Peter's basic nature v Snape basic nature/ Which one is worse? Pure speculat

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 144966

> Julie
> (who finds it surprising that some posters look to Peter as 
> the one who will be redeemed rather than to Snape, when
> Snape has in no way approached the level of pond scum
> that Peter has obtained--even with the apparent murder  of
> Dumbledore)


Alla: I rearranged your words, Julie by bringing you signature 
paragraph upstairs to make clear why I am bringing Snape in this 
thread in the first place. I ususally prefer to try and defend the 
character without pointing out that the other character committed 
worse deeds, but this way is fun too.
For the record, I think that it is a possibility that Snape's level 
of pond scum and Peter's are quite close to each other, but I 
realized recently that defending Peter is fun. Not that I really 
believe it anyway, just speculating.



> Julie:
> SHOW WHO HE IS?? You mean Peter's not really the creep who got
> so much glee out of James and Sirius tormenting Snape, while he
> watched safely on the sidelines?

Alla:

I think it is possible that Peter is less creep for watching the 
bullying than someone who goes around inventing spells who could 
really hurt people and one ofthose could let them bleed to death. 
IMO anyway.

Juli:
 And Peter's not really the betrayer
> who got Lily and James killed by Voldemort (much more directly so
> than, say, Snape)?

Alla:

It is possible that without Snape giving that little piece of 
information to Voldemort, Voldemort would never gone after Peter in 
the first place. IMO anyway, so it is a big question in my mind who 
is more at fault for Potters deaths. Sure, Peter told Voldemort the 
place of their hiding, but without Snape opening his mouth, 
Voldemort may not have become interested in them at all. IMO of 
course.

> Julie:
<SNIP>
 And Peter's not really the coward
> who hid behind a rat all those years? 

Alla:

But is that who he really is? Is it in his nature or is it because 
fear consumed him? I attended a very interesting lecture yesterday ( 
unrelated to HP), but talking among other things how fear can 
completely consume you. 



Juli:
<sniP.
 And Peter's not really the  cold 
> child killer who Avada Kedavra'd poor Cedric (that spell you have 
to
> *mean* to perform, which Peter performed with little or no 
emotion)?

Alla:

Indeed. You have to mean Avada to perform it succesfully. You agree 
that it applies to all characters, including Snape, right? :-)


Juli: 
> No, deep down he's really courageous at heart, and he did all  
those
> things, along with crawling after Voldemort and doing his 
bidding,  just
> because of "external" circumstances, not because being a cowardly,
> backstabbing, cold-hearted killer was his true nature? 

Alla:

Could you please refer me to the canon for the "cold hearted", if 
you don't 
mind. Cowardly - sure, is it possible that it was under the threat 
of torture or torture itself. Yes, IMO anyway.


JMO of course.

Alla, who is so not a fan of Peter, but who does think that his 
stakes on the redemption rose very significantly after HBP.