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Professor Snape
Scabbers is Ron's rat, but later in the book it is revealed that he is really the wizard Peter Pettigrew who has taken a rat form. The Weasley family adopted Scabbers (the rat) thirteen years ago; he used to belong to Percy but was passed down to Ron when Percy got an owl. Ron begins to notice Scabbers's health declining in the weeks before Hermione adopts her cat Crookshanks, who is intent on catching Scabbers. This continues for months until Ron discovers blood on his sheets and assumes that Scabbers is dead. However, Hermione finds Scabbers hiding in Hagrid's hut months later. After Harry, Ron, and Hermione end up in the Shrieking Shack with Lupin and Sirius Black, they learn the truth about Scabbers's true identity: the rat is actually the animal form of the wizard Peter Pettigrew. As a boy Pettigrew was friends with James, Lupin, and Sirius. He wasn't very smart but managed to become an Animagus as a fifth year. During Voldemort's rise to power, however, he aligned himself with Voldemort but remained a double agent. Sirius insists that this is very in character for Pettigrew, who always wanted to align himself with whomever had the most power and would be able to protect him. After being made the Secret Keeper for the Potters, Pettigrew shared their location with Voldemort, which resulted in their death. Days later, he framed Black, the Potters' first Secret Keeper, by yelling that Black killed Lily and James, blowing up a street and killing twelve muggles, and cutting off his finger before turning into a rat and going into hiding. Black then went to Azkaban for Pettigrew's crimes. Harry finds Pettigrew revolting and pathetic. Pettigrew simpers, pleads for mercy, and insists that there was no reason to stand up to Voldemort when he started to come to power. Harry stops Lupin and Black from killing Pettigrew, though this results in Pettigrew's escape.
Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew Quotes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban quotes below are all either spoken by Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew or refer to Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter Thirteen Quotes
Hermione burst into tears. Before Harry could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight.
"Can't you give her a break?" Harry asked Ron quietly.
"No," said Ron flatly. "If she just acted like she was sorry--but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."
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During a party, Ron refuses to make up with Hermione and makes her feel even worse for the fact that he believes Crookshanks ate Scabbers. When Harry asks Ron if he could give it up and forgive Hermione, it suggests that Harry has already come to the conclusion that Hermione is being unfairly punished for something she didn't do and couldn't control. Ron's behavior, on the other hand, looks extremely immature and shows that at this point, he's unwilling to see sense--that even if Crookshanks did eat Scabbers, such a thing could be expected--and instead is choosing to take the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet d
Chapter Fourteen Quotes
"I'm not blamin' yeh!" said Hagrid, waving Harry's apology aside. "Gawd knows yeh've had enough ter be gettin' on with. I've seen yeh practicin' Quidditch ev'ry hour o' the day an' night--but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two'd value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all."
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When Hagrid invites Harry and Ron down for tea, he encourages them to think carefully about how they're treating Hermione because, in his estimation, they're currently valuing Harry's Firebolt and Scabbers more than they're valuing her friendship. With this, Hagrid encourages the boys to consider that Hermione did what she thought was best in telling McGonagall about the Firebolt in particular. She believed that Harry was in danger and acted so that he'd be safe, knowing that he wouldn't appreciate it but also knowing that his safety would be guaranteed by the teachers. In pointing this out to Harry and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provid
Chapter Sixteen Quotes
"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT...THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER BEFORE."
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Following Harry's Divination exam, Trelawney makes a real prediction and sees that Voldemort's servant will return to him. Though Harry isn't sure at this point that he should take her seriously (Dumbledore only confirms later that this was likely a real prediction), it's important to note that regardless, the prediction can be used to support both versions of the truth--the first being that Sirius Black is Voldemort's servant, the second being that Peter Pettigrew is. This then comes to illustrate how somewhat vague predictions like this and vague statements in general can take on certain meanings depending on what a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor as
Chapter Eighteen Quotes
"I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth...
"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."
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Lupin explains to Harry, Ron, and Hermione that his friends at school (Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter) became Animagi so they could keep him company while he transformed into a werewolf. With this, Lupin makes it clear that friendship is its own kind of magic, as he reads becoming Animagi as the ultimate sacrifice and act of friendship on the part of his friends. Their sacrifice allowed Lupin to feel better about his own identity and his situation, as they made it less painful and, most importantly, less lonely. This offers Harry, Ron, and Hermione some insight into Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium rec
"That was still really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"
"A thought that still haunts me," said Lupin heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless--carried away with our own cleverness."
