Post by Remus Lupin on Jul 30, 2010 20:44:28 GMT 1
General Information
Name: Remus John Lupin
Heritage: Halfblood (wizard father, muggle mother).
Birth date: 3/10/1960
Age: 14
Place of Birth: A townhouse outside of rural Devon, England.
Current Location/Home: The Lupin family moves frequently, as prejudices surrounding Remus's lycanthropy mean that they tend to wear out their welcome rather quickly wherever they go. Currently, the family is based in Newcastle, though they may move again in the coming months.
House at Hogwarts: Gryffindor
Look
General Appearance:Somewhat tall for his age and still growing, Remus is trim verging on thin, with narrow shoulders and slim hips. However, one should not let his lithe frame deceive them; he is much stronger and more athletic than his lanky appearance initially suggests. He blames the wolf. Palefaced, prematurely grey, and frequently exhausted, with dark circles almost constantly present under his eyes, Remus often appears tired and sickly, particularly in the days immediately before or after a full moon. Still, he tries not to let his ailment get the better of him, and a crooked grin or wry smile can almost always be found on his face--and when he is in the presence of his friends, it is frequently accompanied by rolled eyes.
To say that Remus is style oblivious would be an understatement. Now, this is not to say that he dresses badly, but considering that he is almost always near Padfoot and Prongs, who have mastered the 'effortlessly fashionable' look, it is very easy to look plain by comparison. Generally speaking, he wears his uniform whenever possible, and always tries to look neat. The Lupins are not a family with a lot of financial means, and subsequently he buys most of his clothes and robes secondhand. When not in his uniform, Lupin is pretty simple: he favors jeans, trainers, and sweaters or other long sleeved shirts -- always long sleeved, unless there are very specific circumstances and he is around people who don't mind his scars.
As far as distinguishing marks go, there are far too many to list. And no, Remus does not mean tattoos. Because the wolf does not have any victims during his monthly transformations, his warped mind would cause him to attack himself out of frustration. Because of this, his body is horribly scarred, with most of them on his back, chest, and legs. Thankfully, this means that most of them don't show, and the few scars are visible are easily explained away with excuses that Remus has been perfecting for years. The only particular scars of note are the scars given to him by Fenrir Greyback which litter his left side, with a large scar from the bite located on his left shoulder. Because werewolf wounds are cursed wounds, they never fully heal.
Eye Colour:Light blue-grey, with a sharp look that betrays a keen intellect and quick wit. However, they are frequently accompanied by dark circles.
Hair Colour: Brown and fairly unobtrusive -- not James Potter messy but not overtly neat, either. This summer he discovered his first premature grey hair, an unfortunate side effect of his painful transformations.
Background
Parents: John and Margaret Lupin. John used to work with the Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but he quit in 1966 and now works independently in raising magical creatures. Margaret is a Muggle schoolteacher.
Siblings: None. Any thoughts his parents might have had about having another child were dashed the night he received his bite. As amused as he would be if he did, in fact, have a twin brother named Romulus. However, considering Romulus killed Remus, maybe it's a good thing that he's an only child.
Other Family: No one, really. His parents were both only children, and he isn't close to his grandparents.
Personal History: Born March 10th, 1960 (a full moon, if you'd care to know), Remus J. Lupin was the joy of John Lupin and his muggle wife, Margaret. The trio lived a happy, quiet life for many years, until John had the misfortune of offending werewolf Fenrir Greyback. Greyback promised that John would pay for offending him, but it would be six year old Remus who would pay the ultimate price. While playing in the countryside near the Lupin home, Remus was brutally mauled by Fenrir Greyback, and from that moment on, his life changed. He went from a happy, well adjusted child to a scared monster, unable to control the beast he became. His parents, saddened and horrified, tried everything to cure his disease, to no avail. Because of the stigma associated with Remus’s lycanthropy, the Lupins found themselves withdrawing from the local wizarding community. John struggled to keep a job, money was (and is) scarce, and subsequently, the family has had to move frequently, living mostly in all-Muggle settlements, for his mother. While receiving his bite was not his fault—nor his father’s, he forgave him long ago—Remus still feels regret for what his family has had to go through. Even now, Remus can hardly remember his life before lycanthropy, before he had to live his entire life with the footnote “Remus Lupin: werewolf.”
