Sirius and the Dark Mark

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 35550

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "hollygolightly95" 
> If all Death Eaters have the Dark Mark on their arm, it should be 
> easy enough to identify them. If Sirius never was a Death Eater, he 
> doesn't carry the mark, so why was that not enough to prove his 
> innocence? Why was he sent to Azkaban without even a trial?

I would guess that at the time, the Dark Mark was not common knowledge
(in fact, it still isn't -- it seemed to be news to Fudge when Snape
revealed his Mark and explained what it was).  The DE's, after all,
didn't go around flashing it in public -- it was their secret club
tatoo, a sign of their mystical connection to Voldemort.  I wouldn't
be surprised if Sirius himself had never heard of the Mark at the time
he was arrested.

Later, when Voldemort was gone and the DEs were being rounded up, the
Aurors and the MoM would've presumably found out about the Mark.  But
Sirius was already locked up by then, and it wouldn't have occured to
anyone to say, "Hey, maybe we should drop by Azkaban and take a look
at Black's arm, just in case he's innocent."

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com