Yes, Harry Potter's Peter Pettigrew Does Belong In Gryffindor - CBR

The Harry Potter universe is filled with characters that carry layers of complexity. For example, even someone as heroic as Remus Lupin has dealt with the curse of being a werewolf for so long that he's alienated himself from loved ones. It has helped to prove that humans are naturally neither wholly good nor evil. And one of the best examples of this came in the character of Peter Pettigrew.

Peter was one of Remus, James and Sirius' closest friends at Hogwarts. However, unlike his friends, Pettigrew was a follower and had more weaknesses than strengths. In fact, it was his weaknesses that eventually betrayed Lily and James Potter to Voldemort and made him a Death Eater. He was also the one who brought Lord Voldemort back to full strength. Because of these actions, it's hard to believe that Pettigrew was once a Gryffindor while a student at Hogwarts.

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Not All Gryffindors Are Heroes

Gryffindor House has often been described as a house of brave and loyal students who were just as wise as they were ready to defend someone in need. It's why characters like Neville Longbottom were such a fitting addition, as he had the potential for greatness and later met it when he aided in the Battle of Hogwarts and killed Nagini. However, even though most Gryffindors have leaned to the side of heroism, not all of them remained there.

A great example of sketchy Gryffindors could be seen in heroes like Dumbledore, who knew the risks of his actions but would willingly put children and allies in harm's way to complete a mission. Even Harry Potter was seduced by his darker urges from time to time, leading to moments where his anger got the best of him, like when he made the glass disappear in front of Dudley at the zoo. But Pettigrew was perhaps the most surprising choice to be a Gryffindor and later use its values to his benefit and detriment.

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How Peter Pettigrew Embodies Gryffindor's Values

In Harry Potter, a Hatstall was when the Sorting Hat took more than five minutes to sort a student into a house. And this only happened twice. The first was with Minerva McGonagall, as it couldn't decide whether she was a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. But the second was with Pettigrew, as he could've been a Gryffindor or Slytherin. While the real reason why the hat put Pettigrew in Gryffindor hasn't been fully explored, one reason could be that he saw the potential in him to reach a level of bravery he admired so much in his friends. He also displayed unflinching loyalty to those who have done him a service and those he's sworn to follow, like Voldemort.

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But even though he's not a brave individual, his capacity for bravery was never in question. In fact, there were fleeting moments of bravery and loyalty shown in the books and films. Perhaps the most tragic was also the most obvious. When the moment came that he could've killed Harry Potter, Harry reminded him of the life debt Pettigrew owed him for having spared him in the Shrieking Shack. The moment of hesitation led to his steel hand that replaced the one he cut off to turn on him and strangle him to death. It was revealed that Voldemort placed a spell on it that would kill him should he waver in his loyalty. It was a sad end to such a two-faced character, but one that showed how under the dark layers, there was someone who still wanted to be brave.