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."