Surprisingly, the Lupins’ biggest fear while growing up was not Remus’s affliction, but rather the worry that because of it, he would not be able to attend school. Education options for werewolves were not well documented, as few had ever been bitten prior to attending school, and young Remus, already a voracious reader and exceedingly clever, was forced to envision a future that did not involve a formal magical education. His mother, a Muggle school teacher, took it upon herself to homeschool him, but the family knew that Remus would never be happy unless he could learn magic like his father. Thankfully for the Lupins, Dumbledore made all of Remus’s dreams possible. Never did he imagine that he could attend school and still keep himself (and the rest of campus) safe, but somehow, Dumbledore made it happen. Subsequently, this meant that Remus turned into not only a child werewolf, but also the resident of the most haunted place in Britain, but that’s another story (and one that his friends find rather amusing).
After becoming a werewolf, Remus had few friends, so if Remus was shy and awkward on his first day at Hogwarts, could you blame him? As it just so happened, while he was sitting in his then empty dormitory, head in a book, three boys his age burst into the room, hiding out from a prank they had pulled on a group of third years. Remus didn’t know it at the time, but those three boys would turn out to be his best friends and closest family. He found in James, Sirius, and Peter the support he so desperately wanted, and best of all, the three of them seemed to like having him around as much as he loved spending time with them. Of course, while Remus found it relatively easy to hide his monthly transformations from most of the students of Hogwarts, his disappearances attributed to some sort of long term illness (which was partially true…), hiding it from the other three Marauders, as they came to be known, was impossible. His friends were far too perceptive and far too clever to not notice that he always looked sick and disappeared around the full moons, and when they confronted him about it, Remus thought that he was about to lose his best friends forever. He couldn’t have been more wrong. When his friends made the decision to not only support him, but to work towards accompanying him on his transformations, Remus finally felt accepted. It was so much easier to keep a secret from an entire school when you had three best friends to talk to about it.
Character Traits
Personality: Now that he is almost halfway done with school, it has forced Remus to start thinking critically about the legacy that he wants to leave behind. He's decided that he would want to be known as an intelligent student, a talented wizard, and above all else, a good friend.
Quiet and unassuming. Those were the qualities that his father drilled into the young Remus in order to avoid suspicion, and he can’t help but enjoy flying under the radar. You know, as much as one can fly under the radar when a part of one of the most popular and notorious cliques in Hogwarts. Still, compared to his three best friends, Remus is known as the "quiet one," the mature voice of reason. He fell into this role rather naturally, being slightly more cautious than his friends, but to tell the truth, he really is a pretty awful voice of reason, choosing instead to let his friends run amok to some extent, providing no one is in real danger. He never imagined that he would enjoy causing trouble, but for some reason or another, Sirius, James, and Peter bring out the worst in him. Or the best. Or, at the very least, his most creative. To tell the truth, Remus takes great joy in the innocent pranks that his friends pull, and while he doesn’t morally condone the more dangerous stunts, he often helps his friends strategize the plan of attack. These plans aren’t always foolproof – the four have landed themselves in detention several times, but as the boys get older, they are beginning to find ways to further avoid detection.
