DD and the rat: Conspiracy theories compared

[Barry Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 115855

Good post, Carolyn. A comparison of theories could be very useful 
indeed, and it has already caused some stirrings in my perverse and 
convoluted alter ego, though in this one I am going off at a tangent  
and addressing a  very narrow point.

Traitors.
Such emotive words, treason and betrayal.

Lots of interesting historical quotes about betrayal and I love a good 
quote, so I'll throw one in. It's up to you to decide if, or who, it's 
apposite to.

"To betray, you must first belong." (Kim Philby.)

The dynamics of all-male groups has been a fertile field for 
anthropologists (this is ignoring the possibility of 'slash' 
relationships).  It's supposedly a genetic trait, probably an 
imperative way back in the far distant days of the pre-historic hunting 
bands. Today of course, this function has been supplanted by team 
games, so if you can't  get your feller out of the bar and away from 
his team-mates after the match, blame genetics. And young males also 
have this need for association; in historical times they would have 
formed the next hunting group. Four (the Marauders) is about minimum - 
usually they're a bit bigger, 5 - 11 being the usual range still seen 
in primitive societies. (Harry is an oddity; there's him and Ron, with 
perhaps Neville. But Harry is an outsider already. So is Hermione; 
females are accepted on sufferance only.) Being a member meant that you 
worked with those you trusted and they trusted you; exclusion from the 
group meant social death unless you could join another group. It was 
(is) important for social status and for self-worth. Imagine being 
ousted from the group...

In regard to Peter the Philby quote could be relevent. He's supposedly 
attracted to the powerful, the charismatic - hence his sucking up to 
James and to a lesser extent the other Marauders. But does he *belong*? 
Is he accepted? Or is he taken for granted?  "Oh, it's only Wormtail; 
any scuzzy work and he can do it." Why did they work so hard for Peter 
to master the animagus stuff? Why was a second-rater like Peter 
tolerated
by the 'in-crowd'?

In the Pensieve scene Lupin ignores him, James uses him as an excuse to 
show off and Sirius seemingly despises him. Why do they need or want 
Peter? They might not of course, and they may have told him so. In 
which case it might be Peter who feels betrayed, rejected by his heroes 
- and one good turn deserves another..... Sirius sees James as a 
friend; it doesn't occur to him that Peter might not. In that case, 
would it be treason or a satisfying and from Peter's point of view, 
justifiable revenge after years of denigration?

Lupin might not belong either.
A werewolf in a wizard society. Bitter? Feels that life is unfair? 
Particularly  as Sirius sees their jaunts at the full moon as an 
occasion for fun, for entertainment - and it can't come soon enough for 
him. Lupin thinks differently; it's painful, it's a loss of humanity, 
of intellect; it's to be feared. Yet here are his 'friends' James and 
Sirius, from old wizarding families, one at least a pureblood, with 
life handed to them on a platter. And one of them is incredibly, 
criminally stupid, puts everything at risk by indulging in petty spite. 
Would you feel resentful?

Does Sirius belong?
He thinks so, but then of course James's attention is grabbed by Lily. 
Interesting that Sirius talks a lot about James, how often does he talk 
about Lily? Does each see the other as a competitor? If that's the case 
then Sirius loses, becomes excluded from the inner circle. Wouldn't be 
the first time that's happened in history. Oh, there's consolation 
prizes, Best Man, Godfather, but he'll still be second division. 
Alienated from his family he moved in at the Potters; James became his 
surrogate family. When James moved on how did Sirius feel?
Bereft, betrayed? Extrapolating this further (with absolutely no 
evidence) is he the type to try and do something about it? Perhaps his 
shock at GH was seeing James's body - perhaps James wasn't supposed to 
be there - just that interferring little tart. Jealousy can be so ugly.

All three of the favoured suspects may have reason to feel excluded. 
Enough to  harbour thoughts of betrayal? Not normally, no. But did 
whoever-did-it think in terms of betrayal? Unlikely. It'd be fear of 
death, or getting even, or eliminating the intruder that would occupy 
their thoughts. Something much more personal than the larger scheme of 
things that we see.
Most things are personal in the end.

Kneasy