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NOTE: This page is about the movie incarnation of Peter Pettigrew. For the book versions, see Peter Pettigrew.
| “ | Remus Lupin: You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you? Peter Pettigrew: I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord. You have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself, Sirius; what would you have done? What would you have done? Sirius Black: I would have died! I would have died rather than betray my friends! |
„ |
| ~ Peter Pettigrew's confession.File:Peter Pettigrew.ogg |
| “ | The Dark Lord shall rise again. | „ |
| ~ Peter Pettigrew about to revive Lord Voldemort. |
Peter Pettigrew, also known by his nickname Wormtail, is one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Bellatrix Lestrange) of Warner Bros. Pictures’s Harry Potter film series, which is based on J.K. Rowling‘s fantasy novel series of the same name.
He was a wizard who went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a Gryffindor. Pettigrew was originally one of James Potter's friends alongside Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, and together they were known as the Marauders, who had a knack for causing mischief and breaking the rules.
Years later, sometime after graduating from Hogwarts, Pettigrew joined the Death Eaters, betraying James and his wife Lily to Lord Voldemort out of cowardice before murdering twelve Muggles and laying low for a little over a decade in his Animagus form of a rat, effectively framing Sirius for his crimes. He would live with the Weasley family as Ron Weasley’s pet rat “Scabbers” until Pettigrew was exposed by Remus and Sirius, who reverted him back into his human form.
Though the latter two wanted to kill their former friend out of vengeance for his treachery, however, Harry Potter, James’ son, convinced them to spare him so he could face justice at Hogwarts. While being taken there, unfortunately, Pettigrew managed to resume his Animagus form before escaping his captors.
Several years later, he finds a weakened Voldemort and aids him in his scheme of bringing Harry Potter, James Potter's son, to him for a dark potion to restore Voldemort to a physical form. Later at Little Hangleton Graveyard, Pettigrew murders Cedric Diggory before using three components, one including Harry's blood, for a potion to allow Voldemort to be restored to a physical form. As a reward for his usefulness, he was given a hand made of silver as a replacement for his original hand, which he had used for the dark potion.
Pettigrew was portrayed by Timothy Spall, who also played Beadle Bamford in the 2007 live-action film adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Dragon in Magic Light Pictures' adaptation of Room on the Broom-while his younger self was portrayed by Charles Hughes in flashbacks. While disguised as Scabbers, he was portrayed by the late animal actor, Dex.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Peter Pettigrew’s backstory is essentially the same as it was within the original novels. He was a member of the Order of the Phoenix and was best friends with James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin and they would form the mischievous group known as the Marauders, who take enjoyment in causing mischief and breaking the rules. During their time as students at Hogwarts, Pettigrew was present as his friends torment a young Severus Snape, which would come to haunt Snape to his adulthood as his worst childhood memory.
Years later, James Potter and his wife Lily were betrayed by Pettigrew to Lord Voldemort, who killed the couple in cold-blood, resulting in their infant son Harry being orphaned. In the process Pettigrew murdered 12 muggles who came after him, and framed a mutual friend of his and the Potters, Sirius Black for betraying them, as well as murdering said muggles. He faked his death by cutting his finger off to leave it behind, and transformed himself into a rat to escape punishment. At some point, Pettigrew was taken by Percy Weasely, who would later give him to his younger brother, Ron. He was given the name “Scabbers” and had been in the family for 12 years.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone[]
Pettigrew makes a brief appearance in the first film in his “rat” form, in which Ron tries to demonstrate the power to turn him yellow in front of Harry and Hermione. However, he fails at this.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets[]
His appearance is about as minor as it was in the first film. He was first seen when the Weasleys’ family car threw him and Hedwig out and into their owners’ grasps before it drove off. During a session taught by Professor McGonagall, the students were instructed to turn their animals into a ceramic glass. However, due to Ron’s wand being broken, Pettigrew was turned into a furry glass with a tail while still conscious.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban[]
Pettigrew’s true colors are revealed by the events of the third film. Once Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban upon discovering Pettigrew was alive and that he framed him, the latter ran away from Ron, who was under the impression that Hermione’s cat, Crookshanks, had killed him due to the fact that he was always attacking him. As Harry Potter is looking through the Mauraders Map one night, he is confused to find that it reveals Peter in the castle, despite believing him to be dead. Harry leaves the room and goes down the hall to investigate, but Peter uses his rat form to easily walk past him despite being seen on the map. Professor Snape catches Harry, but Remus Lupin takes the young boy to his office. Harry then inadvertently reveals Pettigrew to still be alive to Lupin, upon telling him the map must not work because it shows a deceased Pettigrew.
Pettigrew is later recovered by Hagrid who brings him back to Ron. After, he, Harry, and Hermione witness Buck Beak’s apparent execution, Pettigrew bites Ron which causes him to drop the rat, so he can escape. Ron catches him, but Sirius, in his dog form, drags Ron by the leg into the Whomping Willow Tree which leads to Shrieking Shack. He ends up taking Pettigrew with him in the process. As Harry and Hermione come to rescue Ron, Sirius reveals himself and Lupin arrives to stop Harry from killing him. The two reveal that Pettigrew was the one who betrayed his parents, but Severus Snape arrives to take Sirius away. Realizing that Sirius is innocent, Harry uses the disarming charm to knock Snape out before demanding more about Pettigrew.
