Re: Why Was Pettigrew Sorted Into Gryffindor?


Jane Grey wrote:
sjmcarter@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
According to the sorting hat, Gryffindor house is for those who'se most
prominent quality is bravery, yet nothing about Peter Pettigrew suggest
a brave characetr. If anything, his sycophantic, self-serving nature
seems to make him a prime candidate for Slytherin. Why was he sorted
into Gryffindor?

I used to wonder this as well until I came up with an idea that
satisified me, see what you think of it:

Peter sits on the stool and nervously puts the sorting hat on. The Hats
finds a mind that is not particularly clever, ambitious, hard-working,
loyal or brave. Where to put this one? well he will do well if he had
friends who were brave and chivalrous so they would look out for him.
better be Gryffindor!

Jane, I like your idea, except I think that students are sorted by the
traits they possess rather than where they would do well. While it is
true enough that Peter doesn't strike me as the type that possesses any
of those qualities either, I do recall something from PS/SS that makes
me think that Peter would have been sorted into Hufflepuff if he wasn't
set to do something brave (and in the arena of redeeming) in Book 7. It
is mentioned, before the Sorting Hat was used to sort students, when
the founders did it themselves that Slytherin, Gryffindor, and
Ravenclaw took the ones that exemplified their own favored qualities,
but Hufflepuff said that she'd take the rest. So, if Peter lacked the
other qualities, he wouldn't necessarily need to be hardworking to be
sorted to Hufflepuff. Therefore, I'm expecting that he'll do something
brave to justify his being sorted into Gryffindor.

And for the record, I don't think that his going to LV, or the
sacrificing of is finger and hand were acts of bravery. I consider them
acts of a desperation from a coward, attempting to please those (LV &
DE) who are bigger, stronger, and more talented and can protect him.

.

Relevant Pages

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