Peter Pettigrew

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Peter Pettigrew (彼得佩迪鲁)
Alias(es)	Wormtail; Scabbers 144 151
Species/Race	Human wizard; rat Animagus 147 148
Gender	Male 147 148
Affiliation	Former Order of the Phoenix member; Voldemort’s spy and subordinate 149 151 278
Occupation/Role	Marauder, Secret-Keeper, spy, fugitive, and traitor 149 151 160
Status	Captured and imprisoned multiple times; later accounts describe both his death and a subsequent recapture 161 277 843 1044

Appearance

In human form, Pettigrew is a short, fat, bald man with sparse hair, filthy clothing, grayish skin, a pointed nose, and small, watery eyes. His appearance strongly resembles a rat. 147 148

• His Animagus form is a common gray rat.
• His human face retains distinctly rat-like features.
• His rat form allowed him to live undetected as the Weasley family’s pet for eleven years.
• After his identity became public, his image appeared in wanted notices and newspaper reports throughout the Wizarding World. 153 279 843

Personality

Pettigrew is defined by fear, cowardice, and extreme self-preservation. He betrayed his friends because he believed resisting Voldemort would only lead to death, then remained hidden as a rat rather than seek help from Dumbledore. 149 150

He is cautious and evasive even in rat form, avoiding crowds, students’ pets, and owls. Once exposed, however, he shows little remorse for betraying the Potters or framing Sirius Black. During his Veritaserum confession, he appears more interested in explaining his fear and securing his survival than expressing regret. 144 148 149

Pettigrew is also manipulative. He persuaded Lockhart and Garr to help him escape Azkaban by promising that Voldemort’s return would restore their power, wealth, and reputation. 278

Abilities & Skills

Rat Animagus Transformation

Pettigrew can transform into a gray rat and return to human form. His Animagus identity was concealed for years, allowing him to fake his death and live as the Weasley family’s pet. 147 148 149

• Used the form to hide from Dumbledore, the Ministry, and former allies.
• Lived as Scabbers in the Weasley household for eleven years.
• Could gather information while remaining unnoticed.
• While transformed, he possessed only a rat’s physical strength and could not use a Wand. 148
• His small size and ability to gnaw and dig helped him escape Azkaban. 276 279

Espionage and Deception

Pettigrew served as the Potters’ true Secret-Keeper and disclosed their location to Voldemort. He then framed Sirius Black by cutting off his own finger and making it appear that Sirius had killed him. 149 160 161

• Faked his death and abandoned his human identity.
• Hid among the Weasleys as Ron’s pet rat.
• Collected information about the Wizarding World while living in disguise. 152
• Used fear and promises of future power to recruit Lockhart and Garr during his prison escape. 278

Magical Threat

Although Pettigrew was easily overpowered as a rat, he remained dangerous as a wizard. Wade judged that none of the Weasleys would be able to defeat him if he recovered a Wand, and even Wade was unsure he could restrain him. 148

• Used a Spell that killed twelve Muggles when Sirius nearly caught him. 161
• Was able to survive as a fugitive for extended periods.
• Became much easier to capture once his identity and Animagus form were known.

Background / History

Pettigrew attended Hogwarts with James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. Together they became the Marauders, with Pettigrew adopting the nickname Wormtail because his Animagus form was a rat. 151

He later joined the Order of the Phoenix but betrayed the Potters and the Order out of fear of Voldemort. As the Potters’ Secret-Keeper, he revealed their hiding place, leading Voldemort to James and Lily Potter. He then staged his own death, framed Sirius for the murders, and disappeared. 149 151 160

For eleven years, Pettigrew lived as Scabbers. The rat was first owned by Percy Weasley and later given to Ron. Pettigrew avoided crowds and usually stayed near Ron, occasionally helping him during the school’s Escape Game. Ron regarded Scabbers as a loyal and heroic pet, unaware of his true identity. 144 146

Story Role / Major Arcs

Capture at Hogwarts

Wade used the Marauder’s Map to confirm that Pettigrew was still living in Ron’s dormitory. With help from Fred and George Weasley, he arranged a trap near the Gryffindor Common Room. Pettigrew escaped through the doorway in rat form but fell into Wade’s mud pit. Wade then immobilized him with Petrificus Totalus, Stupefy, and Incarcerous. 144 146

