======Wormtail======
=====Introduction=====
Wormtail is the nickname of **[[Peter Pettigrew]]**, a wizard who was a member of the original [[Order of the Phoenix]] before becoming a [[Death Eater]] in service to [[Lord Voldemort]]. As one of the four [[Marauders]] during his time at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], he was a close friend of [[James Potter]], [[Sirius Black]], and [[Remus Lupin]]. However, driven by cowardice, he betrayed the [[Potters]] to [[Voldemort]], leading to their deaths and the orphaning of [[Harry Potter]]. An unregistered [[Animagus]], he spent twelve years hiding in his rat form as the [[Weasley family]] pet, **[[Scabbers]]**. His actions were instrumental in [[Voldemort]]'s return to power, and his life ended as a direct consequence of a life debt he owed to [[Harry Potter]].
=====Biography=====
====Hogwarts Years====
Peter Pettigrew was sorted into [[Gryffindor]] house at [[Hogwarts]]. During his school years, he became inseparable from his charismatic and talented friends: [[James Potter]], [[Sirius Black]], and [[Remus Lupin]]. The group was known as the [[Marauders]]. Pettigrew was generally seen as the least gifted and tag-along member of the group, often relying on his friends' protection and popularity. When they discovered that [[Lupin]] was a [[Werewolf]], Pettigrew, along with [[James]] and [[Sirius]], secretly and illegally became an [[Animagus]] to provide [[Lupin]] with company during his painful transformations. Pettigrew's form was a rat, earning him the nickname "Wormtail." Together, the four friends created the [[Marauder's Map]].
====First Wizarding War====
After graduating from [[Hogwarts]], Pettigrew joined the [[Order of the Phoenix]] alongside his friends to fight against [[Lord Voldemort]] and his [[Death Eaters]]. However, for at least a year prior to the [[Potters]]' deaths, Pettigrew acted as a spy for [[Voldemort]]. When [[Albus Dumbledore]] cast the [[Fidelius Charm]] to protect the [[Potters]], [[Sirius Black]] persuaded them to switch their [[Secret-Keeper]] from himself to Pettigrew at the last minute, believing [[Voldemort]] would never suspect someone as "weak and untalented" as Pettigrew. This was a fatal mistake, as Pettigrew betrayed their location to [[Voldemort]] almost immediately.
After [[Voldemort]]'s fall, Pettigrew was confronted by a furious [[Sirius Black]]. To escape, Pettigrew created a massive explosion with a single [[curse]], killing twelve [[Muggles]]. He then cut off his own finger, leaving it behind as evidence, and transformed into a rat, disappearing into the sewers. This act successfully framed [[Sirius]] for the betrayal of the [[Potters]], the murder of the [[Muggles]], and his own supposed death. [[Sirius]] was subsequently sentenced to [[Azkaban]] without a trial, and Pettigrew was posthumously awarded the [[Order of Merlin]], First Class.
====Years in Hiding====
For the next twelve years, Pettigrew lived as a common garden rat to remain hidden. In this form, he became the pet of the [[Weasley family]], who named him [[Scabbers]]. He was first owned by [[Percy Weasley]] and was later passed down to [[Ron Weasley]]. As [[Scabbers]], he was able to live at [[The Burrow]] and later at [[Hogwarts]], allowing him to keep informed about the goings-on in the wizarding world, particularly concerning [[Harry Potter]].
====Return of Lord Voldemort====
In //Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban//, Pettigrew's identity was exposed when [[Sirius Black]] escaped from [[Azkaban]] and, along with [[Remus Lupin]], cornered him in the [[Shrieking Shack]]. His identity was confirmed by the [[Marauder's Map]]. Just as [[Sirius]] and [[Lupin]] were about to kill him, [[Harry Potter]] intervened, insisting they hand Pettigrew over to the [[Dementors]] instead. This act of mercy created a life debt between Pettigrew and [[Harry]]. However, Pettigrew escaped when [[Lupin]] transformed into a [[Werewolf]] at the sight of the full moon, retrieving [[Voldemort]]'s lost [[wand]] before disappearing.
Pettigrew fled to [[Albania]], where he located the disembodied, weakened spirit of [[Lord Voldemort]]. He helped his master regain a rudimentary physical form using a [[potion]] containing [[Unicorn]] blood and [[Nagini]]'s venom. At the climax of //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//, Pettigrew was instrumental in [[Voldemort]]'s full rebirth. In the [[Little Hangleton]] graveyard, he murdered [[Cedric Diggory]] on [[Voldemort]]'s orders and performed the ritual, which required him to willingly sacrifice his own hand as the "flesh of the servant." As a reward, [[Voldemort]] created a powerful, magical silver hand for him.
