Dark Mark visibility & tattoos in general (was: Snape and the Order)

[Julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 93792

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at m...> 
wrote:
> > Also, Black doesnt' seem to know about the DE's dark mark, which 
> makes me think it is usually invisible. 


That's what I thought also, Potioncat.  I was under the impression 
that the Dark Mark was dormant and therefore invisible (or at 
least very faded) from the time Lily/Harry blasted Voldemort out of 
his physical body in 1981 until Voldemort started seriously the 
process of returning to a body. 

So, doesn't this mean that unless you were an active Death Eater 
during Voldemort's first appearance(or intimately familiar with one's 
left forearm) or involved with detecting/prosecuting Death Eaters 
(aurors, certain ministry officials, Dumbledore) that you wouldn't 
ever have seen the mark? (Additionally, adult men in the WW seem to 
always dress in long sleeved shirts and jackets (or sweaters) when in 
public, rather than baring their arms in a t-shirt or short sleeved 
shirt.   Ponders the Wizard version of traffic road blocks, where the 
aurors pull likely suspects aside and make them roll up thier sleeves 
for an arm-alizer test)

US edition of Goblet of Fire
page 519: Karkaroff showed Snape his arm after potions class and 
said "It's never been this clear, never since--..." 
and
page 709 where Snape rolls his sleeve back and stuck his arm under 
Fudge's nose: "There. The Dark Mark.  It is not as clear as it was an 
hour ago, [about time of graveyard scene]when it burned black....this 
mark has been growing clearer all year..."

Fudge seems able to recognize Snape's tattoo (he recoils), and 
interestingly he 
doesn't react to Snape per say.  He doesn't say "Get away from me 
you Death Eater scum!" or "You idiot Albus, you gave a Death Eater a 
teaching position?!"  Fudge seems more upset about the timing of the 
revelation as another of Dumbledore's 'tricks'.  I suspect that its 
not a surprise to Fudge or the higher Ministry officials that Snape 
had been a Death Eater, since Dumbledore vouched for Snape in the 
trials. 

Incidently, many people (men and women) get tattoos now, but how 
common is/was it in Britian for men to be tattooed? I know both my 
Grandfather (WWII) and uncle (Vietnam) picked up lower arm tattoos 
while in the Navy, but that was the only reason you'd have one at 
least for my Grandfather.  Also, for a muggle born like Hermione, 
who might not been told about the placement and significance of the 
Dark Mark, would they confuse it at a glance with a "normal" or 
muggle-style tattoo?  Or is tattooing simply not "done" amongst 
respectible British men regardless of whether they are soldiers or 
not?  (I'm assuming that tattoos were considered a lower class or 
underworld element as they were in the US until the last twenty or so 
years)

Inky/Julie