Wade used the Revelio Charm to expose Scabbers as an Animagus. The rat transformed into Pettigrew, leaving Ron and the other Weasleys shocked to learn that their pet had been a presumed-dead wizard. 147

Wade administered a Calming Draught and transported Pettigrew through the Vanishing Cabinet to Remus Lupin. Lupin recognized his former friend immediately and struggled between relief at finding him alive and rage over his betrayal. 148

Confession and Imprisonment

Under the effects of Veritaserum, Pettigrew confessed that he had betrayed the Potters, revealed their location to Voldemort, and framed Sirius Black. Reporters questioned him primarily for a sensational story, while Pettigrew openly described his fear and lack of remorse. 149

His confession established Sirius’s innocence and exposed the Ministry’s long-standing mistake. Pettigrew was handed over to the Ministry, interrogated again, and eventually imprisoned in Azkaban. 150 153 160 161

The revelation also caused widespread fear of rodent pets. Many Hogwarts students sent their rats and mice away, while Magic Pets later became popular replacements for the companions they no longer trusted. 165 219

Escape from Azkaban

Pettigrew later escaped Azkaban alongside Gilderoy Lockhart and the vampire Garr Troka. He feared his former Death Eater associates more than Voldemort or Dumbledore because they suspected that his information had contributed to Voldemort’s downfall. 277 278

He manipulated Lockhart and Garr by claiming that helping Voldemort return would restore their freedom, wealth, and status. The Ministry issued warnings describing Pettigrew as the most dangerous of the three fugitives and emphasized that any rat could potentially be him. 278 279

Later Peter/Wormtail Threads

One later account depicts Wade attacking Pettigrew in Peregrine Falcon form and watching his corpse be devoured by sharks. Wade explained that he killed Pettigrew to prevent him from causing further harm. 277

The later storyline also contains several Peter/Wormtail-related identity threads. Wade created a construct called Peter Two, which required a separate rat to imitate Pettigrew’s Animagus form. 467 Under the alias Locke, Lupin later worked with an intelligent gray rat while pursuing Garr and Lockhart and seeking to expose Pettigrew’s death. 471

A subsequent arc again presents a man identified as Peter Pettigrew hiding in a sanatorium. Percy Weasley confronted and stunned him before taking him into custody. 842 843 Later accounts treat this capture as genuine and describe Pettigrew as becoming mentally broken during imprisonment. 1044 1045

Relationships

• James Potter and Lily Potter — Former allies and members of the Order of the Phoenix; Pettigrew betrayed them by revealing their location to Voldemort. 149 151
• Sirius Black — Former friend and fellow Marauder; Pettigrew framed Sirius for his own murder and the deaths of twelve Muggles. 149 160 161
• Remus Lupin — Former friend and Marauder; Lupin reacts to Pettigrew’s return with grief, rage, and disgust. 148 151
• Voldemort — The Dark Lord Pettigrew feared and served; Pettigrew passed him the Potters’ location and later hoped Voldemort’s return would protect him from the Death Eaters. 149 278
• Percy Weasley — Former owner of Scabbers and later one of Pettigrew’s captors. 146 842 843
• Ron Weasley — Pettigrew’s owner while disguised as Scabbers; Ron treated the rat as family and remained unaware of his identity. 144 147
• Fred and George Weasley — Assisted Wade in exposing and capturing Pettigrew at Hogwarts. 145 147
• Gilderoy Lockhart and Garr Troka — Escape companions whom Pettigrew manipulated with promises of Voldemort’s restoration. 277 278
• Wade Grey — Discovered, captured, tracked, and later killed Pettigrew in one account. 146 153 277

Notable Quotes

“I was scared... The Dark Lord was so powerful, and Death Eaters were killing people everywhere.” 149

“Opposing him... what good could come of it besides death...” 149

Trivia

• Pettigrew’s rat alias, Scabbers, was used by both Percy and Ron Weasley. 146 152
• He was publicly honored as a fallen hero and awarded the First Class Order of Merlin before his betrayal was exposed. 150 153
• His true identity was discovered through the Marauder’s Map, which displayed him in Ron’s dormitory rather than as an ordinary rat. 144 145
• His exposure caused a major decline in the popularity of rodent pets at Hogwarts. 165