peter pettigrew in four parts

[pauraque_bk]

Cross-posted to hp_essays. Please feel free to argue against any of my points -- my aim is to start discussion, not just to stand on my soapbox. ;)

Thanks to cedarlibrarian, idlerat, maidenjedi, muridae_x, neotoma, somniesperus, telepwen, theatresm, theclox, and everyone else who's ever talked rat with me.

Peter Pettigrew in Four Parts

Someone once remarked, in discussing X-Files fanfic, that Alex Krycek is a ruthless double agent and assassin, not a weepy little pansy -- but that a character who is both a ruthless assassin *and* a weepy little pansy would be very interesting!

Peter Pettigrew appears to be this character. In the course of the books, he betrays one friend, frames another, kidnaps and mutilates a teenaged boy, resurrects an evil wizard, and personally commits no fewer than thirteen murders. And while he does these things, he is terrified, hysterical, sobbing, fawning, groveling for mercy -- hardly the cold-blooded sociopath you might expect. Who is this person?


Useless

Sirius tells us that Peter was and is stupid and talentless. McGonagall agrees that he was not as talented as his friends.

However, the fact that Peter is capable of the Animagus transformation at the age of fifteen bespeaks some innate skill. In GoF, Peter is able to successfully cast Avada Kedavra, and to resurrect Voldemort. He apparently does these things with Voldemort's wand (judging from the fact that Cedric Diggory's shade later emerges from it), but he still must be quite skillful to pull them off, particularly under heavy duress. It's reasonable to assume that his magical skills improved under Voldemort's tutelage, or that of another Death Eater. (It may even be possible that he was admitted to the Order only *after* this "outside study".) Peter may have struggled in school, but he is clearly not talentless.

How about the other charge? Is Peter stupid? The only character who seems not to think so is Lupin. He describes Peter's plan to frame Sirius as "brilliant" -- and perhaps it was, especially if it was thought up in the heat of the moment. Voldemort also gives Peter some credit in GoF, explaining how he had the presence of mind to realize he could use Bertha Jorkins to his advantage, and tricked her into coming with him. All in all, it's hard to say -- we don't hear Peter say much in the books, and when we do, he's almost always in a terrifying situation. I'd say he's a person whose emotions frequently overwhelm his reason.

Nonetheless, Peter's relationships with other characters are all unequal. Whether he's the lame leg of the Marauders or Voldemort's fawning slave, we always see him in a subordinate role. Not only did he choose to live as a child's pet for twelve years, but he seems to have completely forgotten that this is something to be ashamed of when he first transforms back, and pleads with Ron to help him:

'Kind boy ... kind master [...] I was your rat ... I was a good pet...' [PoA 274 UK pb]

If we *don't* assume that he's inherently weak, we must guess that he gets some kind of satisfaction, pleasure, or comfort out of behaving submissively. He's evidently internalized this role, and relies on it to get him out of trouble. He may even have *tried* to seem useless, afraid that if he challenged the people around him, he would lose their protection. And protection is something he evidently values greatly, whether the protector is James Potter, or Voldemort himself.

I'll come back to this.



The Traitor

Peter's central action in the books is undoubtedly his betrayal of James and Lily Potter, which leads to both of their deaths. But the reasons for this betrayal are very vaguely explained. Here I've listed as many possible motivations as I could think of, and explored each in turn. Many of these are not mutually exclusive; the truth could be a combination of several.

1. Peter hated James. That's all there was to it.

This idea is surprisingly persistent in the fandom, but there is little direct evidence to support it. In the books, Peter always treats James with reverence, and always speaks of him as someone to be admired. If this behavior masks hatred, why aren't we shown even the slightest hint of it?

2. Voldemort forced Peter to join him and betray James.

When Peter admits to the betrayal, this is the excuse he offers.

'The Dark Lord ... you have no idea ... he has weapons you can't imagine [...] He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me--' [PoA 274 UK pb]
'He would have killed me, Sirius!' [PoA 275 UK pb]

It is certainly true that Voldemort forces people to do things, and will kill them if they refuse. It's possible that a Death Eater who knew Peter (such as Snape, Lucius Malfoy, or Regulus Black) suggested to Voldemort that Peter was a weak link in the Order, so Voldemort sought him out to torture him for information, and he broke down.

