What if the biggest betrayal in the Wizarding World wasn’t just about evil—it was about never being seen in the first place?
In this episode chat of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble deep-dives into the fallout from “The Radacity of Peter Pettigrew” episode, reflecting on listener reactions and further complicating our understanding of one of Harry Potter’s most reviled characters. Was Peter a coward or a child soldier shaped by war? Did Sirius and James ever truly see him—or did their assumptions doom them all? With insights from listeners and meditations on victimhood, war, friendship hierarchies, and the symbolism of Peter’s Animagus form, this episode blends humor, reflection, and raw honesty. We challenge the notion that being seen as harmless makes someone good—and ask how often our desire to see the best in others blinds us to the truth.