Wormtail

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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)