Parallels/Choices vs. Destiny

[ashley_1591284]

No: HPFGUIDX 41729

I was going back and reading old posts since I was viewing the FAQ, 
and this one caught my attention...

> >Pettigrew is such a wormy guy, I would think Neville if anyone,
> >although
> >that would be an insult to Neville and as we found out more about
> >Neville in
> >GoF..it might be unbelievable as well.
> 
> I can't really back that up with hard facts from the book, but I
> picture Peter at school somewhat like Neville: shy, insecure unable
> to shine in most classes either academically or by special magical
> powers, with a 'Kick Me'-sign permanently attached to his back. If
> James was like Harry he would have been nice to Peter in an
> absent-minded sort of way, sticking up for him when he happened to
> notice that other students tortured him. But Peter wasn't really a
> member of James' circle as Neville doesn't really belong to the
> triad. 

While it's true that the parallels between the Mauraders and the 
modern HP characters are obvious, I think that it's going to be a big 
theme in the books that you don't have to cave into destiny.  Just 
because the similarities are there doesn't mean it'll turn out the 
same way this time around.  Choices are what make a person who they 
are, and Dumbledore said something to that effect when Harry was 
worried about his similarities to Tom Riddle in CoS.  Sooo... maybe 
we shouldn't be TOO worried about all of our beloved characters.  
They'll still make their own choices, and that makes for an important 
moral message in the books.  JKR would do more in having Neville 
break out of the Peter Pettigrew parallel than having him end up with 
the same fate.  Destiny isn't everything.

~Ashley