GoF 1!

[pauraque_bk]

For those just joining us, in the past year and a half I've done chapter-by-chapter discussions of Prisoner of Azkaban, Chamber of Secrets, and Philosopher's Stone. Today I'll be starting Goblet of Fire. I plan to do a post every other day (in my experience, comment discussion on each chapter needs at least that much time), which should leave about a week between the end of the re-read and the release of the movie.

Goblet of Fire is a book with 37 chapters. That's 74 days of GoF discussion. Hold me.

Things to note:

-All six books are fair game for discussion. I would like to avoid discussion of the leak about the identity of RAB, though, for now.

-Everyone is welcome to participate! I don't have to know you, and you don't have to agree with me. But...

-Be courteous. This hasn't been a major issue in the past, but I think occasionally people have gotten carried away and forgotten that this isn't a public forum, it's my journal. There's no excuse to be rude to me or the people who comment.

Now, with that out of the way, let's get started. I'll be reading the UK paperback edition, so that's what page numbers will refer to. *cracks knuckles, dons wrist braces*


GoF 1: The Riddle House

The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it 'the Riddle House', even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. (7)

GoF and HBP are the only two books in the series that don't start with Harry, although GoF cheats a little -- Harry is observing this chapter in a dream. [Edit: Beg your pardon -- of course, PS/SS doesn't start with Harry either, but with Vernon!]

Every version of the tale, however, started in the same place: fifty years before, at daybreak on a fine summer's morning, when the Riddle House had still been well kept and impressive, and a maid had entered the drawing room to find all three Riddles dead. (7)

So it was during summer break. Didn't HBP suggest it was Christmas break, or am I imagining things?

The Hanged Man, the village pub, did a roaring trade that night; the whole village had turned out to discuss the murders. (8)

The Hanged Man is also a Tarot card. We know from HBP that Tarot is something to be taken seriously in the Potterverse.

The short scene in the pub is interesting in that it shows the villagers first in complete disbelief that Bryce could be a murderer ('Never!'), then succumbing rapidly to vicious gossip. "By the following morning, hardly anyone in Little Hangleton doubted that Frank Bryce had killed the Riddles" (9). The theme of false gossip will be revisited later in this book, and certainly in OotP.

The wealthy man who owned the Riddle House these days neither lived there nor put it to any use; they said in the village that he kept it for 'tax reasons', though nobody was very clear what these might be. The wealthy owner continued to pay Frank to do the gardening, however. (10)

Huh. Should we wonder who the "wealthy man" is, or is he just a convenient reason for Frank to still be here?

[Wormtail] was wearing a long black cloak, and there was a bald patch at the back of his head. (12)

I laughed here, but only because aithopa and I have spent time wondering where Peter got the robes for resurrected!Voldemort. Apparently when he went shopping, he treated himself as well.

This is also where we stop calling him "Pettigrew" in the narration (as was the case in PoA), but always "Wormtail". It seems to be a strategy for dehumanizing him, one both Voldemort and Harry employ.

'Your Lordship is still determined, then?' Wormtail said quietly.

'Certainly I am determined, Wormtail.' There was a note of menace in the cold voice now.

A slight pause followed -- and then Wormtail spoke, the words tumbling from him in a rush, as though he was forcing himself to say this before he lost his nerve.

'It could be done without Harry Potter, my Lord.'

Another pause, more protracted, and then--

'Without Harry Potter?' breathed the second voice softly. 'I see...'

'My Lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy!' said Wormtail, his voice rising squeakily. 'The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all! It is merely that if we were to use another witch or wizard -- any wizard -- the thing could be done so much more quickly! If you allowed me to leave you for a short while -- you know that I can disguise myself most effectively -- I could be back here in as little as two days with a suitable person--'

'I could use another wizard,' said the second voice softly, 'that is true...'

'My Lord, it makes sense,' said Wormtail, sounding thoroughly relieved now, 'laying hands on Harry Potter would be so difficult, he is so well protected--' (13-14)

A couple of interesting things are happening here. It takes guts to question Voldemort, even in a weakened state. Peter may be superficially in control of the situation, acting as a father of sorts to baby Voldie, but V still has control of Nagini, who is _not_ weak and could attack Peter at any time.

There are several possible reasons Peter may be willing to question V. He's quite right that the plan is unnecessarily circuitous and time-consuming; if his primary concern is resurrecting V, his advice is reasonable. But his preemptive denial that he's worried for Harry suggests that he's either uncomfortable killing someone to whom he owes a life debt (from PoA), or is emotionally attached to Harry (which I suspect is also true).

