Why was Wormtail in Gryffindor?!?

Well Lupin does display his ability as a wizard. He dispatches the dementors in PoA and teaches Harry how to call forth a patronus. He was probably the best DADA teacher Harry ever had. He is a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and most of its members are competent wizards and witches. Unlike Ron, Lupin is "the smartest cookie in the jar"; he is virtually a bookworm! Even Snape remembers him as having his nose stuck in a book (also he is said to be very competent as a DADA teacher by both Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey). While Peter couldn't even answer questions pertaining to a werewolf, when he hangs out with one every full moon!

Heero you must keep in mind a lot of what I say is just speculation, it may or may not be supported by the actual text. However I put it out there to get people thinking, maybe someone else has some actual fact-supported theories that assert that Peter had a thing for Lily?

Peter, in my mind, has a different sort of bravery. Peter sounds like some of those slick dudes. I see him as one of the guys who isn't bad looking, but he isn't good looking either. He has a sort of rat like face that makes you think, "I can trust this guy". Then he's excellant at lying. He's willing to lose a body part to a lie, but he won't take his life. He's not afraid of pain, but he's afraid of death. To me, death isn't a big deal, but the pain is.

There's also the chance that Peter has changed since he's been sorted. When he was sorted a Gryffindor, he had what it took to be in there, but after some event in his life, he changed. I'm leaning towards the first one.

You think he might be jelous of James and Sirius for more reasons then just their prowess as wizards? Perhaps Peter was ugly and lonely and Voldemort offered him power to have whoever he wanted...

I think maybe the Sorting hat was possibly wrong..or maybe just maybe it was before the Sorting Hat?

What was before the sorting hat? Anyway, you stole the idea right from my brain Danilo: I think Peter will do something brave and help Harry in the end, thinking that passage was a hint from JKR.

The 4 founders were before the hat. Peter fears death the most. Tom must have threatened to blow his head sky high, if he didn't join him. He might have also thrown in a little of power in there.

Like I said before. Peter has a different kind of bravery.

Dictionary defination of the word "Bravery":
1. The condition or quality of being brave; courage.
2. Splendor or magnificence; show.

Syn. "courage'
The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.
In addition to the idiom beginning with courage, also see Dutch courage; pluck up (one's courage).

Dutch courage (I like this one):
Courage acquired from drinking liquor (Who knows? Maybe Peter as been on a hangover for 14 years).

Hahaha, maybe he was drinking some kind of potion that either side made to make him feel/act or even think a diffrent way.

Well I guess it took some guts to become an illegal animagus? I mean, there's always that chance of being caught and whatnot. But then again there's a difference between "having guts" and being brave. Hopefully he'll prove himself somehow

By the way Danilo, I think you might be onto something with that statement about Peter being jealous of the other Marauders. Hmm hmm, we shall see..

Well James gets Lily and from what I understand Sirius Black is one terribly handsome fellow. I wouldn't be surprised in Peter had feelings for Lily at one time...

EDIT: Sirius and James come from very affluent families perhaps Peter was poor? Another thing Lupin, James, and Sirius are all really good at magic and Peter only pulled off one powerful trick and it was to save his own behind.

It never was said in the books that Remus was really good at magic. Just because he was prefect doesn't mean a thing. Remember, Ron became prefect and he's not exactly the smartest cookie in the cookie jar. So, how I see it, Remus and Peter were equals. One just crumples under pressure, while the other one doesn't.

I doubt Peter ever was attracted to Lily, because there is no canon evidense to say so.

There is no evidense that Remus was ever the smartest cookie jar. Bookworms aren't always smartest the people. I mean, look at me. I love reading books and it was just the other day when I accidently walked into a door.

We think that, cause Harry thinks that. And what Harry thinks, isn't always right.

I'm not gonna pick out the things in your post that I think is wrong, cause I don't wanna seem like a know-it-all...er...gluteis maximus hole. I totally spelt wrong...

Mmm. I'm a bookworm as well and I still can't help spelling obviose wrong... I think Wormtail does have courage, but it has been masked over by his fear of death... You can be courageous and fearful at the same time!

Don't get your hops up, i mean he said "..a time MAY come" not that it will i still think that wormtail is a evil coward. Harry might have saved his life and he is in debt to him but i still think he's evil.

Noone not even the hat predicted that he would turn evil

Ah,Well,who knows?Maybe Peter will fall for Hermy or perhaps a nice dememntor who'll make sure he turns good by sucking his soul.He can't do anything good or bad then.