However, there is some doubt as to whether even the grimmest of tortures could have broken Peter's will once he was made Secret-Keeper. My understanding is that a Secret-Keeper *can't* divulge the secret unless he truly wants to, of his own free will.

But more importantly than that, if Peter had truly not wanted any harm to come to his friends, *he would have refused* when James asked him to be Secret-Keeper in the first place. We know Peter was already a Death Eater by that point -- Peter himself doesn't even bother to deny it once he's admitted to the betrayal.[1] Voldemort would have no way to know that James had made the request, so there would have been no danger to Peter in saying no.

3. Peter is amoral and self-serving -- he joined Voldemort and did as he asked simply because he thought he was choosing the winning side.

This is the explanation that Sirius offers, and that JKR has suggested in interviews. Peter even implies it himself:

'He -- he was taking over everywhere! [...] Wh-- what was there to be gained by refusing him?' [PoA 274 UK pb]
'You returned to [Voldemort], not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends.' [GoF 563 UK pb]

But Peter's actions do not entirely bear this out. When Peter went into hiding after Voldemort's fall, he had three options: a) Run away and never come back, b) Look for an opportune moment to return to Dumbledore, or c) Wait until Voldemort is powerful again, and find a way to regain his trust.

The safest option is undoubtedly a), but the prospect of living on the run indefinitely may have been too much for Peter. But assuming that Peter is indeed amoral, what's wrong with b)? Did Peter really think Voldemort was coming back? Why? Did he really think Voldemort was more likely to forgive him than Dumbledore was, especially after he saw that Dumbledore had evidently forgiven Snape? Did throwing himself on Dumbledore's mercy really seem like a bad idea compared to waiting for the cruelest wizard who ever lived to somehow return, and then throwing himself on *his* mercy?

This doesn't make sense. I don't think Peter's fawning is all for show -- on some level, Voldemort truly does command Peter's loyalty in a way that Dumbledore never did.

And consider this:

Goyle reached towards the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron -- Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle -- Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once.
[PS 82 UK pb]

This is perhaps the noblest thing we've ever seen Peter do. He himself is not in danger, and in fact, neither is Ron. Peter puts himself in harm's way, attacking something much bigger than himself, simply to defend Ron against a bully. Perhaps it's significant that the first time we meet Peter in the books, he's demonstrating loyalty and self-sacrifice.

This one is a toss-up: I don't believe Peter can be considered entirely self-serving, but it's fully possible that he was at the time of the betrayal, or serves his own interests only some of the time.

4. Peter is a racist, and turned against James after he married Lily, a Muggle-born.

This is possible. We don't know Peter's heritage, and his friends at school appear to be all purebloods (though we don't know for sure about Lupin). If Peter is prejudiced against non-purebloods, it would make his statement that there was "nothing to be gained" by fighting Voldemort more comprehensible.

If Peter did genuinely agree with Voldemort's politics, his behavior starts to seem more Gryffindor than Slytherin: He had the courage of his convictions, and went against the tide to do what he thought was right. Like any Gryffindor, he stuck to his principles.

Though this theory can't be disproven, there's not much canon to back it up either. In the Pensieve scene in OotP, we're not shown Peter's reaction to Lily's arrival, or to Snape's calling her a "filthy little Mudblood". Peter never uses racist language himself.

5. Peter hated Sirius, and planned to frame him for the betrayal.

There is some circumstantial evidence for this. Sirius certainly treats Peter disrespectfully in the Pensieve scene:

'Put that away, will you,' said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer, 'before Wormtail wets himself with excitement.' [OotP 568 UK]

And it seems pretty clear that Peter is the odd man out in their group of friends, something of a hanger-on. Sirius, meanwhile, is the leader -- popular, handsome -- everyone defers to him. I can see how Peter might have become jealous and resentful. Sirius is certainly capable of engendering intense hatred -- just look at Snape.

However, I doubt that Peter would have intentionally sacrificed James just to frame Sirius. Peter may have been happy to see Sirius take the fall, and the frame-up was clearly deliberate, but hatred of Sirius is unlikely to have been the *central* motivation for the betrayal.

6. Peter was fixated on James, but couldn't relate to him as an equal, so he turned against him out of frustration and jealousy.