It's also interesting that Peter tries to _reason_ with Voldemort, which is probably a mistake. It does point up the fact that while V is a madman and beyond reason, many of his followers are not.

Then:

'And so you volunteer to go and fetch me a substitute? I wonder ... perhaps the task of nursing me has become wearisome for you, Wormtail? Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert me?'

'No! My devotion to your Lordship--'

'Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice. You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go[...]' (14)

I don't think Peter is really trying to desert him, but I do think V is right on the money that Peter came looking for him as a last resort. He only took off looking for him _after_ his cover as Scabbers was blown, and his life was in danger. His motivation for going through such trouble and suffering to resurrect V appears to be self-protection -- gaining the favor of a powerful wizard to hide behind. (Which seems to be working, as of HBP.) It would make no sense for Peter to leave now -- V is paranoid.

'I have my reasons for using the boy, as I have already explained to you. [...] All that is needed is a little courage from you, Wormtail -- courage that you will find, unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Voldemort's wrath--'

'My Lord, I must speak!' said Wormtail, panic in his voice now. 'All through our journey I have gone over the plan in my head -- my Lord, Bertha Jorkins's disappearance will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I curse--' (14-15)

Balls of steel, this guy has! Again, he's right that this isn't really a good plan, and I'm impressed that he's willing to argue with V about it, but V doesn't listen to reason.

That interrupted "if I curse--" seems to refer to placing the Imperius Curse on Barty Crouch, Sr. V wishes he could do it himself, he says, but he's not strong enough. When Peter lets Crouch Sr go later on, it doesn't seem to occur to V that it might have been intentional sabotage of a plan he'd openly criticized! Oh, Voldie.

Something was slithering towards him [...] it was a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long. [...] in seconds, the tip of its diamond-patterned tail had vanished through the gap. (17)

What kind of twelve-foot-long diamond-patterned snake lives in the Albanian forest?

'[A]nd I'll tell you this, too,' [Frank] added, on a sudden inspiration, 'my wife knows I'm up here, and if I don't come back--'

'You have no wife,' said the cold voice, very quietly. 'Nobody knows you are here. You told nobody that you were coming. Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Muggle, for he knows ... he always knows...' (18)

Either Legilimency is possible without eye contact (V is facing away here), or V is exaggerating his abilities. I got the feeling repeatedly in this chapter that V was telling Peter and Frank that he knew what they were thinking when in reality he was merely making good guesses based on their demeanor and things he already knew to be true.


The discussion posts will be saved in memories here.

Comments

[asphodeline.livejournal.com]

Glad you're doing this again. I think GoF has some interesting little snippets of info.

Huh. Should we wonder who the "wealthy man" is, or is he just a convenient reason for Frank to still be here?

I assumed originally this was Voldie himself but maybe it isn't

[pauraque]

I guess it's possible that V had a bank account from which Frank was automatically being paid over the years.

[scarah2.livejournal.com]

I read that the Hanged Man used to be called the traitor. Here's a site about how it is related to "shame paintings." Hmm, I've seen someone in a pose like that in book 5. :D That site also points out the possible connection with Saint Peter, who requested to be crucified upside down.

Either Legilimency is possible without eye contact (V is facing away here)

He did that in book one too, when he was still wrapped up in the turban.

[pauraque]

Thanks for that, and for pointing out the Levicorpus connection; I did mean to mention that, but forgot! And ooh, I didn't know that about Saint Peter. Iiiinteresting...

[playscape.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're starting another reread!

Just a quick note on your last point:

Either Legilimency is possible without eye contact (V is facing away here), or V is exaggerating his abilities.

I believe it is possible without eye contact, as Snape seems to read Harry's mind several times in HBP without looking at him, particularly in the chase scene at the end--he blocks Harry's non-verbal spells before anything comes of them. Also, in OotP, Snape tells Harry that eye contact is "often" necessary in Legilimency, which suggests there are exceptions (depending on how skilled you are?).

[pauraque]

You're right. I guess part of the reason I find myself doubting V is that he's so weak here, and there are other points in the book where he seems to be undeservedly self-aggrandizing.

