Thoughts on Remus and Crystal Balls

January 2004

So in HP3, during Christmas dinner there's a portion where Professor Trelawney wonders where Lupin is, and is told he's sick. Then she and Minerva get into a nice arguement and all (Have to love McGonagall) then she says that for her information, she's seen that Professor Lupin won't be with them much longer and that he realizes his time there is short. Then Sibyll explains that he "practically fled" when she offered to crystal ball gaze for him. My question is- why did he?

1- (Which seems most likely) He's not an idiot and found a way to blow her off so he didn't have to listen to her making things up

2- He was actually a bit nervous about what she could see in it- either/both as far as Sirius in animagus form, and where his future is concerned.

3- It's just a clever plot device JKR uses to emphasize the fact that Remus IS sick and SEEMS to be afraid of crystal balls (as one student suggests after his boggart experience- to throw readers of the track of it actually being a moon and he being a werewolf)

Now even if it is a clever plot device (which I believe it is- or at least it should be!) it is still present in the story and adds to his character. Now he seems to be the sort of person who wouldn't want to offend Trelawney and still not want to sit through a reading- so that seems to be the most logical. But it's interesting to look at the rest of it... I mean, Trelawney's staff and supposedly knows about him being a werewolf (as to who knows, Remus himself says "But they already know. At least, the staff do.") Perhaps it has to do with the fact that he's a werewolf and the physical strain is so great that Trelawney thinks he won't be around long. Or maybe it's the fact that as a werewolf, he doesn't hold very regular jobs (Damn you Umbridge!). But him "practically fleeing"... I don't know. It doesn't really sound like Lupin. Could certainly just be Trelawney's interpretation of events, of course. But what if he was actually scared about it? What about? Of course, the scared/cowardly side of Lupin DOES come out in the shack when he admits he doesn't tell Dumbledore about their forms because it means he admits to having broken Dumbledore's trust and rules. So maybe it's not too much to think that he's scared of her finding out about Sirius' form. Or seeing something related to that. He's certainly very close to the problem, and I'm not sure he'd want everyone remembering he was a friend(lover) of Sirius Black at that point, either. It's just interesting to think about is all.

I'm sure it's just a combination of 1 & 3 in the long run. But 2 is interesting to consider as far as Remus' character goes.