Peter and Voldemort's Wand

[Weasleyfanforever]

How could Pettigrew kill 12 people with one curse and blow up an entire street, when he was supposedly so terrible at magic? Especially since Minerva says Pettigrew was "hopeless at dueling" and "was never quite in Sirius and James' league talent-wise." How could someone so unskilled and incompetent murder Bertha Jorkins and Cedric Diggory with Avada Kedavra, such a difficult spell? Is it possible that he had Voldemort's wand? How did Voldemort get his wand back in GoF? Voldemort reached in his robe pocket and pulled out a wand. And from whom did he get these robes? Peter Pettigrew.

We know that the wand that killed the Potters also killed Cedric and Bertha Jorkins. We know that Voldemort killed the Potters, and we are told that Peter killed Bertha, ("My Lord, I must speak!" said Wormtail, panic in his voice now. "All through our journey I have gone over the plan in my head -- My Lord, Bertha Jorkin's disappearance will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I murder --" "If?" whispered the second voice. "If? If you follow the plan, Wormtail, the Ministry need never know that anyone else has died. You will do it quietly and without fuss; I only wish that i could do it myself, but in my present condition...Come, Wormtail, one more death and our path to Harry Potter is clear.), and Cedric (From far away, above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say, "Kill the spare." A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night: "Avada Kedavra!"), we know it is the same wand.

Why was Voldemort's wand never seized and snapped? Because someone took it for him. We know that Peter has used his wand to kill, and although Peter may not be very good at duelling, I think it may be some of the properties of Voldemort's wand that enhance his abilities...

[Alz]

Great post Wheezy - again!

Yah, seems Peter was strong than a lot of people gave him credit for.
I often wondered that Peter's price for betraying the Potters was for Voldemort to 'enhance' his magical abilities ...
Peter never went on to become a Death Eater - he never seemed to do anything for Voldemort until he died - so what was his 'price and motivation' for betraying his friends?
I think it was power - and not just in the mental essence but also physical.
I think Voldemort 'powered' him up - made him better at magic - and that is why you are seeing this side ...
It differed greatly from when he was at school etc ...

[Weasleyfanforever]

Peter never went on to become a Death Eater - he never seemed to do anything for Voldemort until he died - so what was his 'price and motivation' for betraying his friends?

Actually, I am quite sure that Peter did go on to become a DE if he wasn't already.

Voldemort bent down and pulled out Wormtail's left arm; he forced the sleeve of Wormtail's robes up past his elbow, and Harry saw something upon the skin there, something like a vivid red tattoo - a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth - the image that had appeared in the sky at the Quidditch World Cup: the Dark Mark.

Here, Voldemort presses on Peter's Dark Mark in order to summon the Death Eaters to him. I am thinking that only those that are Death Eaters have the Dark Mark...

[Boing]

Yeah, have to agree there that only the DEs have the Dark Mark on them.

With respect to Peter having Voldemort's wand, that would most likely indicate that he went to the Potters that "fateful night" as well. He would have had to get there pretty quickly I would think as there would probably be some sort of investigation and they would have found the wand. So, how long was Peter there? Was he there to see the Potters die??

Also, what about when Peter turned into a rat - where does your wand go when you transform? It seems to me that the wand somehow stays with you, but how is that possible? Magic??? :)

So, he turned himself into a rat and just had the wand with him the whole time he was a rat . . . interesting.

[Weasleyfanforever]

I think that Peter was somewhere around the house that night, although not inside. I think he was in his animagus form, watching to make sure that everything went ok, not wanting the information he gave to his Master to be wrong. When the curse backfired, and Voldemort didn't leave the house, I think Peter went in, in his animagus form, grabbed Voldemorts wand, and left. Maybe he thought he would be able to harness it's power, or perhaps he thought that maybe the DE's wouldn't blame him so much if he had Voldemort's wand to return to them, as maybe it would hold clues as to how to bring him back....

