Biography

Here you can find the full version of Remus's known biography. Note: If you have not read the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th books in the Harry Potter series, this section contains spoilers.

Childhood

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, p.258:

"I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure."

Remus, a half-blood, was born in 1960 on March 10th. He was a young child when he was bitten by Fenrir Greyback, a fierce werewolf known to position himself in close range of children on full moons. It is understood that Remus's father had offended Fenrir which is why Remus was chosen to be attacked. Although Greyback usually likes to raise his young victims away from their parents to encourage them to hate normal wizards, it is apparent that this did not happen with Remus. Instead, his "parents tried everything" to cure him and did not inform him of who his attacker had been; it was many years later that he found out he had been bitten by Greyback. Other than these facts, we know little of Remus's childhood. All we can suppose is that it was a fairly lonely time due to his affliction.

School Days

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, p.259:

"...I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black... Peter Pettigrew... and, of course, your father, Harry - James Potter."

These are probably the most well known years (other than those in books 3, 5, 6, and 7) of Remus's life. Originally, it had been uncertain as to whether Remus would be able to attend Hogwarts due to his affliction. Dumbledore, however, made attendance possible as he put safety measures into place that enabled Remus to transform every month without harming other students. This included the creation of the Shrieking Shack, a boarded up building in Hogsmeade where Remus could make his transformations, and the planting of the Whomping Willow, an aggressive tree which conceals the entrance of a secret passageway leading between Hogwarts and the Shrieking Shack.

Other than his monthly transformations, Remus's school days were probably the happiest of his life, largely due to the fact that he had finally found three great friends; Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew. Initially he tried to hide his lycanthropy from them, terrified that they would desert him if they knew the truth, but eventually they figured it out for themselves. Instead of shunning him, however, they proved themselves true friends by turning his transformations into the "best times of his life". To do this, they taught themselves to become Animagi and joined Remus in the Shrieking Shack every full moon to keep him company (werewolves only harm humans, not other animals). Because of their newfound abilities to transform, they gave each other nicknames based on the animals they transformed into. Remus became "Moony", Sirius became "Padfoot" (a dog), James became "Prongs" (a stag), and Peter became "Wormtail" (a rat).

They then went on to call themselves the Marauders and dedicated their years at Hogwarts to spreading mischief throughout the castle. They were no ordinary mischief makers, however; they were some of the cleverest students at school and even invented the Marauder's Map, an amazing map that shows all the rooms, secret passageways, and locations of people within Hogwarts. At some point, however, the map was confiscated by Filch. The Marauders also had a particular dislike for Severus Snape, a Slytherin student in their year who was particularly talented in the Dark Arts. Although the rivalry between Snape, James, and Sirius was particularly nasty, Remus avoided partaking in any bullying behaviour toward Snape.

Despite this, inadvertently, Remus almost became an agent for harming Snape when he was in his sixth year at Hogwarts. Because Snape had always been suspicious of Remus's monthly absences, one full moon, Sirius told him how to get into the passage beneath the Whomping Willow. When James found out about this, he realised that Snape would, when faced with a fully transformed werewolf, be killed. Before anything happened, he was able to stop Snape from going all the way down the passage, therefore saving his life. From that point on, however, Snape believed that Remus had been in on the plan and held it against him ever since. In reality, of course, Remus never did know what Sirius had been planning.

In addition to his friends, Remus was also a school prefect and was in Gryffindor. We know he was a bit of a bookworm and was very intelligent. We also know he struggled with his conscience about not pulling up James and Sirius when he thought they were "out of order". But mostly we know he loved his time at Hogwarts, so much so that he came back as a teacher later on in his adult life.

The Unknown Years

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, p.261:

"I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am."

Upon leaving school, Remus joined the Order of the Phoenix, a secret group of wizards led by Dumbledore who were dedicated to fighting Lord Voldemort. It soon became clear that a spy had penetrated the Order and, for reasons not yet revealed, Remus was suspected. In reality, however, the traitor was none other than Peter Pettigrew.

This became consequential when James and Lily Potter were required to go into hiding given that their new baby son, Harry, was wanted by Lord Voldemort. They were to be protected by the Fidelius Charm and Sirius Black, their best friend, was to be their secret keeper. In an attempt to put the spy, believed to be Remus, on the wrong track, Sirius convinced Peter to be secret keeper for the Potters. This, of course, turned out to be a tragic mistake and Lord Voldemort was immediately fed the information that led to James and Lily's deaths. When Harry was hit with the killing curse, however, it backfired due to protection he had received from his mother through her sacrifice. As a result, Lord Voldemort lost many of his powers and, at the time, was believed to have been defeated. Before Sirius was able to act on the news that Peter had betrayed Lily and James, Peter faked his own death and, in the process, made it look as though Sirius was a mass murderer. Due to this, Sirius was placed in Azkaban without trial.

