OVERANALYZING THE TEXT

Some discussion of why I find Pettigrew a more sympathetic character than Karkaroff, followed by the proposal that the wizarding world is a warrior culture, and that the members of House Slytherin are disadvantaged by the fact that their House's values are not those privileged by their own culture

Discussion of Peter Pettigrew: his physical daring, his lack of stoicism, his likely motivations

Genre conventions regarding coercion and how these may be reflected in canon. Speculation on how precisely the Fidelius Charm works, and why Pettigrew did not merely claim to have had the Potters' location wrested from him by force. The Dark Mark as a binding ritual compact, and the extent to which anyone could be said to bear it "unwillingly." The Death Eaters' likely feelings about Voldemort's reincorporation.

More on Pettigrew's character and motivations

Yet more objections to the WW's use of dementors as prison guards. Evaluation of Peter's state of mind just post-Shrieking Shack.

Grovelling Minion characters ("SYCOPHANTS") and why I like them so much. Sympathy for Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack, and a defense of the notion that he does indeed evidence remorse for his crimes.

Reader response to Shrieking Shack, and a disquisition on the entire notion of "just deserts."

Proposes that Voldemort's wand was in Hagrid's possession during the twelve years following Godric's Hollow, and that Peter recovered it from his shack shortly before fleeing to Albania, thus accounting for his presence in Hagrid's hut at the end of PoA.

Argues that allegiance to Voldemort imbued the Death Eaters with special Dark powers. Also contains a defense of the idea that at the time of his trial, Crouch Jr. had been out of school for less than a year; an evaluation of Peter Pettigrew's magical abilities; and an argument that the DEs were deliberately aiming to miss at the end of the graveyard scene in GoF.

Discussion of how Pettigrew found Voldemort so very quickly, and how Barty Jr. could maintain his standing as a Death Eater whose "loyalty never wavered" after his hysteria at his sentencing.

Discussion of the name by which Peter Pettigrew was known to the other Death Eaters (did he always go by "Wormtail" within the DE organization?) Also, some discussion of the thematic relevance of Pettigrew's name-change within the narration itself between PoA and GoF.

Canon correction to previous post, as well as a brief analysis of Peter, Sirius, and Lupin's respective ways of "going beast" at the end of PoA.

More defense of the "allegiance to Dark forces imbues wizards with special powers" theory, with the additional suggestion that Voldemort's return to semi-corporeal form and to British shores at the beginning of GoF might have been responsible for empowering and emboldening the Death Eaters. Also, a rejection of the notion that Peter Pettigrew's magical ability is particularly adrenaline-powered.

A "Peter Loved Lily" defense, presented in a turbo-charged "I'm going to commit the murder I was imprisoned for" TBAY style.

The notorious Voldemort!Elkins TBAY. More discussion of Peter Loved Lily, followed by a character analysis of Pettigrew - and SYCOPHANTS in general - as exemplars of Fromme's totalitarian personality.

Defense of Brave Peter's sorting into House Gryffindor.

Argues that although Peter Pettigrew is indeed a Most Brave and Daring Gryffindor, his nerve really did fail him in the Shrieking Shack.

Snape and Pettigrew as literary doubles.

Pettigrew's silver hand: what it is made of (Wizarding Silvery Soul Stuff (tm)), and the possibility that it might in the end prove a very serious threat to Voldemort himself

Thematic defense for the speculation that Peter was the one who tipped off James to Sirius' "Prank.