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

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 115923


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> 
> Pippin asked:
> > 
> > Does Peter have the brains or the power to have been 
> > Voldemort's spy for a whole year?
> 
> Carol responds:
> What he did in the duel with Sirius apparently took brains, 
didn't it? Blowing off his finger, turning into a rat, and making 
himself look like a murder victim, whether or not he actually blew 
up the street and killed the Muggles, which I think he did? (He 
probably made sure that Sirius had his wand out, though, so it 
looked like he did it.) 

> But as for spying, all he had to do is report what happened in 
the Order meetings and reveal names of Order members so the 
DEs could kill them off one or two at a time. <snip>

>No lying or cleverness involved; just silence and a pretense
 of horror with each new victim. <

Pippin:
Maybe I'm confused...what do you see as the  difference between 
'lying and cleverness' and 'pretense'? Whatever you call it, Peter 
had to keep it up for a whole year, during part of which Albus 
Dumbledore, who usually knows when people are lying to him, 
was actively hunting among those close to the Potters for the 
spy.  We know Peter was close to them, since he sat between 
them in the picture. Surely DD would detect that Peter's 
expressions of horror were feigned? 

If, OTOH, Peter was cool and clever enough to fool DD, why fall 
apart in the Shack? And if that was OscarWinner!Peter, then why 
would he think shifty eyes and nervous panting would add to his 
portrayal of someone who thought the accusations against him 
were ludicrous?

Carol:
>This is a man who, after living as a rat for twelve years, can AK 
an innocent boy without a second thought.<

Pippin:
I don't object to Faith-based theories on principle, but they, too, 
should simplify rather than complicate the canon. Peter killed 
Cedric? You'll have to explain to me how it was simple for Peter 
to put aside the bundle in his arms and get his wand out before 
Cedric could stop him.

Cedric had his wand out already.  He'd just seen Harry collapse 
at his side. We are reminded in OOP that Cedric was a 
world-class champion adult wizard who knew quite as much 
about duelling as Harry, so this is not one of those minor 
inconsistencies that JKR lets by. This is something we are to 
take note of, a clue slipped into an innocent chapter.   Somehow 
Cedric let Wormtail get the drop on him without so much as an 
"Expelliarmus".  Wormtail, who was always hopeless at duelling. 
Something's not right.

Pippin