Peter the Rat

[utenasan]

No: HPFGUIDX 167968



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl at ...> wrote:
>
> (and yes, I admit, this is yet another time I'm using a nickname
because I can't be bothered to look up how to spell Pettigrew or
however it's spelled).
>
> The question has come up of Peter as coward vs. the Sorting Hat's
> choice to place him with the lions.


Peter may not be as cowardly as we might first assume.

Sure, his animagus form is a rat and he's one of Voldemort's lackeys.
Also, as a teen, he appears to have been a tag along with a bad case
of hero worship for one of his friends.  However, lets look at some of
the things that he's done.

He cut off his own hand.  'Nuff said.  I couldn't do that and I know
I'm not alone on that one.

He went to find Voldemort.  Voldemort himself said that many of his
followers, out of fear, had refused to do so.  You could argue that
Peter had little choice, at the end of POA, but to go back to
Voldemort, however I beg to differ.  He could simply have run off to
hide again.  He could have continued to us his animagus form or
disguised himself in a different way.  He went back to Voldemort,
admitedly for protection and power, however he took a huge risk as
well.  Voldemort wasn't happy with the way his followers had dropped
him like a bad habit and we know what Voldemort is capable of doing
when he's not happy with someone.

Now I can't count the above as acts of "courage", however they do show
him as possessing some "strength".  It's really too bad that he uses
what little strength he has to do bad.

Another point for Peter's good side is that he didn't go rushing back
to his old life as a DE when he found out that Voldemort was still
alive.  This occured in PS/SS.  Peter didn't go back until he needed
Voldemort again.  We can imagine his master not liking that.

Also, at the beginning of GOF, he dares to argue with Voldemort and
try to convince him to use "some other wizard" instead of Harry.  We
usually assume that this was due to his life debt to Harry, however
what if it's also because he genuinely feels bad for what he did to
James and Lily.  I think the ability to feel remorse counts as a
positive character trait.

One last bit, also dealing with Harry.  Peter left Harry alone.  Of
course, he had no reason to hurt Harry while Voldemort was
still "dead" or at least too weak to be of any help to him.  Still, it
shows that Peter at least needs a certain amount of motivation to do
bad.  More motivation that say Lucius Malfoy who gave Ginny Riddle's
diary out of sheer spite for the Weasleys and muggleborns.  Remember,
Lucius didn't know in COS that Voldemort was still alive.

Yolanda