Suspicion between S&R

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 11702

Kathy wrote re: possible betrayal/suspicion between Ron and Harry:

>And it strikes me that if this were the case, we maybe getting set up 
>for it through Sirius and Remus each apparently being willing 
>to believe the other was the spy who betrayed James and Lily.  
>Presumably there were "reasons" each could think of for the other to 
>go bad too.  But, they were also willing to believe the truth when 
>confronted with it because they knew each other so well. 

The S/R=H/R parallel is a really good point, even though it makes my 
stomach ache too if it means trouble between Ron and Harry, or even 
betrayal (witting or un-) by Ron.

Back to the MWPP generation and the problem of how our beloved 
Sirius and Remus could ever have suspected each other:  there is a lot 
of unknown backstory.  Maybe each did something that looked suspicious 
that we don't know about--you know, talking to their wrist like it's a 
walkie-talkie or whatever.  And they knew *someone* close to the 
Potters was passing information, so it's easy for us to say "how could 
they suspect each other," when in their situation, they had to suspect 
everyone.

One problem for us fans is that we see Peter with 20/20 hindsight.  
Fanfic exacerbates the problem by portraying him as a yellow-bellied 
weasel from age 11.  Make that a yellow-bellied weasel who stinks at 
school.  But by everything we know, he was a full-fledged member of 
the foursome--not as talented, but not drastically incompetent.  Remus 
says "I had three great friends," not "I had two wonderful friends and 
a cringing hanger-on."  Sirius's "I'll never understand why I didn't 
see that you were the spy" (paraphrase) is said with the bitterness of 
hindsight, plus 12 years in Azkaban.  He didn't know--nor did Remus or 
James or Lily or anyone else--because Peter wasn't THAT much more 
cowardly, incompetent, etc. than the other 3.  There was no reason for 
Remus or Sirius to suspect Peter any more or less than they would 
suspect one another.

Amy Z