[Alz]

See, I strongly disagree - JKR has never, to best of my mind, called Pettigrew a Death Eater ..
If Pettigrew was to sell out his best friends - it wouldnt have been to join ranks - it would have been for a 'special' job - I can see and respect everyone that mentions the mark, hell you never know that Voldemort marked everyone ...
Pettigrew didnt join the circle as Voldemort looked over it - JKR has never called him such - so I cant agree - just IMHO ...

Pettigrew could have gone back after Sirius tried to corner him and he framed him up ... would have all been post Harry being discovered ... sneak in as a rat and off he goes ...

[Tonks]

I dont really think that Voldemort powered Pettigrew up to be good at magic, although he may have helped him (or had someone help him) to be able to perform the Unforgivable Curses. Pettigrew was never that good at magic, but with enough help from James, Lupin, and Sirius, he was able to become an Animagus, so maybe he isn't completely lacking.. er.. very deep down.. Feeling important and useful (to Voldemort obviously) could have helped too..

I have to agree with Wheezy and Boing here and say that i think Pettigrew was actually a Death Eater.
GoF - Chapter 9: The Dark Mark
"Death Eaters?" said Harry. "What are Death Eaters?"
"It's what You-Know-Who's supporters called themselves," said Bil. "I think we saw what's left of them tonight -- the ones who managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban, anyway."
If Death Eaters are just supporters of Voldemort, then i'd definitely have to say Pettigrew falls into that category.. especially considering that he does have a Dark Mark on his arm too, which i believe someone told Harry was so that he could identify all the Death Eaters?
Also, what about when Peter turned into a rat - where does your wand go when you transform? It seems to me that the wand somehow stays with you, but how is that possible? Magic???
I dont really think that the wand would be able to stay with an Animagus when he/she transforms.. If so, there really wouldn't be a reason for Pettigrew to not have a wand when Sirius & Lupin forced him to show himself in PoA right? But he doesn't seem to have one..

It is curious that Pettigrew somehow got Voldemort's wand the night the Potters were killed. I do think that he was probably somewhere around or in the house, but obviously not as himself.. Have to say i agree with Wheezy that he probably would have just run in and grabbed in and left (naturally he wouldn't have gone anywhere near Harry, who just practically killed his all-powerful master..)

.. I do wonder what he did with the wand all those years he was hiding out at the Burrow then, if he really can't keep a wand with him when he transforms.. hum, maybe he can - but then obviously he'd have had one in PoA.. ahh..

[Kingsley]

I would have to say that Peter stashed the wand somewhere near the burrow
I dont recall Peter ever officially being called a death eater either
It could be possible to keep your wand after the transformation but maybe Peter lost his during the first confrontation with Sirius--he did cause destruction of sorts :cool:

[Sirius Potter Fan]

Someone here must be reading the same things I am! the past few days there have been posts on what I have just read! :)

I myself was wondering about the wand situation. Peter doesn't seem to have his own wand. . . now in any event. but Peter MUST have used his own wand when he blew up the street and killed all the people, because that didn't turn up during the priori incantatem (sp?) in GoF. And as stated, he didn't seem to have a wand in PoA either. My guess is that the spell Peter cast at the potters house, somehow destroyed his wand, or he broke it himself, dropped it when he ran, etc. Then everything after that he seems to use Voldemort's wand.

As to whether he is a "Death Eater" I suppose it depends on just where the lines of definition are drawn. Peter has the dark mark, known as a symbol of Death Eaters and Voldemort. Peter, at least for now, is loyal to Voldemort as a death eater would be. However, Peter is never reffered to as a Death Eater, Peter did not join the circle. But then. . . there could be reasons for that. Peter's connection to Voldemort was not known until PoA, and even now is only known to a few, so short of Sirius, there was no one to call Peter a death eater was there? Then, as far as not joining the circle. . . I think he was just in too much pain at the time to move don't you? From what I read, he was practicaly in convultions from pain and shock.