Remus reveals to Harry of Pettigrew's time at Hogwarts in his childhood and that Remus and Sirius believed that he was their friend, but a disbelieving Harry claims that Pettigrew is dead and accuses Sirius of killing him, but Remus denies this and admits that he initially thought Pettigrew was dead until Harry accidentally revealed that he is still alive through the Marauders' Map denies. Harry protests that the map was lying only for Sirius to insist that it never lies and points Pettigrew out to Harry, though Ron mistakenly thought that Sirius was pointing at him until Sirius reveals that he meant his apparent "pet rat". Sirius reveals that Pettigrew had cut off his finger so as to trick everyone into thinking he is dead and then transform into a rat to lay low.
Harry demands that he prove it and Sirius grabs Pettigrew from Ron and attempts to revert him back into his human form only for Pettigrew to try and flee but was eventually turned back into a human, leaving Ron in complete shock. Pettigrew tries to justify his actions in a cowardly attempt to save himself, to no avail. Remus and Sirius vengefully attempt to kill him for his crimes, but Harry convinces them to take him to Hogwarts, where he can be arrested and taken to Azkaban.
However, as they are leaving the Whomping Willow, the full moon rises and Remus’ transformation into his wolf form allows Pettigrew to seize the chance to escape; as Remus slowly transforms, he drops his wand, which Pettigrew uses it turn himself back into a rat. Harry tries to go after him, but was stopped by Hermione and Pettigrew manages to escape.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire[]
Pettigrew meets with a far less powerful Voldemort, and Barty Crouch Jr. at the Riddle House, where they discuss their plans to use the 1994-1995 Triwizard Tournament to lure Harry to them, so they may use him for a dark potion that would restore Lord Voldemort to a new physical body. However the muggle caretaker, Frank Bryce (who saw the lights were on through the window and came to investigate), overhears them across the hall, alerting Nagini, who proceeded to warn Voldemort. Pettigrew charges towards Frank with the supposed intent of killing him, but Voldemort orders Pettigrew to step aside. The latter, with an ominous smile, opens the door wide enough for Voldemort to murder Frank with the Killing Curse.
Later during the third task, the maze challenge, Barty Crouch Jr., under the guise of Mad-Eye Moody, managed to get Harry to the Triwizard Cup, which had been converted into a port key that will instantly teleport him to Voldemort during the task. However, Cedric Diggory ends up going with Harry when the two touched the cup at the same time, and the they are both taken to the graveyard, where they encountered Pettigrew and Voldemort, who were awaiting Harry's arrival. Under the orders of his master, Pettigrew uses Voldemort's yew wand to cast the Killing Curse on Cedric before restraining Harry to the Riddle Family's grave. Pettigrew drops Voldemort into a cauldron before using three components for the dark potion; a bone from the late Tom Riddle Sr. (bone of the father), Pettigrew's right hand (flesh of the servant), which he cuts off, and blood from Harry’s arm (blood of the enemy). The potion was successfully concocted and Lord Voldemort was restored to a full physical body.
Upon his resurrection, Voldemort uses the Dark Mark on Pettigrew's left arm to summon the Death Eaters who were loyal to him and had evaded capture. The Dark Lord proceeded to berate them for never trying to find him. Pettigrew tries to feign loyalty by admitting that he returned to him when they didn’t, however Voldemort disdainfully lets him know he had only done so out of fear. Nevertheless, he admits Pettigrew has proven himself useful and creates him a silver prosthetic hand to replace the hand he had sacrificed.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix[]
Pettigrew is seen in a flashback, where he watches as a young James Potters toys with Severus Snape during their time as students at Hogwarts.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince[]
Pettigrew only has a brief cameo where he takes Bellatrix Lestrange and her sister, Narcissa Malfoy, to meet with Snape where he will agree to kill Albus Dumbledore should Narcissa's son Draco fails. Upon meeting with them, Snape uses magic to slam the door in Pettigrew's face.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1[]
Pettigrew is present when Lord Voldemort is discussing with the other Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor on how to kill Harry, all the while keeping Charity Burbage elevated over a table before he kills her. Later, Harry, Ron and Hermione are captured and taken to Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix orders Pettigrew to take Ron and Harry to the cellar, where Garrick Ollivander, Griphook and Luna Lovegood are being kept hostage, while Hermione was taken to be tortured. However, Dobby the house-elf arrives to rescue them. When Pettigrew comes back down to the cellar, Dobby incapacitates him, causing him to fall onto the floor.
Personality[]
In the films, Pettigrew is portrayed as being slightly more sinister, less cowardly, and outright sadistic. In the Prisoner of Azkaban, he was willing to murder both Sirius and Remus, his former friends, and after being disarmed by Harry, he gives a cruel smile and sarcastically waves goodbye before transforming and escaping. In the Goblet of Fire, he smiles ominously at Frank Bryce (presumably with the intent of attacking him) as Voldemort orders him to step aside and let the Dark Lord finish off the unfortunate Muggle caretaker. Unlike in the books, it's never indicated if Pettigrew feels any remorse for his actions. Making him lack any redeeming qualities unlike his book counterpart.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The reason why the film producers didn't give Peter Pettigrew an on-screen death was because they were worried that his canon death of being strangled by his own silver hand in the books would be too violent and disturbing for the film, and would result in an R-rating instead of a PG-13 one.
- It's unknown if Pettigrew was killed or knocked unconscious by Dobby, as he isn’t seen again after that. If he did survive, he was either killed by Voldemort upon his second arrival at Malfoy Manor or ended up being arrested and imprisoned in Azkaban.
External Links[]
- Peter Pettigrew on the Pure Evil Wiki
