Re: Inappropriate charms – Dark Mark – SB on SS

[blpurdom at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 24795

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
  > 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)?  [snip]
 
> 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).
 
I think Sirius is out of the loop because he was in prison--we still 
have no way of knowing whether Dark Marks are usually visible.  But 
you're probably right that Azkaban probably doesn't have a weight 
room.  The impression one gets is that it's solitary confinement for 
all prisoners all the time.  

It has been pointed out that the name resembles Alcatraz; having 
visited Alcatraz, and also living just a few blocks away from another 
prison museum, Eastern State Penitentiary here in Philadelphia (a 
model institution duplicated throughout the world which was designed 
to make the residents "penitent" through solitary Bible study) I can 
say that these places weren't designed to break the human spirit, but 
that's what resulted.  Add in dementors, and the picture of Azkaban 
that emerges is hundreds (or even perhaps thousands, considering 
wizard life-spans) of people huddled in despair in their cells, 
having all happiness sucked out of them and leaving them precious 
little brain for socializing and discussing Dark Marks.

--Barb