[HPforGrownups] Fidelius swap was Re: The Sorting Hat

[Derek Hiemforth]

No: HPFGUIDX 87533


>> Mandy here:
>> 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.

Kathryn Cawte wrote:
>I don't think there is any deeper reason at all. I think that like you said
>he wanted acceptance and he *knew* they would never see him as an equal. And
>as much as he wqanted to be one of the gang he resented them for that.
[snip]
>Peter's safety probably didn't cross his mind because a) Peter could have said no. No one was *forced* into this plan. and b) because he truly expected Peter
>to be willing to die to protect James the same way he was.

Derek:
The irony of it is, they *did* see him as an equal, whether he realized
it or not.  Would Sirius have suggested using Peter as the Secret Keeper
if he didn't think highly of him?  Would the Potters have agreed if *they*
didn't think highly of him?  Doubtful.  If Sirius thought Peter would "be
willing to die to protect James the same way he was," then clearly Sirius,
at least in this respect, considered Peter an equal.

Yes, it may have come across as a bit condescending -- "We'll make the
annoying tag-along our Secret Keeper! No one will suspect that!" -- but
in truth, James, Lily, and Sirius all knew that it was *possible* that
Peter would be discovered, and they would not have chosen him if they
didn't trust him not to tell willingly... no matter much the main thrust
of the plan was deception.  If deception was all that mattered, and
loyalty to the Potters didn't factor in, then they might as well have
chosen someone off the street to be their Secret Keeper.  A stranger
would be suspected even less than Peter would.  ;-)

So if Peter did go willingly into the arms of LV in search of acceptance,
he turned his back on genuine acceptance in doing so (whether he realized
it or not).

- Derek