I was just reading the fan fiction author rants thread and one author was going on about Pettigrew and some of the things the author said raised some questions.

I'm not really accurate with canon information, but does canon mention at all:

• When Pettigrew got the dark mark (in school/after school)?
• Who recruited him/how he got into the Death Eaters?
• Was he was a death eater before he was secret keeper or after?
• A reason why he joined? Or just sticking with the coward theory in book 3?

I'm bored if you didn't guess and was wondering if anyone knew the answers, make him seem a bit more realistic.

 

Now, this might be completely reatarded of me but I always assumed he got the dark mark after Voldemort's resurrection at the graveyard in GOF.

 

Suppose I should rephrase that. By dark mark I mean when he joined the Death Eaters. But why do you think he got the Dark Mark in GoF? I thought Voldemort asked to see Pettigrew's mark so he could summon everyone, can't remember.

 

This is the only question with an answer in canon, and yes - you should stick to canon when trying to understand canon.

 

Pettigrew had the mark before Goblet of Fire, and probably even before he was made the Secret Keeper. I don't think Voldemort would let any spy of his go without a mark, higher chance of double crossing or running away.

I'd say he was recruited sometime after the prophecy was given, and he was made secret keeper, since Voldemort had no use for him until then(So after school), and it was probably by a random Death Eater who would cause Pettigrew fear, maybe someone from his past but wouldn't be able to say for sure.

Coward theory is most likely correct, since it comes from Peter's own mouth, and if he had a better reason while being threatened with death, he probably would have given it.

None of this is canon, just logically trying to answer questions. Of course, canon doesn't usually follow logic.

 

I remember some of my classmates who always wanted to be with the class' big bully. I could see the similarity in Pettigrew. Marauders being the 'cool' gang he sticks with them so that he won't be humiliated, with his lack of skill. I find this rather cunning.

You know what they say 'If you're not smart. Just act like one'. I believe he must have joined OotP blindly because his friends had joined.

This is where I think he might have been approached. Surely the Dark Lord would have wanted to have a spy and how will they suspect a blunt idiot who follows his friends everywhere.

He might have been lured with temptations or could have been threatened.

I don't believe he would have been marked before the prophesy. He is too trivial and pretty much useless. Sure, if he could get some vital info, good and great. And I don't think Dumbledore would be so stupid to allow his supposedly secret group members attend his meetings unchecked.

After the prophesy is a totally different case, the knowledge of a prophesy that says he could be killed by a mere boy is too much for Voldemort to ignore. Pettigrew might have been marked during this time and his true allegiance will pretty much be shattered after the death of Potters.

Alas, none expected Harry to defeat the Dark Lord and so he did the only thing he was good at; He hid as a rat he really was.

 

Pretty sure he joined up some time after graduating, and before Sirius' becoming Secret Keeper.

 

If I were running a group bent on world domination, I wouldn't have my spy marked with a giant tattoo on his arm. His spy wouldn't betray him because he's incredibly powerful, a legilimancer, and has shown no problem with killing people who betray him.


How long were the Potter's under the charm? They only went under after the prophesy, so if Peter was already the bad guy, then he would have betrayed them day one. This doesn't seem to be the case. I think that the Potter's went under, and a few weeks later Voldemort went after Peter as a friend of Potter (maybe at the time as a link to Sirius). Peter shat himself and ratted out the Potters right then, and took the mark right then. Voldemort gave it to him more out of spite - forcing Pettigrew to always remember that he'd betrayed his friends versus any real use of him. He never was actually a spy in the traditional sense - just a traitor.

In the decade he spent as a rat, Pettigrew warped the events to make himself less of a coward and a traitor. First he was forced into it, and then it was actually the right thing to do - he was the most loyal...

 

Only problem with this theory is that it requires a second traitor. Canon reveals that someone ratted out Order members who didn't survive the fallout, Dumbledore confided in the Potters and others that someone on the light side was playing them for a fool, Remus started to suspect Sirius and vice versa.

Very workable in a betrayal fic however, and it could turn into an interesting and fresh outlook on Pettigrew.

