterly that he supposed she had fallen for his old friend ("He always got the women."). At this, Tonks replied: "You’d know perfectly well who I’ve fallen for, if you weren’t too busy feeling sorry for yourself to notice."



Remus’s immediate response was a happiness he had never experienced in his life, but this was extinguished almost at once by a sense of crushing duty. He had always known that he could not marry and run the risk of passing on his painful, shameful condition. Wiser than Remus, she was sure that he loved her, but that he was refusing to admit it out of mistaken nobility. However, he avoided working with her, barely talked to her, and started volunteering for the most dangerous missions. Tonks became desperately unhappy, convinced not only that the man she loved would never willingly spend time with her again, but also that he might walk to his death rather than admit his feelings.

Inspired by Fleur Delacour’s protestation of enduring love for Bill Weasley, who had been savaged by Greyback, Tonks made a brave, public declaration of her feelings for Remus, who was forced to admit the strength of his love for her. In spite of continuing misgivings that he was acting selfishly, Remus married Tonks quietly in the north of Scotland, with witnesses taken from the local wizarding tavern. He continued to fear that the stigma attached to him would infect his wife and wished for no fanfare around their union. He swung constantly between elation that he was married to the woman of his dreams and terror of what he might have brought upon them both. When she became pregnant, Remus was not delighted by this, he was in fact scared that he might be passing his condition on to an innocent child. He even attempted to abandon his pregnant wife and unborn child, but was stopped by Harry Potter. Realising the importance of staying with his family above all else, he returned to Tonks, bitterly ashamed.

Lupin and Tonks were both murdered in the Battle of Hogwarts in May 1998, leaving their son behind in the care of his maternal grandmother, Andromeda Tonks, and his godfather, Harry Potter. Teddy was raised by Andromeda, but would spend a great deal of time with the Potter and Weasley families growing up. Teddy was a Metamorphmagus, like his mother.

Teddy Lupin
"Yes, yes, she's had the baby!"

- Remus joyfully announces the birth of his son

Remus' son was born in 1998. Remus and his wife named him Edward, Teddy for short, after her father Ted Tonks. At one point, Remus nearly abandoned his wife and unborn son, mostly out of premature shame, guilt, and the fear that his lycanthropy would be passed on and that he'd made outcasts out of Nymphadora and their child. Rather than wanting to face his impending fatherhood, he intended to help Harry, Ron, and Hermione with their mission of destroying Voldemort's Horcruxes (though he was actually unaware of what their "mission" entailed). Harry was, however, upset with the development and got into a rather heated argument with Remus that ultimately convinced him that the best course of action would be to support his family. He returned to his wife shortly thereafter.

Teddy was eventually born and despite his earlier fears and insecurities about being a father, Remus expressed joy at his son's birth and asked Harry to be Teddy's godfather. Sadly, Remus and his wife were murdered at the Battle of Hogwarts, leaving Teddy an orphan when he was between two weeks and one month old. When Remus appeared again through the Resurrection Stone, he was rather devastated knowing that Teddy would have to grow up without either of his parents, but found some solace in knowing that Teddy would be living in a better world. Teddy was raised by his maternal grandmother, but he spent significant time with his Harry Potter's family and the Weasleys.

Marauders
"For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends... I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth...and they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

- Remus regarding his friends



As a Hogwarts student, Remus became good friends with fellow Gryffindors James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. In their second year, Remus' friends figured out that he was a werewolf; instead of shunning him, as many in the wizarding world would have, they learned how to become Animagi by their fifth year to accompany Remus on his monthly transformations, preventing him from hurting himself. Because he was grateful to his friends, Remus cut them a lot of slack ; despite being dismayed by their bullying of Severus Snape, he did not attempt to stop them. Though he was his house's prefect, Remus had difficulty trying to curb his friends' mischievous behaviour. However, Remus was not without a mischief-making streak himself, contributing to the invention of the Marauder's Map.

