Remus John Lupin

Remus John Lupin, nicknamed Moony, was a half-blood wizard and a member of the original and reconstituted Order of the Phoenix. Afflicted with lycanthropy at a young age, Lupin faced significant prejudice and hardship throughout his life. He was a close friend to James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew during his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they formed a group known as the Marauders. Lupin later served as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor during the 1993-1994 school year, becoming a beloved mentor to Harry Potter. A key figure in both Wizarding Wars, he was known for his kindness, intelligence, and quiet bravery. He was the husband of Nymphadora Tonks and the father of Teddy Lupin.

Remus was the only son of the wizard Lyall Lupin and his Muggle wife, Hope Howell (Pottermore). At the age of four, he was bitten by the notorious werewolf Fenrir Greyback, who sought revenge against Lyall for insulting his kind. The attack left Remus with incurable lycanthropy, dooming him to a painful and dangerous transformation every full moon. His parents tried everything to find a cure, but to no avail, and they isolated themselves to protect their son's secret.

Despite his condition, Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, invited Remus to attend the school. Special precautions were taken: the Whomping Willow was planted on the grounds to guard a secret tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. Here, Lupin could transform in isolation, without endangering other students. His monthly disappearances and sickly appearance earned him the nickname Moony from his friends. Sorted into Gryffindor house, he quickly befriended James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. When they discovered his secret in their second year, they did not abandon him. Instead, they secretly worked to become Animagi by their fifth year to keep him company during his transformations. It was during this time that the four friends created the Marauder's Map. Despite his association with the trouble-making group, Lupin was made a Prefect in his fifth year, a responsibility he sometimes struggled with, as he felt unable to rein in his best friends.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Lupin joined the original Order of the Phoenix alongside his friends to fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Due to the widespread prejudice against werewolves, he found it nearly impossible to secure steady employment and lived in a state of poverty, relying on the kindness of friends like James. Following the murder of James and Lily Potter and the supposed betrayal and imprisonment of Sirius Black, Lupin was left devastated and alone, believing the remaining friend he had trusted, Sirius, was a traitor.

In 1993, Albus Dumbledore offered Lupin the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. He proved to be an exceptionally gifted and popular teacher, respected for his practical teaching methods and kind nature. During this year, he taught Harry Potter how to cast the Patronus Charm to defend against Dementors. At the end of the school year, his status as a werewolf was exposed by Severus Snape. Though many students and staff supported him, Lupin resigned his post to protect Dumbledore from backlash from the wizarding community. It was also during this time that he discovered Sirius Black's innocence and Peter Pettigrew's treachery.

Lupin rejoined the Order of the Phoenix when it was reconstituted following Lord Voldemort's return. He served as a vital member, often undertaking dangerous missions, including working undercover among fellow werewolves who had allied with Voldemort. During his time with the Order, he fell in love with a fellow member, Nymphadora Tonks. He initially resisted a relationship, consumed by self-loathing and fear that he would make her an outcast and pass on his condition to any children. However, they eventually married and had a son, Teddy Lupin, who inherited his mother's Metamorphmagus abilities instead of his father's lycanthropy. Lupin named Harry Potter as Teddy's godfather.

Remus Lupin fought bravely in the Battle of Hogwarts on 2 May, 1998. He was murdered during the battle by the Death Eater Antonin Dolohov. His wife, Nymphadora Tonks, was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. Lupin's spirit briefly appeared to Harry Potter through the Resurrection Stone, telling Harry that his son would know what his parents died for.

Lupin is consistently described as looking weary and unwell. He had light brown hair flecked with grey (despite being only in his early thirties) and a pale, prematurely lined face. He wore shabby, patched wizarding robes, a sign of his prolonged poverty. After taking Wolfsbane Potion, which lessens the severity of his transformations, he is noted to look healthier than usual. In his werewolf form, he resembles a gaunt, wolf-like creature with subtle, non-wolfish characteristics. He was a man defined by his kindness, patience, and intelligence. He was perceptive and often served as the conscience for his more reckless friends. However, his life was overshadowed by a deep-seated shame and self-hatred due to his condition, making him secretive and prone to self-sabotage. Despite his internal struggles, he was fiercely brave and loyal, willing to sacrifice everything for the people and causes he believed in.

