Toxic friendship

Read the text and answer if Peter Pettigrew is a true or toxic friend. Give your arguments.

Toxic friendship

Peter Pettigrew entered Hogwarts in 1971. During his Sorting ceremony, the Sorting Hat didn’t know what house to place him: Slytherin or Gryffindor. After about five minutes the Hat decided to Sort him into Gryffindor.

He joined the group of friends Sirius Black, James Potter, and Remus Lupin who called themselves the “Marauders.” He was not as a skilled wizard as his friends, and he hang out with them because he idolized them. With them he learned to transform into a rat, helped write the Marauder’s Map, and joined the Order of the Phoenix.

Peter was a person who was easily influenced by those around him. Once he was out of school, Pettigrew became an easy target for the Dark Lord. He was so afraid of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named that became a spy for Voldemort.

The Potters and their friends didn’t know this, of course, and continued to trust Peter so completely that on Sirius Black’s advice, he was made James and Lily’s Secret Keeper. A week later they were dead, when Peter betrayed their hiding place to his master. Pettigrew then cleverly framed Sirius Black by blowing up a street full of Muggles and cutting off one of his own fingers to fake his own death. Peter Pettigrew was “posthumously” awarded the Order of Merlin. Sirius was arrested for being a Death Eater, killing Pettigrew and the Muggles, and betraying the Potters, and was imprisoned in Azkaban without a trial.

1.Who were the “Marauders”?

2. Were they real friends? What did they do together?

3. The Sorting Hat had been hesitating for more than 5 min before it made a decision what house was suitable for Peter Pettigrew. Why?

4. Why did he become a spy for Lord Voldemort?

5. What traits of character did he possess?

6. Minerva McGonagal said:

"Hero-worshipped Black and Potter. Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him... Stupid boy... Foolish boy..."

Do you agree that he was foolish and stupid?

7. What advice would you give to the rest “Marauders”?