[HPforGrownups] Re: why kill Pettigrew

[Maria Kirilenko]

No: HPFGUIDX 49872


In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eillim wrote:

> Surely, it would be better to have Pettigrew alive so that he could 
> be questioned and his story substantiated.  Would the fact that he 
> was dead automatically have cleared Sirius.  After all, even 
> Dumbledore believed that Sirius betrayed the Potters and he also 
> commented on the low opinion of werewolves within the wizarding 
> community.  I can understand that Sirius, after 12 years in Azkaban 
> would feel vengeful and apt to act first, think later, but Lupin?  
> Also, murdering some-one in front of 3 children isn't really 
> something a Professor should be considering.


I think there were very strong ties between MWPP that were much more than friendship. It was the deepest kind of trust and reliance on each other in all circumstances. Hagrid said Hogwarts was only safe place left as Voldemort's power was reaching its highest point (just around MWPP's last years at Hogwarts), but obviously it was not so. Voldemort's student followers such as Peter corrupted Hogwarts from the inside, making even such close people as James, Remus and Sirius suspect each other of a horrifying thing - betrayal of their more-than-friendship. (As a side note, I think that MPP were by far not the only people to suffer in such a way.) Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were both greatly affected by what happened, and that's such an understatement. I think that they felt very justified in wanting to get their revenge. 

Yes, turning Peter in alive would have saved everyone a lot of trouble, but given the fact that Peter *betrayed* their more-than-friendship (he commited perfidy <eg>), Sirius and Lupin did not even think about not carrying out Peter's sentence. That's rather like the musketeers' decapitation of Miledy, except that Peter IMO committed fouler crimes - he was, after all, their friend for many years. 

Actually, I think I'll mention a thought that came into my head a little while ago. The WW seems to me to be a pretty medieval society in some aspects - wizarding duels, for example. The werewolf prejudices also don't seem very progressive. This execution-to-be of Peter also fits the bill. Does anyone agree?

Regards,

Maria,

who will be in Russia for the whole summer and won't get to read the book till the middle of August!!!!!!!



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