As mentioned above, throughout all of this, Remus was never told that a switch in secret keeper had been made and as a result, like the rest of the wizarding world, he believed Sirius to be a murderer. The order was disbanded soon after these events and not much else is known about Remus's adult life. All that we can assume is that he lived a lonely life in poverty, unable to find paid work due to his affliction.

Teaching At Hogwarts

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, p.308:

"Your the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had! Don't go!"

Remus became the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts in Harry's third year. Despite his shabby robes and monthly absence due to "illness", all the students loved him and he proved to be an excellent teacher. It was here that we, the readers, also learnt what sort of man he was. He never made a student feel bad about their abilities (or lack thereof) in lessons, but rather tried to build their confidence and in doing so, improve their skills. He was pleasant, patient, and fair, but he wasn't a pushover and he took his responsibility seriously.

Toward the end of the school year, Remus re-united with Sirius Black, who had escaped from Azkaban, and learned that his friend had never been a murderer. He also helped Sirius to capture Peter Pettigrew, who was acting as Ron Weasley's pet rat. Unfortunately, on this crucial night, Remus forgot to take his Wolfsbane Potion and transformed into his werewolf form before Peter could be turned in and Sirius's name could be cleared. As a result, Peter escaped again and Sirius had to go into hiding as nobody of consequence, except Dumbledore, would believe a werewolf's proclamation that Sirius was innocent.

The following day, further misfortune occured when Professor Snape, angry that Sirius went free, let "slip" at breakfast that Remus suffers from lycanthropy. Due to this, Remus is forced to resign his position - parents wouldn't want their children being taught by a werewolf - and he had to leave Hogwarts again.

The Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, p.47:

"It's alright, Harry. We've come to take you away."

One year later, we find out that Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters are re-grouping and as such, the Order of the Phoenix has re-formed. Sirius donated his family home, 12 Grimmauld Place in London, to be the new headquarters for the Order and he lives there, with Remus, throughout the year.

We meet Remus again when the Advance Guard - whose most important members are Remus, Nymphadora Tonks (a young Auror), and Mad-Eye Moody (an older ex-Auror) - take Harry away from the Dursley's. Upon return to headquarters, Remus and Sirius explain what the Order of the Phoenix is to Harry. For the remainder of the year, Remus spends long hours away doing work for the Order, although we are not told what this work is. When he is home, he is usually reading or chatting with his friends in the Order. His closest friends seem to be Sirius, Harry, Mad-Eye, Tonks, Arthur Weasley, and Bill Weasley.

Sadly, at the end of the year, Remus must suffer once more when Sirius dies in combat. We never really find out how this has affected him as Remus is always extremely reserved with his feelings, putting others before himself time and again, but we do know that he remains part of the Advance Guard and asks Harry to "keep in touch".

Living Underground

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, p.314:

"I've been living among my fellows, my equals, Werewolves."

The following year, the war is fully underway between Voldemort's Death Eaters and the rest of the wizarding world. We see Remus only briefly during Harry's sixteenth birthday party The Burrow. On this first meeting, Harry notices that Remus is looking gaunt and grim. Additionally, despite expectations, he doesn't correspond with Harry at all during the school term. It isn't until Christmas, again celebrated at The Burrow, that we find out why. During a conversation on Christmas eve, Remus tells Harry that he has been unable to write because he is acting as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, living "underground" with other werewolves. We then find out a little of Remus's history when he explains that Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf who bit Remus when he was a child, is one of those that he is having to live amongst and spy on.

After Christmas, we don't see Remus again until a battle breaks out at Hogwarts and the Order is called in to defend the school against the Death Eaters. Tragically, during the battle, Professor Dumbledore is killed and Bill Weasley is attacked by Fenrir. All of this takes its toll on Remus, who finds it hard to cope with the loss of Dumbledore, the wizard who first gave him the opportunity to come to Hogwarts despite his affliction. However, perhaps the most surprising event (to the reader, at least) comes during the time when Bill's wounds are being treated in the hospital wing of the school immediately after the battle.

Fleur, Bill's fiancée, defiantly states that she still loves Bill and will marry him despite the possibility that Bill will have some werewolf characteristics. At this, Tonks who has previously remained silent and seemingly very depressed, grabs Remus by his cloak and exclaims that she too loves him despite the fact that he is a werewolf. Remus replies that the relationship is not possible because he is "too old... too poor... too dangerous" but Tonks, with the support of Arthur and Molly Weasley, is insistent. It appears that in the following days, Remus acknowledges that despite his belief that he is not good enough for Tonks, he does have feelings for her; Harry next sees him at Dumbledore's funeral holding hands with a far less depressed looking Tonks.

