Peter and Gollum

[junediamanti]

No: HPFGUIDX 82833

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "goodnight_moon5" 
<lmbolland at e...> wrote:
> There's just the tiniest indication that this may be so in 
> > the now notorious pensieve scene in OoP.  
> 
> 
> Lauri B. wrote:
> 
> June, could you elaborate on this? I didn't notice any grudge 
> indications in the pensieve scene, but I've got an open mind!! :)
> (Snippage...)
>> Lauri B.

OK - nothing overt I grant you.  Just a couple of clues which spoke 
to me because as a person who was bullied at school, I kind of 
identify with some of the characters in this scene.

I'm not going to elaborate on Snape's situation here - have already 
done it repeatedly and at boring length.  He's a victim - and not 
the only one.

Padfoot and Prongs behave odiously here.  There's no  other word for 
it.  Arrogant, cocky little b*****ds.  First of all lets supply the 
quotes:

{extract from OOP CHAPTER 28]
Peter:  "I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the 
tufted tail," he said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else -"
"How thick are you Wormtail?" said James impatiently...

...He (James) put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling 
Golden Snitch. (...)

...Wormtail watched him in awe...

...Wormtail was watching him with his mouth open.  Every time James 
made a particularly difficult catch, Wormtail gasped and applauded.  
After five minutes of this, Harry wondered why Hames didn't tell 
Wormtail to get a grip on himself, but James seemed to be enjoying 
the attention...

"Put that away, will you," said Sirius finally, as James made a fine 
catch, and Wormtail let out a cheer, "before Wormtail wets himself 
with excitement."...

(Now Snape shows up..)

...Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look 
of avid anticipation...

...Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around 
Lupin to get a clearer view.

(v. nasty remarks by Sirius about grease marks on Snape's exam 
paper)...

Wormtail sniggered shrilly.

[end extracts]
That's it in the scene for Wormtail.  The rest is Snape, Lily, James 
and Sirius.  Forget that (for now!!).  

Now, people could argue that James and Sirius have an ongoing feud, 
grudge whatever against Snape and while their behaviour towards him 
isn't particularly nice, that it is motivated by a number of 
issues.  Fine (believe that if you want) - so what's the problem 
with Wormtail?

Would I be happy about friends who spoke to me in such a 
contemptuous and dismissive manner?  No. This is the classic case 
(to me) of someone who is being tolerated in a group as a kind of 
greek chorus to the two lead actors, James and Sirius.  Peter is 
allowed to hang with these two uber kids because he's the fan club.  
He can be counted upon to admire them, laughs at all their jokes, 
however puerile, oh, and if no one else is there to pick on, he's 
useful for that.

Basically, Peter is operating outside of his peer group - and his so-
called friends know that.  He is tolerated rather than wanted.  Even 
in the issue of animagi - he drew the short straw.  The other's get 
to be the glamorous and macho animals - he gets to be a rat.  And 
before anyone decides to flame me - let me say that I like rats, 
they're intelligent, loyal pets and have a horrible press.  However, 
they are short on glamour and lack effective PR <G>.  

In POA - Peter is referred to as that fat little boy who was always 
tagging along.  Tolerated not wanted.  

However, this pecking order system which obtains in school only 
works so long as everyone is content to play the part allocated to 
them.  

I've hung round on the periphery of a school clique, being 
sycophantic - laughing at the jokes, even when I was the butt of 
them, but eventually people like me and Peter decide that we've had 
enough.  Now, I didn't betray any of my so-called friends to an evil 
wizarding overlord (though I might have done if the right offers had 
come along), but Peter would have longed for acceptance.  I'm 
betting it didn't come.  Yeah, right, maybe James Potter became a 
prototype Nelson Mandela under the healing love of Lily Evans, yeah, 
right.  But to be honest, judging by what I read of Sirius's 
character as an adult, I don't think anyone really looked to heal 
Peter's wounds. I suggest that Messrs Padfoot and Prongs never even 
thought there was anything to apologise for - certainly Sirius 
doesn't show that much self-doubt about his and James's treatment of 
Snape, does he?  "I'm not proud of it" - but not exactly ashamed 
either.  And he's pretty prompt at the self-justification bit when 
Harry pulls him up about it.

So I doubt if Peter ever got the kind of acceptance he wanted.  
Always on the outside, always tolerated rather than accepted.  Not 
the only reason he went across to the "dark side" but the seeds of 
maybe.  

I'm not entirely excusing Peter either - let me stress this.  I may 
have been bullied at school, but I haven't joined any right wing 
extremist organisations, or become a mass murderer.  But for what 
it's worth, I believe that such seeds as I've described here can 
have tragic consequences for the future.

June

"All that keeps me going now is the desire to see how it all comes 
out...oh, you know... the whole thing.  The Universe."
Lucifer Morningstar, the Kindly Ones, Neil Gaiman.