At some point, after Remus and his friends had all become members of the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius came to distrust Remus, fearing he might be a spy; the reasons for this are unknown. Sirius' distrust ensured that Remus was unaware when James and Lily changed their Secret-Keeper from Sirius to Peter, and thus he believed that Sirius had betrayed them when they were murdered by Lord Voldemort. The two reclaimed their friendship after Sirius escaped from Azkaban in 1993, and Remus learned the truth. They planned to kill their traitorous former friend Peter, but were stopped by Harry Potter. Remus and Sirius both became close to their late friend's son, and Remus was devastated when Sirius was killed in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

The ending of the three Marauders who had stayed true to their friendship to the very end — James, Sirius, and Remus — was bittersweet: they all lost their lives to the two wizarding wars but were likely reunited in the afterlife.

Severus Snape


Severus Snape, a Slytherin student in Remus' year, shared a strong enmity with Remus' close friends James Potter and Sirius Black, who outright bullied Snape on occasion. Although not friendly with Snape, Remus never behaved cruelly to him. It is possible that he may have subtly identified with or sympathised with the lonely, isolated Snape, seeing a reflection of himself and how he would have been treated if he hadn't found the protection of his friends. Later in life, he said that he deeply regretted not having done anything to stop the bullying.

At some point in their fifth year, Snape saw Madam Pomfrey leading Remus to the passageway on the full moon; Sirius thought it would be entertaining to inform Snape of how to freeze the Whomping Willow. Snape tried to do so, but was stopped by James before he could reach the Shrieking Shack, where Remus had transformed. Albus Dumbledore forbade Snape from revealing Remus' condition to anyone, and Snape deeply resented being put in James' debt and suspected that Remus might have been in on the dangerous prank.

As adults, Remus and Snape were civil to one another, although barely so on the latter's part. Remus claimed that he neither liked nor disliked Snape; of course they would never be bosom friends, after all that happened in their school days, but he also never forgot that Snape dutifully made him the Wolfsbane Potion, and made it perfectly every time so that he would not have to suffer at the full moon as he usually did. (Also, Snape secretly saved Lupin's life in Battle over Little Whinging). Snape, on the other hand, barely concealed his bitterness in their interactions. He was irked that Remus obtained the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, which he had always wanted for himself. He suspected that Remus was helping Sirius get into the castle and tried to convince Dumbledore to stop trusting him. Snape also took to dropping hints that Remus was a werewolf to students, which was understood by at least one of them (Hermione Granger, who kept the discovery to herself). When Remus tried to inform Snape of Sirius' innocence, Snape refused to hear or believe any of it, and was determined to see Remus punished alongside Sirius. When Snape's old enemy escaped re-capture, Snape vindictively exposed Remus' werewolf status, which forced him to resign.

In spite of all this, Remus believed that Snape was loyal to the Order of the Phoenix, encouraging Harry Potter to trust him and to continue his Occlumency lessons. He was shocked and angered when Snape killed Albus Dumbledore, who had been the one to assure other Order members that Snape was trustworthy. During the Battle of the Seven Potters, Snape was one of the Death Eaters who attacked Remus and George Weasley, the latter disguised as Harry by way of Polyjuice Potion. Snape, secretly still loyal to the Order, attempted to save Lupin by aiming a Sectumsempra at a Death Eater who was poised to kill Lupin, but accidentally struck George, who lost an ear. Remus, furious, expressed a desire to have "paid him back in kind", but had to focus on getting himself and George to safety.

Lily Evans
"Your mother was there for me at a time when no one else was."

- Remus tells Harry of Lily's kindness



Remus met Lily Evans while they were both attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lily was not on good terms with two of Remus' dearest friends, James and Sirius, but that did not mean she disliked Remus as well, given that he acted more mature and thoughtful than his friends, and did not participate in their bullying though he did nothing to stop them either.

After Hogwarts, Lily married James Potter. Although Sirius was the best man, Remus probably attended their wedding, too, given his status as one of their dearest friends. They all became members of the Order of the Phoenix, during the First Wizarding War, and fought in several battles together. When Pettigrew betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, resulting in the tragic deaths of James and Lily, Remus was devastated. Later on, he became close to Lily's son, Harry, both as a paternal figure and a mentor. After Lupin was murdered during the Battle of Hogwarts, they were two of the four spirits whom Harry summoned using the Resurrection Stone.

Harry Potter
"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry."

- Remus regarding his feelings toward Harry



Remus met Harry Potter, the son of his late friends James and Lily Potter, for the first time since he was an infant, in 1993 when he saved Harry from Dementors on the Hogwarts Express. Remus was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts during Harry's third year, and quickly became his favourite professor. The two bonded very closely. Remus found Harry to be; intelligent, kind, and an excellent Seeker, and had strong empathy for the pain that he had experienced throughout his life. Seeing him as the devoted, informative, fair and supportive man he is, Harry admired and cared about Remus even after he found out that he was a werewolf.

Remus also told Harry that the first time he saw him, he recognised him not by his scar, but by his eyes, which so closely resembled Lily's; unlike his predecessors Quirinus Quirrell and Gilderoy Lockhart, Remus did not greet Harry in an awed manner at meeting a living legend, but in a friendly and casual manner. It is suggested that Remus' classes were how Harry discovered his remarkable talent for Defence Against the Dark Arts. He took Harry aside to teach him the Patronus Charm, assisted him in avoiding trouble with Professor Snape, and returned the Marauder's Map to him once he was no longer a professor.

The two met again in the summer of 1995. Remus was part of the group of Order members who transported Harry from Privet Drive to 12 Grimmauld Place. Throughout the years, Remus shared with Harry many stories about his parents and godfather. He comforted Harry over Sirius' death and also offered him advice on other occasions.



The only real disagreement they ever had was when Harry rejected Remus' offer to accompany him and his friends on the quest for Horcruxes. Harry became angry and cutting; he told his former teacher that he was being selfish and irresponsible for leaving his wife and unborn child. Remus responded with uncharacteristic violence and stormed out of the house, taking refuge in a corner of the Leaky Cauldron, where he sat drinking and fuming. However, after a few hours' reflection, Remus was forced to accept that his former-pupil had just taught him a valuable lesson. James and Lily, Remus reflected, had stuck with Harry even unto their own deaths. His own parents had sacrificed their peace and security to keep the family together. When Remus' son Teddy Lupin was born, he asked that Harry be the boy's godfather, and after Remus' death, Harry played a prominent role in Teddy's life. Remus was one of the spirits that came out of the Resurrection Stone to speak to Harry as he walked to what he believed was his death, indicating the almost familial bond between Remus and Harry. This familial bond can be compared to wolf behaviour, as it is common in wolf packs for the pups to be looked after by all members of the pack, much like how Harry was looked after and tutored by his father's friends, who in a way were part of James' "pack".

In Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Harry wrote in the werewolf section "aren't all bad", showing that Remus being a werewolf did not bother him at all.

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley


Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were among the students who were very impressed by Remus' teaching when he was professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts for their third year. Hermione deduced that Remus was a werewolf early in the year, but kept this discovery to herself, not even telling her best friends; this is likely because she disapproved of the prejudice against werewolves and knew exposing the truth would hurt Remus. Although Ron initially reacted with fear to the revelation that Remus was a werewolf, he continued to admire and like Remus. In turn, Remus was fond of Ron and Hermione, and was particularly impressed by the latter's cleverness. Ron and Hermione were shown to be very trusting of Lupin; when he appeared at Grimmauld Place, they lowered their wands as soon as he declared his name, something he reproached them for, "speaking as their former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." Also, they both disapproved when Harry yelled at Remus for leaving his wife during her pregnancy, although they did not entirely disagree with Harry's reasoning.

Albus Dumbledore
"On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. Firstly, Professor Lupin who had kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

- Albus Dumbledore introduces Remus



Albus Dumbledore was considered by many to be the greatest wizard of all time, and Remus Lupin was among his many admirers and staunch supporters. Dumbledore was Remus' Headmaster during his time at Hogwarts. Dumbledore accepted Remus into his school despite knowing his being a werewolf, as he valued Remus' strength of character and ability, and disregarded the stigma associated with his condition; the headmaster personally approached the Lupin family to invite Remus to school, knowing full well of the circumstances. In fact, it was Dumbledore who, by several special precautions, ensured that Remus' werewolf status was kept secret during his school years, effectively preventing him from being ostracised from his school mates.

