Pettigrew's silver hand and Book 7 (Was: My 7 book 7 predictions)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 147940

Carol earlier:
> > I predict that Peter Pettigrew will fulfill his life debt to Harry
by using his silver hand to kill Fenrir Greyback (assuming that Greyback
is not already in Azkaban)--two minor mysteries from Peter's 
character arc resolved together.
> 
Exodusts responded:
> Interestingly, there is a recent essay on livejournal about this
very topic. I have to say it is NOT going to happen. JKR dismissed the
idea of Peter killing Remus with his hand in the rumours section of
her  website, and the wording is highly suggestive that she is
dismissive of the whole idea, not just that Remus will be the one to die.

Carol again:
I don't think that her saying that Pettigrew won't kill Lupin negates
the possibility of Pettigrew killing *Greyback*, and I still think
that it would be an economical use of motifs already introduced to
kill two birds (the silver hand and the life debt) with one stone. I
would love to see Peter (even though I despise him) do one last brave
deed that justified his placement in Gryffindor, even if it didn't
fully redeem him, and surely PP will at some point save Harry (as DD
implies in his prediction that Harry will one day be glad of the life
debt). And surely if any character deserves a painful death (strangled
by a metal hand) it's Greyback.

However, let's say for the sake of argument (discussion) that you're
right. What do you think is the purpose of Pettigrew's silver hand,
which has not yet done more than crumble a stick to dust, and which is
brought back to our attention in "Spinner's End," where Pettigrew
caresses it lovingly (HBP Am. ed. 23)--surely a hint that there's more
to come involving the hand. 

Will it be used for good or for evil? Tied in with the life debt or
not? And why silver, if it's not used to kill a werewolf? Silver does
seem to be associated with Slytherin, BTW--note the silver goblets in
12 GP and the house colors, green and silver, which may partially
account for LV's giving Pettigrew a silver hand rather than a gold
one. But a Slytherin affinity for silver doesn't seem to sufficiently
explain why LV gave Pettigrew a silver hand. Why not a human hand from
an Inferius (brrr!) or a hand made of gold or bronze or iron? And
silver is noted for its malleability, not its strength, yet PP's hand
seems superhumanly strong (as well as beautiful).

Carol, asking opinions on this topic from anyone who's interested, not
just exodusts