10 Worst Decisions Harry Potter Ever Made
6. Protecting Peter Pettigrew
Harry is a naturally compassionate person, and that is in no way a negative quality. However, his decision to spare Peter Pettigrew's life was one of his more misguided. At the end of the Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black corner Pettigrew and intend to kill him, before Harry stops them.
It was an act based on a selfish need for knowledge. Harry wanted to know why Pettigrew betrayed his parents, but it was also to stop Sirius and Lupin becoming murderers when they were good people. However, this choice led to Pettigrew escaping and joining the Death Eaters. If Harry had let them kill him, Voldemort would not have been resurrected and, subsequently, kill and torment everyone in Harry's life.
It was a poor decision that led to the deaths of Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Fred Weasley and countless others who died because of Voldemort's second attack on the wizard world. Harry could not have foreseen the full consequences, nevertheless, he should have trusted the older, more experienced wizards.