the Graveyard, life-debt unpaid (moved from OT)

[Kemper]

No: HPFGUIDX 142170

Kemper:
> Carol, are you suggesting Wormtail's (I hesitate to use the word)
> redemption is saving Harry from Greyback? Or that Greyback attacks
> Wormtail in some full-moon lunacy, and Wormtail, frightened and
> wandless, flails his fists about accidentally maiming/killing
> Greyback even though Greyback does land a killing claw on
> Wormtail's treacherous jugular? Because if you're suggesting this > last
one, I like it a lot.

SSSusan:
Hee. I like this a lot, too. (Hasn't JKR addressed on her website, though,
the issue of silver? In terms of the silver goblet at 12GP
and Lupin's ability to touch it?) OTOH I admit that I just DON'T
like Wormtail.
...
I *have* listened to fans who've defended
PP and have tried to be open to their views... but I just can't get
past my negative reaction to what I see as cowardice, not
just "humanness." Yes, Lupin has shown some cowardice, as well, and I still
love his character... but Pettigrew's choices, while perhaps understandable
to some degree, have just seemed to me to be of a
greater magnitude, with greater (that is, worse) consequences.

I'm rambling, though....

My point is that the possibility of PP's redemption and the
possibility PP's repaying his life debt to Harry are quite popular in the HP
fandom; a lot of people seem to really want to see this
happen. For some reason I've been less excited about the prospect --
probably because I just don't like the character much, but maybe also
because I wouldn't want to see this happen unless it's something *genuine.*
That is, I wouldn't want it to be an accidental repayment of the debt -- PP
just doing something which happens to save Harry's life. I'd want it to be
something PP considered and elected to do.

In the graveyard scene of GoF, we saw Wormtail suggesting to Voldy
that they use someone *else's* blood -- that it didn't have to be
Harry's -- and I saw that as the one glimmer of hope that PP would
like to get out of the mess he's in. In that situation, he chose to not
press the point, and I suppose most of us would probably have
done likewise. But if PP's going to be redeemed, I'd like it to be
REAL, in a situation where he's contemplated what to do, has weighed the
consequences of doing or not doing it, and this time DOES defy
Voldy.

Kemper now:
I think you bring up a point that I haven't seen flushed out before. (this
thread is starting to be Main List appropriate)
 Wormtail at the Graveyard. He had most opportunity for redemption here, yet
he faltered. He didn't even attempt to save Harry's life when LV was going
to AK him. And it's not like LV cast it surprisingly.
 "'We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry,' said Voldermort"..."'You cannot
hide from me. Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean thay
you would prefer me to finish it now, Harry? Cone out, Harry...come out and
play, then...it will be quick... it might even be painless... I would not
know... I have never died...'" - GoF, US soft, 662
 Where is Wormtail?! Did he not hear any of this silly villian talk? I think
he did hear it. He likes to watch bullying as seen in Snape's Worst Memory.
 Knowing the AK would be cast, Wormtail did nothing but watch. My canon
support for this is that Wormtail is still alive. Had he tried to save Harry
or interfere with Voldemort, he would be dead.
 So where's the life debt? I hope we don't see it paid later because it
should have been paid at the Graveyard.
 -Kemper


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