I’m only a diletante when it comes to Harry Potter speculation. What has been puzzling me is that since we already know that Hagrid is a half blood giant why he isn’t being considered for the role of the HBP?
Well, two people who asked her at the Edinburgh book signing both said they asked her this question and was told “no.” Of course, they could always be lying, but people seem to trust them.
He’s my favourite character, too. Rowling’s said often that he’s one of her favourite characters – one of her 6 favourites-- yet unlike her other favourites she holds back with him. The other five (the trio, Dumbledore, Hagrid) are always front and centre. She’s even said that she looked forward to book three because she couldn’t wait to introduce him.
So why hold back on him? I have a theory that she’s preparing us for some major surprise about him – doing her usual presdigitation thing where she distracts you from important plot points. If you notice carefully, there are indications he’s a much more powerful wizard than he lets on – wandless magic, a Patronus on a moment’s notice, plus he was the only one besides Dumbledore to make it out of the battle in book 5.
Everybody’s expecting Dumbledore to die next, and I suspect Lupin will fill his shoes.
(Another good thing about being a Lupin fan is that the fandom world for him tends to be a lot more sedate and mature. He tends to draw the parents, not the kids, as fans, and English Literature majors as well. You get a group of Lupin fans in a room together, and suddenly you’re discussing allusions to Parcelsus and other forms of intertextuality in the series – not going “squee” every five seconds)
Cool covers.
I still think the Half-Blood Prince is either Hagrid or is a child of Voldemort, probably by Bellatrix Lestrange.
“Borage” is an herb–I looked up a picture and it has pretty blue flowers. An appropirate potion ingredient.
Um, I am near Chicago—I suppose I share a common culture with you, at least in day to day life. ?I’m confused by this remark?
And I’m an HP geek too. 42 y/o here and…SQUEE!!!
(I like Lupin alot too. Snape fascinates me, but I also have compassion for him; McConagall I adore–oh, I could go on.) It’s nice to see adult characters in a kid’s book that 1.are not complete idiots or all evil/good and 2. are eccentric and have frailities. Kudos to JRRK for that.
Bellatrix – that’s an interesting one. But as for Voldemort, she’s already said he’s Slytherin’s last remaining heir. That means if he has a kid, it isn’t born yet.
Still you may be on to something. From the Edinburgh book fair:
But Bellatrix – that would be a neat way of hitting home Pureblood hypocrisy, wouldn’t it? Of course, by now that’s practically a dead horse. 
Hamish:
I was in fact thinking that (if my guess is correct) this kid is in utero during most of book 6, with the climax involving how to deal with his (Prince, not Princess) birth.
I like the US version best, though not as much as the cover for OotP. UK adult version is second.
I think Lupin has totally got to be a Legilimens. The foreshadowing is all there – there have been a couple of references to moments when he seems to be reading Harry’s mind, just like Snape and Dumbledore; we’ve seen him lie to Snape and get away with it; he describes Snape as “an excellent Occlumens,” implying that he’s in a position to know; and there’s that telling moment in the Shrieking Shack scene (bolding mine):
I could see how any one of those things might admit of another explanation by itself, but when you take them together, this is one of the few pet theories that I’d be willing to bet money on.
The only problem is that I believe he himself says that he isn’t all that great when it comes to dark arts defense. I think Lupin has some great roles to play as a character, but as a wizard I don’t think he’s much more than a male Hermoine: a good student, a very competant wizard, but no Dumbledore, Voldemort, or even a Harry.
He does that a fair bit in the fifth book as well. I think you’re right about that.
I also don’t buy the Legilimens theory either, if only because the story already seems crowded enough with powerful legilimens. Legilimancy and occulmancy also both seem to be something any wizard of sufficient power and skill can gain some expertise in, which means he certainly could have some skill, but again nothing surprising. Lupin is a werewolf. That’s his burden. And now he is the only one left of the four friends who is neither dead nor evil: the only true potenial paternal guardian of Harry (though Harry may not need that much longer). Lupin seemed to have backed off to allow Sirius to take the forefront in Harry’s affections, but Lupin obviously cares a great deal for Harry, and we’re bound to see that in future.
I still believe, as well, that Lupin is either gay or his condition is a metaphor for it. He idolized James and Sirius. He had to come to grips with his identity, and was eternally gratefuly to Lily for helping him with that… though there doesn’t seem to be a hint of jeaulosy that James and Lily ended up together…
Since we’re promised to know much more about the past of the four plus Snape and Lily, I’m sure we’ll find out soon .
Eternally grateful to Lily? He barely even mentions Lily in the books – the soppy bridge speech in the film was entirely the screenwriter’s invention.