Despite his love of pranks, Remus is a good student. End statement. This does not mean that he is an effortlessly talented wizard, like James and Sirius. Instead, he works very hard to excel in all of his subjects, and often finds time to help his friends with their schoolwork. Or, alternatively…give it to them so they can copy. Or…just do the homework for them. That works too. Frequently found with his head in a book, Remus has a near photographic memory, which comes in handy when he has to keep track of his schoolwork on top of missing classes due to his…illness. Miss class, yes, and only when he absolutely has to. Miss assignments? Never. His attendance record may not be perfect, but his assignment record? Spotless. While he has no great love for Astronomy and a few other subjects (that he refuses to mention, even to the Marauders—must maintain the illusion of perfection), Remus has a particular mastery of Defense Against the Dark Arts, with an expertise in defense against dark creatures, and is arguably the best in his year. Now, he isn’t sure if actually being a dark creature gives him an unfair advantage, but…Ah well. Remus isn’t one to flaunt his skills as a wizard, and is always willing to help teach those who ask for help, sometimes organizing large study sessions or tutoring for a small fee (or none at all). Surprisingly, he actually enjoys teaching. Not that there’s much of a future in it for him.
Upon first meeting him, Remus appears to be quiet and shy. However, once one breaks through that shell, it is revealed that Remus is very calm, tolerant, gentle, and good-natured. Making friends and being well-liked means the world to him, and he often goes out of his way to help those who are friendly to him. Despite, or perhaps because of, the suffering and prejudice he has endured due to his lycanthropy, he retains an ability to see the good in almost everyone and is extremely forgiving. Because of his own ailment, as well as his muggle mother, Remus is very sensitive to the debate concerning blood purity. In an era where some wizards are being taught to hate and fear those who are not purebloods, Remus is acceping of nearly everyone, and has a respect for muggles that many wizards do not. Remus prides himself on being a positive person, and while he sometimes doesn’t feel like smiling, he tries to force himself to be cheerful, making jokes about his affliction with the Marauders or pretending that it doesn’t bother him as much. While he does have a dark side, it is rarely seen, and his three friends are more than capable of pulling him out of a funk, particularly when the full moon is near. Still, even though he is friendly, or at least civil, to almost everyone, he does not trust easily. How could he, when trusting someone with his secret is akin to putting his life in their hands? Sharing his more personal details about himself is not something he enjoys doing, and he has subsequently became a very talented liar, out of necessity. The other Marauders can always tell, but again, no one knows him better than those three. Up to this point, they have protected his secret like their own, and for that he is grateful.
Likes:
• The Marauders, first and foremost. More of a family than his actual family.
• Being liked, and he likes that terribly.
• Chocolate and peppermint, though not together.
• Mischief, as long as no one really gets hurt.
• Daylight
• Schoolwork/Reading/The library/insert any activity that Sirius would call "boring."
• Chocolate.
• Knitting. It's a hobby that he picked up from his mother, and he sometimes knits to calm his nerves. And yes, his friends tease him plenty.
• Very rare steaks. This is the wolf's fault and Remus, out of loathing for his other half, hates to indulge it.
• Did I mention chocolate?
Dislikes:
• The expectation that he should be the one to keep his friends in line. However, that's a necessary evil.
• Doing his friends' homework. That doesn't mean that he won't, though.
• Mushrooms. There's no explanation. He just doesn't like mushrooms.
• Silver. Contrary to what the Muggle world believes, werewolves are not harmed at all by silver. However, and somewhat ironically, Remus has been allergic to silver since birth. One of the only things that annoy him more than silver is the fact that he is perpetuating a false werewolf stereotype.
• The Ministry's double standard when it comes to putting the Werewolf Registry and Werewolf Capture Unit offices in the Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, while Werewolf Support Services are in the Being Division. But if he talks about that to anyone he appears to be a little too invested and knowledgeable about the situation...
• James and the Potter family occasionally support him financially, and while Remus is grateful for the help, it does make him feel a little awkward.
• Muddy shoes. Don't ask.
Strengths:
• Academically, he is arguably the best in his year.
• He is frequently underestimated, which is useful if one wants to gain the upper hand.
• Transfiguration (oh, irony.)
• Defense Against the Dark Arts, his best and favorite subject.
• He is an expert duelist, though he doesn't revel in using these skills, as he is strongly against violence.
• Very skilled flyer, and once dreamed of joining his house Quidditch team. However, his frequent "illness" made that impossible.