James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping but always grabbed at the last second. Wormtail was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly difficult catch, Wormtail gasped and applauded. After five minutes of this, Harry wondered why James didn't tell Wormtail to get a grip on himself, but James seemed to be enjoying the attention.
[OotP 568 UK]

It's hardly possible to read this passage without concluding that Peter has a huge crush on James. Perhaps this does not contradict the betrayal, but rather can be considered the root cause of it.

Peter adores James, but it's hero-worship. McGonagall tells us so in PoA, and we see it firsthand in OotP. James does not treat Peter as an equal; Peter is not a part of the friendly banter between James, Sirius, and Lupin. When he attempts to contribute to the conversation, James dismisses him with "How thick are you, Wormtail?" (OotP 567 UK). James seems to accept Peter only as an admiring fan, and an eager audience for his exploits.

This relationship must have worked for Peter on some level, or he wouldn't have continued to feed into it. It's reasonable to assume that if anyone else had tried to bully him, James would have come to the rescue. (Sirius certainly implies this.) That's probably how Peter came to have such a crush on James in the first place.

But as Peter got older, he would have outgrown this role, and found himself increasingly wanting to relate to his friends on equal terms. This wish was evidently never fulfilled -- Sirius explains that he wanted Peter as Secret-Keeper not because he was a trustworthy ally, but because *no one would ever think James would rely on Peter*.

Peter never got over his role as James's admirer. He's still idolizing James when we meet him in PoA -- he believes James would have forgiven him and spared his life. I think this is indicative of a long-term hangup on James that was never resolved. As a young man, Peter would have still been longing for a close relationship, while James went on to pursue his own career and have a family. This would have been agonizing for Peter, and he probably grew very jealous of Lily, perhaps even blaming her for his own unhappiness. The situation would only have become worse and worse, especially if James continued to encourage Peter's adulation -- in a way, leading him on.

It's most likely that Peter was so confused and upset by these feelings (particularly if we speculate that his attraction to James had romantic/sexual elements as well) that he buried them rather than examining and working through them. I can see this eventually manifesting itself as intense resentment towards both Lily and James -- perhaps anger at James for choosing Lily over him. This is reminiscent of Shakespeare's "Othello", where (in some interpretations), it's Iago's obsession with Othello that fuels his hatred, and his jealousy of Desdemona that spurs him to drag her virtuous name through the mud. (I wouldn't be surprised if Peter had suggested that Lily was the spy.)

And listen to Peter begging Harry to spare his life in PoA:

'Harry... you look just like your father... just like him [...] James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... he would have shown me mercy....' [PoA 274 UK pb]

Consciously, Peter doesn't hate James at all -- on the contrary, *he still loves him*. This does not recommend a logical explanation for the betrayal.

This theory is admittedly difficult to prove, and may not be the simplest solution. However, it does explain some things that the theories proposed in canon do not, such as why Peter would betray someone he obviously loved and continues to love, and why he would have agreed to be Secret-Keeper in the first place.



Snape's Mirror Image

Many writers have postulated that Peter and Snape worked together as Death Eaters, or even that it was Snape who recruited Peter in the first place. The idea is appealing, but I don't think it's possible.

If Snape knew that Peter was a DE, it means that he a) knew Sirius was not guilty of the crimes he was convicted of, and b) knew who the leak in the Order was, and didn't tell Dumbledore.

At first glance, a) seems reasonable -- surely Snape wouldn't have cared that Sirius had been falsely accused. But if he had known Sirius was innocent, he would not have pretended otherwise in the Shrieking Shack in PoA.

Point b) is impossible unless Snape is a triple agent.[2]

Whatever their relationship, Snape and Peter mirror each other in many ways. They're the same age. They were both figures of fun at school. Sirius was contemptuous of both of them (and they may both have hated him -- see #5 above). They joined Voldemort's party at about the same time (age 20 or so). They are both traitors -- Peter to James, Snape to Voldemort. They were both Death Eaters and Order members, and they were both spies. If you consider that Snape was probably *expected* to become a Death Eater just as much as Peter was expected to join the Order, then you'll notice that they have each "switched sides" exactly once (in opposite directions), and neither shows much sign of doing so again.