Still, how to call it. . . do we know if there is some "official" initiation, or ceremony to bring a "death eater" officially into the fold? Perhaps Peter was still so new at the time of Voldemort's undoing, that he hadn't been officialy recognized yet? Many of the other DE's certainly didn't know of him yet, if any did. But still thinking, Peter waited till he was found out to go running to find Voldemort. . .If he was shuch a loyal supporter why did'nt he go right away? Peter must have had Voldemort's wand. . . my guess is, that he broke his, saw Voldemorts and took it. Not shure if he hid it or kept it with him - I'm shure they can keep things somehow when they transform, after all their clothes stay on don't they? (well, except in the movie :p )

So, anyway, my call . . . I think Peter was the newest Death Eater, brought into the fold by Voldemort, and marked as such, but otherwise, unknown to anyone else. You don't have to be known as something in order to be that something. You don't have to even be glad to be something in order to be something. I don't think Peter likes being a Death Eater, I think he hates it, and will eventually turn, but, Peter IS a Death Eater.

[Alz]

Liking some of SPF's point there and somewhat agree ...
I really dont think he is - and as SPF said he didnt join the circle right?
I think he was marked so Voldemort could keep tabs on him and of course cause pain to him - so that is why he bears the mark of a death eater - but more to the point a mark of Voldemort.

I am curious about the animagus/wand thing - but look at it this way ...
When they emerge from being animagus - they are fully clothed - so where did they store them as well ;)
I think they can change and keep their wands - just because they can change and be fully clothed :D

[Lovegood54]

maybe pettigrew was at th epotter's house when they died. not in the house, but outside waiting for voldemort to return, and when the house blew up or whatever happened to it, he went in and saw voldemort dead and pilfered voldemorts wand, probably to either sell it or to give to voldemort should he ever return to power, and when he met up with sirius, he blew up the area around him, cut off his finger and dropped his wand, turned into a rat and escaped. see, with this theory he dropped his wand as added "proof" that he was dead, probably figured he could accio his wand with voldemort's when he turned back into a human, which he probably did but the wand failed to return for whatever reason.

[Glumbumble]

There is an unsubstantiated report that JKR told a fan that Peter took Voldemort’s wand on the night of the Potter murders. Whilst I accept that the report has not been confirmed it does appear on the Web and has not been denied.
In GoF it is made clear that Wormtail has been branded with the Dark Mark.
Voldemort bent down and pulled out Wormtail's left arm; he forced the sleeve of Wormtail's robes up past his elbow, and Harry saw something upon the skin there, something like a vivid red tattoo - a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth - the image that had appeared in the sky at the Quidditch World Cup: the Dark Mark. Voldemort examined it carefully, ignoring Wormtail's uncontrollable weeping.

Voldemort also describes Wormtail as his “servant” his usual term for a Death Eater.
"And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last... a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driven out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master.

Voldemort mentions Wormtail’s loyalty to him and also says that part of his debt has been repaid by finding and caring for Voldemort and during the rebirthing. Wormtail takes his place in the circle of Death Eaters.

He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. "May your loyalty never waver again, Wormtail," said Voldemort.
"No, my Lord . . . never, my Lord . . ."
Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his powerful new hand, his face still shining with tears. Voldemort now approached the man on Wormtail's right.

In OotP Harry talks to Hermione of the way in which Voldemort calls his supporters to him.
The Death Eaters' scars. Voldemort touches one of them, and all their scars burn, and they know they've got to join him.

In PoA McGonagall says that Dumbledore suspected that there was a spy in the Order.
"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said Professor McGonagall darkly. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

Also in PoA Sirius and Lupin discuss with Wormtail his spying for a year before the betrayal.
"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin. "I assume that's
why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrews head.
"Forgive me, Remus," said Black.
"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"

You have no idea... he has weapons you can't imagine.... I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen....He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me --
"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"

I think there is little doubt that Wormtail was a Death Eater, he had the mark, he had his place in the circle, he had been passing information to Voldemort and he is repeatedly described by Voldemort as a servant.