Wormtail, the life debt, and Fenrir Grayback (Was: Wormtail and Werewolves)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 135821

Dave Hardenbrook wrote:
>I personally have become
> enamoured with this scenario: Greyback attacks Harry and
> Wormtail kills Greyback with his silver hand.  This not only
> saves Harry's life and pays off the life debt, but it also
> cures Lupin (and Bill)!
> 
> I think this is one of the few things Wormtail could do to atone
> (at least in Harry's POV) for his helping LV return to power, and
> therefore make Harry "very glad he saved Pettigrew's life".
>
Carol responds:
While I agree (and hope) that Wormtail will save Harry by killing
Fenrir Grayback with his silver hand), I think the idea that it will
cure Lupin and Bill is overly optimistic. Certainly it won't bring
back the children Grayback has killed and eaten, for example the
five-year-old Montgomery boy. Certainly this action will pay off the
life debt and, as you say, make Harry glad that he saved Wormtail's life.


I'm not at all persuaded, however, that Wormtail wants to atone for
his crucial role in bringing Voldemort back to power, or for murdering
Cedric, betraying the Potters, framing Sirius Black, killing twelve
Muggles, and any other horrible deeds that I'm failing to remember. At
best, he may be motivated by resentment that Voldemort has reduced him
to serving/spying on Severus Snape. I can't imagine Wormtail surviving
this climactic moment to serve either Voldemort or the Order (of which
he's long since ceased to be a member), nor do I expect him to display
any genuine remorse, only perhaps self-pity, as he lies dying from the
wounds the werewolf inflicts on him. I don't think Wormtail is the HP
analogue to Boromir. There's no nobility in him and there's a *lot* of
blood on his hands. But, yes, the silver hand, the life debt, and
Fenrir Grayback rather than ESE!Lupin: it all fits together nicely. 

I'm wondering, however, how Lupin is able to drink from a silver
goblet in OoP if silver is lethal to werewolves. Maybe it's only
deadly to them when the moon is full and they're fully transformed?

BTW, I suppose the murder of the Montgomery boy explains why Tonks was
trying to see Dumbledore when she found Harry outside the Room of
Requirement and why she was so unfocused. I think she wanted to ask
Dumbledore to remove Lupin from his dangerous assignment with the pack
of werewolves led by Grayback. (FWIW, I think Lupin will be one of the
people who dies in Book 7, but not before he helps Harry to understand
 the relationship between Snape's Unbreakable Vow, which Harry has
told him about, and Dumbledore's death.)

Carol