Voldemort's Vulnerability and Snape as Crouch Jr. (WAS Bone, Flesh & Blood )

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 30370

Wendelin wrote:

> >....  When
> > Snape shows Fudge his 
> > dark mark, he says:  "Every Death Eater had the
> > sign burned into him 
> > by the Dark Lord.  It was a means of
> > distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him."
> 
<snip>
> I don't read Snape's explanation to say that the
> dark marks distinguish one DE *from* another.
> Instead, the marks distinguish the DE's from
> everybody else.
> 
> OTOH, the possibility that each DE has his own
> mark is even more evil. Reminds me of the use of
> identifying tattoos on prisoners, etc. 
> 

I took another look at Snape's phrasing, and I can't figure out what 
it means.  If he means to say that the dark mark distinguishes DEs 
from the general populace, then the natural way to communicate that 
would be "It was a means of distinguishing *us*."  To me, the 
phrase "distinguishing one another" implies making distinctions 
*among* the group of DEs.  

I suppose it would be valuable for Voldemort to be able to summon 
just one DE if he only needs that particular DE.  After all, if he 
just needs to tell Wormtail something, it would be rather inefficient 
if he also pulls Lucious Malfoy out of an important meeting for no 
good reason.  Indeed, the fact that the DEs don't know the identities 
of all of the other DEs (as proven by the likelihood that Snape 
didn't know Pettigrew was the spy) suggests that Voldemort doesn't 
always communicate with the DEs as a group.  If Voldemort has the 
ability to summon just the DEs he needs, it does make sense that each 
of their dark marks would be distinct in some small (and magical) way.

Is this phrase ("distingishing one another") a British usage issue, 
or is the confusion just on my part?

Cindy