[HPforGrownups] When did the Ministry know about Death Eaters and their Marks?

[Mrs.) Lee Storm (God Is The Healing Force]

No: HPFGUIDX 100149

| From: Brenda
| Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2004 22:23 PM
|
| Hi everyone,
|
| I just have a question about something that has been bothering me for
| a while.  It had occurred to me when I was re-reading Order of
| Phoenix; it was a part where Hermione said that once the Ministry &
| Daily Prophet believe Dumbledore wasn't so crazy, he will be able to
| prove Sirius' innocence.. "Sirius hasn't got the Mark for one thing.."
|
| And I remember the trials that took place in Dumbledore's Pensieve..
| Crouch Jr crying that he wasn't a Death Eater.. and Bagman denying..
| Crouch Sr seemed adamant and uptight.. I was thinking, the Ministry
| could not have known about Death Eaters having the scar etched in
| their arms, otherwise it would have been a much simpler matter to
| distinguish the Death Eaters (wells, at least those who claimed that
| they had no association, as for those who claimed that they were
| under Imperius Curse, I don't know..).

[Lee]:

Hi Brenda, and welcome! :-)

If I recall correctly, Karkaroff said that the mark was becoming more
noticeable.  This says to me that it may have been invisible to the eye when
LV was powerless.  So, it would have been hard to identify the Death Eaters
if the mark couldn't be see.

When LV's Dark Mark was sent up in GOF, that hailed the return of the Dark
Lord, and, I would surmise, all the death eaters' marks began to show.

[Brenda continues]:
| But at the end of Goblet, when Snape showed Fudge his burnt Mark in
| the hospital wing, Fudge didn't seem surprised in any ways - which
| led me to believe that Ministry now knows about the DE's scar.  Does
| that mean the Ministry learned about it much after Voldemort's
| downfall?  If they did acquire this much-more-accurate way of
| distinguishing Death Eaters, why didn't they check Azkaban inmates to
| make sure that they did have the right people in prison?

[Lee]:

See above.  And Snape's mark was fading by the time he showed it to Fudge.
If I'm interpreting this incorrectly, please, some expert, give us the
quotes. :-)

Cheers,

Lee :-)

Do not walk behind me,     | Lee Storm
I may not care to lead;    | N2FGC
Do not walk before me,     | n2fgc at optonline.net (or)
I may not care to follow;  | n2fgc at arrl.net
Walk beside me, and be my friend.