Peter Pettigrew Is Ever So Brave

[Melody]

No: HPFGUIDX 45345

While, Peter might be brave and might have nerve...it seems to me that
he fits the Sorting Hat descriptions of Slytherins just as easily.

Now, I hear those grumbles in the back.  I am not trying to make Peter
fit into Slytherin just because he is a dark wizard.  Let me just
begin...borrowing Elkin's user-friendly quoating style...

The un-bias sorting hat describes Slytherin's:

PS/SS
1) "cunning"
2) "any means used to achieve thier ends"

GoF
3) "shrewd"
4) "power-hungry"
5) "ambition"


Frankly, Peter fits those descriptions quite well.

1)  He proves his cunning with his framing of Sirius.  Quick bit of
fast thinking there.


2)  Used all means to reach his ends. Lie, steal, cheat, or kill...As
God as my witness I'll never go hungry again! ;)
<feeling a bit sheepish> Sorry, I felt compeled and besides Scarlet
O'Hara would make an excellent Slytherin...but I digress...

Hey, but wait, the means to reach his ends don't have to be as cruel
as lying and killing.

Peter was friendly to Bertha to lull her away.
A quiet, good rat to the Weasleys to stay alive and in the know.
*Fatherly* to Voldemort.
Groveled at the feet of the guests at the Shrieking Shack to save his
life.

Peter uses *all* means to reach his end.


3)  Shrewd (shrood), adj. 1. astute or sharp in practical matters

Maybe Snape better fits the personification of shrewd, but Peter does
have a small bit.  He finds the practical solution of living as a rat
to keep and eye and ear on the Wizard World.


4)  How power-hungry Peter is is still left to just ponder.  I do
think he does see the benefits of aligning himself with stronger
wizards.  With thier guidance, he is able to be stronger and more
powerful as a wizard, thus being able to become a animagus.  I am sure
that was not the only benefit.  By being in proximity of better
wizards, the reflected glory of thier power shines on him as well.
Hmmm, are we talking about Peter or Draco now?


5)  Ambition is even bit harder to pinpoint with Peter.  His only
"ambition" right now seems to be survival.


So yes, Peter may be brave and may have daring, but really.  It is the
"promenant" characteristics that cause a wizard to be sorted into one
house over another.  If not, then Hermione deserves to be in Ravenclaw
for her cleverness, Cedric deserves to be in Gryffindor for his
bravery, and Fred and George deserve to be in Slytherin for thier cunning.

Peter is, first and formost, a wizard that works to no end using all
means to reach his ends...his ambitions...his need to be greater than
himself...which is really what being power-hungry is, isn't it?


Oh and one last thing...
I originally wondered:
>Who as a side note when rereading the graveyard scene, wonders how
small Pettigrew had enough strength to cut through his forearm with
one swish of his dagger.
Either that is a VERY sharp dagger or a VERY fast, strong swish.<

Elkins proposed:
>>Well, the dagger was being used as an important tool in an elaborate
work of old Dark ritual magic, so while I'd ordinarily call this
explanation a cop-out, in this case I think that it's eminently fair.

>>It was a *magic* dagger.<<

Me:
You know, you have to love a series of books where a suggestion of a
*magical* dagger is not only plausible but one you can not refute.

The only other theory in my mind is that JKR did not desire to write a
gory American civil-war hospital type scene where Peter hacked away at
his arm.  I know.  It's metathinking, but this detail could just be a
matter of plot-flow rather than physical accuracy.

Hope this all makes sense.
Melody