OOP: Who can blame Peter Pettigrew?

[fitzchivalryhk]

No: HPFGUIDX 65885

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett" 
<bard7696 at a...> wrote:
> The same influence Lily had on James to make him ease up on Snape 
> also would have, in all likelihood, changed his attitude toward 
> Peter. Remember, in Moody's picture of the Order, Wormtail was 
> between Lily and James. He was an accepted part of a group that 
> included Moody, Hagrid, the Longbottoms and Dumbledore.

I don't know if James had really eased up on Snape, but he had eased 
up on other people, according to Sirius and Remus. True, he might 
have changed his attitude on Peter too. At least, now that you point 
it out, I hope he had.

Being a member of the Order of Phoenix does not necessarily mean he 
had gained the respect of James and Sirius though. Look at Mundungus. 
He was part of the new Order but Molly did not respect him (for good 
reasons). 

> And, for whatever reason, James and Sirius took pains to teach 
Peter 
> how to be an Animagus, when they could have just blown him off. 

I do not think there is enough evidence to say whether James and 
Sirius had taken pains to teach Peter to become an Animagus. It could 
be that Peter just tried very hard to learn because he hoped that he 
would not be left out.

> Peter probably knew Lupin was a werewolf -- the four were probably 
> roommates -- and could have spilled the beans to other students, 
but 
> why would arrogant berks like James and Sirius not just threaten 
> Peter into silence, rather than take pains to drag him along?

Maybe it's because they had no need to threaten Peter.
Peter probably would swear to keep the secret before they even opened 
their mouths :P

> And again, I think it is inaccurate to base the dynamic of an 
entire 
> 10-year friendship (assuming James, Sirius, Lupin and Peter all met 
> in first year and didn't know each other before) on the memories of 
> one person on one day.

True True. I don't think it's a one-off insult to Peter though, 
seeing the insults came so easily. James and Sirius might have 
changed their attitude later though.
  
> Pettigrew betrayed people who considered him their friend.
> Darrin

Actually, his betrayal of someone who trusted him angered me more 
than his betrayal to the so-called friends.

Fitz.