Ever wonder about Peter Pettigrew?

[misschsparkle]

Has anyone ever wondered what Peter Pettigrew was really like? I mean, most of the information we've got on him shows a sniveling coward that willing sacrificed a baby to save himself and yet he was part of a foursome of loyal friends. Before the big reveal at the end of POA, we got a little sense of the boy Peter but that has pretty much be overshadowed by what later happened.

Does anyone wonder what he was like in the beginning? Not just a tag along who cowered behind others but someone who stood by a werewolf, helped create the Marauders Map and even seemed to have a hidden wit about him.

If JK ever did a prequel, I would be interested to see what he really was like because I think he changed the most from when he was first Sorted to his eventual death. Even more than Snape, Malfoy or any of the others did.

Thoughts?

[G. Novella]

I'm doing a fic for the Marauder era right now, and I love exploring his transformation. For me, he went from cheery supportive member of the group, to slowly being more and more shunted to the side. He seemed like the quiet tag-along who loved to please, and was taken for granted. Eventually, I think he really snapped at being second-best, least-cared for, and then got seduced into power.

I'm also curious about his mother. She knew nothing about Peter really, or she protected him entirely from being exposed. Either way, I'm trying to explore that relationship. I mean, he must have been second place, over-shadowed, and looked down upon in his entire life to snap. So that's something I want to look at deeper.

And I really want to know how he was around girls. I mean, we know James and Sirius were popular, and I have a suspicion Remus avoided girls. So Peter must have been jealous of James and Sirius's popularity.

Basically, he's absolutely so much fun to explore!

[kumainpink]

And when something is fun for you, it usually means trouble for any characters involved!

[misschsparkle]

A cheery supportive member sounds about right and you get the feeling he was more actively involved in the stuff they did, at least in the beginning. But it seems as they got older and James and Sirius became a lot more skilled and arrogant, his role became that of mascot. He was probably mostly appreciated for being able to turn into a rat and being able to freeze the willow and probably spy on people. But even then, they probably didn't praise him enough for the few things he could do well so even though he was with the 'popular' kids, he longed for more. And when their 'power' ended after leaving school, he saw no reason not to join a higher power.

And in the end, grew to hate his former friends, I think hate must have played a big role in telling Voldemort where he could get the Potters and knowing that Sirius would be blamed.

[G. Novella]

Of course it is Kumy

And I think it was a lot of resentment. I think he was an active member, probably valued and prized. But I think as they got older, Sirius had his own troubles with the Blacks, moved in with James and just became thick as thieves with James. James probably got involved with Lily, and Remus, well, he's always struck me as the loner type, and more involved in his own world. Slowly Peter got shunted to the side by his idols, and in his own frustration and resentment, went to the group paying him attention.

[Chameleon]

Yeah. Most people when they write RtB's in Maurauder era, where Peter doesn't seem to exist, or where he's already a Death Eater in school.

I don't believe he got turned to Death Eather in school. I agree with you that he started to resent them. In my mind it happened around fifth-sixth year, that he started to resent them for shutting him out. Yeah, although Remus had good friends, he seems to be more in his own world, and Peter wouldn't get any support there... I think Peter's road is sad, that he turned from an loyal friend to an Death Eater. He isn't one of my favorites, but he's one of my favorite to theorize about.

[misschsparkle]

I agree, I think that Peter was only turned after school, when James and Sirius suddenly weren't top dogs anymore. At Hogwarts, they lived in a protective bubble, they didn't really need to worry about what was happening outside of it. Once outside, the bubble burst and they were faced with the reality o the situation. I think that's when Peter might have realised that he was virtually nothing to his so called friends and when he started to think about joining. It might have taken him three years to actually join the Death Eaters as things got worse for everyone. In a way, being made Secret Keeper might have been the final insult as Sirius only suggested him because Voldemort would never think to go for a 'weak, talent-less wizard'

[Chameleon]

Well, it's said that Peter told information in a year, so he got changed to Death Eater around the time Harry was born. Hm.. Harry could some way taken the small attention Peter already had from the Maurauders, and yeah ..

[G. Novella]

I think it was a lot out there, but I bet Peter felt popular being top dog for a while. Then eventually, one you face the real world, and realize your friends can make it places due to their names and innate talent, while you've coasted by with them would hurt. I think he probably just had this moment of what-am-I to everyone and then sought Death Eaterdom as a way of rising to the top and proving he was more than just a tag-along.