Deatheaters vs. followers

[Debbie Roberson]

No: HPFGUIDX 90129

I've been following the thread on the Lestranges and a thought 
occurred to me - wasn't it mentioned early on that there were 
numerous devotees to Voldemort and that the Deatheaters (those marked 
anyway) were his "inner circle" of followers - the elite, if you 
will.  

Or is it that there were followers, Deatheaters, and then the elite 
circle of Deatheaters that bore the mark?  If that were the case, 
then perhaps only the inner circle would've been called to be present 
at the cemetary.

Debbie R. 
(who is just musing and hasn't gone back to the books for canon 
references yet)