Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

by

J. K. Rowling

Professor Lupin Character Analysis

Harry, Ron, and Hermione first meet Professor Lupin on the Hogwarts Express. He's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and though he's not very old, he's going gray, appears somewhat ill, and wears very shabby robes. However, he soon impresses the Gryffindor students when dementors search the train and he repels them and distributes chocolate, which is an antidote. This makes it clear to students and staff alike that Lupin is a competent teacher. During his lessons he makes sure to encourage less confident students like Neville, while also rewarding Hermione for her vast knowledge. Harry notices several strange things, however, including that Snape appears to loathe Lupin and that Lupin is regularly ill. Lupin begins to take on the role of a mentor to Harry when Harry asks for help in learning to fight dementors. Harry's trust in Lupin grows quickly, especially when Lupin tells Harry the truth about why he does certain things and when he covers for Harry when he's caught in Hogsmeade with the Marauder's Map. During one of Lupin's illnesses, Snape substitutes for his class and assigns an essay on werewolves. Hermione is the only one to complete it and to realize that Lupin is a werewolf. In the Shrieking Shack, Lupin finally shares that Dumbledore allowed him to come to Hogwarts as a student and built the Shrieking Shack so that he had a safe place to transform. Lupin was friends with James, Sirius, and Peter Pettigrew, and the three turned themselves into Animagi so they could keep Lupin company during his transformation. Their adventures around the school gave them the information to write the Marauder's Map. Though Lupin admits that his friends' sacrifice made his transformations bearable, he also recognizes that they were naïve and selfish and didn't fully consider what could've gone wrong. Snape's hatred of Lupin means that, after Black escapes, Snape takes his frustrations out on Lupin by letting slip that he's a werewolf. As werewolves are shunned in wizarding society, Lupin is forced to resign. However, he gives Harry back the Marauder's Map that he previously confiscated before he leaves.

Professor Lupin Quotes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban quotes below are all either spoken by Professor Lupin or refer to Professor Lupin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter Seven Quotes

"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Related Characters: Professor Snape (speaker), Hermione Granger, Professor Lupin, Neville Longbottom
Page Number: 132
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eight Quotes

"Why didn't you let me fight it? said Harry abruptly.

Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," he said, sounding surprised.

Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that he'd done any such thing, was taken aback.

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Professor Lupin (speaker), Voldemort
Page Number: 155
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nine Quotes

"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between--"

"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on--"

"Silence!" snarled Snape.

Related Characters: Professor Snape (speaker), Parvati Patil (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Professor Lupin
Page Number: 171
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twelve Quotes

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority.

"If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.

"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off.

"She doesn't know," said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again."

Related Characters: Ron Weasley (speaker), Hermione Granger (speaker), Harry Potter, Professor Lupin
Page Number: 236
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eighteen Quotes

"I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth...

"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

Related Characters: Professor Lupin (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Sirius Black, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew, James Potter
Page Number: 354
Explanation and Analysis:

"That was still really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"

"A thought that still haunts me," said Lupin heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless--carried away with our own cleverness."

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Professor Lupin (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Sirius Black, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew, James Potter
Page Number: 355
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nineteen Quotes

"But if--if there was a mistake--"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Professor Snape (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Lupin, Sirius Black, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew
Page Number: 360
Explanation and Analysis:

"Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple...so brilliant...he cut if off himself?"

"Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself--and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."

Related Characters: Professor Lupin (speaker), Sirius Black (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Lupin, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Lily Potter
Page Number: 363
Explanation and Analysis:
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Professor Lupin Quotes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban quotes below are all either spoken by Professor Lupin or refer to Professor Lupin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter Seven Quotes

"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Related Characters: Professor Snape (speaker), Hermione Granger, Professor Lupin, Neville Longbottom
Page Number: 132
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eight Quotes

"Why didn't you let me fight it? said Harry abruptly.

Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," he said, sounding surprised.

Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that he'd done any such thing, was taken aback.

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Professor Lupin (speaker), Voldemort
Page Number: 155
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nine Quotes

"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between--"

"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on--"

"Silence!" snarled Snape.

Related Characters: Professor Snape (speaker), Parvati Patil (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Professor Lupin
Page Number: 171
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twelve Quotes

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority.

"If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.

"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off.

"She doesn't know," said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again."

Related Characters: Ron Weasley (speaker), Hermione Granger (speaker), Harry Potter, Professor Lupin
Page Number: 236
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eighteen Quotes

"I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth...

"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

Related Characters: Professor Lupin (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Sirius Black, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew, James Potter
Page Number: 354
Explanation and Analysis:

"That was still really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"

"A thought that still haunts me," said Lupin heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless--carried away with our own cleverness."

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Professor Lupin (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Sirius Black, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew, James Potter
Page Number: 355
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nineteen Quotes

"But if--if there was a mistake--"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Professor Snape (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Lupin, Sirius Black, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew
Page Number: 360
Explanation and Analysis:

"Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple...so brilliant...he cut if off himself?"

"Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself--and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."

Related Characters: Professor Lupin (speaker), Sirius Black (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Lupin, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Lily Potter
Page Number: 363
Explanation and Analysis: