Perfect Unity

Profile:
Name: Remus John Lupin a.k.a. Moony
Primary Characteristics: Hardworking/Rational
Primary Element: Earth

"You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil."

When I was a small boy, a werewolf named Fenrir Greyback bit me. Thank Merlin my father managed to rescue me from the clutches of Greyback then, or I might not have lived. But ever since then, I've lived a cursed life. My parents loved me dearly. They tried everything, but there was, and is, no cure for werewolf bites. As a result, I was forced to shy away from normal society. Not that I needed to be forced away. I was terrified myself, afraid of what I might accidentally do, or what the other children would think of me. I hid away. I had no friends, no childhood. I lived in fear ever since. It was terrible.

Naturally, it was a surprise when my Hogwarts letter came. Dad immediately contacted Dumbledore to inform him of my situation, and Dumbledore's answer shocked him. "So long as we take necessary precautions, there is no reason why your son shouldn't come to Hogwarts. After all, a wizard should learn how to control his magic. Why should a little thing like this stop him from living normally?" Oh Merlin, I love that man. He became my idol and my father substitute at Hogwarts. His acceptance means everything to me. He was my pillar of strength.

So I came, and Hogwarts became my haven, the only place I truly live as a human. It was the place I found understanding and acceptance. It was the only place I found protection from society's cruel prejudices. It was the place I could live normally and peacefully. And most importantly, it was the place I met my first and best friends, the Marauders, James, Sirius, and Peter.

I am so happy to have met them. They are the greatest friends I could ask for. They stick to me through thick and thin, never letting my "furry little problem", as James dubbed it, get in the way of our friendship. In fact, I was so terrified that they'd leave me, but they didn't, and they even became Animagi for me, to accompany me during the torturous full moons. Because of their sacrifice (of many sleepless nights, not that the ever adventurous James and Sirius minded at all), I became more human than I ever felt during my transformations, human enough to leave the Shrieking Shack and join them in their explorations of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. I mean, sure, they, especially James and Sirius, have stepped out of line once in a while, but that's all in good fun. And what friends will I have if I'm uptight all the time? I'd be a spoilsport, and I must admit that I actually rather like some of their activities, some of the milder ones. Though I wish I'd had the guts to at least tell them off when they've really gone out of line, like Lily did. I guess the only thing I can console myself with is that I am the one who think through all the pranks before executing them. Heaven knows that we'd be caught more than necessary if we weren't careful enough, especially at night, with that nosy caretaker and his even nosier cat prowling around the castle. Someone has to weigh the pros and cons of our actions first, especially when James and Sirius tend to be a little too… err… enthusiastic and careless. I'm not blaming them, though. They need their fun, just like we needed a laugh once in a while. I felt alive as I was never before when I am with them (and I am NOT a gay, no offence to gays, just in case you start to have that misconception). I just wish that they hadn't targeted specific people, like how they purposely made fun of Snape. It isn't right, but I cannot find it in my heart to stop them. I am afraid that they might desert me if I'm not fun enough to be with.

I suppose it is also part of my lycanthropy, part of being prejudiced, that I strived to prove myself. I studied hard, so that I could come up to par. I know that I will never be as good as James and Sirius. Magic just comes easily to them. Perhaps it is their confidence. It took just three years for them to become Animagi. Simply fantastic. I got to admit, those two make magic seems like a piece of cake. Which probably is, for them at least. I am also a little more law-abiding than them, especially Sirius. He is as free as the wind, often speaking or doing something before he stops to think about the consequences, sometimes not even bothering about them. Sixth year was the proof of his lack of rational. I mean, however mad he was at Snape, he shouldn't wish him dead, and by me, no less. If I did kill him, or turn him into a werewolf, not only I will be in trouble, but the three of them as well, and Dumbledore. Whoever it is, Dumbledore cannot bear the blame because of us. He let me into Hogwarts when no other Headmaster would. He is the reason I might have a future. Sirius might have jeopardised Dumbledore's position as Headmaster! I don't matter, but didn't he think of Dumbledore? Was he so blinded by his hatred for Snape that he can't see the bigger picture? I forgive him, though. We all have our weaknesses, and sometimes the cost is more than we can bear.

James was a bit reckless and thoughtless too, until Lily. His mere act of saving Snape is enough to prove that he has grown out of that. To save an enemy is even greater bravery than saving a friend. By that mere act of saving him, he saved me too. Thank Merlin for him, or all might be lost. I might have done something I have no control over, and still regret it for the rest of my life. No wonder he was made Head Boy. I was never a leader figure anyway. That, I suppose, is the power of love. I'm telling you, that girl saved me a lot of trouble. I like her. Strictly platonic, of course. She is like the sister I never had. We're only friends, and I am glad that it is so. Even if I like her the way James did, I would never compete with James for her. Lily likes James as much as he likes her. Anyone could see that. Besides, my condition would never allow me to offer security to any woman. I would never let someone I care for to be in constant danger from me.

That's me. Remus John down-to-earth Lupin. Again, perhaps it is because of my "furry little problem" which trained a sense of extreme care in me. Almost on the border of paranoid, like Mad-Eye Moody. I seldom take risks, and only participate in the Marauders' pranks once in a while. I live in the constant fear of "what ifs". Sometimes I wish that I am less so. I don't seem to be able to enjoy life as much as the others. That is the price I have to pay, I suppose, but in the long run, hopefully, it'll help me keep my mates and I out of trouble, especially from the Ministry, and now from Voldemort. Of course we must be as courageous and make risky decisions in times like this, but at the same time, we must also be sure to minimise the risks and ensure maximum safety. No one can guarantee total security, or that we will all come out of this war with our lives, limbs and sanity, but we must at least take great care to try and achieve those targets with the least loss of lives. There is no point if we plunge recklessly headfirst into the battle. Not everything can be solved with brute force and raw talent. Only with a clear head and reasonable mind can we survive.

So I am smart, in a sense. I don't let negative emotions cloud my mind. Some enemies are self-made. In fact, sometimes I wonder if we wizards' mistreatment of other people different from them, people like me, caused this rebellion, so to speak. If we have never stripped other races or Houses or groups of people of their rights, only because each thinks they are superior than the rest. Voldemort cunningly saw through that weakness, and used it. Giants, Dementors, goblins, pure-blood manias, werewolves. They were deprived by us. Luckily the centaurs and the mermaids are clever enough to keep out of this meaningless power struggle. Sometimes, I even wonder if Snape would have left us alone if James and Sirius did not display such a degree of loathing. Perhaps he would have, perhaps he won't. But what's done is done. I only hope that it won't lead to their ruin.

– Next Up: Peter Pettigrew –