When Severus Snape found out what Remus truly was due to a cruel prank played on him by Sirius, Dumbledore was the one who swore him to secrecy. On his part, Remus confessed that Dumbledore's trust and exceptional kindness towards him meant everything to him, given that the vast majority of the wizarding world shunned him because of the deep prejudice towards werewolves, and Remus felt guilty for betraying this kindness by allowing his three Marauder friends illegally become Animagi and roaming wild during their schooling years.

Dumbledore was also the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation that Remus joined after graduating from school, and he was trusted with many important missions. Remus was given the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts during the 1993–1994 school year, during which time Dumbledore requested that Snape brew the Wolfsbane Potion for Remus monthly; this, along with providing Remus with a paid job when he was suffering in poverty due to his condition, made Remus respect Dumbledore even more. Remus and Dumbledore fought alongside one another during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, where they suffered a devastating loss: Sirius, one of their dearest friends, died at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. Remus told Harry Potter on several occasions that he trusted Snape because Dumbledore did so. In 1997, Remus was devastated by Dumbledore's death after the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and demonstrated his loyalty and faith to Dumbledore by fighting and where he was assassinated by Antonin Dolohov a very powerful wizard he was avenged by Professor Filius Fitwick his former teacher.

Weasley family
Remus was always friendly with the Weasley family. He knew Arthur Weasley since the First Wizarding War, and they became friends again after Dumbledore led the second Order of the Phoenix. Arthur and Remus fought together at the Battle of the Seven Potters, where the latter was paired with Arthur's son, George. He saved George's life, as George would have fallen off his broomstick when he was cursed by Severus Snape. Arthur later thanked him for taking care of his son.

Remus also lived for some time with the Weasley family at 12 Grimmauld Place. There, Remus agreed with Molly not to tell Harry much about the Order of the Phoenix and Voldemort's plans. However, when Sirius argued with Molly, Remus didn't take either side.

Bill and Remus seemed to have been friends, as they fought together in several battles of the Second War; they were also the ones who attempted to find Mad-Eye's dead body after the Battle of the Seven Potters. After the war, Remus and Tonks' son seemed to have a romantic relationship with Bill and Fleur's daughter.

Fred and George Weasley were also friends of Lupin. They were Lupin's students during their fifth year at Hogwarts and they also fought together at the Battle of the Seven Potters. Remus protected George from being killed; however, George's ear was accidentally cut off by Severus Snape. Lupin and the twins also appeared on the underground radio programme Potterwatch and spoke to the wizarding community during the last year of the war. Both Fred and Lupin were killed during the Battle of Hogwarts.

He was also friends with Ginny. He first met her at Hogwarts Express, saved her from the Dementors and gave her chocolate and comforted her, and she stated that he was one of her favourite professors at Hogwarts. They fought on the same side at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and survived the battle. After the war, Ginny and the rest of the Potter family shared a close relationship with Teddy Lupin, who came to Ginny and Harry's house for dinner four times a week.

His relationship with Percy was almost unknown. When Lupin was Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Percy most likely thought he was a good teacher. They met each other again during the Battle of Hogwarts, when Percy told his family that he had left the Ministry and wanted to join the Order, though there would hardly have been time for the two to become close.

Hogwarts residents


When Lupin was a student at Hogwarts, the professors seemed to like him, especially Minerva McGonagall, who had been his head of house. His professors probably considered Lupin a skilled wizard and a very good student, as he was made a prefect in his fifth year.

When Lupin became a professor, the other professors appeared to like and respect him, with the exception of Severus Snape. They either did not mind that he was a werewolf or did not show it, as they had been informed of his condition. Minerva even made reference to Lupin's evaluations on Harry's Defence Against the Dark Arts skills during a Careers Advice session. Many of them later fought alongside Remus at the Battle of Hogwarts.

Many of the students, including Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and the Weasleys liked him. While others, such as Draco Malfoy and several other Slytherins, disliked and regularly insulted him. Malfoy underestimated Lupin because of his poor-looking appearance. However, Lupin managed to be well-respected (and one of the best-liked professors), as he treated all the students based on their character, and not by their magical abilities, their blood status, or their wealth. When he left Hogwarts, many students continued to regard him as the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher they had.

Order of the Phoenix


Remus had a good relationship with the most of the Order of the Phoenix. In addition to Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, the Marauders, Lily Evans, Nymphadora Tonks, Hermione Granger, the Weasley family, and Minerva McGonagall, he was friends with many of members.