 

Maybe, but Voldemort hasn't shown much common sense about those things; I think his fear of betrayal would far out way the possibility of Peter being caught. Plus, the only way Voldemort could call on Peter would be through the Mark. He's not patient enough to send out a Death Eater to find and bring Peter to him.

Plus, Peter was sorted into Gryffindor. Voldemort isn't going to trust the fact that Peter is a spineless wimp.

Peter without a Mark = He can redeem himself to his friends.

Peter with a Mark = Peter isn't going let anyone know that he is/was in contact with Voldemort, for fear of no redemption. Peter has no choice but to support Voldemort; because in a world without him, he'll always be afraid that someone will spot the mark. If Peter didn't have the Mark, he'd probably have ran away after Voldemort's supposed death the first time.

 

Quoting from PoA, Chapter 19:

So, he'd been a spy for at least a year. Would that mean after school?

 

I like Vlad's version, but it ain't canon.

 

Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of Vlad as well. Voldemort wants information, so he targets the weakest link (pettigrew). Instead of information he hits the jackpot and bam! One cowardly traitor. Doesn't solve the spy issue from canon, but you can easily make up another spy somewhere.

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I know it dos not follow canon but I like to think Pettigrew had some skills. James, Sirius and Remus were all meant to have some talent, so I don't find it to hard to think Pettigrew had some as well. It's just that fact he was a coward and had no confidence.

 

Vlad's theory is nice and explains a few things, but it just can't explain everything. There was another traitor - this was known before the prophecy and was why Remus was not chosen as the secret keeper (everyone suspected him). If Remus was suspected, then it's clear that a reasonably important member of the order was a spy to reveal that level of information and nothing in canon suggests that Voldemort had another spy of the same level as Peter.

Finally, we have no proof, one way or another, how much time passed between the prophecy and the actual killing of the Potters. Whatever time did pass could easily be accounted for by Voldemort formulating a plan, or waiting till the Potters and the Order let their guard down slightly.

 

The problem though, is there wasn't a plan. He ran in, killed James, bargained with Lily for a sec, killed her anyway, then fucked up with Harry. It wasn't a raid, or a plan with some greater objective. It wasn't a battle.

I figure the best moment for Peter to get the Dark Mark (assuming he's worthy of having it) is right before Voldemort leaves to kill the Potters - an example of the 'honor' bestowed upon those loyal. It also would mark the end of Peter's role as a spy, and thus no need for him not to be marked. Voldemort figures he kills the Potters, destroying the prophesy. The Order is going to know Peter betrayed them, but it doesn't matter because without the chosen one, Voldemort's good to go. Furthering the cause, the Order assumes that Peter was betraying them all along - when in fact there is a second mole.

Of course, it all went tits up. Voldemort died, Harry lived, and the only member of the Order capable of clearing up the truth went batass insane for revenge.

It doesn't fit in perfectly with canon - but then, given the incompleteness and natural conflicting points within, what ever does? But I figure it's the most logical set of events that has some grounding in what we know happened.

The second mole, of course, is Harry Potter. Took a timeturner back to reestablish his soulbond with Ginny (Draco broke it first time round) but he went back too far. Found out he needed Voldemort's help to do the spell, and so worked from the inside to betray the Order in exchange. Turns out, Rowling was right about timeturners - you can't actually change the past. Voldemort's death was caused by Harry - but Harry the elder, not the baby of the actual timeline. The ritual Voldemort agreed to help Harry with ultimately caused the AK to backfire.

 

Isn't that Barb's Serpent Trilogy?

 

The thing about Pettigrew's betrayal is that it had a layer of epic in it. The man evaded capture by the Order (who had to know there was a spy), by Snape's legilimency skills and his own friends who should have known something was up.

 

From what I understand Snape did not really have a role in the order until after Voldemort's rebirth, all he did before rebirth was chicken out when he found out Lily was targeted.

I think?

 

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Pretty sure that's not the case.

You're right that it has a time-loop however, Voldemort tricked Harry into saving his mother and thereby creating an alternate universe. I think there was some loop effect in the original world when Harry dismantled it.