Some readers also see in Snape "a broad streak of servility" (as somniesperus put it here) -- a disinclination to follow his own path, and a need to serve a strong leader (Voldemort or Dumbledore). Such traits are quite evident in Peter (though I believe that in him it stems from a different source).

Perhaps most notably, Snape and Peter share an unhealthy fixation on James Potter. Snape is said to have been jealous of James, and many fans have speculated that this jealousy was fueled by an unrequited love for Lily Evans. If true, it can be another mirroring: Peter was in love with James and jealous of Lily -- Snape was in love with Lily and jealous of James.

Like Snape (and like another emotionally warped character, Sirius Black), Peter may even confuse Harry with James, as when he insists that Harry spare his life because it's what James would have done.

The last thing Snape and Peter share is a debt to Harry Potter. James saved Snape's life, and after James died, the life debt was inherited by Harry (at least in Snape's opinion). Harry saved Peter's life in PoA, and Dumbledore tells us that this incurred a life debt as well. Snape may or may not feel that he's repaid his debt, but Peter certainly has not.

So, what can we say about Peter's future? We may reasonably try to predict it based on Snape's actions. Snape has risked his life to save Harry -- Peter may do so too. At first it may seem that Peter cannot return to Dumbledore; it would upset the parallel between the characters. But on the other hand, if it happened, it could show us that Dumbledore exercises a pull over wizardkind which exceeds that of Voldemort.



The Rat

I've worked extensively with rats. They're intelligent, social animals, and when raised in good conditions, they are loyal, affectionate, and take good care of their young.

And the one thing that's sure to make a rat turn bad is to give him no one to play with.

Peter is a person of intense, even overwhelming emotions. He doesn't just get scared -- he's overcome with terror and breaks down crying. He doesn't just like James -- he worships him. And he doesn't just try to save himself -- he'll do *anything* to save himself. These extremes are reminiscent of animal instincts: fight or flight; the permanently imprinted pair-bond; self-preservation at any cost, without qualification or consideration.

But Peter is not an animal. He has the psychological complexity of a human being, and lives in the world of other civilized, political, calculating human beings. Perhaps, to paraphrase Sirius, he makes a better rat than a human -- yet he had the opportunity to live out his life as a rat, and he didn't take it. He needs the full range of human interactions to be healthy and sane -- as do we all.

Peter's need for equal relationships is a normal one. It's the fact that he's been denied these relationships all his life that twists the need into driving desperation. Why can't he make these connections? His emotional needs are evidently overwhelming to him -- perhaps others found them overwhelming too, and pushed him away out of their own stifled discomfort. If Peter ever did engage someone in an equal relationship, he'd stand a high risk of smothering them -- not intentionally, but out of sheer desperate over-eagnerness.

Perhaps on some level he knows this, and it fuels the constant fear that is the bedrock of his personality, and prevents him from reaching out. He fears he'll drive people away. He fears losing what little he has. He fears being alone.

And the irony is that, emotionally, he is already alone -- a rat in an empty cage.


Footnotes:
[1] This suggests that he himself considers the betrayal of James to be the worst of his crimes.
[2] Some believe he is, but that's an essay for another day.

Edited because I finally figured out that I'd misnumbered the six theories. Gosh, I'm smart.

Comments

[maidenjedi]

Another idea for the betrayal - Peter, having always aligned himself with the biggest people around him (Sirius and James and to some extent Lupin in school, which leads me to believe the disputed fact that he's a Gryffindor - the others are, and they are the biggest in Gryffindor if not in the whole of Hogwarts), recognizes that the Order is losing. Voldemort recruits Peter because Peter is a weak link - loyalty to the biggest bully supercedes his affection and dependence on his friends, though it doesn't necessarily overtake them. Peter succumbs, but the price of loyalty to Voldemort is high - I would imagine that Voldemort demanded a sacrifice of some kind, the greatest kind, and James and Lily equal that. I doubt Peter hated either one - on the contrary, by the time of the betrayal, he's almost deified them both, and sacrificing one's gods is the ultimate test of loyalty to a new god.

Interesting essay. You bring to light some interesting points (esp. Peter and Snape's similarities).

[pauraque]

Mm. This is something of a combination between #2 and #5, which sounds plausible to me.

