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.
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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.