Number of DEs in Graveyard (was Re: Voldemort's recruitment . ..)

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 128921

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "huntergreen_3" 
<patientx3 at a...> wrote:
> a_svirn wrote:
> >>>> There were about 30 DE in the Graveyard, and we've been told 
> only about a dozen names. <<<<
>  
> Rebecca previously:
> >>> Were there 30 in the graveyard? From the description in the 
> book it seems like 20 at the most, though I could be mistaken. <<<
> 
> a_svirn replied:
> >> That was at the beginning at the Chapter 34:
>  
>  "<snip> and what use would it be to deprive Voldemort of his 
>  wand, even if he could, when he was surrounded by Death Eaters, 
>  outnumbered by at least thirty to one?" <<
> 
> kittykataddict replied:
> >> In a stressful situation, particularly when death seems imminent
> and especially in the dark, I think the human mind has a habit of
> exaggerating the threat. Ten people can look like fifty. <<
> 
> Rebecca:
> First, thanks a_svirn for providing the quote, I missed that when 
I 
> was skimming the chapter for a reference to the number of death-
> eaters. HOWEVER, I do agree with kittykataddict that its possible 
> that Harry's mind exaggerated the number of DEs. If there were 
really 
> thirty, I'd wager that *at least* one of them is going to be 
> important later, since they were explicably *not* mentioned (were 
> there any that Sirius mentioned earlier in the book that Voldemort 
> didn't mention? Or that were in the DoM in OotP?). It'd be easy 
> enough to fill the empty DE places with your ESE! theory of 
choice; 
> except, of course, for any of the people who were known to be at 
> Hogwarts at that time (which, sadly, includes Fudge, my favorite 
> ESE!...but that's another matter). 
> 
> kittykataddict continued:
> >> Does it really matter how many DEs there were? Is it important 
to 
> the plot-line? <<
> 
> Rebecca:
> It was relevent to the discussion we were having about the seeming 
> absense of any older generation Death Eaters. If there are a large 
> number of Death Eaters not mentioned, then it greatly increases 
the 
> chances that there are some non-imprisoned, living DEs out there 
who 
> weren't still in school when Voldemort first rose to power.

a_svirn:

Well, I suppose it possible that Hurry's calculations were somewhat 
exaggerated. However we mustn't forget that at that point most of 
the DE who would later feature at the DoM was still at Askaban. Out 
of those "thirty" DE who were present, only Lucius, McNair, Nott, 
Goyle and Avery were actually named by LV. So even if the stressed 
out Harry counted extra ten-odd DE it still leaves quite a few DE 
who went uncovered. And there is no question that there was DE whose 
identities is still unknown: 

 "He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but 
he paused before others and spoke to them. 
"Macnair . . . destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic 
now, Wormtail tells me?  You shall have better victims than that 
soon, Macnair.  Lord Voldemort will provide. ..."

So who were those whom he passed in silence? We don't know and it is 
not out of the range of possibility that they were the 
missing "older" wizards. Moreover it would make sense for LV who is 
nothing after all, if not practical to put at risk those DE who had 
already been compromised. Remember Fudge reaction to Hurry's 
revelations in the hospital wing? He said: 

"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of 
being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!"  said Fudge angrily.  "You 
could have found those names in old reports of the trials! "

a_svirn