But I have my doubts as to whether he deified Lily. Canon is resoundingly silent on what his relationship to her might have been (until OotP, it was the same with Lily and Snape). He mentions her name once in passing, in "Lily and James", probably because Remus has just said it, but at other times he speaks of James alone. He has nothing to say about whether Lily would have shown him mercy. And at her entrance in OotP, we don't see his reaction. He can't have been happy to see her -- she overtly hated James, and James was annoyingly infatuated with her. Even after they got married, I think Peter would have held onto that resentment. Another possible theory is that Lily was the main target of the betrayal, and James was just collateral damage.

[deslea.livejournal.com]

I think I love you. But you knew that already. *grin*

[pauraque]

Heheh. Thanks. I always have to pick the most trod-upon character, don't I? ::pokes at unfinished Marita and Jeffrey fic::

[muridae-x.livejournal.com]

Sirius tells us that Peter was and is stupid and talentless. McGonagall agrees that he was not as talented as his friends.

But Sirius also dismisses Snape as stupid and talentless when he feels like it, and while we've never seen Snape's abilities measured against those of a competent and trained adult wizard, we do know that he's mightily proficient in some departments, like Potions. I expect that Sirius has a somewhat blinkered view on things. They're not his equal in the subjects that he cares most about, or at least haven't been on the occasions when there's been opportunity - class tests and exams - to measure these things. But that doesn't mean that they're not above average in them, or that they can't outstrip him in other fields that he considers unimportant. Or that, without the pressure of always knowing that Sirius and/or James should be better, they couldn't have come on since. Peter probably did best in classes that he opted to take in the third year and Sirius and James didn't, where there was no one to look over his shoulder and laugh if he didn't get the point of the lesson immediately.

(Of course it's entirely possible that he took the same classes as they did, just to remain with the gang at all times, and they weren't the courses he was best suited for academically. Which could be part of his tragedy.)

Sirius strikes me as being one of those who had a lazy brilliance, where he could do a great many things pretty well without much effort, and if he applied himself could be spectacular and any of them. But that doesn't necessarily mean that those who have to work a little harder to grasp the first principals, then carry on working to attain competence, can't outstrip him if he rests on his laurels.

[pauraque]

Your analysis is quite right. Sirius has been shown to be an unreliable source of information, and extraordinarily arrogant, which is exactly why it irks me when other fans take him at his word about Peter. Fans of Sirius can be just as blinkered as he is himself, it seems, which is why I didn't choose to really go into "Sirius is wrong because he's arrogant", but stuck to "Sirius is wrong because his version of events doesn't align with what we objectively know".

the pressure of always knowing that Sirius and/or James should be better

Yes, exactly. From working with special ed students, the lesson was heavily brought home to me that once a kid gets the idea that he's dumb, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. And it's not only the idea that James and Sirius are better, but, as you say, that they *should be* better -- the natural order of things. I'm sure he did think he was stupid, and saw everything through that filter, to the point where if he actually managed to do something, he'd assume he was doing it wrong. And even if he had enough confidence to suspect he was right, he'd keep it to himself for fear of threatening James and Sirius's position.

I'm still trying to work out how Remus fit into all of this. Sirius is rude and dismissive to him too, and evidently mistrusted him. My feeling at this point is that MWPP were really not a group of mutual friends at an emotional level. I think Sirius was friends with James, James was friends with Remus, and Remus was friends with Peter. I suspect the other three behaved quite differently towards each other when Sirius wasn't around.

(Of course it's entirely possible that he took the same classes as they did, just to remain with the gang at all times, and they weren't the courses he was best suited for academically. Which could be part of his tragedy.)

Yes, I think this was the case, especially considering that McGonagall says he wasn't a good student -- as she was his Head of House, she would have known and been concerned with how he was doing in all his classes, not just hers.

[caesia390.livejournal.com]

This is utterly fascinating. Thank you for thinking about all of this and sharing it...

My feeling at this point is that MWPP were really not a group of mutual friends at an emotional level. I think Sirius was friends with James, James was friends with Remus, and Remus was friends with Peter. I suspect the other three behaved quite differently towards each other when Sirius wasn't around.

