Inappropriate charms – Dark Mark – SB on SS

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 24793

Katzefan wrote:

>(Susan: I had to wonder about that `practicing 
>inappropriate charms on a goat' as well. Perhaps Dumbledore's 
>brother comes from one of those places where men are men 
>and the sheep are nervous ....)

I think JKR *is* offering an off-color joke to the adults with this 
line, one that will go over the heads of children.  However, the 
children's interpretation is probably actually the correct one:  
inappropriate charms means just that, charms that are deemed verboten 
by the Misuse of Magic Office because they're risky or cruel or 
likely to attract the attention of Muggles.  E.g., Aberforth D. might 
have charmed it to shoot sparks out of its horns or dance en pointe.  
There are lots of nonsexual possibilities, but JKR words it the way 
she does (and chooses a suggestive animal like a goat) because she 
knows adult readers' minds will go to the Muggle version of 
inappropriate behavior vis a vis goats.

Vanessa wrote:

<quote from GF, "Padfoot Returns">

>This puzzled me - does Sirius not know that the Dark Mark appears on 
>the arms of the Death Eaters?  Is this not common knowledge 
(you'd've 
>thought that all the trials would have brought this to light)? Or 
perhaps he's not aware that Snape was a Death Eater (again - you'd've 
thought that the trials would be common knowledge - or was Snape 
tried after Sirius went to Azkaban?)

This passage, IMO, is convincing evidence that the Dark Mark is not 
usually visible.  Sirius has known all too many Death Eaters—surely 
he would have picked up this bit of info during 12 years in Azkaban 
if the DM were visible, even though I doubt Azkaban has a weight 
room.  Likewise, I think the use of the DM tattoo is a closely kept 
secret, known only to DEs and the people it's been leaked to (e.g. 
I'm sure Snape has told Dumbledore).

Sirius definitely doesn't know that Snape was a Death Eater.  He 
speculates on the possibility in that chapter, and rejects it because 
he thinks Dumbledore would never have hired an ex-DE (wrong).  This 
also tells us that if Snape was the spy who tipped off Lily and 
James, Sirius isn't aware of it (well, we already knew that from 
PoA).  Basically, poor heroic Severus is unsung by the other heroes 
of the first struggle against Voldemort, and I'm looking forward to 
Sirius's coming to give him his due.

Amy Z