Remus Lupin

Grew Up… with his mother, Hope, and father, Lyall. When he was a young boy, Remus was bitten by notoriously vicious werewolf Fenrir Greyback as punishment for Lyall insulting him. From then on, Remus turned into a werewolf at each full moon. Although his parents feared he wouldn’t be able to attend Hogwarts School because he was a danger to other students, headmaster Albus Dumbledore encouraged him to enroll, taking special precautionary measures so Remus could get a magical education like his peers. Once there, he was sorted into Gryffindor, where he befriended James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew, though he kept his lycanthropy a secret out of fear that they would desert him. His friends eventually grew suspicious that he always disappeared at the full moon and, rather than abandoning him when they found out, they learned to transform into animals so they could keep him company when he transformed. The friends deemed themselves the “Marauders” and spent their years at Hogwarts galavanting around the castle and grounds, eventually writing the Marauder’s Map.

Living… underground, for the most part. Because he is a werewolf, Remus does a rather nasty job for the Order of the Phoenix: Trying to convince his fellow werewolves – who generally live as outcasts from society – to join Dumbledore’s side before the Dark Lord Voldemort reaches them.

Profession… usually unemployed, because not many people are keen to give a werewolf a job. Dumbledore, who has always supported Remus in spite of his condition, offered him the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. He was an extremely good teacher, but was forced to resign after just one year because fellow professor Severus Snape exposed his secret, and parents would not want a werewolf teaching their children.  

Interests… fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Remus was a member of the original Order, which Dumbledore organized during the First Wizarding War. When the organization was reinstated in the wake of Voldemort’s second rise to power, Remus joined once again, eager to bring down the Dark Lord.

Relationship Status… married to Nymphadora Tonks. Though Remus initially rebuffed her advances because he felt he was too old (and too much of a werewolf) for the young, vibrant Tonks, he eventually gave in.

Challenge… overcoming his insecurities and allowing himself to live a happy, full life. Remus is very self-conscious about his condition, and thinks of himself as a burden to others. Despite his strong feelings for Tonks, he rejected her for a long time because he thought she deserved someone younger, more “whole,” than him. Since he has been an outcast for almost his whole life, Remus has always been afraid of losing favor with those he loves. At times, this has caused him not to assert himself for fear of driving away those he holds most dear, like when he didn’t actively stop his friends from bullying Severus Snape in school, despite knowing it was wrong.

Personality... levelheaded, intelligent, and compassionate. Remus is almost always calm and collected, and is very perceptive of others’ feelings and thoughts. Despite facing prejudice all of his life because of his condition, his compassion and understanding is unwavering, and he is able to see the good in everyone. He is also very smart, and was more responsible in school than his friends, which led Dumbledore to make him a Prefect. Remus is incomparably brave, though his insecurity and desire to belong to the “regular” wizarding world at times caused him to back down. Remus is a great mentor; he is encouraging and bestows his wisdom upon those who seek advice from him, like Harry Potter.