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'm glad you're doing this again - the discussion is always fascinating! Mind, I've nothing intelligent to add right now, just shallow squeeing. :-P

[pauraque]

We'll squee together. Squee! I only do this so that other, smarter people can come in and say the smart things I didn't think of. :D

[ani-bester.livejournal.com]

When Peter lets Crouch Sr go later on, it doesn't seem to occur to V that it might have been intentional sabotage of a plan he'd openly criticized! Oh, Voldie.

yay I love this interpretation.
I find it fascinating that Voldemrot does not kill Peter later for this.
I mean I can understand not killing Peter then, Peter keeps V alive, but I am surprised Peter hasn't paid for this more dearly.

It did seem intentional to me, but again, Peter is very skilled at making people overlook his actions and see him as merely an idiot. Maybe he can fool V. though the Legilimency thing would make that difficult.

[pauraque]

Yes, exactly. That's another reason I question V's Legilimency abilities here, though he wouldn't be the only Legilimens fooled by Peter. (Dumbledore, anyone?) If Peter did set Crouch Sr free intentionally, it is amazing that he wasn't killed -- and a credit to his ability to use the appearance of incompetence to his advantage.

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

It does point up the fact that while V is a madman and beyond reason, many of his followers are not.

Agreed – the interactions between Narcissa and Severus in Chapter 2 of HPB (and how they deal with Bellatrix, a rather more...obsessively ardent follower of the Dark Lord) lend credence to this.

Peter really shows the Gryffindor trait of courage in this chapter, doesn't he? Standing up to Voldemort like that is quite risky. Which is something to think about, considering:

This is also where we stop calling him "Pettigrew" in the narration (as was the case in PoA), but always "Wormtail". It seems to be a strategy for dehumanizing him, one both Voldemort and Harry employ.

So it's not just a fandom thing – he's meant to be perceived as less that what he actually comes across as.

Thanks so much for starting up a GOF readalong! :)

[pauraque]

Yep, Peter's being notably Gryffindor here. The characters certainly seem to be deluding themselves about Peter's abilities -- I wonder how far JKR is consciously trying to delude _us_ about what he's capable of.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Hurray! I'm so glad you're doing this! And I'm re-reading it too, several chapters ahead (but only going one a week) so I might actually remember the book.:-)

I have always assumed that Tom Riddle did own the house, myself.

I love Peter in this scene. On one hand he's the sane one in the scene, so you can't help but side with him. HBP really shows that the only people really comfortable following V's orders are nutcases who are fanatical about it.

Also I thought clearly he was all too aware of his debt to Harry and frankly, even if he didn't have that I think he might have started wondering if Harry could be a good thing for him. As well as possibly having grown to like Harry and Ron and perhaps now remember what it's like to be surrounded by better people than DEs as Scabbers, he may be sickened by the idea of helping to kill a second Potter, one who looks so much like James.

I thought Voldemort knew about Frank from his knowledge of the Riddle house and all of that. Also, I just love Frank. He's great.

I must say, sometimes I really wish we'd never heard of Legilimancy because it suddenly becomes a possibility of practically every scene.

[pauraque]

I think the way Peter acts towards Harry at the end of PoA is telling. He seems not only to equate Harry with James, but also to be desperate for Harry's forgiveness, and I don't think it was just about his life being in immediate danger.

And Frank really is great. I love his quickly sketched backstory, the comment about the moment he confronts V reminding him of the war. Too bad we don't get more of him!

[arrua1.livejournal.com]

Hi! Great way to count down to the movie. I enjoyed all your comments!

But his preemptive denial that he's worried for Harry suggests that he's either uncomfortable killing someone to whom he owes a life debt (from PoA), or is emotionally attached to Harry (which I suspect is also true).

Good point. There may be something more than a life debt involved here.

1) Not only is Harry is the son of Wormtail's old friend, but he's an orphan because of Wormtail's betrayal. (Like Snape, Wormtail owes Harry for this.)

2) As Scabbers, Wormtail almost certainly got to know Harry personally. (He lived with him in Gryffindor Tower for over two years.)

I'd like to think that these two factors will be enough to drive Wormtail to some final redemptive action. It would be an opportunity for Peter--a Gryffindor--to overcome the cowardice that has brough him so low, and find the courage to do the right thing. If he only saves Harry because he's compelled by a life debt, he will not be truly redeemed.

Do we know exactly how binding a life debt is? Is merely a tradition, or does magic force a person to honor it?

[pauraque]

Hi there! Nice to meet you.

