[HPforGrownups] How many Death Eaters? - Snape/Quirrel

[Vicky Ra]

No: HPFGUIDX 20700

I don't know if this was mentioned before, but I wonder how many
Death Eaters there are.

Before I read GoF, I thought that there were hundreds or thousands of
Death Eaters  (in relation with about 6000 wizards and witches in
Great Britain). But when the DE appeared after Voldemorts "rebirth"
they made a circle around Voldemort. There were only a few DE, some
are death or absent. Voldemort didn't say anything to some DE, but I
don't think that there were so many DE unmentioned. And the circle
cannot be so big for some hundred DEs.
And: Are they all the DEs of the entired world? Or only the DE of GB?
IMO, they should be all DEs because Voldemort wanted to show all his
followers that he is back.

What is your opinion about that?

Katja

I get the impression Voldie doesn't only have followers in Britain. If his
reign of terror lasted so long the first time, it can't just be Britain. I'm
betting there are lots of people in the ranks, but that the Death Eaters are
Voldie's inner circle.

And a thought sparked by this DE thread: I wonder what house Quirrel was in,
assuming he was educated at Hogwarts? He's dead anyway, so it doesn't really
matter, I suppose, but could he have been a cowardly Gryff, like Pettigrew,
doing what he felt was best for himself? And I might be wrong, but I seem to
recall Quirrel crying about something, and saying sometimes he found it
difficult to follow his master's orders. Snape obviously wasn't willing to
give him the solution to his puzzle, so did Quirrel force him to do it
somehow? If so, does this say that Snape is not as brave or powerful as I'd
like to imagine? Does Snape know Voldie had taken possession of Quirrel?
Snape doesn't seem like one to be afraid of pain, unless he was given
Veritaserum or something and then questioned about his puzzle...Kinda like
what Dumbledore did to Moody/Crouch.

Vicky