Just how smart is Peter

[Christi]

No: HPFGUIDX 60924

> 
> -JOdel (who thinks that we have all been deliberately led to 
underestimate 
> the wit and abilities of Peter Pettigrew, and are due for a shock 
in that 
> regard.)

I could not agree with you more. Peter's animagus form of a rat is 
very telling-they are extremely clever and adept at self-
preservation. Wormtail showed his true colors, both in intellegence 
and betrayal, when he set up the Potters and framed Sirius. I cannot 
believe that it was merely a stroke of luck for Peter to be named 
secret keeper. He must have planted seeds of doubt against Lupin and 
made Sirius doubt his own effectiveness, all without drawing 
attention to himself. Choosing the Weasley's was brilliant as well-
they had a son Harry's age who had an above average chance at 
landing himself in Gryffindor(I'm assuming the Weasley/Gryffindor  
tradition goes back further than the current generation). Peter may 
not be the paragon of bravery and intellegence, but he certainly 
knows how to play to his strengths and is cunning enough to have 
been in Slytherin. Part of his seeming vulnerability might well have 
been an act to get his three stronger, braver friends to be his 
protectors. James, Sirius and Remus all seem to be the types to 
nobly protect the downtrodden. And I imagine it takes a certain kind 
of <misguided> bravery to put oneself at risk by formulating such a 
plan and the cut one's own finger off in executing it, then to later 
cut off one's own hand knowing full well how painful cutting off the 
finger was. 

Oddly, rats can make very loving and loyal pets. Can't say we've 
seen much of this in Peter. Scabbers was something of a dud after 
all. Though it was funny (and pathetic at the same time) seeing 
Peter try to appeal to Ron as pet to master in PoA. 

Christi T.