The life debt is a pretty vague concept. Dumbledore explains that Snape feels indebted to James, and that Peter may feel indebted to Harry, but doesn't really give details. Since Snape had other reasons to protect Harry's life (not to mention other reasons to hate James), it's hard to pin down whether he's really acting on a "life debt" per se.

When it comes right down to it, Peter doesn't have to save Harry at the end of GoF -- he saves himself. We don't know whether Peter would have intervened if it looked like Harry was actually going to bite the dust.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Hooray! I love your book discussions.

I feel compelled to point out that PS also begins outside of Harry's POV.

When Peter lets Crouch Sr go later on, it doesn't seem to occur to V that it might have been intentional sabotage of a plan he'd openly criticized! Oh, Voldie.

Touching, isn't it?

[pauraque]

I feel compelled to point out that PS also begins outside of Harry's POV.

Of course, you are correct. Maybe it didn't occur to me because Harry's a baby at the start of the book. I should have remembered, really, since I enjoyed Vernon's POV so much!

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

That interrupted "if I curse--" seems to refer to placing the Imperius Curse on Barty Crouch, Sr.

In the US edition it's "if I murder--".

[pauraque]

Really? That's... pretty confusing. Who's getting murdered in this situation? Not Crouch Sr, not Moody. Harry, yes, but Peter isn't supposed to do that. And Cedric's murder wasn't planned in advance.

The first edition of GoF had some errors that were later corrected; I wonder if this is one? Otherwise, I'm stumped.

[atrata.livejournal.com]

I've always been interested in the fact that V. calls Peter 'Wormtail.' Because, as you point out, it seems to be dehumanizing, but presumably this was his boyhood nickname, given to him in affection, by his friends. That's gotta rankle.

And yay, rereads!

[pauraque]

I'm not sure how affectionate it was... When Sirius calls him 'Wormtail' in OotP, it reads very condescending to me. Of course, it may have been affectionate at first, or when said by people other than Sirius.

I wonder how Voldie found out that was his nickname. MWPP seem to have used it openly at school, but of course V wasn't there for that. He could have seen it in Peter's mind, I guess. Or Snape's mind, for that matter.

[gmth.livejournal.com]

Should we wonder who the "wealthy man" is, or is he just a convenient reason for Frank to still be here?

At Convention Alley, Steve Vander Ark suggested that the "wealthy man" might be Lucius Malfoy. This idea has tickled my imagination more than I can express.

Your post has sparked another interesting idea for me, and that is the idea that Snape -- who is living with Wormtail at the beginning of HBP -- might have been the one to convince the Ministry that Peter is still alive and therefore Sirius was innocent. Dumbledore tried to convince Fudge of that fact in PoA with no success... I wonder if Snape, whom Fudge seemed to trust in PoA (he promised Snape the Order of Merlin, after all), was the person who was finally able to convince him of the truth?

[pauraque]

If Lucius is the "wealthy man", that raises some questions about whether Lucius thought V was coming back, as black_dog discussed after your comment. *points down*

Yeah, I wondered about Sirius's name being cleared, too. If it was Snape, are you thinking he was trying to undermine Peter's safety by alerting the Ministry that he's alive? Because I can definitely see that as a motivation, given the apparent struggle between him and Peter for V's favor at the beginning of HBP. It would also explain why Peter's hiding out.

[black-dog.livejournal.com]

You do the best read-throughs. It's really a blast that you're starting another one. :)

And you've reduced me to second-order questions about this chapter, because I think you've nailed the most important things perfectly: the oddness of Voldemort's evil-overlord executive style, the surprising strength of character that Wormtail shows, and the mystery of Harry's significance to each of them. Also, ITA about the way the villagers' reaction to the Riddle murder foreshadows the themes of mob irrationality in the book, and I think it's typical of the way JKR gives us an overture to her themes in the opening chapters of each book.

For this chapter, I'm left with a couple of backstory puzzles, maybe minor ones, but I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on them. I'm assuming Voldemort and Peter are planning to use the Riddle House as a refuge during the whole year, until the "re-embodiment," which of course happens right nearby in the churchyard. I'm wondering how, exactly, they expect to get away with that, how they expect to lie low in this house.

The more I think about it, the more I see a dilemma: if Voldemort owns the house, that creates some puzzles. And if he doesn't own it, that creates some other puzzles.