Maybe peter wanted to join voldemort and his followers cause most people see him as a waste of space and with these lot he can get a bit of power, i also think that he proved himself to the dark lord, why else would he ask him to spy on severus snape. I am refering to book six when snape is taliking to narcissa and bellatrix, snape says he's taken to listening to conversations, and he doesnt know what he means by it, i think peter is a much more competant wizrd than is shown, i mean he came an animagus whihc is no easy feat.

He barely became an animagus, the other Marauders had to seriously help him along. He's pathetic in my opinion, he's not worth killing as Harry has demonstrated in book 3.

I agree he may not be worth living but i assure you harry will be glad he saved peters life just as he set free nagini (in the first book) yes i believe that the two snakes are the same and i think he will also be pleased that he done this but we shall see. And the only reason the snake has not made its self known to harry is that if it is a horcrux voldemort has considerable influence over it.

Yeah!

I suppose that thing about Nagini kinda makes sense....

What man of course it makes sense the whole book is based on love, frindship and building bonds of unity, harry is not strong enough to kill voldemoert but maybe him and all his (allies) friends will show such a great bond of love it will triumph over such an evil as tom.

The whole wormtail thing makes absolutely no sense to me.

In SS, Ron says "There wasn't a wizard that went bad that wasn't a Slytherin." And then two things proved that wrong in the third book:

1: at that point, everyone thought that Sirius had betrayed Lily and James, and had gone over to the dark side(*Is seriously reminded of starwars right now*) meaning he went bad, but he was a Gryffindor, which means he obviously wasn't a slytherin.

2: Peter Pettigrew, who was a Gryffindor as well, was the one who actually did all of the above. ^^

So if he really did betray Lily and James, I'm sure it was because he was scared to all heck, which means he was a coward, and then he ran away from what was coming to him, which was also very cowardly. But then again, he stuck to his roots instead of turning around and saying "Hey, if I become good again, will you not kill me?"

So whether he was brave or not really isn't that obvious.

Maybe he's just a lot smarter than he seems to be, and it will all piece itself together later.

And it's pretty clear in the fifth book, (When harry visits the pensieve) that remus was the smart bookwormish type.

Heero also brings up a good point though. I Love reading *Prefers books over Google* but I tend to say/do the stupidest things, and I cant add to save my own rear, nor can I read the clocks with hands. I also ran full speed into a locked door once, thinking it was unlocked. (It's one of those doors that open when you push them, unless they are locked.. but the store had just closed...)

Peter will redeem himself and inherit his title as a Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat cannot be wrong. That is pretty much a Harry Potter postulate. We'll see.

If being a bookworm ment you were smart than I'm the accemption because I forget to spell the most simplest words. Jo had Peter in Gryffindor for a reason I think we can agree on that, what that reson on is I have no idea but if you do I'd love to hear it. And Jo does tell us that the Marauders were in Gryffindor, an example is when we find out that James was the Gryffindor Seeker when he was at school.

Pettigrew being put in Gryffindor may be similar to Harry almost being put in slytherin.

If you remember the Sorting Hat did say that Harry in Slytherin would help him with the 'great things that he was going to achieve'

maybe pettigrew was given slytherin and gryffindor as an option and the hat put him in gryffindor as a way of 'coaching him' to be braver and more courageous

(It completely backfired of course)

Just an idea

i think pettigrew had a choice and he chose gryfindor because thats where his only friends were, in gryffindor.

That's assuming that Peter met the other marauders while or before he was sorted. That is highly unlikely, as Sirius was a Black, a elitist pureblood, James was a Potter, and wouldn't have willing interacted with Sirius at first, and Remus was probably very shy. So they might not have met until they were sorted.

As to why Peter was sorted into Gryffindor, maybe it was because he was acyually brave. What if Peter was talked ito becoming a spy for the order, but he needed to be farther in the inner circle than Snape. The only way to do that would to commit the ultimate act of betrayal, causing the death of his best friend. Once giving Voldemort the location of the Potter's he would have become a major player for the death eaters and Voldemort. Sirius and Remus would have thought that he was a traitor, and thus so would Harry. He would have lost everything, his home, his friends, his family. That would be cosidered the ultimate act of bravery.

Mind, I don't believe it, but it is possible.

Maybe the Sorting Hat screwed up

Or maybe Wormtail really was brave on the inside, but was too weak for Voldemort.

But yes, that is an interesting question...

petter is a sad sac he probly asked the hat just like harry

he might

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