Before reading DH, Lupin was one of my favorite (if not my absolute favorite) character. I felt like he brought other characters together and was a sort of anchor for Harry. But as I read DH, I felt all of my respect for him disintegrate. The way he was acting about Tonks and his own son was so un-Remus like that in literally three pages he went from one of my fave characters to one of my most hated characters.

I realize that JKR tried to "redeem" him a little later (the Shell Cottage scene), but it felt too rushed and his character didn't reflect who he was in earlier books.

For a long time this bothered me, until I decided to read the book through again (my third time), but this time really pay attention. I realized that Lupin's change in character was very necessary for the story. After all, he was a marauder. All the marauders had their shortcomings in some way. James was arrogant as a teenager, and while he may have nobly defended his family, he did fail to save his and his wife's lives. Sirius's impatience was what, in the end, lead to his death (albeit, he died nobly too.) Peter's flaw is obvious. His lack of courage and nobility lead to his downfall, though there was some redemption in the end.

That's where it comes to Lupin. We had been given glimpses of his flaws in earlier books, but it was not until Book 7 that we saw just how deep his own self-loathing ran. It was so strong that he put it before even his own family. It controlled him. As with past marauders, Lupin redeemed himself before his death. Thus, my love of him is restored.

What do you guys think? Agree, disagree?

EDIT: Please watch your spelling.

Lupin was put under a lot of pressure. He married tonks, had a child and was worried about the order and voldemort. Lupin is my favourite harry potter character and I think JKR rushed to many things in his story. Part of this was the rush of the final 2 books

I agree, but I also don't blame him as much, because people do insane things under stress and pressure, so I can see how he might've had a kind of breakdown (for lack of better word), but he did redeem himself.

I always loved lupin and was therefore really confused in the last book. It's true that he had A LOT to stress over but I considered him one of the few that could handle it. He left his wife and kid and that surprised me. But it's true that he did come to his senses and make up for it.

I absolutely agree. In fact your insight on his self-loathing totally settled some own doubts in my heart. He was redeemed and he was Lupin, we just saw the flaw, like you said. Well put!

Agreed.

I think it's also important to note that well, this was a pretty serious war. I think fans forget that the war wasn't taking place overseas... it was a war in their backyards. People were in survival mode, and not necessarily survival for themselves.

But I also get the impression that JKR wanted Remus - and Tonks, for that matter - to be bigger than they ended up being. It felt like we only got 1/4 of a story, a story that was largely taken out of the books. As much as I loved TDH and as much as I admire JKR, I do think that it was a poor writing decision. I can certainly see where she was going, what she was trying to imply and get across - but it was poorly constructed.

Dude i freakin loved Lupin he was so awesome i almost cried when he died. He had always been harry's favorite teacher, besides maybe hagrid or McGonagull(wrong i know), and of course dumbledore. He taught harry what i would consider to be harry's favorite spell, the patronus charm. It had gotten him out of many dangerous situations and in many cases earned him respect, such as as he was taking his D.A.T.D.A. owl, or when amelia bones asked him if he could do a full patronus. It reminded him of his father, it took his fathers form of a stag, and it had always been really special to him. Not to metion that the patronus causes happiness and joy and comfort to those who can cast it.

I always loved lupin though because he always tried to live his life despite of what he was, despite what people said about him. He was just afraid of making his family into outcasts, i dont believe he ever really felt sorry for himself, just sorry for what his presence was doing to those around him. and he died to protect harry, his friend just like he and sirius told wormtail they would do for a friend. He was a great wizard and a great man.

Lupin is one of my favorites. The reason i think he went from being one thing to another is because he didnt want to hurt the ones he loved. Which means if he became a wherewolf with them there he would kill them and he didnt want that to happen. But Tonks and Lupin was in the order and their loyalty to them was their downfall... But their child got a good home and family when he grew up so all is well.

The Remus/Tonks plotline in Deathly Hallows was devasting, but I think it was interesting to explore the different sides of Remus' character, how his self loathing can overtake his compassion towards others. And you are totally right, thank goodness he came to his senses and was redeemed to return to his loving self, more good and kind perhaps than ever before. I have to admit, when Remus arrived at Shell Cottage I cried A LOT. He's always been my favourite character and after believing him to be doomed to misery, to see him finally achieve true happiness breaks my heart.

R.I.P.

I must agree with you on some points. Lupin did act atrociously in DH. But I also think it was necessary for the book. Not only that, but I can understand why he was thinking what he was thinking. Not that I condone that behavior at all, but I do understand it. And, conversely, I understand Harry's reaction.

Lupin's way of thinking is, I've condemned the woman I love to such a base way of existence as to lower herself to living with a werewolf, who isn't good enough to spit-shine her shoes. To make matters worse, I go and get her pregnant, further risking her life (what if the baby turns out like me--a werewolf?) and the baby's. What kind of monster am I, that I am able to do this without thinking of the consequences until it's already said and done?