• Defence Against the Dark Arts: Lupin was an expert in this field, with extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of how to combat Dark creatures and the Dark Arts. He was considered by many students to be the best D.A.D.A. teacher they ever had.
• Patronus Charm: A powerful and advanced spell that Lupin mastered and was able to teach. His Patronus took the form of a wolf (Pottermore).
• Non-Verbal Magic: He was highly proficient in casting spells without an incantation, as seen when he lit candles at 12 Grimmauld Place with a silent flick of his wand.
• Dueling: Lupin was a skilled and experienced duelist, having survived numerous encounters during both Wizarding Wars, including the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and the Battle of the Seven Potters.
• Wand: His wand was made of cypress and unicorn hair, was 10¼ inches long, and pliable in flexibility (Pottermore).

• Marauder's Map: One of the four creators of this highly advanced and detailed magical map of Hogwarts.
• Dark Creatures: During his tenure as a professor, his office contained various Dark creatures for instructional purposes, including a Grindylow, a Red Cap, and a Hinkypunk.
• Boggart: He procured a Boggart to teach his third-year students the Riddikulus charm.

• The Marauders: He shared an incredibly deep bond with James Potter and Sirius Black, who accepted his lycanthropy and became Animagi for him. He was devastated by Peter Pettigrew's betrayal of them all.
• Nymphadora Tonks: His wife and fellow Order of the Phoenix member. Their relationship was initially strained by Lupin's fears about his condition, but their love prevailed. They died together in the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Harry Potter: Lupin was one of Harry's most important mentors and a paternal figure, providing a tangible link to Harry's parents. Harry deeply admired Lupin and later named his second son, Albus Severus Potter, in part after him. (Note: Harry's son is named James Sirius Potter and Albus Severus Potter. He names Teddy Lupin's godfather status, but not his own son after him). *Correction: Harry's youngest son is named Albus Severus Potter. His eldest is James Sirius Potter. He names his godson Teddy Remus Lupin, but not his own child after Remus.* Final Correction: Harry tells his son Albus that he was named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. He was named Albus Severus Potter. Harry's godson is Teddy Remus Lupin. The text is correct in stating Harry valued him as a father figure.
• Albus Dumbledore: Lupin held immense gratitude and loyalty towards Dumbledore for showing him kindness and trust when the rest of the world shunned him.
• Severus Snape: Their relationship was defined by a long-standing mutual animosity dating back to their school days, when Sirius played a dangerous prank on Snape involving Lupin's werewolf form. This animosity continued into adulthood, culminating in Snape outing Lupin's condition to the school.

• Remus: In Roman mythology, Remus and his twin brother Romulus were the legendary founders of Rome. As infants, they were abandoned and raised by a she-wolf.
• Lupin: This name is directly derived from the Latin word lupinus, meaning “of a wolf” or “wolf-like,” a clear reference to his lycanthropy.

• In a 2004 interview, J.K. Rowling stated that Lupin's condition of lycanthropy was a metaphor for illnesses that carry a stigma, like HIV and AIDS (J.K. Rowling interview).
• Remus's middle name, John, and his parents' names (Lyall and Hope) were revealed on the Pottermore website (Pottermore).
• J.K. Rowling confirmed that Lupin's Patronus is a normal wolf, not a werewolf. He dislikes casting the spell because the form is a constant reminder of his affliction (Pottermore).
• In the film adaptations, Remus Lupin is portrayed by actor David Thewlis. His physical appearance in the films is notably less shabby than described in the books, and he sports a moustache.
• J.K. Rowling revealed after the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that Lupin was killed by Antonin Dolohov and Tonks was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of Hogwarts (J.K. Rowling interview).