POA: Scabbers / Pettigrew & the Weasleys

[Erin]

No: HPFGUIDX 98284

 Beth:  
> I also wonder how much time Pettigrew had to spend /not/ being 
> Scabbers in order to retain himself. Sirius explained that his 
> thoughts were less complicated as a dog and he was therefore able 
to confuse the Dementors and I thought I remembered reading (FBWTFT? 
> Mine went missing after being lent...) that when a vampire 
> transfigured into a bat s/he had the intellect of a bat which could 
> be very dangerous. So did Pettigrew sneak around the Burrow as 
> himself late at night or go out to the grove where the boys 
> practiced Quidditch and just stand on two feet for a while?


Erin: 
Would he have really needed to?  I know that's a standard feature in 
some other fantasies, but I never got the feeling that it was 
nessecary in HP.  I dunno about the vampire example... there's not a 
listing for them in FB as they are beings, not beasts.  It might be 
in the introduction though, 'cause I don't feel like reading through 
all of it to make sure...

But even so, transfiguring is different from the animagus 
transformation.  And I know Sirius said he had simpler emotions as a 
dog, but there was nothing about him saying he had to turn back or 
risk losing the more complex human ones.  I got the feeling that they 
would always be there waiting for him no matter how long he spent as 
a dog.

I never really thought about Pettigrew transforming to human while at 
the Weasleys, just always pictured him spending the entire time as a 
rat.  I do agree Ron's age probably had something to do with why he 
picked them, though.

Erin