I guess I'm a little skeptical that V himself could own the house. Would he really have inherited from his father, after the circumstances of his birth and upbringing? Moreover, even if he did inherit, or even if he just bought it some time after the murder, for sentimental or magical reasons, would he still own it? What would be its legal status given 1. his nominal death or disappearance 13 years ago, and 2. presumptive legal action by the Wizarding World to confiscate any identifiable property Voldemort might have owned?

The only way I could see him retaining ownership or control of the Riddle House is through some well-concealed corporate fiction or personal agent. But in that case, he needs to have had some sort of agent watching over it for 13 years, and who could that be?

Which brings us to the question of the "wealthy man." I think the idea that Lucius owns or controls the house is too easy, only because he's the obvious candidate for "rich death-eater and Voldemort ally" and there really ought to be others, just for diversity's sake or something. And we know from HBP that Lucius assumed Voldemort wasn't coming back, because of the casual way he handled V's diary.

But the more interesting question about the "wealthy man" is not even his personal identity, but rather the nature of his relationship to Voldemort. How does it come about that V has an agent, watching over this safe house, despite having "disappeared" thirteen years before? Presumably, none of the Death Eaters know he's back until the cauldron scene in the churchyard 37 chapters later?

On the other hand, if V does not own the house, and if the "wealthy man" is not an agent acting in Voldemort's interest, then again, how can V and Peter feel safe from discovery in the house? Surely it's not safe, even for V and Peter and Nagini, to simply squat there for a year, if they want to be inconspicuous.

Alternatively, I suppose he just could have rented it for the year. :) But how could he do that, if he won't let Peter out of his sight?

This issue reminds me of a question that I think came up in the PS/SS discussion -- how did Voldemort ever hook up with Quirrel in the first place? And who else, if anyone, was in on the conspiracy to steal the stone? In other words, does V have agents other than Wormtail who know he's on his way back and can act on his behalf? I don't remember how that got resolved. But in this case, I just don't see how he can secure use of the house without having some existing allies or agents who can conduct business on his behalf.

[continued . . . ]

[pauraque]

Well, they don't actually stay in the Riddle House for the whole year, they hang out at the House of Crouch while Crouch Sr is under the Imperius. Isn't that right?

What would be its legal status given 1. his nominal death or disappearance 13 years ago, and 2. presumptive legal action by the Wizarding World to confiscate any identifiable property Voldemort might have owned?

I totally hear where you're coming from, yet these seemingly odd circumstances would actually be in keeping with the casual way we see people's possessions treated when they're out of commission in the Potterverse. When Sirius is incarcerated, not only do his assets remain intact, but the bank allows them to be accessed by -- a cat! I also wonder if Peter doesn't have a bank account (even though he's supposed to be dead), given that he's going around buying black robes and human-sized cauldrons and so on.

[black-dog.livejournal.com]

[. . . continued]

Finally, no matter which of the above is true, there's still the question of why Frank was surprised by V's presence in the House. Whether V owned the House, or rented it, or even if he was thinking of squatting, you'd think he'd have taken steps to make sure there was a reasonable cover story that would satisfy Frank and the neighbors. Or else, simply pension Frank off after decades of faithful service. Or obliviate him, or imperious him, or, you know, kill him in a way that draws less attention to the House. He could have done that even at the last minute, after being discovered by Frank under the circumstances of this chapter. So -- more signs that evil!overlords can't think straight?

I may be scraping the barrel a bit by even asking these questions. I don't know if they matter. Is Voldemort just bad at maths? But they do puzzle me a little, and I wonder if anyone else sees anything here that connects to any larger issues.

[pauraque]

Yeah, it doesn't really make sense for V to kill Frank. I expect Peter would agree -- he complains that they didn't have to kill Bertha Jorkins, but could have modified her memory (and thus not have to contend with questions about her disappearance), and V shrugs him off. V just likes to kill people, preferably accompanied by some dramatic speechifying, as here.

So glad to see you here! I always love reading your chapterly thoughts.

[eruthiadwen.livejournal.com]

I love that Peter actually voices his opinions to Voldemort. Not that I like Peter... I just grudgingly admire him for actually speaking up. Gryffindor courage, anyone?

Friending ya. Looks like these shall be some great discussions. :)

[pauraque]

Hiya. Good to have you on board. :)

[hilarita.livejournal.com]

Wormtail's arguing with Voldie looks very courageous, but isn't some of it just down to self-preservation? As in 'This is a truly demented mad plan, which is likely to get me killed. Might a small amount of persuasion only lead to a minor amount of Cruciatus and a BETTER PLAN?'

