The Common Rat

The common rat is a non-magical rodent found throughout the wizarding and Muggle worlds. They are one of the animals students are permitted to bring as a pet to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, though they are generally less popular than an owl or a cat. Parts of rats, such as their spleens and tails, are also used as ingredients in various potions. The most significant rat in the series is Scabbers, the long-time pet of the Weasley family, who was revealed to be the unregistered Animagus Peter Pettigrew in disguise. Through this character, the seemingly mundane rat plays a pivotal role in the exposure of Sirius Black's innocence and the eventual return of Lord Voldemort.

This section primarily details the history of Peter Pettigrew during his twelve years living as a rat. After betraying James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort, Pettigrew faked his own murder, killing twelve Muggles in the process and framing Sirius Black for his crimes. He cut off his own finger to complete the deception before transforming into his rat form and disappearing into the sewers. He sought refuge with a wizarding family, eventually becoming the pet of Percy Weasley, who named him Scabbers. After Percy was made a prefect and received an owl from his parents, Scabbers was handed down to Ron Weasley. For twelve years, Pettigrew lived as Scabbers, first at The Burrow and later at Hogwarts. During Harry Potter's third year, Scabbers's life was made difficult by Hermione Granger's pet cat, Crookshanks, who instinctively understood that Scabbers was not a true rat and repeatedly tried to attack him. After an apparent attack, Scabbers faked his own death once more, leaving a few drops of blood to frame Crookshanks. He was later discovered hiding in a milk jug in Rubeus Hagrid's hut. Scabbers was exposed after he bit Ron and attempted to flee, only to be intercepted by a large black dog, who was Sirius Black in his Animagus form. Dragged through a tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow, he was taken to the Shrieking Shack. There, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin used a spell to force Pettigrew back into his human form, revealing his true identity. Pettigrew later escaped their custody when Lupin transformed into a werewolf and fled. He subsequently reunited with Lord Voldemort and was instrumental in his rebirthing ceremony in the graveyard of Little Hangleton.

The common rat is a small rodent. Scabbers, however, was described as a particularly large, fat, grey rat who looked extremely battered. He had a bald patch on his back and a distinctly chewed-looking ear. His most notable feature was the missing toe on one of his front paws, which corresponded to the finger Peter Pettigrew had severed to fake his own death. As Scabbers, he was generally portrayed as lazy and listless, spending most of his time sleeping. Ron Weasley often complained that he was a “boring” pet. This lethargy was a deliberate act by Pettigrew to avoid drawing attention to his unusually long lifespan for a common rat. In his human form, Pettigrew retained several rat-like features, including small, watery eyes, a pointed nose, and a squeaky voice.

• Animagus Transformation: The ability for a witch or wizard to transform into an animal is a rare and difficult magical skill that requires registration with the Ministry of Magic. Peter Pettigrew's unregistered Animagus form was a common rat, a form that was perfectly suited for hiding, spying, and going unnoticed for over a decade.
• Potions Ingredients: Parts of the rat are known to be used in potion-making.
  • A Rat Tail is a key ingredient for the Hair-Raising Potion.
  • A Rat Spleen is used in the Shrinking Solution, which students brew in their second-year Potions class.
• Pets: Rats, along with toads and cats, are one of the three types of pets that students are officially permitted to bring with them to Hogwarts.

• As a Pet: As Scabbers, the rat was owned by Percy Weasley and later by his younger brother Ron Weasley. For twelve years, he was considered a member of the Weasley family.
• Adversaries: Crookshanks, Hermione Granger's highly intelligent part-Kneazle cat, was a persistent antagonist who sensed that Scabbers was a “crook” and not a real rat. Sirius Black, in his dog Animagus form, also hunted him relentlessly to bring Pettigrew to justice.
• In Human Form: As Peter Pettigrew, his relationships were defined by the betrayal of his closest friends—James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin—and his fearful servitude to his master, Lord Voldemort.

The word “rat” is derived from the Old English “ræt.” In modern vernacular and literature, “to rat on someone” means to betray them by informing on them to an authority figure. The term “rat” is also a common insult for a traitor or coward. This perfectly mirrors the role of Peter Pettigrew, who betrayed his friends to Lord Voldemort.

• In the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Scabbers is depicted as a brown rat, while the novel describes him as being grey.
• The fact that Peter Pettigrew's Animagus form is a rat is a strong example of J.K. Rowling's use of animal symbolism to reflect a character's core personality traits of cowardice and treachery.
• It is a common fan theory that the single unicorn hair sticking out of Ron Weasley's first wand was actually a whisker from Scabbers. There is no canonical information in the books or from J.K. Rowling to support this claim.