From Weird Question to Stupid Questions (about Death Eaters)

[sistermagpie]

> [stacygalore]:
> | 1. Did we ever find out if Draco is actually a Death Eater?  
> | He never killed Dumbledore, so I 
> | would think he never earned that "privilege".  I don't recall 
> | reading anything in DH that 
> | explicitly marks him as a DE. Why didn't LV kill Draco for 
> | not killing Dumbledore?
> 
> [Lee]:
> Well, that be two questions in one, friend. <BEG>  Draco seems to 
have had
> the mark, which not all DEs have, only those in "Voldething's" 
inner circle.
> We gather he was given the mark in HBP when he cries out in the 
robe shop
> when Madam Malkin started to pin up the left sleeve.  He also 
shows his left
> arm to Mr. Borgin.  

Magpie:
Neither of these things are canon. Since we were never given an 
alternative scenario Harry's theory might be true, but Draco does 
neither of these things for sure. He's complaining about Malkin 
sticking him with pins when they first walk into the shop, and again 
claims she's stuck him with a pin when she goes for his sleeve. We 
also don't know what he shows Borgin because we never see it. Harry 
decides he showed him his Dark Mark and then backtracks and decides 
he was worried about his arm being touched.

Like I said, since we never are given any alternate version maybe 
Harry's hit upon the truth there--or maybe he really did show the 
Dark Mark but really was just stuck with a pin. (We saw that in 
front of us--Draco says pin, Harry later says Dark Mark.)

JKR is sometimes a bit sloppy with this sort of thing with Draco, 
though. We're shown him not getting the Hand of Glory and then she 
speaks as if we saw him get it, so maybe he has the Dark Mark. That 
makes sense after DH. But I'll never buy that "he jumped because she 
touched his arm" idea. I think that's too much of a stretch--and I 
don't consider Harry very reliable about stuff like that.

-m