So Lupin tries to rectify the situation by offering his services to Harry. He truly (and very misguidedly) believes Tonks and Teddy would be better off without a poor excuse for a man like him to make their lives miserable.

And, on the other side, we have Harry's point of view. Harry, the lovable orphan who has spent the majority of his life not ever knowing what his parents were like, has suddenly found himself pitted against his father's best friend in a situation he knows his father would never in a million years approve of. And Harry feels it is his duty to act in his father's stead. Plus, he feels almost as if it were he who is being abandoned yet again. It is completely selfish of Lupin to abandon his family at the most crucial time in their lives--Tonks needs her husband to help her plan this baby! And to help her raise him! And Lupin wants to rush off! Harry can't help but feel that Lupin doesn't deserve to have a family if he is willing to abandon them. Harry's parents didn't have that choice. And Lupin is choosing wrongly.

I agree, definitely. I think Lupin had to have a major flaw in order for Harry to realize that those whom he loves are not perfect. His parents weren't perfect, and neither is his father's friend, the only link to James Harry has. And Lupin needed to have that reality check in the form of Harry screaming at him in order to realize how horribly he was acting and how selfish and irresponsible his whims were.

I think of it this way, Remus was never treated like an actual human being, just a monster (besides his friends, Harry and his friends, and the order) He didn't want to burden Tonks or his baby because of him. Also, what if Teddy turned out to be a werewolf? He probably would have been treated like a monster too

I agree. I loved Lupin through the last 5 books. I kinda expected his behavior with Tonks and the baby, first because he was ashamed of himself and didn´t want his kid to be embarrassed of him. and second, the trio´s trip reminded him of his youth, all the adventure and being reckless and daredevil...

hmm...i thought lupin had pressure and "didn't want ted to be like him", but he is redeemed

I agree that each of the marauders is flawed, in his own way. I always found Lupin to be strange and a bit of a waste of a character.

Lupin had a low self esteem. A very low one. I don't think his actions towards his wife and child were right, but he didn't think himself worthy enough to be able to care for his wife and child. He thought that they would be better off without him, because he was scared of hurting either one of them. There's also the issue of Teddy having the same condition as him, and he would blame himself for that.

I do agree that his actions made me respect him slightly less, but his past experiences and condition made me understand why he took the actions that he did.

i think that the fact that Lupin tried so hard to distance himself from his family actually made me love him even more. i've always adored Lupin as a character- who wouldn't? he's kind and wise and just an all-around great guy.

i can understand his reasons for trying to run away, and, in a way, i can accept his actions as honorable. he didn't want to keep his family in danger, and he was afraid of any negative perspectives he might have gained from his own son. after being rejected for so long in life, it doesn't seem so irrational to expect the worst from people, even those you care for. i think his self-esteem had been burned and demolished long before he married Tonks, and all his worrys and doubts just hit him ten-fold after his child came.

so, yes, i always have and always will admire and respect Lupin as a character.

I think that Lupin hated himself so much he could hardly bear to look at his wife, now pregnant, and think what he had brought upon her. No matter how many times people told him he was different he always believed himself to be a monster. I doubt anybody, no matter how good, could have reacted any better in the situation Remus found himself in.

Before the book, I loved Lupin. As I read more, I felt a bit irritated with Lupin but sympathized with him. Near the end though, I loved him more, especially when he became happy about being a father. It increased in the end.

Lupin was amazing.
Yup i agree!

I really felt for him b/c I understood him. He eeven said it himself to Harry that they had only seen him in school or in the Order, basically as a normal wizard. However, he had the full expereince of being treated like a monster.

He had resisted Tonks for so long and then finally got with her and allowed himself to be happy w/ her. I think that after such a long life of believing he was a monster, her pregnancy slightly unhinged him and all his past worries flew back. I think he paniced pure and simple. He felt his wife and child would be better off w/o him, while he went to put his affliction to use in bringing down Voldemort.

It was horrifying at the first read, but I'm glad that Harry didn't baby him or make excuses for him.

I loved him and I was truly sad when he died.

Yes he was under a lot of pressure. And after tonks' father died, it was probably even more difficult for them. He was scared that something would happen to tonks or teddy.

Yes I agree. I think that Remus was under a lot of pressure. And I think that after tonks' father died, it made him even more paranoid. He was just scared that something bad would happen to tonks or teddy.

compleatly agree lupin i still one of my fave characters if not my fave :-D

he has a very complex charater and he has gone through a lot having grown up being shunned from the magical community not being able to get a job and each of his best freinds being killed.

Yes he was under a lot of pressure. And I suppose that's just your opinion of Remus and many people think otherwise. But he was scared in case his son would be ashamed of him as a father and Remus was also scared of what his son would become. He didn't know what he would look like.