#but not an ideological one so it wouldn’t mean him being a spy

[padfootastic]

Tbh, I kinda figured that if Sirius and the Potters didn’t tell Remus about the switch because they suspected him (they knew the spy was someone in their inner circle + POA does have the line about Remus saying smth “not if they thought I was the spy” and Sirius going “sorry about that”) it would be because Remus, based on his secretive tendencies in canon, isn’t talking to them

yeah that line is what i was thinking of but i can’t seem to make it make sense because in my characterisation of j&s, if they even slightly thought they knew who the spy could be, i cannot imagine them just, what, waiting it out? not letting them into the big secret??? it just doesn’t click ykno?

and honestly, yeah. remus icing them out seems like the most plausible thing to me. im fleshing this out into a proper Thing for FoD, along with some lore for the fidelius as soul magic, bc i am unable to just let it be rn, but the biggest argument i can see is remus just. constantly keeping them at arms length and that being both a source of hurt and suspicion bc why wouldn’t he tell us??

[maxdibert]

For all that it’s said about James that he’d consider it dishonourable to distrust his friends, I think it’s clear from Lily’s omission of Remus in her letter that she and James agreed with Sirius’ assessment that he was the traitor.

Which means either James’ progressiveness was pretty paper thin, and he suspected the marginalised member of his friend group without reason.

Or - and I think this is worse, because even the best of us have ingrained prejudices we don’t catch until we’re called out on them - he did have reason. And that reason is that Remus was the only one who (very) occasionally expressed misgivings about James’ cruelty. Which means Remus was suspected because he was the least sycophantic about James’ greatness and goodness, and he misses that this means Remus has a moral compass making him LESS likely to be the spy, because his self-conception as a hero won’t allow him to consider that violently treating people beneath him like dirt isn’t a heroic deed.

James has extreme moral luck. He ends up on the right side of history because he was born into the right family. His teenage self displays greater sadism and instincts for humiliation and control than any other kid in the book save young Tom Riddle. He’d have made a fine Death Eater. The only reason he might not rise to the very top like Bellatrix is his lack of regard for authority, but it wouldn’t be due to any moral qualms.

It’s made quite clear that the first to distrust Remus is Sirius (ohhhh the Wolftar lololol), and he’s the one who suggests Peter as the Secret Keeper. And James and Lily agree. And the reason? Remus is a werewolf, and werewolves, in general, had sided with Voldemort.

So all that supposed ideology, all that so-called progressive mindset, all that supposed moral righteousness that made them part of the “good side” because they didn’t discriminate or hold prejudices—it was all just a facade. Nothing more than a performance to justify doing whatever they wanted, like being violent sociopaths as teenagers, while still telling themselves they were the good guys.

Remus was supposedly their friend since they were eleven. They had known him, seen everything he suffered because of his condition. They had spent full moons with him, shared countless experiences with him—and yet, they had no problem turning their backs on him the moment suspicion arose. Not because of any real evidence, but because of what he was. Because of his difference. Because of the very thing that everyone discriminated against him for.

His own friends discriminated against him.

Pure hypocrisy. And the worst kind, because this wasn’t just some random werewolf—it was their friend. That’s where they show their true colors. Everything they supposedly believed in was just a front. Deep down, they were nothing more than privileged rich kids playing at fighting for ideals they didn’t understand and didn’t care to understand. They just used those ideals as a way to dress up their egos and narcissism as good deeds. But in reality? They didn’t give a damn about doing good.

James only cared about reinforcing his public image. Sirius just wanted to piss off his mother. And Lily? She gives the impression that, after getting married, she simply did whatever James told her to.