• Exceedingly patient.
• Along with the rest of the Marauders, he knows the castle and grounds of Hogwarts better than anyone.
• Has perfected walking and reading at the same time, even while negotiating busy hallways and moving staircases.
• Has developed a remarkably high threshold of pain.
• Can name the dates of the full moon for the next five years. However, this is merely an odd parlour trick.
Weaknesses:
• He gives his friends an awful lot of slack, even when he shouldn't. He'll be lucky if he gets a prefect badge next year.
• Gah. Girls.
• Has a reputation for being clumsy. While this is not exactly true (it's just that the few times he has tripped spectacularly have been in front of large groups of people), he is willing to keep the rumor alive, if only because it makes his scars look more believable.
• He is horrid, horrid, horrid at Astronomy. He'd rather not study the moon any more than he already has to in his normal life.
• Very acutely aware of when others are being picked on or persecuted, and is very sensitive about it, due to his lycanthropy.
• In the days immediately before and after a full moon, Remus appears sickly, tired, and rather irritable. His friends have learned to cast a wide berth.
• Will do nearly anything for chocolate.
Other Information
Pets: None. Animals don't seem to take to him. Not like that's much of a surprise.
Wand: 11 3/4", willow, dragon heartstring.
Role-play Example:
“What brings me? What brings me? I’m bored, and you’re the Sirius Black. That’s what brings me.” Remus let that overtly favorable reply hang in the air for a few seconds, before laughing and lying back onto the grass. “No, surely I know better than to feed your ego…Alright. Truth: I had finished all of my work for the day, plus Peter’s—and I didn’t have anything to do, and you were the first Marauder I found on the map. No idea where Peter is, and I assume Prongs must be off doing some Head Boy duties…At least now he can claim to have a reason for following Lily around. At the expense of vanishing from his friends,” he said with a laugh. Absent mindedly tearing blades of grass, Remus thought for a minute and then continued. “You know, Padfoot, I never chose that over the Marauders…Though I suppose that’s why I got the badge taken away, yeah?” In truth, Remus harbored no ill will towards not getting a badge this year. His pride was harmed slightly, of course, but he knew that Dumbledore liked to work in mysterious ways.
“You know, hypothetically, what if Dumbledore made James Head Boy so that Lily would give him the time of day? Wouldn’t that be mad?” Though, not the first time Dumbledore took such an interest in someone. Maybe it’d be good for them. They’d either start dating or never speak again, and either solution would be better than Prongs’s persistence and Lily’s continued rejections. To tell the truth, Remus actually used to harbor a crush on Lily in their fourth year, nothing substantial—just puppy love, and it was something he had subsequently gotten over, not willing to sacrifice his friendship with James. Sirius was the only one who knew of Remus’s one time affection for Evans, and it was a secret that he had managed to keep from everyone. Even Sirius knew that potentially angering Prongs was not a good move. “Hmm, well, digressing… Long story short: I was bored, found you on the map, and was utterly disappointed to find out that you also weren’t doing anything.”
It only took Remus a few minutes to realize that in giving his chocolate frog to Sirius, it thereby meant that Remus wouldn’t get to eat said chocolate frog. That was…disappointing. Life sometimes had a way of presenting opportunities, though, and a slight smirk passed over his face when he spied a little second year boy, holding an unwrapped bar of chocolate in his hands. Now, Remus didn’t usually do this, but he did really want chocolate. Plus, it gave him a good excuse to practice non verbal spells, something he had been working to master. Pulling his wand out of his pocket, the young Gryffindor pointed it at the second year, and thought Accio, chocolate bar.
Almost immediately, the candy in question zoomed out of the hands of the second year and Remus caught it effortlessly. He could tell that the little boy considered causing a ruckus, but that would mean talking to the Marauders. Despite himself, Remus couldn’t stop laughing at himself. “Hahaha, I’m not sure exactly why—I mean—I’m usually above such things—but I just—I dunno, hahaha. I just wanted it!” Unwrapping his well-deserved prize, Remus took a bite and calmed down slightly. “Chocolate tastes better if you have to earn it, I think. Clever bit of magic though, yeah?” Nonverbal and wandless magic was Remus’s current fascination, and like any magic that he found challenging, Remus practiced it constantly.
