A theory regarding the "innocence" of Sirius Black and the Redemption of Peter

[devika261 <devika@sas.upenn.edu>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50728

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "webba28 <jrwajw at g...>" 
<jrwajw at g...> wrote:
> Hi! I am painstakingly researching possible signs of redemption for 
> Peter for the roundtable I am *hoping* is accepted for Nimbus. In 
my 
> reading, I have discovered a couple of things and would like to 
pose 
> a theory. Bear with me, as perhaps I am making no sense...this is 
> merely a stab in the dark. 
> 
> It should be apparent to all of us by now that JKR chooses her 
words 
> and dialogue carefully. Things are rarely black and white with her. 
> Things that appear mundane to us at first become crystal clear 
later 
> on, which leads me to ponder this quote by professor Trelawney in 
> PoA: 
> 
> 
> 
> quote:
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
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> ----------
> The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his 
followers. 
> His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight before 
> midnight...will break free and set out to rejoin his master...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
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> ----------
> 
> 
> 
> Does it seem odd to anyone else that the word "chained" is written 
> here? Wormtail was never chained in the truest sense of the word. 
Is 
> it meant to be symbolic? However, one other person was chained, and 
> that was Sirius Black. Yes, Wormtail did "break free" before 
midnight 
> but one other person broke free as well--Sirius Black. When Harry 
and 
> Hermione used the Time-Turner, they went back several hours and 
> managed to save Sirius. When they get back into the hospital wing 
it 
> isfive minutes to midnight. 
> 
> In other words, two people "chained"--one literally and one not 
broke 
> free. 


I think that the vagueness of this line is just a red herring.  We 
hear Prof. Trelawney say this before we know that Sirius is innocent, 
so we (and Harry) still believe that he is, in fact, Voldemort's 
servant.  Considering what we think we know at this stage of the 
story, it is more than reasonable to assume that JKR intends the 
reader to believe that Prof. Trelawney is referring to Sirius here.  
After all, we don't even know that Peter is alive, much less 
disguised as Scabbers.  Therefore, thinking that Sirius is 
Voldemort's servant is the obvious thing to do.  That means that, 
knowing JKR's style, thinking that Sirius is Voldemort's servant is 
probably the wrong thing to do :) 


> There may be arguments that Wormtail remained as a rat to spy for 
> Lord V., but he had no idea when or if the Dark Lord would rise 
again-
> -to everyone it seemed as if The Dark Lord was dead and gone 
forever. 
> Given that canonic portrayal of our beloved rat lends itself to the 
> idea that Peter attatched himself to anyone who could protect him, 
I 
> have a hard time believing that Peter would willingly try and tie 
> himself to a person who held no power whatsoever for several years. 
> Even if there were people upset that Wormtail had let down the side 
> of darkness, they were either in Azkaban or dead. And with public 
> opinion and the testimony of Muggles being what it was, I could 
> totally see Wormtail being able to defend himself successfully 
> against Black based on the outward appearances of the crime. 
Perhaps 
> he remained a rat because he was afraid he'd be murdered by people 
> like Lucius Malfoy who put on such prompt appearances...or he was a 
> spy for the side of the good. 


Peter wouldn't willingly tie himself to someone with no power if he 
had any other choice.  We know that because he did disguise himself 
as a rat for twelve years instead of searching for Voldemort.  
However, he still had that option because no living person, except 
for Sirius, knew both that he was alive and that he was an animagus.  
After the scene in the Shrieking Shack, more people, including 
Dumbledore, knew what he was.  Peter then had no choice but to leave 
them.  If Peter had been a spy for the good side, Dumbledore would 
have known, and he would have protected Peter.  The fact that Peter 
felt that he needed to escape, rather than going to Dumbledore for 
protection, shows that Peter was not on Dumbledore's side.  I think 
that he went back to Voldemort because he realized that his cover was 
blown and that he no longer would be able to convince anyone that he 
was on the good side.  If he had to be on Voldemort's side, it would 
be better for him to show his loyalty before Voldemort regained power 
and punished him.


> Later in PoA, Dumbledore states to Harry and Hermione that he 
himself 
> testified before the ministry: 
> 
> 
> quote:
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> ----------
> I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the 
> Potters' Secret Keeper--PoA pg. 392
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
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> ----------
> 
> 
> 
> Why does he say this? If indeed the plan to change Secret-Keepers 
> from Sirius to Peter were indeed true, as Sirius insists it was, 
why 
> wouldn't Dumbledore say that it was Peter? Why would he still be 
> saying it was "Sirius?" Didn't Dumbledore himself perform the 
> Fidelius charm? I would think he'd know who he performed it on. 


There is no evidence that Dumbledore performed the Fidelius Charm.  
He apparently knew that the charm was going to be performed and that 
Sirius had been designated Secret Keeper.  However, Sirius changed 
the plan at the last minute without telling anyone at all.  Perhaps 
one of the Potters themselves cast the charm.  It has been suggested 
that Lily's area of expertise was charms, so maybe she cast it.  In 
any case, the point is that no one besides the Potters, Sirius, and 
Peter knew that the Secret Keeper had been changed.  No one that we 
know of, anyway.  


> Dumbledore also states to Harry and Hermione that "two innocent 
lives 
> can be saved tonight." He never says Black specifically.... 


He doesn't say Peter specifically, either.  Or Buckbeak, for that 
matter.  And I think we can assume that Buckbeak was one of 
the "innocent lives."  However, given that Harry had already saved 
Peter's life in the Shrieking Shack, I don't think that Dumbledore 
would be sending Harry and Hermione to save him again.  Therefore, 
Dumbledore must have been referring to Sirius.



> 
> Now obviously Wormtail is indebted to the Dark Lord in some way, or 
> is there out of sheer cowardice or whatever you wish to call it, 
but 
> I seriously (no pun intended) suspect there's more to Sirius Black 
> than meets the eye. He's remembered as laughing when the Ministry 
> caught up with him. He's laughing at the sight in front of him--
> Pettigrew's bloodied robes and all... 


Many people have offered explanations for Sirius's reaction to his 
arrest.  I agree with those who say that the unbelievable shock and 
irony of the situation, combined with his grief, would have made it 
seem like the most unimaginably horrible nightmare that Sirius had 
ever had.  There must have been such a sense of unreality to it.  In 
a situation like that, I don't know what a "normal" reaction really 
would be.  I can easily see myself laughing too, at the complete and 
terrible absurdity of it all.  

> 
> After all this research, I find myself not wholly convinced that 
> Sirius Black is as innocent as he seems to be at the end of PoA. 
> Wormtail's no paragon of virtue, either, but something about Sirius 
> doesn't sit well with me. I can't put my finger on it though. 


I could go into Sirius's character flaws, but we've already done that 
many times on this list, so I won't repeat them here.  Whatever his 
imperfections, however, he strikes me as trustworthy, and more 
importantly, innocent.  And let's not forget that Dumbledore actually 
says that he believes Sirius's story (PoA Ch. 21 p393 American 
hardcover edition).  So, unless Dumbledore is lying in this instance, 
which I don't believe, he truly does believe in Sirius's innocence--
and Peter's guilt. 
> 

--Devika, ready to defend Sirius at any cost.