12 Harry Potter Theories Better Than What We Got

9. James Potter Turned Wormtail Against The Marauders

Here's a question for you: why did Peter Pettigrew betray his friends so easily? The young man was effectively well in with the In Crowd (the Marauders were about the most exclusive club going) and he could count on popularity and the schoolyard equivalent of power. So why did he turn so rotten?

The novels establish fairly vaguely that the reason Harry Potter's backstory so tragically started with death is that Pettigrew was simply so self-involved that he turned to the Death Eaters out of fear. He saw no sense in not allying with Voldemort because he was "taking over everything."

But look a little deeper at the dynamic between the Marauders - particularly Syrius and James - and Peter and you can theorise that they caused their own downfall by treating him as the runt of the group. Syrius' challenge of Pettigrew when he returns reveals that he never really liked him and James Potter in particular had set a precedent in his bullying of Snape. So what if he unwittingly weaponised Pettigrew by making him feel more like a fan than a friend and turned him away?

That idea would definitely improve the books, because James Potter might have been a fundamentally good man, but the image of a flawed hero (just as Sirius and Dumbledore are to Harry too) fits Harry's arc way better. That Harry chose to avoid the mistakes of those who formed him is a rich thread that absolutely adds even more welcome complexity.