Undoubtedly, Peter Pettigrew is one of the most loathed characters in the entireHarry Potterfranchise. His decision to betray the Potters signified his incredibly cruel and immoral persona. However, fans have often wondered why Pettigrew was sorted intoGryffindor– a house famed for its brave and loyal members.
Betraying his close friend, James Potter, was a clear indication of Pettigrew’s cowardice. Due to his unfaithful and cowardly actions, Pettigrew’s placement in Gryffindor appears to be a discrepancy within theHarry Potterfranchise. Why then was Pettigrew placed in Gryffindor and was this a mistake from the Sorting Hat?
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What are the traits of the Gryffindor house?
Gryffindors are known for their bravery and courage – hence why their house mascot is a lion. Gryffindor is arguably the most recognizable Hogwarts house within the entire franchise. Harry,Ronand Hermione were all sorted into Gryffindor upon their arrival at Hogwarts. Other iconic members of the Gryffindor house include Minerva McGonagall, Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore.
As the Sorting Hat famously said: “You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart”. Gryffindors are characterized by their courageous acts, as well as their extensive loyalty to others. The Golden Trio embody these traits, often risking their own lives to save their closest friends. Typically,Gryffindorshave a high moral compass. They are known for facing their fears to do the right thing and stand up for others.
Because of his betrayal of the Potters, Peter Pettigrew is famed for his treacherous behavior. Such an immoral and cruel act makes him a complete outlier within the Gryffindor house.
Why did Pettigrew betray the Potters?
Although James Potter was formerly one of Peter’s closest friends, this did not prevent him from betraying the Potters to the Dark Lord. Famously, Pettigrew revealed the Potters’ hiding location to Voldemort, resulting in the deaths of both James and Lily.
Pettigrew had previously been a member of theOrder of the Phoenix; however, he then shifted over to the dark side and became a servant to Lord Voldemort. As a Death Eater, he acted as Voldemort’s spy, gathering information about the Order of the Phoenix whilst posing as one of their own.
After he betrayed the Potters, Pettigrew framed Sirius for the treacherous act. After announcing that Sirius had betrayed James and Lily, Pettigrew cast an explosion spell which killed 12 Muggles. He then transformed into his Animagus form, leaving behind a solitary finger to fake his own death. As a result of Pettigrew’s actions, Sirius was framed as a traitor and a mass murder, forcing him to endure13 years in Azkaban.
Whilst the films fail to provide an exact reason why Pettigrew became a Death Eater, the betrayal is clearly linked to Pettigrew’s weak character. At the time of Pettigrew’s betrayal, it appeared as though Voldemort might win the Wizarding War. Rather than fighting for what is right, Pettigrew simply wanted to be on the winning side of the War, demonstrating his disloyalty and lecherous behavior.
In the original books, it’s revealed that Voldemort threatened to kill Pettigrew unless he revealed the Potters’ hiding location. Rather than risk his own life, Pettigrew happily gave up the information. This exemplifies Peter’s cowardly and selfish nature. Instead of sacrificing himself for a moral cause, Pettigrew decided to betray his own friends – an action which directly causedtheir deaths. InHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,Pettigrew asks Sirius what he would’ve done in his position. Infuriated, Sirius tells Pettigrew that he would’ve died rather than betray his friends. The fact that Pettigrew assumes that Sirius would also have betrayed James and Lily demonstrates his innate selfishness in contrast to Sirius’ loyalty.
Throughout his time at Hogwarts, Pettigrew lived in the shadow ofJames, Sirius and Lupin.It’s likely that Pettigrew betrayed his own friends in order to achieve a sense of power over them – compensating for his years at Hogwarts.Prisoner of Azkaban’soriginal book reveals an extended version of Sirius and Peter’s confrontation. During this, Sirius bitterly remarks that “It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters”. Pettigrew’s betrayal was evidently at the hands of his own weak and cowardly behavior, which deepens the mystery of why Pettigrew ended up in Gryffindor.
Why did the Sorting Hat place Pettigrew in Gryffindor?
It’s probable that Pettigrew was placed in Gryffindor because the Sorting Hat saw potential in him. When Pettigrew arrived at Hogwarts, it’s likely that he wanted to become a brave and noble character – something which the Sorting Hat detected. After all, when he was part of the Marauders, Pettigrew idealized James, Sirius, and Remus. This proves that Pettigrew once admired honorable and courageous traits, despite failing to replicate these characteristics himself. When Pettigrew joined Hogwarts, he had the potential to become a good person. Just likeNeville Longbottom,the Sorting Hat recognized this desire within Pettigrew and placed him in Gryffindor.