I definitely agree that they weren't an emotionally close-knit group of friends. However, I would throw in more of a connection between Sirius and Remus. They don't interact much in OotP's penseive scene, but as adults their actions certainly imply a strong emotional connection, past and present. That would add yet another layer to Peter's sense that he's an outsider. Sirius and James as the leaders, Remus as the motivation (they become animagi to help him), and Peter as the hanger-on, helped through the transformation by the two more powerful boys.

I'm left with the question... why does he fixate on James? It's so hopeless. And why does James not pick up on how weird it is that Peter's like that? The idea of James helping him out, leading him on... It makes sense, but it doesn't seem quite substantial enough. Hmmmmmmmmm..........

[pauraque]

I'm left with the question... why does he fixate on James? It's so hopeless.

I think he needed to fixate on *someone* -- his emotional isolation had already reached some kind of a crisis point. But why James, as opposed to Sirius or Remus?

Remus seems like the obvious choice at first... he may have been Peter's "in" to become a part of the group, and may well have been nicer to him than the others. But Remus is an introvert, and lacks the impressive bravado of the other two. He doesn't lend himself to worship as a larger-than-life figure.

How about Sirius? He's the leader of the group, very handsome, comes off as incredibly confident, smart, always ready with a snappy answer. But Sirius is so confident as to be arrogant, and has a definite cruel streak and a demonstrated lack of regard for Peter's feelings. I think Peter would have been too intimidated by Sirius to become obsessively attached to him.

Perhaps James can be considered the happy medium between the two, in Peter's eyes. He's outgoing and confident, but not haughty like Sirius -- he shows some charming awkwardness in the way he tries a little too hard to impress people. He participates in tormenting Snape, which (for whatever reason) Peter enjoys, but his cruelty doesn't extend as far as Sirius's, as evidenced by what happened with the "prank". He's both a troublemaker and a hero, and just flawed enough that he might almost have seemed attainable.

Having a crush on a popular kid is normal. I think it turned into fixation over time, as Peter fed more of his energy into loving James, and James took more pleasure in being admired and continued to encourage it.

And why does James not pick up on how weird it is that Peter's like that?

I think both James and Sirius grossly underestimated Peter -- fatally so, in the former case. They see him as nothing more than a sidekick, someone to show off to. I doubt that they gave a lot of thought to the fact that he really had thoughts and feelings as complex as theirs, and motivations for his actions.

Remus, on the other hand... he may have sensed there was something weird going on with Peter. He doesn't dismiss people easily -- in his position, trying to keep his secret, he *always* has to consider what other people are thinking. I do think Remus was kind to Peter, but I wouldn't be surprised if he also felt somewhat uncomfortable around him when James was present.

[caesia390.livejournal.com]

I suppose what makes it weird for me is that they all lived with each other for seven years. That's a long time for a set pattern of interaction... It makes a bit more sense to me if I imagine James's crush on Lily as being a catalyst. That Peter had always admired James's, but suddenly he has to become demonstrative, because he has a rival. And James, who perhaps would have found it awkward otherwise, has a newfound need for recognition that he's just not getting from the person who truly wants to recognize him, Lily.

I don't know if I see Sirius as the leader. In fact, I would give that position to James, with Sirius his second-in-command, nearly his equal. He'll tease James but not really hold him accountable for his obsessions. My interpretation of the OotP scene was that it was James taking out his frustration on Snape, and Sirius just went along with it because it was fun and he was bored. James is the one who made the decision, who got the true satisfaction out of torturing someone.

[pauraque]

I suppose what makes it weird for me is that they all lived with each other for seven years. That's a long time for a set pattern of interaction...

Like I said, the fixation would have developed gradually over a long time, and needn't have been obvious as it was happening. I like the idea that he becomes more demonstrative because he sees Lily as a rival, consciously or not. (I believe Peter largely *doesn't* do these things consciously -- I doubt that he's ever spent much time on self-examination.)

And James, who perhaps would have found it awkward otherwise, has a newfound need for recognition that he's just not getting from the person who truly wants to recognize him, Lily.

This is interesting; I hadn't really looked at it from James's point of view. He does show a certain insecurity where Lily is concerned, and the continual rejection must have hurt. This makes it look even worse for Peter when Lily finally did take to James -- if James was seeking Peter's affection as a substitute for Lily's, then when he had Lily's he wouldn't have needed Peter's anymore.

