THE DOUBT REMAINS...
There’s one thing I still don’t understand or can’t quite wrap my head around (even though it’s been nearly thirty years since “The Prisoner of Azkaban” was published - when I first read it - and despite all the times - hundreds of them - that I’ve reread it over the years): why Sirius believed Remus was a spy during the First Wizarding War.
The people I’ve discussed this with over the years have always brushed it off with a simple: “Yeah, but Lupin thought Sirius was a spy too!”
Except it’s not exactly the same thing, is it? As far as we know, in fact, Remus believed Sirius was the spy only after Lily and James had been betrayed and the one person (or so it was thought) who knew where they were hiding had been arrested, whereas Sirius had already suspected Remus beforehand (roughly since rumors began circulating about a spy within the Order’s ranks).
Well, I’ve never understood why Sirius came to believe that Remus was the spy, when it’s obvious that his friend has always shown more “loyalty” to his friends than to Dumbledore himself.
Let’s not forget, in fact, that not only does he hide from the Headmaster the fact that he and his friends are leaving the place he had built to protect him (and especially the residents of Hogsmeade) when he was still a student, but he also hide things from him after that!
After Sirius was arrested and escaped from Azkaban (when he basically had every reason to consider him a dangerous, mad criminal and a traitor, just as everyone in the wizarding world believed him to be), in fact, Remus:
does not reveal to Dumbledore that Sirius is an Animagus;
he doesn’t tell him about the Marauder’s Map, and especially that Sirius (if he’d gotten his hands on it) could have used it to get to Harry;
he doesn’t tell him that he saw not only Sirius, but also Peter inside the Shrieking Shack (and it would have made sense to do that first, given that he absolutely shouldn’t have left his office that night!);
Etc.
So, exactly why did Sirius decide one fine day that Remus had “switched sides”? I doubt it was because he’s a werewolf because, as far as we know, that’s never been a problem or a reason for Sirius to distrust hiim. So... Any ideas?