It has also been proven that the Sorting Hat’s decision can be swayed by a student’s own desire, as seen inHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.For example, whilst Harry possessed some important traits of the Slytherin house, he famously repeated the words “Not Slytherin” during the Sorting Ceremony. The Sorting Hat recognizes that Harry is destined for greatness, and even states that Slytherin will help Harry achieve this. However, it’s likely that Harry’s personal preferences contributed towards the Sorting Hat’s decision to place him in Gryffindor. A similar event likely occurred with Peter Pettigrew. Because of his admiration of bravery, it’s probable that Pettigrew wanted to be in Gryffindor – something which would’ve impacted the Sorting Hat’s decision.
Is there any evidence of Pettigrew being a courageous character?
Controversially, it’s also probable that Pettigrew was placed in Gryffindor because he truly was a brave character. Although his actions were morally wrong, they were often courageous. One example is how Pettigrew severed off his entire right hand in order to fulfillVoldemort’s transformationinto human form. As the instructions only required “the flesh of a servant”, fans have often wondered why Pettigrew chose to cut off his entire hand rather than merely removing a finger or two. Pettigrew’s decision to sever his own hand certainly was courageous, although fans have often debated whether this bold action was only caused by Pettigrew’s fear of Voldemort killing him if he didn’t comply.
Pettigrew served as Voldemort’s secret servant for over an entire year, whilst simultaneously posing as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Although this was evidently an immoral decision, the role certainly would’ve required a certain degree of bravery from Pettigrew. Although his decisions to join the Death Eaters arose from selfishness, Pettigrew successfully executed being a double agent – a fact which somewhat testifies his courageous character.
After transforming into hisAnimagus,Pettigrew also managed to live as Ron’s pet rat, Scabbers, for 13 years. Managing to avoid the Weasley family’s suspicions certainly would’ve required some bravery from Pettigrew.
During his time at Hogwarts, Pettigrew decided to become an Animagus in order to support Lupin, who would involuntarily transform into a werewolf. Whilstthe process of becoming an Animagusis incredibly dangerous, Pettigrew chose to undertake this risky transformation as a sign of loyalty to his friend. However, fans have often speculated whether Pettigrew had a true desire to support Lupin, or whether he was merely following James and Sirius.
Ultimately, Pettigrew is portrayed as an extremely morally gray character. It’s unknown whether these actions were brought about by courage, or whether they simply further evidence Pettigrew’s selfish nature and desire to follow the crowd.
Did the Sorting Hat make a mistake?
Famously, the Sorting Hat claims to have never once made a mistake. However, fans have often argued that Pettigrew’s characteristics seem better suited to the Slytherin house. Whilst it’s important to acknowledge thatnot all Slytherins are inherently evil,they are often characterized for their sense of ambition and desire for power – something which can be seen in Pettigrew’s shift to the dark side. Whether to place Pettigrew in Gryffindor or Slytherin was a challenging decision, even for the likes of the Sorting Hat.
During Pettigrew’s Sorting Ceremony, a famous ‘Hatstall’ occurred. The phrase Hatstall is used when the Sorting Hat takes 5 or more minutes to decide on a student’s house. Hatstalls are incredibly rare, only occurring once every 50 years, but Pettigrew proved to be a difficult character to read. Whilst some fans may disagree, it’s unlikely that Pettigrew truly embodiedSlytherin’s characteristics.He was born to be a follower, rather than a leader. During his time at Hogwarts, he followed James, Sirius, and Remus. After Hogwarts, he decided to follow Voldemort. Pettigrew never possessed the ambition of Slytherin, and he failed to crave power for himself alone. He only possessed the desire to protect himself – a factor which often required him to undertake bold and courageous decisions. Whilst this courage was never executed in Gryffindor’s true selfless fashion, it still was a key part of Pettigrew.
As manyHarry Potterfans have discussed, 11 is an incredibly young age to be sorted into a Hogwarts house. Many traits and characteristics are learned within teenage years, causing some fans to argue that the Sorting Ceremony occurs rather prematurely during a student’s time at Hogwarts. Peter Pettigrew is evidence of this theory. Rather than making a mistake, it’s more likely that the Sorting Hat merely failed to predict how Pettigrew’s character would develop so negatively. Even his closest friends were shocked at Pettigrew’s betrayal, meaning that it’s unlikely that the Sorting Hat would have predicted the character’s dark turn. Pettigrew’s later values ultimately fail his younger self’s ambitions to be a good and brave character.
