The Marauders Vs. The Trio-who is who?

Tue Aug 13 16:46:44 UTC 2002

No: HPFGUIDX 42570

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., elfundeb <elfundeb at c...> wrote:
> Stepping gingerly into the generational parallel minefield . . . .
> 
> The text of HP virtually begs the reader to look for parallels 
> between the current generation at Hogwarts and the MWPP 
> generation; this discussion has recurred several times just since 
> I've been on the list. But the fact that each time various posters 
> offer up inconsistent parallels is, I think, significant.
> 
> Recently, I've become more aware -- and disturbingly so -- of two 
> generational parallels not involving the Trio.  One is the 
> parallel between Snape and Draco Malfoy, as exemplified by Draco's 
> attempts (especially in PS/SS) to get Harry (and the Trio) in 
> trouble while himself maintaining a rule-abiding aura; this fits 
> very neatly with Sirius' remark about Snape and the Prank ("It 
> served him right. . . . Sneaking around, trying to find out what 
> we were up to . . . hoping he could get us expelled.")  In fact, 
> any attempt I make to frame a Snape backstory is informed 
> primarily by the Draco-Lucius relationship.

However, I doubt that one of the Trio would ever pull a prank that 
could come as close to getting Malfoy killed as Sirius almost came 
to getting Snape killed.  (The twins might, though, through sheer 
carelessness.)  I don't believe JKR will ever paint Harry, Ron or 
Hermione as being so malicious, even if the target were Draco 
Malfoy.  (And I sincerely hope we eventually find out that Snape did 
more to the Marauders than just spy on them and try to get them 
expelled.  This is a pretty poor excuse, IMO, to set a werewolf on 
someone and to risk making that werewolf--one of your best friends--
a murderer.)

> The other parallel is the one between Neville and Pettigrew.  
> Despite my desire to discount the parallel on the basis that the 
> textual references make it too obvious (especially Harry's visions 
> in PoA ch. 11 where Pettigrew resembles Neville), the parallels 
> force their way out into the open.  Both are widely believed to be 
> weak wizards (McGonagall remarks at the Three Broomsticks that 
> Pettigrew was "not in [the Marauders'] class", but Pettigrew 
> demonstrates more than adequate power in GoF, and in the framing 
> of Sirius.  Likewise, Neville is portrayed as a near-Squib, but 
> his latent powers are apparent with each ruined cauldron.  

I believe that the seeming parallels between Neville and Peter are 
meant to be a red herring.  At some point, I fully expect everyone 
to suspect that Neville is up to no good or that he has been 
recruited by Voldemort, a la Peter Pettigrew, only to have him turn 
about and contribute to a minor victory.  (I say a 'minor victory' 
because I believe this would be more likely to occur in years 5 or 
6, while the big victory in year 7 would likely be Harry's alone.)
I believe that JKR has been setting up this red herring for a 
while.  (And foreshadowing it by giving Neville his minor victory in 
the first book, when his ten points put Gryffindor over the top for 
the House Cup.)

OTOH, there is another character bearing a remarkable resemblance to 
Pettigrew who is usually overlooked.  I think his name and 
description are meant to point to Peter as the traitor long before 
we find out that Scabbers is a wizard and Peter is the Secret Keeper 
who betrayed James and Lily. That character is Piers Polkiss.  The 
first description we get of him is, for a start, quite blatant in 
its similarities to Peter Pettigrew:

"Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.  He was usually the 
one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them."

Now, doesn't this also sound like it could describe Peter?  Other 
similarities are: "Piers" is a variant of Peter (in Swedish or 
Norwegian, I think) and Piers Polkiss and Peter Pettigrew have the 
same initials.    

Now, I'm not comparing Dudley to either Voldemort or the Marauders.  
But, later in the HP books, Sirius tells Harry that Peter had a 
knack for latching onto powerful people.  Piers obviously has this 
knack too, in that Dudley was the school bully and all of the other 
children shied away from being Harry's friends so that they wouldn't 
get on Dudley's bad side.  (All right, come to think of it, Dudley 
is actually a pretty good equivalent to Voldemort in the Muggle 
world--school playground version, anyway.  Mostly, though, I believe 
he is supposed to be a doppelganger for Draco Malfoy.)

I believe that we are meant to remember the description of Piers 
when Peter Pettigew is introduced, and understand that he is the 
same kind of boot-licking sycophant.  This could not possibly 
describe Neville, who stood up to Draco Malfoy and his goons at a 
Quidditch match and got trounced for it.  (Neither Piers nor Peter 
would ever do that, I believe.)

> Both Neville and Lupin are followers rather than leaders.  

How do you reckon this?  It seems to me that Lupin was the heart of 
the Marauders.  His three best friends worked very hard for years to 
become Animagi for his sake.  I don't understand this interpretation 
of either Neville's or Lupin's characters at all.  Neville also took 
the initiative and invited two girls he liked to the Yule Ball--
first Hermione, who already had a date, and then Ginny.  There's no 
moss growing on Neville.

> also McGonagall states in PoA, at the Three Broomsticks, that 
> James and Sirius were the leaders.  

That doesn't necessarily make Lupin a follower, however.  And I 
think Lupin was just very good at being low-key (he's clearly an 
introvert, while James and Sirius appear to have been extroverts).  
He didn't want to stand out and have people figure out what made him 
different.

> And Neville is often seen doing things (e.g., attacking Malfoy, 
> trying to stop the Trio from going after the Stone) because he has 
> been told that's how he should behave.  

Heavens, no.  He did those things because he was a Gryffindor.  
Plenty of people are told how to behave and never do it because it 
runs counter to their nature.

> In addition, both Lupin and Neville are concealing secrets, Lupin 
> about his condition and Neville about his family.  

They're hardly parallel secrets, though.  And once they became 
Animagi, all of the Marauders had secrets.

> For another example, take James & Sirius, on the one hand, and 
> Harry & Ron on the other.  There are some obvious similarities.  
> But it is not a complete parallel.  As has been pointed out 
> already, in their penchant for mischief, James and Sirius far more 
> resemble Fred & George than they do Harry & Ron.  

Definitely.  This is why, however, I worry that the twins could do 
something as careless as Sirius' prank.  They've already been 
involved in borderline-blackmail and gambling.  Frankly, as the wait 
for book five continues, I grow more and more worried about the 
twins' futures.   

--Barb

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