Pettigrew's choice

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 55010

Okay, now I'm laughing at myself -- for being imprecise, in a post 
about the precise meaning of words!


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Julie Holmes" <jmholmes at b...> 
wrote:
> <----- Original Message -----
> From: annemehr >
> <<Julie and finwitch, I think you two are arguing in circles because 
you
> are misunderstanding each other's points.>>
> 
> Actually, I'm not arguing. I'm discussing. Arguing implies something
> negative to me, and I wasn't feeling negative about finwitch's and 
my
> conversation. Holding different views does not an argument make.


Annemehr:
Sorry.  I see "arguing" as a more neutral term, implying a discussion 
with people on opposing sides of an issue, but not neccessarily 
angrily.  A discussion, to me, does not imply opposing sides at all -- 
as when my husband and I discuss where to go on vacation: we bring up 
different ideas and possibilities and talk about them, but pretty much 
find ourselves in agreement.

> 
> <<Annemehr wrote:
> Both of you agree that Peter did not, all on his own, get the idea 
to
> join Voldemort and then seek him out.  You both agree that 
*Voldemort*
> sought *Peter* out, and that Peter, out of fear, capitulated and
> joined him.>>
> 
> Actually, I never said anything of the sort (perhaps you're 
confusing me
> with someone else?), nor do I agree with what you've written, 
although it's
> certainly possible. It's just not my take on Peter Pettigrew. I 
*never* said
> that Peter didn't seek Voldemort out rather than vice versa. I 
*don't
> believe* that Peter joined him out of fear; I believe he wanted to. 
I have
> no idea what motivated Peter to join Voldemort. Perhaps canon will
> eventually tell us. I think it will.

<snip>

Okay, looking back, I see where I got off track:

From:   "Julie Holmes" <jmholmes at b...> 
                <----- Original Message -----  From: sam2sar >

                <<I do not think that Peter voluntarely became a DE. I 
                think he was persured by Voldemort because he was the 
                weakest link in the Potter chain. He was most likely  
                promised a lot or even just his life and he           
                reluctantly became a DE because he was not as strong  
                as the others. I do not think he would have betrayed  
                the trust put into him otherwise. >>

                I disagree. Unless he died trying to avoid joining    
                Voldemort, or died trying to escape his servitude     
                (like Snape could have), then he is there by choice.
                He's there by choice. He is. And maybe we'll find out 
                more about why that is so.

                My two cents.

                ~Julie

So, Sam2sar said, " I do not think that Peter *voluntarily* became a 
DE.", and when you disagreed, I thought it was to say that, since 
Peter chose to live rather than *avoid* joining or *escaping*, he 
*capitulated* by choice.

Then finwitch offered the following canon from the Shrieking Shack 
scene:  "What was there to be gained by refusing him?" which I 
personally have always taken to mean that Voldemort was the one to 
approach Peter, not vice versa.  You replied:(msg. 54955)

"Just because Peter gave an explanation doesn't mean it's an 
acceptable one, though."

which I took to be a statement on the morality of the expanation, not 
the accuracy.

My take on Peter is that, during VWI, he would have liked to have lain 
low and tried to ride it out, participating as little as possible on 
either side.  I, personally, can *not* see him approaching the 
terrifying Voldemort on his own initiative.  As I misread your replies 
to Sam2sar and finwitch (I hope, not *too* unreasonably), I thought 
you agreed.  <sigh>  Sorry.


<snip>

Julie:
>I think the real reason Peter became a Death Eater is not yet known 
>to us, but I'm willing to wager Malfoy's Gringotts account that it's 
>a lot deeper than "OoOo I was scaaaaaaared." That's just me, though. 
>I realize that others take a different view.
> 

Annemehr:
Yeah!  Voldemort is SCARY!

> <<Annemehr
> donning referee's uniform ;) >>
> 
> Perhaps finwitch feels differently, but I don't feel the need for 
refereeing
> per se; I'm enjoying the conversation and the different ideas put 
forth,
> even if I may not find all of them true for my take on HP.
> 
> ~Julie

Awww -- that's what the ";)" was for.

Annemehr
who likes discussions too.