THUNDERDOME
Why Remus Lupin is the Best Hogwarts Teacher
The Contest Isn’t Even Close
Thunderdome is a FanFare series where our writers good-naturedly debate some matter of pop culture and then leave it to the readers to decide. Read each post and vote at the bottom!When you think of the teachers from the Harry Potter series (whether the books or the films), a few come immediately to mind. The first is probably Professor McGonagall, followed by Severus Snape, Delores Umbridge, and even Hagrid. But I believe the best teacher, hands-down, is Remus Lupin, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry’s third year (the period covered by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).
Before delving into why this is true, let me make one key disclaimer. I am not saying that Lupin is the best character in the series, nor even the best adult character (though I think he is among the best). For the purposes of this Thunderdome smackdown I am only making the case that he is the best teacher at Hogwarts during Harry Potter’s time there.
The best place to start is by comparing apples to apples with this question: how did Lupin stack up against the others who taught Defense Against the Dark Arts during Harry’s years at Hogwarts? A quick look at the competition shows us this:
1st Year: Professor Quirinus Quirrell. A man who jumped at his own shadow, had Voldemort growing out of the back of his head, and tried to kill Harry. Epic fail.
2nd Year: Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. If this article was about most narcissistic fraud he would win in a landslide. As a teacher, he couldn’t even control a few Cornish pixies.
4th Year: Professor Alastor Moody (in reality, it was Barty Crouch Jr. using Polyjuice Potion). Moody/Crouch did in fact teach the students spells, which is more than Quirrell or Lockhart did. However, those spells were the three unforgivable curses, so no points for him there. The rest of his time was spent plotting to ensure Harry won the Tri-Wizard Tournament so he could be delivered to Voldemort.
5th Year: Professor Dolores Umbridge. The less said about Umbridge, the better. She used an outdated text and allowed no hands-on learning, which is obviously critical for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Worst of all, never has a waif in pink been such a sadist.
6th Year: Professor Severus Snape. You would think that when he finally got the position he had always coveted Snape would automatically be the best, but this was not the case. He did teach the subject with the same passion he had once had for the Dark Arts, but as with his Potions class he showed extreme favoritism to Slytherin students (especially Malfoy) and open hostility to Gryffindors (especially Harry).
7th Year: Professor Amycus Carrow. This one doesn’t count because he taught Dark Arts, not Defense Against the Dark Arts. Plus, during what would have been their seventh year the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione were off wandering around England looking for horcruxes and not in class.
When compared to these six teachers, Lupin was basically Teacher of the Century. But he was not just a great teacher in comparison to many sub-standard ones; he was objectively a great teacher. Consider the way he approached Neville Longbottom with both care and understanding when explaining how to use the Riddikulus Spell against the boggart. It may be the first time a teacher ever treated Neville with anything except contempt. Staying with the boggart, his protective attitude toward his students in a challenging class was exhibited in the way he leapt in front of Harry, thinking the boggart would take the form of Lord Voldemort.
His instruction went beyond the classroom as well. Having seen firsthand the effect the dementors had on Harry, he offered to teach him the Patronus Charm to ward them off. He did this outside of class, even though the spell was well beyond most wizards of Harry’s age. This training proved crucial by the end of The Prisoner of Azkaban and showed that Lupin could recognize abilities in his students even they did not realize.
Besides simply teaching him spells, however, Lupin took an interest in Harry as a person, in no small part because of his past friendship with Harry’s parents. On the same day that McGonagall refuses to allow Harry to go into Hogsmeade with his friends because he lacks a permission slip, we find Lupin talking with Harry on the bridge, sharing stories about his parents and encouraging him when he is down. Also remember that while every other Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher physically attacked Harry at some point, Lupin was the only one who consistently defended him from harm.
You may say that if we look outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts class there were teachers better than Lupin. But were there? Trelawny was a loon, Madame Sprout was completely plant-focused, Slughorn only cared about social gatherings, and while Hagrid meant well, he was fortunate that his tenure teaching Care of Magical Creatures didn’t result in a student’s death. That leaves the one most would argue was the best teacher: Professor McGonagall.
That McGonagall was one of the greatest characters in the series is beyond dispute. But other than their second year when they transform animals into water goblets, do we ever see the students use transfiguration? The class is as useful as algebra. And how much of her interest in Harry was due to his ability as a Seeker? She sometimes seems like a Texas high school football coach watching out for her star quarterback.
Remus Lupin, however, was the real deal. The fact that he actually taught his students Defense Against the Dark Arts vaults him to the head of any list of best teachers. That he cared for them as people rather than favoring some while humiliating others solidifies that place. The wisdom he imparted, both about magic and life, makes him without question the best Hogwarts teacher.
What say you?
Based only on the arguments presented (you have read all of them, haven’t you?) and not on personal preference: who wins this bout? Voting closes on July 29 at 7:59 AM.The other entries:
