photo vs. painting in magical world/DD's legilimency & 1st OoP/worse than death

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 80469

wry1352000/Zinaida wrote:

> > Another idea that struck me sometime after I read OoP was how 
> > Dumbledore, if he possessed the skill of Legilimency could not 
know 
> > who was the traitor in the first Order of the Phoenix.  It 
appears 
> > that Snape needed to be skilled in Occlumency to be able to spy 
on 
> > Death Eaters, but Pettigrew didn't in order to spy on the first 
> Order 
> > of the Phoenix.<snip>
> > Zinaida.

Serena Moonsilver replied:
> It's very possible that Dumbledore did know that Peter was the spy 
> and was continuing to let him act in that manner as a way of 
having 
> an in on Voldemort (ie, using Peter to pass along false 
> information).  To this end, Dumbledore may not have told anyone 
who 
> the spy was.
> 
> Then when the Potters go into hidding, they switch their secret-
> keeper at the last minute without informing Dumbledore (as much 
has 
> been said in PoA, Dumbledore testimony put Sirius in Azkaban).  
> Dumbledore therefore can't warn the Potters not to use Peter.

Annemehr contributes:

I can't argue with what Serena said, but an alternative possibility 
is that Voldemort may have taught Peter Occlumency early on (bet 
that would make Snape's lessons look like a piece of cake, no?).  Of 
course, I can't imagine Voldemort doing that without leaving himself 
a "back door" into Peter's mind, but I suppose it's possible.  Since 
I am firmly in the "Peter was underestimated by James and Sirius" 
camp, I have no problem believing he may have been able to master 
Occlumency.  Then, if Dumbledore ever tried to probe Peter's mind, 
Voldemort was covered.

So, you can take your pick.

Annemehr