One of his friends through the order was Kingsley Shacklebolt. They fought together in several battles of the Second Wizarding War, and appeared to be close enough. They also appeared on Potterwatch together during the last year of the war.

He was also a friend of Alastor Moody. They fought together in many battles, until Moody was killed by Voldemort in 1997, during the Battle of the Seven Potters. Remus was devastated, as were many other members of the Order.

Remus was one of the many members of the Order of the Phoenix murdered during Second Wizarding War.

Etymology

 * The name "Remus" comes from the brothers Romulus and Remus, the legendary brothers who fought to the death over the control of Rome, having been raised by a mother wolf whose cubs had died. Because of this, some fans speculated that Remus had a brother, but "Romulus" is merely the code name used by Lupin for Potterwatch. Remus' intense rivalry with Romulus indicates Lupin's ongoing struggle with his other side, the werewolf.
 * "Lupin" is derived from "lupinus", Latin for "wolf-like"; "lupus", or "wolf", being the basic word. Canis l​upus is the scientific name for the wolf - to be described as "lupine" means to "resemble a wolf." Lupin is also the name of an plant with edible seeds. The surname may also be derived from the character of Arsène Lupin, a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise, who was created by French writer Maurice Leblanc in 1905. In Leblanc's novels, Arsène Lupin is often a force for good, while operating on the wrong side of the law. Leblanc's Lupin was said to have later inspired the character of "the Lone Wolf", a jewel thief-turned-private detective in a series of novels written by Louis Joseph Vance, beginning in 1914.

Behind the scenes

 * Rowling wrote a full-length biography of Remus for Prisoner of Azkaban on, which was released in the final instalment of the book, and provided information on his and Nymphadora Tonks's relationship, as well as his youth.
 * Remus is portrayed by British actor David Thewlis in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2.
 * Thewlis had originally auditioned for the part of Professor Quirinus Quirrell, but Ian Hart was eventually cast.
 * In the books, Remus plays a relatively large part in Harry's life after he left Hogwarts as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. However, in the films, Remus plays a large part in Prisoner of Azkaban, and then his role is drastically reduced. His argument and brief falling out with Harry in Deathly Hallows is cut out, as is his bitterness at being a father. The audience is not made aware of Remus' child until a throwaway line in Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Half-Blood Prince also cuts down his role, eliminating Remus' concerns about being in a relationship with Tonks.
 * David Thewlis was disappointed about his smaller appearances in the films, expressing a desire to be more involved.
 * Originally, Remus and Nymphadora were supposed to survive the Battle of Hogwarts, but Rowling eventually killed them off as compensation after sparing Arthur Weasley from the death, as he was originally intended to die in either the fifth book or the seventh book.
 * The Marauders write their names on the Marauder's Map in this order: Remus, Peter, Sirius and James. Ironically, this, when reversed, is the order in which they die, James being the first in 1981, Godric's Hollow; Sirius in 1996, Department of Mysteries; Peter in March 1998, Malfoy Manor; Remus in May 1998, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
 * The witch who pushes the lunch trolley, Remus, and Horace Slughorn are the only adults ever to be seen travelling to Hogwarts on the school train in the book series (the latter is never shown on the train in the films). Though the conductor is never shown in the books, he is seen in some of the video game adaptations.
 * With his marriage to Nymphadora Tonks, Remus became related through his wife to the Malfoys, the Blacks, the Lestranges, the Weasleys, the Potters, the Longbottoms, and other pure-blood families.
 * It was predicted by many fans that Wormtail would kill Remus with his silver hand, as Remus is a werewolf. However, J.K. Rowling mentioned in an interview that, contrary to what is seen in films, in her view werewolves are not affected by silver. Ironically the Marauder that does die by the silver hand is not Lupin, but Wormtail himself.
 * In the film version of , Remus and Nymphadora were already in a relationship, rather then Remus initially rejecting her feelings since during the Christmas scene at The Burrow she calls him "sweetheart".
 * Remus survived the longest out of all the Marauders, beating Wormtail by some chapters in.
 * After the Battle of the Seven Potters, 13 people (Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Remus, Tonks and Hagrid) gathered in The Burrow to mourn the death of Alastor Moody. Afterwards, Remus stood up and offered to look for Moody's dead body. Later in the Battle of Hogwarts, Remus was killed by Antonin Dolohov thus making another of Trelawney's predictions come true for the third time (first time on Albus Dumbledore, and second on Sirius Black) : that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die. However, as it is not known when Remus died, it is possible that Fred died before him.
 * In an earlier draft of, the Defence Against the Dark Arts class may have been taught by a woman.
 * His name is the inspiration for the wizard rock bands Remus and the Lupins and The Remus Lupins.
 * According to StarDate Online's Moon Phase Calculator, Remus' birth date (10 March, 1960), fell two days before a full moon.
 * Remus Lupin is unique among the teachers as he calls students per their first names, not surnames. The only other teachers that are known to do this is the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and the Care of Magical Creatures professor.
 * Remus Lupin is the only Marauder to be on anything resembling civil terms with Severus Snape as adults. Sirius and Snape had often argued as adults. Pettigrew was treated with contempt by Snape, going so far into being treated as a house servant at Snape's personal residence at Spinner's End.
 * David Thewlis has said that Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuaron told him to portray Remus as a "gay junkie".
 * Although Remus provides most of the books' information on the Patronus Charm, his own Patronus was never revealed in any of the books or media associated with the franchise until the release of the final chapters of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on . His corporeal Patronus takes the form of a wolf, rather than a werewolf. Despite this, he normally preferred to purposely cast it as a non-corporeal form, as he considered the corporeal form to be too much of a giveaway.
 * J. K. Rowling has indirectly stated that, if Remus Lupin were to take a assessment, his personality type would be.
 * The irony of his status as a werewolf and his desire to be liked and belong is that wolves are social animals that tend to live in packs and act in the interests of all, reflecting his selfless and self-sacrificing nature. This, combined with the typically savage side of his werewolf forms presents an almost yin-yang-like inner conflict, with his human form representing the better half of his wolfish personality, such as his intelligence, kindness, adaptability, and desire to defend. All the while his werewolf form represents the more savage aspects of wolves, such as feral wrath, gluttony, and lust.
 * Another bit of irony is in his love of chocolate, as it is poisonous to wolves and other canines.
 * In the films Remus is shown to be a fan of jazz music, and owns an antique record player.
 * Remus' tendency to nurture those around him, particularly children, is fitting, as wolves' social structure commonly involves all members of the pack looking after and teaching the pups. Yet another instance where Remus lives up to the nobler aspects of his wolfish nature. Rather ironically, he considered himself unfit for parenthood.