During the War

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, p.561:

"I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."

When Remus and Tonks help to collect Harry from the Dursley's for the final time, Harry finds out that the pair have commited to each other in a hurried, hushed wedding over the summer. Although this is a happy event for all involved, at the same time the Ministry of Magic, which is slowly being taken over by Voldemort's Death Eaters, has become even more anti-werewolf than it had been previously and has reclassified individuals affected by the condition as beasts. People who are connected to werewolves in any way are also condemned. Even so, it is clear that this doesn't bother Tonks at all. In fact, Harry notes when the couple attend his birthday party, that Tonks looks positively radiant. Remus, on the other hand, is privately very concerned that marrying Tonks has made her an outcast and has put her in danger. He is also distressed to know that Tonks has fallen pregnant; he believes that their unborn child may also be a werewolf and that even if it isn't, that it will surely grow up to be ashamed of having a father with the condition.

After the Ministry falls completely to Voldemort with Harry, Ron, and Hermione being forced to go into hiding, Remus's fears on these issues have clearly reached a climax. He tells Tonks to stay at her parent's house where she will be protected and he tracks down the trio to offer to help with their mission to find Voldemort's Horcruxes. Harry is surprised that Tonks wouldn't want to join them though, and he asks Remus if there are problems with the marriage. Remus finally admits his fears and guilt to the trio openly. Although he clearly still loves his wife and unborn child, he goes on to say that he believes that Tonks and their child will be better off without him under the new regime. Harry, being an orphan himself, is angered by what Remus has said and states that he believes parents should never leave their children unless they have no choice. He then goes on to call Remus a coward. Remus, shocked and embarrassed at what Harry has said, leaves immediately. Once Harry's anger subsides, he regrets what he said to his troubled friend but he hopes that if what was said will help Remus realise that he should go back to Tonks, then it will have been for the best.

Although we don't know exactly what happens after this point, we do find out a few months later that Remus has moved back in with Tonks. He is also presenting a segment, under the false name of Romulus, called "Pals of Potter" on the illegal radio station "PotterWatch" which is being secretly run to present a balanced version of the news; all the other radio stations and newspapers have been taken over by Voldemort. When listening to this station, Harry, Ron, and Hermione also find out that since they last saw Remus, a tragedy has occurred within his family. Ted, Tonks's father, has been murdered for being muggle-born. The trio don't have long to dwell on this sad news as they are found by Voldemort's snatchers and are taken to Death Eater headquarters. Fortunately, along with four other prisoners - Mr. Ollivander, Griphook (a Gringott's goblin), Luna Lovegood, and Dean Thomas - they are rescued by Dobby who takes them to Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur's home that is protected by the Fidelius Charm. Sadly, Dobby dies soon after this, having been stabbed during the rescue.

A few months later in April, joyous news is brought to Shell Cottage. Remus arrives late one stormy night to inform the group that Tonks (who he now refers to as Dora) has given birth to a baby boy. The baby has been named Teddy, in honour of Dora's father, and despite being only hours old, is already showing the signs of being a Metamorphmagus like his mother. Remus is clearly giddy with delight at the birth of his son and, before going back to his new family, he asks Harry to be godfather.

Several weeks after this, the trio leave the cottage to continue on their mission which leads them to Hogwarts. Voldemort, meanwhile, realises what they are up to (destroying his Horcruxes) and goes to Hogwarts himself where he hopes to save his second last Horcrux and kill Harry at the same time. The Battle of Hogwarts then follows with teachers, students, and the Order of the Phoenix taking up arms to protect the school against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. As part of this, Remus and Dora end up fighting but both are tragically killed in battle - Remus at the hand of Dolohov and Dora at the hand of Bellatrix - leaving their son an orphan, like Harry had been. Within Harry's fight, he ends up having to face death himself and to help him with this, he uses the Resurrection Stone left to him by Dumbledore to briefly bring back his closest loved ones - his parents, Sirius, and Remus - to journey with him to find Voldemort in the forest. Remus, who looks younger and healthier, tells Harry that he hopes Teddy will grow up knowing that he had died trying "to make a world in which he [Teddy] could live a happier life".

In the end, Harry doesn't die and is able to defeat Voldemort once and for all. In the aftermath of the war, Teddy lives with Dora's mother but is also able to spend a considerable amount of time with his godfather and his parent's other friends from the Order. As a result, it appears that despite not having his mother and his father present, Teddy is still able to live a relatively happy life; precisely what Remus had been fighting for.