Fidelius swap was Re: The Sorting Hat

[ghinghapuss]

No: HPFGUIDX 87521

K wrote: 
I don't understand your point. Peter didn't betray them because of 
some loyalty to his family - he'd already been spying on them for a 
year. 

Mandy here: 
I think my point may be muddled because I'm playing with 
supposition.  I am working with ideas that I have about Peter and not 
necessarily canon. So my apologies.  You are right in as far as 
information we have on Peter right now is limited.  

I'm a big fan of Peter Pettigrew for reasons that he reminds me of 
myself in school.  Tagging along behind a trio of popular girls, 
suffering all kinds of crap from them because of my desires to be 
wanted and included in the `cool' gang. I know what it feels like to 
place my desire of acceptance above my own self worth.  It was at 
times hell, but I'm grown up now and learned from my mistakes.  But I 
feel deeply for Peter and as a result don't want to believe he just 
turned against James for no little reason. Foolish perhaps, but JKR 
is famous for fleshing her characters with multi dimensions, so 
perhaps not too foolish.  I want believe Peter when he said, kneeling 
on the floor of the Shrieking shack, that he had no choice when 
confronted by Voldemort, that LV has powers of persuasion that no one 
could understand unless you are faced with them.  Therefore, what I 
am trying to say in this long-winded repost is I believe LV had 
something terrible over Peter.  He held it over Peter for the year he 
was spying and when the Secret Keeper fell into Peters lap he saw it 
as a way out.  Terrible and foolish - yes, unforgivable - perhaps



K wrote: 
<snip> He says in the Shack that he was afraid he would break and 
therefore refused the job - how much *more* irresponsible it would 
have been to take the job of Secret Keeper when he believed that he 
would not be able to withstand Voldemort.

Mandy here: 
Irresponsible yes, but in the question of bravery did Sirius think 
Peter was better able to withstand Voldemort?  If Sirius was afraid 
he would break, why give the job to someone else? Is that a 
complement of the other persons strength and ability?  Or is it 
cowardly behavior to knowingly putting your friend out there to 
suffer in your place?  It is indeed a difficult choice for Sirius.  
What is right opposed to what is easy?  If Sirius truly chose the 
responsible path, knowing people would believe him a coward, over the 
irresponsible path just to play the hero, I will see Sirius in a very 
different light.  That would be the choice of a true hero.

  
K wrote: 
So if Lupin or Pettigrew had refused the job because they were afraid 
Voldemort would find something (i.e. their families) to use against 
them that would have been perfectly sensible, but when Sirius does 
the same that's cowardly or stupid?


Mandy here: 
No the same rule applies to all three of them, but I judge Sirius 
harsher because I believe he was the best and only man for the job.  
Sirius didn't have anything at stake but his own life. Perhaps Peter 
did too which was why he made a good second choice. But Sirius is on 
record saying he would rather die that give up his friend.  Well, he 
had the chance to do just that and gave it up!  He gave it up, 
because he doubted his ability to hold out.  He knew he wouldn't be 
able to do it. That does not necessarily make him a coward but his 
choice did placed others at risk in his place.  

I am very hard on Sirius because of so many fans out there worship 
him as this brave, courageous hero.  He certainly was not.  Far from 
it.  I wouldn't call Sirius a coward, but he was incredibly selfish 
and arrogant.  Judging Peter by a mistake Sirius himself knew he 
would make.   I do admire Sirius' for knowing his weakness but 
despise his condemnation of Peter for having that same weakness.  The 
weakness being betraying one's friend in return for your own life.   
Sirius had the luxury of choice, he was able to take the time to 
decide whether he would be able to be an effective Secret Keeper for 
the Potters and he was able to decline when he found the answer.  Did 
Peter have that choice?  Maybe we'll never know.  I personally don't 
think he did.  I believe two years earlier he was approached or 
captured by LV and made to comply.  Peters only choice was whether he 
wanted to live of die.  Now I don't admire what Peter did some of his 
choices after the Potters murder are questionable. He is a coward and 
a traitor without a doubt.  And if Sirius was in Peters place I 
believe he would have killed himself rather than face James and Lily 
and not lived 13 years as a rat.   However, Peter did what he had to 
do to survive in the circumstances he found himself.   

All I do know is that Sirius is showered with gold and Peter is 
treated with distain by most fans and neither deserve it.  I'm in a 
perverted way I'm almost glad that Sirius died in an underground, 
illegal action that will be denied by all remembered only by a 
handful of people, and Peter is destined to die a glorious hero's 
death helping Harry.

One things for certain Sirius is an amazing character.  So ambiguous, 
enough to keep us arguing for hours, days even.

Mandy, whose post are getting longer and longer and making even less 
sense.  ;-)