DD and the rat (was:Re: Minerva McGonagall-/Dumbledore)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 115650


Pippin:
> If Peter  was liar enough to bamboozle Dumbledore and the rest 
> of the Order for a whole year in the old days, surely he wouldn't 
> fear questioning  now?
> 
> It wasn't logic that convinced Harry, it was Sirius's sincerity. 
But
> if Peter were the real spy, surely the appearance of sincerity 
> would be second nature to him? He'd have to be as cool and 
> convincing as Barty Jr to have  pulled it off in the first place.
<snip>

> Does Peter have the brains or the power to have been 
> Voldemort's spy for a whole year?

Jen: That's really the central question here: Is it believable that 
Peter was able to spy against the Order for a year, without breaking 
down in front of his old friends?

Peter's characterization is ambiguous at best. He's a cringing, 
obsequious, "weak little thing" in the Shrieking Shack and a coldly 
competent hit-man in the graveyard. He makes a half-hearted, timid 
plea to Voldemort for Harry's life at the beginning of GOF, then 
calmly ties Harry to a gravestone in preparation for his torture and 
death. So which is it? Will the real Peter please stand up?

Sirius tells us he's weak, and the Peter we saw in the Pensieve 
certainly acted like a little toady. Yet he was able to become an 
animagus, even if he required (pretended to require?) help, and he 
reportedly blew up a street full of Muggles before performing the 
perfect disappearing act.

So, is he a smooth operator with moments of real (or pretend) panic, 
or a timid wannabe with moments of cold calculation? Because it 
really matters which one is his 'true self' to believe he could spy 
for a year without breaking, only to become cringing and helpless 
when facing his old friends.

Personally, I think the Shrieking Shack scene was Peter up to his 
old tricks. He hopes to appeal to his friends (especially Lupin, 
since Sirius appears beyond convincing) and make himself appear as 
non-threatening as possible in hopes of swaying the situation to his 
advantage. It worked in the past at Hogwarts no doubt, to whine, 
cringe and feign helplessness, persuading his friends to save the 
day once again. But you cry wolf one too many times....

Jen Reese