[HPforGrownups] Couple of Questions regarding Death Eaters and the Dark Mark

[Catherine Keegan]

No: HPFGUIDX 29282

At 03:40 PM 11/15/01 +0000, Eire wrote:
>At the graveyard scene Voldermort calls his deatheaters to his side
>by using the dark mark, the first thing that struck me here was how
>few of them there were.

I'm not sure all of the DEs showed up.  on p 645 of my US edition V 
wonders, "How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it? ... 
And How many will be foolish enough to stay away?"

They didn't have to show up, they were called.

So, Roll Call!

Malfoy, Lucius  here
Pettigrew, Peter here but sobbing on the ground over his hand
Avery                    here but not doing too well after getting a crucio 
blast
Lestranges (2) in Azkaban
Macnair                here
Crabbe                  here
Goyle                     here
Nott                        here
Karakarov            not there
Snape                     not there
Crouch                  not there
three others          not there

So, that makes it around 15.  Not exactly an army but a start.  Maybe he 
didn't call all the names, maybe there were more.  Maybe not.  Maybe a 
bunch of folks clutched their arms and decided to wait and see what happens 
next.

>why were they not called the night of the graveyard? If only those who 
>willingly joined
>the Death Eaters were branded with the mark, then why was this not
>used to identify, those who worked for him under their own free will
>and those who joined him willingly, after his disappearance.

I always wondered why, if the brand was visible all the time (maybe it 
isn't??), the MoM didn't round up every adult and make them bare their 
arms.  Surely a mark like that couldn't be kept secret.  That's the kind of 
thing some scared servant or lover or robe maker would mention.

Back on p 598 of my edition a memory in the Pensieve has Snape saying "It's 
coming back...Karakarof's too .... stronger and clearer than 
ever..."  Sounds to me like the mark was around as long as Voldemort was 
around.  It must have faded or even gone away while he was in his weakened 
state.

Probably all old information but the dark mark has always bothered me.  Too 
easy to pick out the DEs with it.  No short sleeves for these fellows!

Catherine in California