What gave people the idea Sirius was Voldemort's No. 2?

[M. Barnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 23956


> > > I mean, it seems a big imaginative leap from Sirius betraying 
the Potters to him being Deputy Big Bad. Did Death Eaters 
(Pettigrew?) spread misinformative rumours after the event?
> > > 

I would venture to say it was just an assumption by the general 
wizard population.  If Voldie was after the Potter's and Sirius was 
supposedly their Secret Keeper, then after everything goes down a 
supposedly innocent person, Peter Pettigrew, confronts said Secret 
Keeper and supposedly said Secret Keeper blows apart the "innocent" 
and a street load of muggles, it would stand to reason that said 
Secret Keeper was Voldie's right hand man, after all, he passed much 
needed info to Voldie and blew up a large number of people in order 
to kill the one person who was confronting him about passing 
information.

If the general population had learned that Sirius was NOT the Secret 
Keeper and that Pettigrew was, they would not assume Pettigrew was 
Voldie's right hand <no hand puns intended> man because he was a weak 
wizard.  Of course, I am asssuming here that Sirius was a powerful 
wizard, on the level with James et al.  I don't think there has been 
anything in the canon to support this theory, but I could be wrong as 
my books are packed (I HATE packing) and I can't check them.  

But then you get to the theory, how weak could Pettigrew be if he 
blew apart a whole street and the muggles on it?

Michelle :)  <---who is posting so she can procrastinate packing.  
DId I mention I HATE packing?