DEs DID Know Peter was the spy

[Stephanie Roark Keener]

No: HPFGUIDX 15935

(If someone has already posted this, forgive me)

Lately, there has been some discusssion of the question of Death 
Eater's identity being a secret to each other.  I assumed it probably 
was (the point someone made about secret societies operating that way 
(e.g. the KKK in the US) is a strong and extremely valid arguement.)  
However, as I read PoA -- again -- I noticed this passage:

"What, scared to hear your old master's name," said Black.  "I don't 
blame you, Peter.  His lot aren't happy with you, are they?"
"Don't know what you mean Sirius --" muttered Pettigrew...
"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," said 
Black.  "You've been hiding from V.'s old suppoorters.  I heard 
things in Azkaban, Peter... They all think you're dead...or you'd 
have to answer to them.  I heard them screaming all kinds of things 
in their sleep. ..."

So, apparently at least a few of them knew Peter, and not Sirius, was 
a spy for them.  Maybe just the ones in Azkaban...  I hope that Snape 
was out of the loop by this time, because if HE knew that Sirius was 
innocent and never told Dumbledore, he's rotten.  I know Sirius 
played an extremely cruel and dangerous trick on him in school, but, 
whew, to let an innocent man rot in Azkaban over a grudge...

Stephanie