Wormtail as Gollum (was What HP Character Scares You Most?)

[r_e_d_queen at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 23897

> [...] I believe it was Frodo (sorry, very
> rusty on LOTR) who had the chance to kill Gollum, but didn't, and
> Gandalf said almost exactly the same thing about Gollum that
> Dumbledore said about Wormtail.

Actually, I wrote the above snip, then Aberforth's Goat (a.k.a. Mike 
Gray) replied:

> ...I expect that Pettigrew will make some kind of voluntary 
> choice, as opposed to Gollum, who saved Frodo (and Middle Earth)
> through an act of betrayal that just happened to destroy both him
> andthe ring. In LOTR Gollum is utlimately beyond redemption, even
> though there is a spark of good in him. I think Pettigrew has 
> better chances.

I lean to the opposite view. I have a feeling that if any action of 
Pettigrew's benefits Harry or the good forces of the Potterverse it 
will either be, like Gollum's, a involuntary side effect of an evil 
action, or an action that is ultimately self-serving -- like the way 
he groveled to each person in turn in the Shreiking Shack, telling 
them whatever he thought they wanted to hear to save his own skin. 
I can't visualize him genuinely repenting and joining Dumbledore's 
side.

The only selfless thing we've seen him do is when, as a rat, he bit 
Goyle's finger on the very first Hogwart's Express ride. Why did he 
do that? Maybe he'd grown to feel a little protective towards Ron --  
or maybe he just has a thing about fingers. So perhaps there's some 
glimmer of goodness still in him, but I still think any life- or 
world-saving action will not be intentional on his part.

Remember, in choosing between what is right and what is easy, Peter 
Pettigrew always chose the latter.

Red Queen