Author's comments
J. K. Rowling has stated that Professor Lupin is the kind of teacher she wishes she had while she was a student. He is good-natured, kind, and able to extract the best in everyone — for example, in spotting Neville Longbottom's lack of confidence and helping him to overcome it by teaching him how to defeat the boggart.

The fact that Remus is a werewolf and needs to take a potion to avoid hurting people for the rest of his life makes him a symbol of the consequences of prejudice and segregation, as well as society's often negative reaction to the ill and the disabled. Particularly, the author has stated that Remus Lupin's characterisation and history are H.I.V. metaphors (e.g. someone who was infected young and suffered prejudice because of it; terrified of passing the condition on), as well as an exploration into why someone might become embittered as a result of contracting such a condition.

As such, Rowling has also stated that "Lupin's failing is he likes to be liked. That's where he slips up — he's been disliked so often he's always pleased to have friends so cuts them an awful lot of slack." This is why, for instance, despite disapproving of his friends' bullying of Severus Snape, he once tried to stop them but failed and never tried again.

Lupin was killed off in place of Arthur Weasley to remove the last of Harry's father figures in the books, and also to create a parallel between Harry's life and Teddy Lupin's. Rowling felt it was important to show the evils of Voldemort's actions and the devastating nature of war. She says she only decided to kill Remus at the end of the fifth book.

Rowling has said that Remus is one of her favourite characters, and that if she could meet any of her characters, she would likely choose him.

Appearances

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Notes and references
Remus Lupin Remus Lupin Remus Lupin Remus Lupin Remus Lupin Remus Lupin Remus Lupos Remus John Lupin pt-br:Remo Lupin Римус Люпин