And Peter is the one who idolized James and Sirius. In the Pensieve scene, Lupin comes across as distinctly unimpressed with their behavior (and he and Sirius don’t seem particularly close, despite all the fangirls who believe they’re secret lovers).
As for the idea that there are already too many Legilimenses in the series, when it’s supposed to be a rare and obscure branch of magic – Yeah, I can see that. On the other hand, there are supposed to be only seven Animagi in all of Britain, and Harry’s already met five (four of them unregistered!)
Ooh, another random prediction: We’re going to meet another Metamorphagus in Book Six or Seven, probably an evil one. I’m betting on Bellatrix or Narcissa.
I meant that I don’t know much about most pop culture (movies, tv, sports), making me a bore about the water cooler and happy for a fandom I can belong to.
Apos: Lupin said he was no great shakes at potions–can you dig out where he said he was not good at DADA? He was the teacher, and seemed to handle the dementors well.
I like how Harry looks so much more grown-up on the covers.
I certainly think you’re right about that. I’m pretty sure Umbridge’s anti-lycanthrope law was modelled on Britain’s infamous Section 28. And Alfonso Cuaron told the kids to interact with David Thewlis as if he were “their favourite gay uncle on crack.”
As for everything else, we’ll find out in 100-somewhat days. I still think Rowling’s playing the old bait-and-switch with us: keeping us focused on other characters while she drops hints about one who’s going be much more important later on. That’s the sort of thing she does best, after all.
It’s interesting – at those fan things, no one ever asks about Lupin. No one ever sees a future for him except dying young or marrying Tonks. But he’s an intriguing character, and I think people assume they know more about him than they actually do – he has a lot of missing years in a series where peoples’ pasts are critical. There are more gaps in his character than answers – I think that’s a setup for something.
Oh, and Fretful Porpentine, you should visit Mugglenet, if you haven’t already done so. The Remus Lupin fan thread is one of the most popular there.
Heh, we may have crossed paths already. I go by Lady deMimsy over there, and After the Rain at a couple of other fannish sites.
I’ve got a few problems with the lycanthropy / homosexuality parallels. It’s pretty clear that being a werewolf in the Potterverse IS, objectively, a bad thing. It’s a painful, debilitating, contagious disease, and people who have it pose a very real danger of killing or infecting others. If JKR means for it to be analogous to being gay, well, she’s sure not sending a very good message to the kids, is she? (Also, I believe she’s gone on record in interviews as saying that Lupin’s condition is a metaphor for society’s reactions to illness and disability in general.)
For the record, I wouldn’t be surprised if Cuaron WAS going for some sort of analogy in the film, but Cuaron isn’t JKR.
It’s true that it’s an imperfect metaphor at best, and somewhat homophobic.
Still, I don’t think there’s anyone who’s ever come out in high school who didn’t quite viscerally to his “coming out” story in high school, to the job discrimination aspect, etc. I suspect it’s both a metaphor for being gay and having AIDS, at the same time.
I still think it’s more likely to be a metaphor, though, than literal – the same way Hermione is a metaphorical victim of racism, even though she’s pasty white with an Anglo-Saxon last name.
I agree with Hamish (although I might have suggested HIV-positive rather than AIDS proper), and I would like to point out that no metaphor is ever perfect. The more energetically one is forced to defend a metaphor, the more strained it is likely to become. For this reason, I just like to push the “I Believe” button on Rowling’s intention.
I’m definitely willing to believe it as a metaphor for AIDS / HIV-positive status – that seems a much better fit. (Although I really do hope she’s not going to take it to its logical conclusion and make lycanthropy fatal. That would suck :()
True, although I suspect the Marauder who’s really going to play an important role in HBP is Peter – she’s been keeping him out of the spotlight much more aggressively, and it’s high time that life-debt came into play again.
By the way, does anyone else think we haven’t seen the last of Bagman and Karkaroff, either?
I see Lupin like Dumbledore – he only seems frail most of the time.
I don’t think he’s as close to death as people think. And if she is going for an HIV metaphor, maybe healing technology will advance to the point where he’s no longer deteriorating – a potions equivalent of striptease inhibitors, perhaps?
True. That is something. Of course, since we never saw Peter in the fifth book, maybe he has already done something?
?I’m sure we haven’t. She says the last book will be longest in the series, and it’ll have to be to tie up all the loose ends.
I don’t think that it’ll be the lycanthropy that will kill Lupin. It’ll be Peter Pettigrew. The moment Voldemort gave Pettigrew a silver hand, I said to myself, “That thing will be the death of Lupin.” Silver is anathema to werewolves, you know.