J.K. Rowling Apologizes For Killing Remus Lupin
By Ani Bundel
On the anniversary on the Battle of Hogwarts, J.K. Rowling apologizes for killing another character. This year: Remus Lupin.
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Today marks 18 years since the Battle of Hogwarts. According to the wizarding resources us muggles have access to, on this day in 1998, Harry Potter returned to his alma mater and stood against the Dark Lord Voldemort for the last time, and defeated him.
J.K. Rowling has taken to marking the anniversary of this event every year on Twitter. Last year, she apologized to everyone for killing off the beloved Fred Weasley. For her that was the hardest character to kill of and the one that still grieved her to this day.
At that time, she also announced she would do this every year going forward, apologizing for the deaths in that last battle that scarred our childhoods and broke our hearts. Now she has made good on that word.
.@Brieuc26Rankin I thought I might apologise for one death per anniversary. Fred was the worst for me, so I started with him.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2015
And as requested, this year’s apology focuses on one half of that star crossed couple, the kindest, gentlest werewolf the Potterverse may ever know: Remus Lupin.
Once again, it's the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts so, as promised, I shall apologise for a death. This year: Remus Lupin.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016
As fans will remember, Remus and Tonks’ romance was one deferred until it was almost too late, and then it took Tonks refusing to allow Lupin to nobly sacrifice his happiness and accidentally sacrifice hers in the process. Their wedding was a quick affair, and in short order, Tonks found herself with child by the beginning of the events that took place in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Their son, Teddy Lupin was born in April of 1998.
What is interesting though is Rowling’s process. Apparently she did not initially intend to kill off Lupin–not until she had finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
In the interests of total honesty I'd also like to confess that I didn't decide to kill Lupin until I wrote Order if the Phoenix.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016
So when Rowling wrote of Tonks and Lupin finally getting together, marrying up in Scotland, and their child Teddy, she already knew Lupin would not survive.
Why did Lupin have to die? Because she had decided that a father figure had to go–and when she decided it would not be Arthur Weasley after all, this was next best option.
"Arthur lived, so Lupin had to die. I'm sorry. I didn't enjoy doing it. The only time my editor ever saw me cry was over the fate of Teddy."
So today, as we mark this 18th anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, raise your wand for Remus Lupin, and keep Teddy in your thoughts. We’re hoping to see how he turned out soon, in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.