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As we were told, he only sought out his master because he had no choice. At least, Voldemort thinks so:

“And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last... a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driven out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master." GoF, The Death Eaters

and he's probably right as Peter, once set on finding Voldemort found him in Albania (!) even before the new school term started.

So we have Peter living at Hogwarts / at the Weasleys why exactly? To gain information from Arthur, who was a ministry employee to do what...?

Wouldn't it be nicer running abroad or polyjuicing himself into someone else or even living as a muggle? Wouldn't it be better than sleep with Percy/Ron and eat leftovers?

What was exactly Peter's plan until he was caught by Sirius? To live his life as a rat?

  • http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/39202/how-did-wormtail-come-to-be-with-the-weasleys similar – Himarm Aug 09 '16 at 18:49
  • There's also one that suspects Peter's a pheadofile http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/28011/was-peter-pettigrew-a-pedophile :) –  Aug 09 '16 at 18:52
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    Maybe it's just really fun being a pet rat. People caring for you all the time, feeding you regularly, and never asking you to do anything in return. – DaaaahWhoosh Aug 09 '16 at 18:54
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    True, and Voldy said "... Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you not, Wormtail? " so maybe it was his only chance getting laid? Urgh, now i need a potion of dreamless sleep. –  Aug 09 '16 at 18:59
  • I realize this question asks about the Weasleys while the other asks about Hogwarts, but the answer in the earlier question covers the Weasleys and why Scabbers stayed with them for 12 years. :) – Slytherincess Aug 16 '16 at 03:52
  • @Slytherincess that's a pity, as i got an answer that actually answers the question instead the standard drivel written about scabbers :( –  Aug 16 '16 at 09:15

2 Answers2

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Living as a person requires work. He has to get a job, bills to pay, find somewhere to live, fake identification, and so on. Living as a rat in the wild is worse, with the need to find food, shelter, and also protection from predators.

Staying as a pet rat, he gets fed, sheltered, and protected from predators, without having to do almost anything in return. He can sleep in or laze about, and rats aren't really expected to give anything back (beyond being tolerant of their owners). Whatever food he's fed might taste good to the rat's taste buds, or he might be given, or steal, leftovers to eat better.

Some people, ambitious or easily bored, would not like this kind of life with nothing to do - but if Peter was on the lazy side to begin with, he might be satisfied enough with it to not want to take the risks and problems living as a person would require.

Megha
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Because he was under the protection of Albus Dumbledore, the "top dog" in the wizarding world. And he was looking for news.

He only wanted to be protected, and he would rather have not chosen sides.

You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't YOU, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him...."

At the moment, Albus Dumbledore was the "biggest bully" so he wanted to be under his protection.

Also, as it says directly, as the upper part is just speculation, he was looking for news that it was safe to go back to him.

bleh
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    aurthur being a ministry employee also helped with the information. – Himarm Aug 09 '16 at 19:00
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    So if nothing big happened he'd have died as Scabbers the rat at...whatever age wizards die? –  Aug 09 '16 at 19:02
  • -1 You give no indication that he chose any Weasley for any reason, much less so that he could be indirectly protected by Dumbledore. – Dave Johnson Aug 09 '16 at 19:05
  • @DaveJohnson Yeah, I'm adding Himarms comment in... – bleh Aug 09 '16 at 19:15
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    @WillRosenberg 150 years, but alas, stuff happened – bleh Aug 09 '16 at 19:16
  • @WillRosenberg - The smarter members of the wizarding world seemed to suspect a Voldemort return eventually. If many years of silence on the matter went by, perhaps he'd have slipped away. To what though, I'm not sure. No friends, a miserable person inside and out... – ThruGog Aug 09 '16 at 20:05