He'll tease James but not really hold him accountable for his obsessions.

True, but I don't think that's out of deference to James. Sirius's response to all three of his friends seems to be careless and inattentive, varying in degree rather than kind -- he makes a cruel remark at Peter's adulation, brushes Remus off for his studiousness, and casually mocks James for his infatuation. But he doesn't harp on it -- not with any of them -- he just tosses off a comment and moves on, restlessly searching for something more interesting. He mocks their flaws, but doesn't hold any of them *accountable* for them.

My interpretation of the OotP scene was that it was James taking out his frustration on Snape, and Sirius just went along with it because it was fun and he was bored. James is the one who made the decision, who got the true satisfaction out of torturing someone.

My interpretation was just the opposite. James makes that decision because he think it will please Sirius ("This'll liven you up, Padfoot.") James does seems to be having fun -- but what I felt from Sirius was cold sadism.

Look at what James says to Snape:

-"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.
-"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James
-"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly.

These remarks are mocking, but not extraordinarily cruel.

And then look at Sirius:

-Sirius's head turned. He became very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.
-"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."
-"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Sirius's taunts are "cool" and "vicious". They're also very *specific* -- tailored to Snape, rather than just general mockery. And there's that description, likening him to a predator stalking its prey... Unlike James, Sirius isn't just having some careless fun -- he's intent on causing as much humiliation as possible. Torturing Snape is serious business to him.

This is why I see Sirius as the leader. James may have instigated this particular incident, but in general, it's Sirius's cruelty that's the driving force.

[malfoypatriarch.livejournal.com]

This is a wonderful essay on a character that *needed* a well-written essay on him.
I hope you don't mind if I friend you. It's so rare to find a Peter-supporter these days.
Just to add in my own two-cents to this, if Peter truly did hero-worship James Potter, would that worshipfulness turn to Voldemort later on?
In CoS, Tom Riddle commented that he and Harry looked a lot alike. Since Harry Potter looks so much like James and, as you stated, is confused for him by Sirius and Peter, then we can assume that James and Tom looked much alike. We're not precisely sure what Voldemort looked like before he was 'killed' by Harry. I'm wondering if this resemblance may have helped drive Peter a bit. Particularly if there was a sort of physical attraction between Peter and James.

[pauraque]

I hope you don't mind if I friend you.

Not at all. We Peter fen have to stick together! I'm glad you enjoyed the article.

Just to add in my own two-cents to this, if Peter truly did hero-worship James Potter, would that worshipfulness turn to Voldemort later on?

Yes, I think it's the same kind of feeling. I was talking about this with dphearson last night, that it's not exactly loyalty that drives Peter -- more like neediness. The object of Peter's worship is almost secondary to the worship itself. The act of worshipping and submitting has become an end in itself, which is exactly why it's been so destructive.

...I'm wondering if this resemblance may have helped drive Peter a bit.

This is an astute observation; I'd forgotten that Riddle says that in CoS.

Particularly if there was a sort of physical attraction between Peter and James.

And you're theorizing that Peter transferred some of that physical attraction to Voldemort? That may be, though of course it's hard to tell now -- Peter is too terrified/revulsed by Voldemort in GoF for the attraction to have survived.

But his also brings up the other connotation of Peter's attraction to James -- the idea that he's probably attracted to Harry, too. This starts to get into a seriously twisted area, but it's something to keep in mind if you're writing the character in the "present day".

[millefiori.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'm late to this party -- I hope it's not too late to comment.

I find the idea of Peter fixating on Voldemort's resemblance to James very intriguing. I agree that Peter is someone who desperately needs to be needed, and I think James did enjoy Peter's attention -- so much so that he tacitly encouraged it throughout their schoolyears. However, as James matured, and developed a healthier relationship with Lily, he might've begun to see his relationship with Peter as something unhealthy and backed off from it. To Peter this would be something of a betrayal, I think. They had an unspoken deal, you know? And now James is changing the rules.