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When Hermione points out that things could've gone horribly wrong with Lupin running around in his werewolf form, Lupin agrees that she's right--he and his friends were careless in their youth. When Lupin admits that turning into Animagi and roaming the Hogwarts grounds with him as a werewolf wasn't a good choice, he suggests that even the best of friends can make mistakes that exhibit poor judgment. In terms of the novel as a whole, this idea that friends make bad choices, but that they can later see them for what they were, offers some hope that Harry, Ron, and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis
Chapter Nineteen Quotes
"But if--if there was a mistake--"
"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
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When Snape finally shows himself in the Shrieking Shack, he screams at Hermione when she tries to encourage him to listen to what Lupin and Black have to say. This stands in sharp contrast to how Lupin handles Hermione's questions during their conversation in the shack. While Lupin takes them seriously and makes sure that they're answered to her satisfaction, Snape goes so far as to call Hermione stupid. With this, he shows her again that he doesn't care for her as a person and, in this situation, doesn't think she's even capable of understanding what's going on. This is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asper
"Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple...so brilliant...he cut if off himself?"
"Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself--and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."
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Black finally tells everyone in the Shrieking Shack how and why he was imprisoned for killing Lily and James: Peter Pettigrew framed him. Pettigrew's actions show that he was a master manipulator who knew that, given the Ministry's desire to put Voldemort's supporters behind bars, they wouldn't ask too many questions if he made it look obvious enough what had happened. It's untrue that Black betrayed Lily and James, but because Black never told anyone that he'd made Pettigrew the new Secret Keeper, he had no way to prove his version of events. In this way, Pettigrew demonstrates that even Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident exp
Chapter Twenty-Two Quotes
"It didn't make any difference," said Harry bitterly. "Pettigrew got away."
"Didn't make any difference?" said Dumbledore quietly. "It made all the difference in the world, Harry. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate."
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During a conversation between Harry and Dumbledore, Dumbledore encourages Harry to believe that he didn't act in vain and that he actually did a very valuable thing. With this, Dumbledore attempts to shift Harry's focus away from the formal justice system for a moment. He implies that the formal justice system, as espoused by the Ministry of Magic, isn't actually effective in carrying out justice. Instead, Dumbledore wants Harry to see that justice is capable of happening, but it needs to be supported by individuals, acting alone or almost alone, who know they're doing the right thing. Further, he suggests Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explica
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Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The timeline below shows where the character Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter One
...Grand Prize Galleon Draw. The accompanying photograph shows all nine Weasleys and Ron's pet rat, Scabbers, on vacation in Egypt. In a letter, Ron apologizes for the phone debacle and talks...
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Chapter Four
...money as an early birthday present. They head to the magical creature shop. Ron takes Scabbers, who is lethargic and droopy, to the counter so the witch can look him over....
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The witch says that a garden rat like Scabbers will only live for about three years and offers Ron some rat tonic. Before Ron...
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...fighting next door. Harry goes to investigate and learns that Percy's Head Boy badge and Scabbers's rat tonic are gone. Harry offers to go look in the bar for the rat...
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Chapter Five
...Hermione assures Crookshanks that she'll let him out on the train, while Ron snaps that Scabbers needs his peace. Mr. Weasley motions for everyone to follow him outside and into two...
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Chapter Eight
...leaping into Hermione's lap with a dead spider. Ron tells Hermione to control Crookshanks, as Scabbers is asleep in Ron's bag. Without warning, Crookshanks leaps at the bag. Ron swings the...
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Chapter Ten
...Dumbledore's orders, Sirius lent Hagrid his flying motorbike. Fudge continues the story and says that Peter Pettigrew found Sirius before the Ministry did. Rosmerta remembers Pettigrew as an untalented follower of...
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Chapter Eleven
...along, but Ron points out that Malfoy would love it if Harry got destroyed like Pettigrew.
