Remus Lupin: A dramatic reimagining

INT. 12 GRIMMAUD PLACE – NIGHT

REMUS LUPIN bursts in on HARRY POTTER, HERMIONE GRANGER, and RON WEASLEY in the flat’s shabby living room.

REMUS

Hey, guys! I’m here to join your team!

RON

What team?

HERMIONE

He means the HORCRUXES, Ronald.

HARRY

Where’s Tonks?

Remus rolls his eyes.

REMUS

I don’t know. Probably at her parent’s house.

HARRY

You DID discuss this with your wife, right?

Remus waves a hand.

REMUS

She’s busy being pregnant! This is more important.

Hermione makes a noise in the back of her throat.

Ron shifts uncomfortably.

HARRY

Hang on…you LEFT your PREGNANT wife WITHOUT TELLING HER
to join us on our quest to destroy the Horcruxes of the
most DANGEROUS Dark wizard alive?

REMUS

Tonks is FINE. She has it EASY.

HERMIONE

You think PREGNANCY is EASY?

RON

She needs you, mate!

REMUS

You don’t understand how much HARDER
I have it. I’m a WEREWOLF.

HARRY

You don’t get to thrown down “fantasy AIDS”
as justification for your bad decisions!
YOU LEFT YOUR WIFE AND CHILD!

REMUS

Like I’m the FIRST wizard
to abandon something important

Blushing, Ron tugs at his own shirtsleeve.

HARRY

You can’t come with us, dude.
Go back to your wife.

REMUS

I’m a teacher! You can’t tell me what to do!

HARRY

I’m the Chosen One!
I can do whatever I want!

Huffing, Remus approaches the door. Before leaving, he turns.

REMUS

I thought you were cool like your dad, Harry.
But I guess you’re not.

He exits.

HARRY
(calling after him)
UNCALLED FOR!

He turns to his friends.

HARRY (cont’d)

I AM cool…right?

Hermione looks away. Ron coughs.

 

EXT. FORBIDDEN FOREST – NIGHT

REMUS LUPIN approaches HARRY POTTER with a magical photograph, a big grin on his face.

LILY POTTER, JAMES POTTER, and SIRIUS BLACK, in ghostly form, watch from several feet away.

A ghostly ALBUS DUMBLEDORE waits behind a tree, giggling.

REMUS

You were right about everything, Harry.
I went back to Tonks.
She gave birth to our son.

Remus presses the photograph into Harry’s hand.

Harry looks down at a sleeping baby with blue hair. He smiles faintly.

REMUS

That’s Teddy. He’s blue.

HARRY

Lupin…I’m so happy for you.

REMUS

Yeah…once I saw him, I knew
I wanted to stick around and
raise him right.

HARRY

I’m sorry I yelled before…
but I’m glad I got to you.

Remus shrugs.

REMUS

Yeah…too bad none of it matters now.

HARRY

And…why not?

REMUS

Because I’m dead.

Harry drops the photograph. He looks at the other ghosts.

LILY

We couldn’t tell you.

SIRIUS

It was Lupin’s decision.

JAMES

Yeah, and the way he died
was AWESOME, man! He-

Lily puts a hand on James’ arm and shakes her head.

Harry turns back to Remus.

HARRY

You’re DEAD?

REMUS

Correct.

HARRY

Come ON, Lupin.

REMUS

HEY – don’t BLAME me.
I died a HERO.

LILY AND JAMES

Yeah, Harry!

SIRIUS

Yeah, Harry!

DUMBLEDORE
(from behind the tree)
Yeah, Harry!

HARRY
(pointing at Dumbledore)
Don’t START with me.

Harry looks around at the ghosts, frowning.

HARRY

By the way…where’s Tonks?

REMUS
(shrugging)
Her parents’ house? I wouldn’t
know, I came straight here.

HARRY

And Teddy?

REMUS

Uuuuuuuuhhhhhh…

HARRY

Lupin…

 

EXT. KING’S CROSS STATION – DAY

HARRY kneels in front of his son ALBUS SEVERUS.

DEAD REMUS LUPIN stands by a pillar watching the pair. DEAD ALBUS DUMBLEDORE hides behind him in the shadows.

HARRY

Albus Severus…

DEAD REMUS

Hang on…his name is WHAT?

HARRY

You were named after the two bravest
men I ever met.

DEAD REMUS

…that’s hurtful.

HARRY

One of them loved my mom.

DEAD REMUS

Yeah…and it was super gross!

HARRY

The other lied to me for
seven years, relying on
me to complete an impossible
quest, even though I was only
ever an average student.

DEAD REMUS

But you STILL named your kid after him!?

Dead Dumbledore giggles in the shadows.

Confused, Dead Remus cocks his head at the sound.

HARRY

Both were headmasters.

DEAD REMUS

Must I reiterate that I had
FANTASY AIDS and the Hogwarts
parents were BIGOTS?

HARRY

Neither one of them ever
abandoned their own son.

DEAD REMUS

…rude.

HARRY

Neither one left me to coparent
an orphaned child with his
last remaining grandparent.

DEAD REMUS

I died a HERO.

DEAD DUMBLEDORE
(whispering)
Where’s Tonks?

DEAD REMUS looks around the station but doesn’t see where the voice came from.

ALBUS SEVERUS

Dad…can I get on the train now?

HARRY
(standing)
Of course, son.

Albus Severus runs toward the train.

Harry calls after him.

HARRY

Just remember I would never
leave you to try and look cool!

DEAD REMUS

It was ONE TIME.

DEAD DUMBLEDORE

Technically, two times.

Dead Remus finally locates the voice and whirls on Dead Dumbledore.

DEAD REMUS

Seriously, though…ALBUS Severus?

Dead Dumbledore flips him off with both hands.

Harry waves to his other two children.

HARRY

James Sirius Potter and Lily Luna
Nymphadora Rubeus Kingsley Gilderoy
Rufus Molly Neville Arthur Peter Potter!
Time to get on the train!

Dead Remus turns at the sound of these names. His ghostly jaw falls open.

DEAD REMUS

You’re JOKING.

 

Fin.