LONDON, Sept. 9 (UPI) — J.K. Rowling revealed in a recent e-book, Short Stories From Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies, that Remus Lupin’s werewolf affliction was “a metaphor for those illnesses that carry a stigma, like HIV and AIDS.”
“All kinds of superstitions seem to surround blood-borne conditions, probably due to taboos surrounding blood itself,” she wrote. “The wizarding community is as prone to hysteria and prejudice as the Muggle one, and the character of Lupin gave me a chance to examine those attitudes.”
In the Harry Potter series, Lupin was partly removed from society for fear that he would infect others.
“I’m not a very popular dinner guest with most of the community,” he said in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. “It’s an occupational hazard of being a werewolf.”
Rowling is introducing a series of e-books which will explore some of the untold stories of the Wizarding World.
A film version of another of Rowling’s supplemental books, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is set to hit theaters Nov. 18.
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