[pauraque]

I don't think courage and self-preservation are mutually exclusive, though of course it depends on how you define your terms. What Peter's doing here isn't immediate self-preservation, because his life isn't in immediate danger -- if anything, he's placing himself in immediate danger by speaking up.

[seventines.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're doing another read-through, I've really enjoyed the previous ones.

I don't have anything sensible to add at this stage (in fact, usually by the time I read, smarter people than me have highlighted all the points that went right over my head).

I do like the way that JKR gives occasional (relatively) objective glances at characters who we normally only see through the distorting lens of other characters' prejudices. Peter comes out completely different in this scene, I'm inclined to think his role in the final book might be unexpected.

[pauraque]

Good to have you back again for this round!

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

I think Legilimency IS possible wihout eye contact but it's also possible that Voldie has done a bit of research into the Muggle who lives on the grounds. V isn't stupid - he'd almost certainly get Nagini or Womrtail to do a little checking, just to make sure that the Muggle in the grounds is (a) unlikely to disturb them and (b) fairly unlikely to be very missed if he does.

And wheeee, GoF! Hurrah! :D

[pauraque]

No, V isn't stupid, but he does have a way of making unwise decisions. The way he clings to Peter and Nagini in this scene makes me doubt that he'd let them out of his sight for long. Not that I blame him -- despite his use of the Killing Curse here, it seems like he'd be fairly vulnerable without his two protectors.

[des06.livejournal.com]

I have to disagree with the assesment that Voldemort's plan in GoF is a stupid one. It's actually the best possible plan. If you're Voldemort that is.

Voldemort can't be killed. Even in the odd half-human stage he is in, his death is an impossibility. Thus doing in a year what could be done in two days isn't a big deal to him. He has all of eternity after all.

For Wormtail, and this was mentioned above, this plan sucks. He has to care for Voldemort, stay in hiding, and be without a protector for an entire year. And this plan might not even work.


Also? I'm totally friending you.

[pauraque]

It's more the circuitousness of the plan than the timing that makes it seem so silly to me. Transforming the trophy into a Portkey, placing a spy at Hogwarts, hoping that spy will go unnoticed and be able to get Harry into the tournament, hoping Harry actually makes it to the end and wins (which he doesn't, really -- Cedric gets there first), and so on. I think it was theatresm who pointed out that such a precarious plan only makes sense if you assume V is most concerned with making a big impression rather than actually succeeding.

Friend away!

[pilly2009.livejournal.com]

It takes guts to question Voldemort, even in a weakened state. Peter may be superficially in control of the situation, acting as a father of sorts to baby Voldie, but V still has control of Nagini, who is _not_ weak and could attack Peter at any time.

I find it interesting that Peter is the only Death Eater we've seen actually question Voldemort (suggesting Gryffindor bravery right there, perhaps the only manifestation of it among DE ranks), but I disagree that Peter is only superficially in control of the situation. If Nagini attacks Peter and he dies, then Voldemort is left with no one -- which clearly isn't desirable, given his paranoia over Peter's leaving him. Voldemort needs Peter completely at the time.

And I know you've probably been asked this a hundred times already, but do you mind if I friend you? I love chapter by chapter discussions.

[pauraque]

That's true, but as Peter clearly knows, Voldemort sometimes has a way of killing people when it isn't necessarily beneficial to him.

Feel free to friend me. :)

[aithopa.livejournal.com]

Whee, I'm late to the partay and, again, don't really have anything useful to say, but hey.

Peter: robe-shopping! :D He *is* good at disguising himself.

This book & PoA are really the only ones where we get significant Wormtail action going on. :( But, yay, Wormtail, anyway! And dear, dear Fetus Voldie. (Evil Overlord = somehow becoming maimed? It's not unusual...)

I'm also randomly reminded of old theories about how Snape & Wormtail are matching traitors, each spying for and eventually defecting to the other side, and how Wormtail was supposed to end up redeeming himself. And I thought at the time, doesn't that mean Snape has to end up being a traitor again, like, WHATEVER, that would NEVER happen. ^_^

As for Voldemort's planning, maybe being an Evil Fetus just messes with your head. Or drinking snake juice. (Or, as we know now, Horcrux!snakejuice. Just chock full o' the soul goodness. I mean, just ew.)

Oh, GoF. Just wait until we get to the long Expositiontastic end sequence. :D