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...note, she's not excited. Before she and Ron can argue, Crookshanks leaps at Ron and Scabbers. Ron tries to kick at Crookshanks but kicks Harry's trunk instead, which reinvigorates the Pocket...
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Harry notices that Scabbers looks awful and thinks that he's likely not going live much longer. Hermione and Ron...
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Chapter Thirteen
...so angry with each other over what looks to Ron like Crookshanks' success in eating Scabbers that Harry fears this is the end of their friendship. Harry thinks that Ron is...
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...she insists that Ron doesn't want her to join the party. Ron loudly comments that Scabbers used to love party food, which sends Hermione into tears. Ron tells Harry that if...
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Chapter Fifteen
...with Buckbeak's appeal. At this, Hermione throws her arms around Ron's neck and apologizes about Scabbers.
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Chapter Sixteen
...to the castle. As Hermione begins to pour milk into a new jug, she shrieks. Scabbers is in the jug.
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Ron, shocked, grabs Scabbers. The rat looks awful and struggles desperately. Suddenly, Hagrid sees the execution party coming to...
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Chapter Seventeen
...him and leads them all towards the castle. Darkness starts to fall around them and Scabbers continues to struggle. Harry notices Crookshanks stalking them. With a final twist, Scabbers breaks free...
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...Willow. Ron insists that it was just him, and then Lupin asks to look at Scabbers. Hesitantly, Ron pulls Scabbers out of his robes. Black says that Scabbers isn't a rat;...
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Chapter Eighteen
...Ron says that Black and Lupin are crazy, and Harry points out that Black killed Peter Pettigrew twelve years ago. Black lunges for Scabbers, but Lupin holds him back and insists...
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In a trembling voice, Hermione says that Pettigrew can't be an Animagus because the Ministry keeps a register and would've known. Lupin laughs...
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Lupin says that his transformations were awful, but he had three friends—Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter—all of whom eventually figured out where he went every month. Instead...
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Chapter Nineteen
...trouble and then shouts at her to be quiet. Black snarls that if Ron brings Scabbers to the castle nobody will go to Azkaban. Snape threatens to call the dementors and...
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...Harry that it's time to provide proof that his story is true. Black asks for Peter, but Ron weakly asks how Black is sure that Scabbers is Peter. Black pulls out...
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Lupin notes that Scabbers looks awful now, and he and Ron argue about whether Scabbers's health started going downhill...
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...that in a way, he did kill Lily and James: he persuaded them to make Peter their Secret Keeper, not knowing Peter was working with Voldemort. Lupin cuts him off and...
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Black laughs at the thought of Voldemort teaching him tricks, notices that Pettigrew flinches, and says that Pettigrew has been hiding from Voldemort's supporters, not from him. He...
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Timidly, Hermione asks why Pettigrew hasn't tried to kill Harry already, since he's been sleeping in the same room for...
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At this, Pettigrew falls to his knees and pleads with Black and Lupin. They decide to kill Pettigrew...
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Chapter Twenty
As the party makes its way back through the tunnel, Sirius notes that turning in Pettigrew will clear his name, and he tells Harry that he's his godfather. Awkwardly, he invites...
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...rip at each other violently and Harry only stops watching when Hermione screams. He sees Pettigrew grab Lupin's wand, knock out Ron and Crookshanks, and then transform and flee. As Lupin...
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Chapter Twenty-One
Harry and Hermione try to tell Fudge that Sirius is innocent and that Peter Pettigrew is an Animagus, but Madam Pomfrey shoves chocolate in Harry's mouth so he stops...
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...to Hagrid's hut. They watch Hagrid let their earlier selves in and hear Hermione find Scabbers. Harry suggests that they run in and grab Pettigrew, but Hermione tells Harry that they...
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...of the forest until the Whomping Willow is in sight. They watch Ron fight with Scabbers and watch Sirius drag Ron through the roots. Dumbledore walks Macnair, Fudge, and the Committee...
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...out of the Whomping Willow's roots. Harry grudgingly agrees that they can't go looking for Pettigrew as the cloud reveals the moon. Suddenly, Harry realizes that they have to move in...
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Chapter Twenty-Two
...down in Lupin's chair and says that what he did didn't make any difference since Pettigrew escaped. Dumbledore quietly says that Harry saved an innocent man and discovered the truth. This...
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