A Characterization Problem
Aug. 2nd, 2003 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccastareyesOkay, here's the deal. I came across a HP Marauders-era RPG, and, on a lark, I asked the owner if I could take on the character of Peter Pettigrew, as he was one of the few untaken canon characetrs.
Peter is an interesting character -- first of all, he was probably put into Gryffindor, a house for the brave and courageous. He also was friends with James Potter (Harry's dad) and James's two friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin -- so much so that he joined James and Sirius in doing something highly illegal in school -- becoming an Animagus (someone who has an animal form) without the proper supervision. The four were known to themselves as the Marauders, hence most things Harry Potter set when Harry's parents were in school are called Marauders' Era.
After the group left school, Lord Voldemort kept growing in power and the four were drafted into a group Albus Dumbledore founded to fight Voldemort -- the Order of the Phoenix. However, Pettigrew decided to be a spy for Voldemort. When James, Lily and their infant son became a target for Voldemort because of a prophecy, Peter betrayed their location, faked his death, and framed Sirius for both his death and the bretrayal of the Potters. He spent most of the next 12-13 years hiding out in animal form until Sirius, Remus and Harry blew his cover. Then he rejoined Lord Voldemort.
Because of his betrayal of his friend, most immature fangirls can't stand Peter, and try to play down his connection with James, Sirius and Remus. However, I, both because of my contrary streak, and because I don't quite understand him, find him interesting.
However, that leaves me with a delemmia on how to play him. In canon, his reasons for betrayal are listed as the fact he thought the Dark Lord would win anyway, so he'd rather join early and get the power and respect from the Death Eaters, rather than continue fighting and probably die. Sirius and Remus even accuse him of only being friends with them and James because they were popular.
Which is odd, as the normal portrayal of him as a fearful person desiring not to be hurt by the sways of power would suggest that his House should have been either Slytherin (for his desire to be in power) or Hufflepuff (the 'leftover' house). It almost makes me think somehting changed in Peter between his first year at school and his joining the Dark Lord. At one point, before he knew Pettigrew betrayed his parents, Harry compared him to Neville Longbottom, a sort of quiet kid in Harry's year who does seem to have a lot of fears. I wonder if the best portrayal of teenaged!Peter would be as someone who was afraid most of his life and tries to conquer it, but, when the crunch comes, instead of rising above his fear as Neville has shown to do, he falters.
I don't know why I bother, as it is likly that half of the people in this RPG are teenaged fangirls who will accuse me of acting OOC if I portray Peter as anything but a slimy little hanger-on or a right bastard, or just have their character hate him no matter what he does.
Peter is an interesting character -- first of all, he was probably put into Gryffindor, a house for the brave and courageous. He also was friends with James Potter (Harry's dad) and James's two friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin -- so much so that he joined James and Sirius in doing something highly illegal in school -- becoming an Animagus (someone who has an animal form) without the proper supervision. The four were known to themselves as the Marauders, hence most things Harry Potter set when Harry's parents were in school are called Marauders' Era.
After the group left school, Lord Voldemort kept growing in power and the four were drafted into a group Albus Dumbledore founded to fight Voldemort -- the Order of the Phoenix. However, Pettigrew decided to be a spy for Voldemort. When James, Lily and their infant son became a target for Voldemort because of a prophecy, Peter betrayed their location, faked his death, and framed Sirius for both his death and the bretrayal of the Potters. He spent most of the next 12-13 years hiding out in animal form until Sirius, Remus and Harry blew his cover. Then he rejoined Lord Voldemort.
Because of his betrayal of his friend, most immature fangirls can't stand Peter, and try to play down his connection with James, Sirius and Remus. However, I, both because of my contrary streak, and because I don't quite understand him, find him interesting.
However, that leaves me with a delemmia on how to play him. In canon, his reasons for betrayal are listed as the fact he thought the Dark Lord would win anyway, so he'd rather join early and get the power and respect from the Death Eaters, rather than continue fighting and probably die. Sirius and Remus even accuse him of only being friends with them and James because they were popular.
Which is odd, as the normal portrayal of him as a fearful person desiring not to be hurt by the sways of power would suggest that his House should have been either Slytherin (for his desire to be in power) or Hufflepuff (the 'leftover' house). It almost makes me think somehting changed in Peter between his first year at school and his joining the Dark Lord. At one point, before he knew Pettigrew betrayed his parents, Harry compared him to Neville Longbottom, a sort of quiet kid in Harry's year who does seem to have a lot of fears. I wonder if the best portrayal of teenaged!Peter would be as someone who was afraid most of his life and tries to conquer it, but, when the crunch comes, instead of rising above his fear as Neville has shown to do, he falters.
I don't know why I bother, as it is likly that half of the people in this RPG are teenaged fangirls who will accuse me of acting OOC if I portray Peter as anything but a slimy little hanger-on or a right bastard, or just have their character hate him no matter what he does.
