Scabbers

[Grace]

No: HPFGUIDX 46676


bboy_mn comments:
First I have to assume that Perigrew knew who Arthur Weasley was. He
may not have been a close friend, but he knew who Arther was and about
his family.

So, my first point, who is likely to take in a stray but friendly RAT
as a pet; Lucius/Draco 'I'm so rich it hurts' Malfoy or
Arthur/Percy/Ron 'boy, I've got a lot of kids and not much money'
Weasley?

There is a very high likelihood that a family like the Weasleys who
are generally kind to start with, would take in a stray animal as a
pet. Also, the Weasleys live in the country where it is nice and quiet
and safe; far from the prying eyes of the wizard world.

While Peter may have been aware that the Weasleys had a son about
Harry's age, I think that was a bonus. Primarily, Weasleys were a
place where he was LIKELY to be taken in as well as being a very private.

While I can't say it isn't true, I very much doubt that this was a
grand conspiracy on Peter's part to mold Ron into an evil underling
with the eventual hope of doing whatever(?) to Harry.


Now me:

I've always thought that Pettigrew was very clever.  He knows how to protect
himself and while he fears for his life, he still doesn't mind getting
himself hurt or sacrificing pieces of himself to save his butt. He goes to
great lengths of discomfort to stay alive. Living as a rat for 12 years,
traveling all that distance to seek out LV. He's not stupid.

 Its no coincidence that he ended up with the Weasleys.  There isn't a
better choice for him, really. Arthur Weasly comes home from work and talks
about what went on at work that day.  Although he's talking to Molly, the
children are in the habit of listening to Arthur's adventures - and there's
Scabbers sitting in Percy's pocket, later in Ron's pocket.  Since the Daily
Prophet only gives the reporter's limited version (probably incorrect at
times), catching the inside news directly from Arthur is a bonus.   He then
gets to hear the plans for dealing with situations.  I would not be
surprised if he traveled about their house and eavesdropped on Arthur &
Molly's private conversations.  Who would notice a rat in a dark corner of
the room - or even think that this particular rat was listening?

Being Percy's pet was a good choice.  Percy was so interested in getting a
job in the MoM, I'm sure he would have asked Arthur all kinds of questions
on how the MoM went about doing things and what the follow-up was.  All the
while, there's Scabbers sitting in Percy's pocket.

When Harry goes to Hogwarts, Scabbers gets handed down to Ron. What a stroke
of luck for Scabbers. Perhaps that first dream that Harry has when a voice
tells him he was sorted into the wrong house was actually Scabbers once
again on Harry's pillow, whispering to him while he slept. If Harry was not
surprised to find Scabbers on his pillow, I'll bet that Neville wasn't
surprised either to find Scabbers on his pillow as well...

What better place than at Hogwarts to keep an ear open to the conversations
that went on in the teachers' lounge?
Or to crawl through the school as only a rat can and show up somewhere in
Dumbledore's office?  Whose to say that Scabbers didn't transfigure himself
back into human form during the night to avoid Mrs. Norris while he prowled
about.

Grace