Now enter Voldemort, who is like the Godfather, making offers people can't refuse. I think Peter may have initially cooperated out of fear, but I also think Voldemort was cunning and manipulative enough to have scented out what motivates Peter, and set himself up as a substitute for James, recreating a dynamic that made Peter feel comfortable and satisfied some deep-seated need.

Peter strikes me as someone who doesn't act until he absolutely has to. He might've lived out his entire life as a rat if Sirius hadn't forced the issue. Once pushed though, I can see him thinking that seeking out his 'substitute James' would be his best option. Of course, it doesn't work out that way, since the resurrected Voldemort no longer looks like James, and is far too pissed off at circumstances to worry about giving Peter strokes. But, here again, regardless of how unhappy he may be, I don't think Peter is going to make another move unless/until he's forced to it.

I think the thing that will force him will be something to do with Harry -- a teenaged boy who looks like James, and is (arguably) even more powerful than Voldemort. And there's the life-debt business as well. I wonder if somewhere near the end, Peter will end up sacrificing himself for yet another James substitute.

[mollymoon.livejournal.com]

Truly excellent analysis. However, I don't believe that there is one "right" answer about dear Messr Pettigrew. Like the downfall of the dinosaurs, it was probably a long winding road of varying factors that drove him to the "dark side" *cue darth vadar breathing*

Though I am not religious myself, when it comes to Peter, I see his downfall through the 7 deadly sins. When it comes time to write his story in my MWPP series, his fall will be reflected by those archtypes, just as Snape's redemption will be parelleled by the 7 heavenly virtues. You can't sign your soul over to the devil all at once, you have to do it a bit at a time.

As Peter descended into the valley, Snape climbed the mountain. You can't look at the timeline of events and not see the parallels between the characters. In the realm of their Yin and Yang, one has to wonder if they aren't both doomed. I don't think that anyone can say that Peter can do anything at this point to earn a "happily ever after", but in Snape's case most readers would agree that while he is a bastard, he's no longer a bad man.

The real question is, will Snape ever see himself as worthy of that happy ending?

[pauraque]

I don't believe that there is one "right" answer about dear Messr Pettigrew.

Neither do I. I've argued my own pet theory, of course, but there are many possibilities and variations. Whether this was JKR's intention or not, Peter reads like a complex character, and many layers of motivations are plausible.

when it comes to Peter, I see his downfall through the 7 deadly sins.

Well, let's see... We've got gluttony and sloth covered in canon already, and envy isn't far behind. Lust fits with my own theories, and possibly anger too. But what about pride? That's one sin I don't see Peter committing.

You can't sign your soul over to the devil all at once, you have to do it a bit at a time.

Quite true. No one's ever going to ask you if you want to do evil. They'll ask one small thing that seems reasonable enough, and that's how it starts.

I don't think that anyone can say that Peter can do anything at this point to earn a "happily ever after"

I agree. No matter what happens in the future, I doubt that Peter will ever be capable of true contentment -- even contentment with himself as a wizard who's gone bad.

The real question is, will Snape ever see himself as worthy of that happy ending?

I think Snape has a conception of himself as a double-dealer that will be nearly impossible for him to entirely shake. Unlike Peter, however, he shows the potential for finding value in himself -- he gets angry when he's treated disrespectfully, and so must believe on some level that he deserves better.

[mollymoon.livejournal.com]

Pride is the easiest one really dear, if you think about the group he is joining. Death Eaters pride themselves on pureblood.

Think about the Neo-Nazi movements... they target young men with self-image problems, and give them something to be proud of. White pride.

If you hate yourself enough, you'll grasp onto anything for a sense of self-worth and identity. Very likely, after leaving Hogwarts the friends went their seperate ways... James married Lily and that alone would have excluded him from the group dynamic even if the other three lived together (which seems unlikely... Sirius had been living on his own for a while and seems more of a loner to me). Perhaps without his friends to give him a sense of who he was, he was an easy target for bullies, assholes and eventually Death Eaters.

[pauraque]

Think about the Neo-Nazi movements... they target young men with self-image problems, and give them something to be proud of. White pride.

You're right. I hadn't thought of this in terms of Peter. Since he was so desperate to be valued, he might have got caught up in this even if he didn't agree with Voldemort's politics initially. Any port in a storm.

[imperfect_tense]

Lovely Peter analysis.

[pauraque]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.