As the laughter died down, Remus once again glanced at the willow and felt a slight shiver run down his spine. He wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about the thing. It was a great mix of feelings, but not exactly fear. Not like that squid. “Hypothetical question, because this day is much too dull for actual questions: Okay, provided that the squid could survive on land, and somehow the Giant Squid and the Whomping Willow were engaged in a battle to the death, who would win? You win bets more often than I do, so I defer to your judgment. I mean, we both know what the willow is capable of…” Remus’s speech faltered for a second as he locked eyes with that damn tree again, thoughts again venturing towards sixth year. “But, and I know I can’t prove it, but I think that squid is a killer, and I forgive you, by the way—” Gah, had he said that out loud? Judging by Padfoot’s reaction, then yes, yes, he had, in fact, blurted that out. Well, wonderful…
“You know, hypothetically, what if Dumbledore made James Head Boy so that Lily would give him the time of day? Wouldn’t that be mad?” Though, not the first time Dumbledore took such an interest in someone. Maybe it’d be good for them. They’d either start dating or never speak again, and either solution would be better than Prongs’s persistence and Lily’s continued rejections. To tell the truth, Remus actually used to harbor a crush on Lily in their fourth year, nothing substantial—just puppy love, and it was something he had subsequently gotten over, not willing to sacrifice his friendship with James. Sirius was the only one who knew of Remus’s one time affection for Evans, and it was a secret that he had managed to keep from everyone. Even Sirius knew that potentially angering Prongs was not a good move. “Hmm, well, digressing… Long story short: I was bored, found you on the map, and was utterly disappointed to find out that you also weren’t doing anything.”
It only took Remus a few minutes to realize that in giving his chocolate frog to Sirius, it thereby meant that Remus wouldn’t get to eat said chocolate frog. That was…disappointing. Life sometimes had a way of presenting opportunities, though, and a slight smirk passed over his face when he spied a little second year boy, holding an unwrapped bar of chocolate in his hands. Now, Remus didn’t usually do this, but he did really want chocolate. Plus, it gave him a good excuse to practice non verbal spells, something he had been working to master. Pulling his wand out of his pocket, the young Gryffindor pointed it at the second year, and thought Accio, chocolate bar.
Almost immediately, the candy in question zoomed out of the hands of the second year and Remus caught it effortlessly. He could tell that the little boy considered causing a ruckus, but that would mean talking to the Marauders. Despite himself, Remus couldn’t stop laughing at himself. “Hahaha, I’m not sure exactly why—I mean—I’m usually above such things—but I just—I dunno, hahaha. I just wanted it!” Unwrapping his well-deserved prize, Remus took a bite and calmed down slightly. “Chocolate tastes better if you have to earn it, I think. Clever bit of magic though, yeah?” Nonverbal and wandless magic was Remus’s current fascination, and like any magic that he found challenging, Remus practiced it constantly.
As the laughter died down, Remus once again glanced at the willow and felt a slight shiver run down his spine. He wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about the thing. It was a great mix of feelings, but not exactly fear. Not like that squid. “Hypothetical question, because this day is much too dull for actual questions: Okay, provided that the squid could survive on land, and somehow the Giant Squid and the Whomping Willow were engaged in a battle to the death, who would win? You win bets more often than I do, so I defer to your judgment. I mean, we both know what the willow is capable of…” Remus’s speech faltered for a second as he locked eyes with that damn tree again, thoughts again venturing towards sixth year. “But, and I know I can’t prove it, but I think that squid is a killer, and I forgive you, by the way—” Gah, had he said that out loud? Judging by Padfoot’s reaction, then yes, yes, he had, in fact, blurted that out. Well, wonderful…