====Second Wizarding War and Death====
During the [[Second Wizarding War]], Pettigrew was relegated to the role of a menial servant, first to [[Voldemort]] and then to [[Severus Snape]] at [[Spinner's End]]. He was later stationed at [[Malfoy Manor]] as a guard. When [[Harry]], [[Ron]], and their companions were captured and imprisoned in the manor's cellar, Pettigrew was sent to investigate a noise. As he attempted to strangle [[Harry]], [[Harry]] reminded him of the life debt. Pettigrew showed a brief, fatal moment of hesitation. The magical silver hand, a gift from [[Voldemort]], interpreted this flicker of mercy as a betrayal and turned on its owner, strangling Pettigrew to death.
=====Physical Appearance and Personality=====
Pettigrew was a short, stout man with thinning, mousy hair, small, watery eyes, and a pointed nose, resembling a rat even in human form. After twelve years as [[Scabbers]], he retained a grubby, unkempt appearance. As [[Scabbers]], he was a fat grey rat missing a toe on one of his front paws, corresponding to the finger he had severed. His most prominent feature after 1995 was his shining, enchanted silver hand.
His defining personality trait was his cowardice. He was drawn to powerful figures he believed could protect him, such as [[James Potter]] and [[Sirius Black]], and later, [[Lord Voldemort]]. He lacked a moral compass, prioritizing self-preservation above loyalty, friendship, and decency. Despite his weakness, he possessed a degree of cunning and a capacity for immense treachery, successfully deceiving his closest friends and the entire wizarding world for over a decade.
=====Magical Abilities and Skills=====
  * **[[Animagus]]:** Pettigrew was a skilled, though unregistered, [[Animagus]]. His ability to transform into a rat at will required considerable magical talent and dedication, proving he was a more capable [[wizard]] than many believed.
  * **[[Dark Arts]]:** As a [[Death Eater]], he had knowledge of [[Dark Magic]], sufficient to assist in the complex rebirthing [[potion]] for [[Voldemort]] and to commit murder with a killing [[curse]].
  * **Explosion Charm:** He used a powerful unnamed [[curse]] to kill twelve [[Muggles]] simultaneously and destroy a street, a feat that demonstrated considerable destructive power.
=====Possessions=====
  * **First [[Wand]]:** Pettigrew's original [[wand]] was lost after he faked his own death. Its specifications are unknown.
  * **Second [[Wand]]:** A nine-and-a-quarter-inch, brittle [[wand]] made of chestnut with a [[dragon heartstring]] core. It was made for him by [[Garrick Ollivander]] on [[Voldemort]]'s orders.
  * **Silver Hand:** A magical prosthetic hand given to him by [[Voldemort]]. It possessed immense strength but was also cursed to act against him should he ever show disloyalty to his master.
=====Relationships=====
  * **[[The Marauders]]:** He betrayed the deep friendship and trust he shared with [[James Potter]], [[Sirius Black]], and [[Remus Lupin]]. They had been his protectors and closest companions, but he sacrificed them for his own safety.
  * **[[Lord Voldemort]]:** Pettigrew was a terrified but essential servant to [[Voldemort]]. [[Voldemort]] viewed him with contempt for his cowardice but acknowledged his usefulness, both in his first rise and his eventual return to power.
  * **[[Harry Potter]]:** Pettigrew was directly responsible for [[Harry]]'s parents' deaths. He later came to owe [[Harry]] a life debt, which was ultimately paid when his subconscious hesitation to kill [[Harry]] led to his own demise.
  * **[[Ron Weasley]]:** As [[Scabbers]], Pettigrew was [[Ron]]'s pet for many years. [[Ron]] was initially fond of the rat, though he often complained about his uselessness, having no idea of his pet's true nature.
=====Etymology=====
  * **Peter:** This name is likely an allusion to Saint Peter, the apostle who denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. This parallels Pettigrew's betrayal of his own friends.
  * **Pettigrew:** A name that can be broken down into "petty" and "grew," perhaps signifying his growth from a person of petty insignificance into a figure of great evil. Alternatively, it may derive from the French //petit gros// ("little fat one") or //petit-cru// ("grew small"), referencing his physical stature and his [[Animagus]] form.
  * **Wormtail:** A descriptive nickname that reflects his rat form. "Worm" connotes baseness and treachery, while "tail" refers directly to the animal.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptations, Pettigrew is portrayed by actor Timothy Spall. His human form is depicted with prominent rat-like incisors and nervous, rodent-like mannerisms. (film)
  * Pettigrew's death is altered in the film version of //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1//. In the cellar of [[Malfoy Manor]], he is simply struck by [[Dobby]]'s [[Disarming Charm]] and knocked out. His ultimate fate in the film series is left ambiguous. (film)