How can the DEs not know...

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 171323

TKJ:

> Ok so in the 5th book it seems like the DEs are 
> all shocked when Harry declares that their beloved 
> leader is a half-blood himself at the MoM. That 
> seems odd to me because by then shouldn't they 
> have figured it out?

> When they met him at Hogwarts wouldn't they have 
> know there was no pure blood Riddle family? [...]

> OK, so back on topic, if they didn't figure it out 
> when he was at Hogwarts, what about during the time 
> in the Cemetery in GoF? He mentioned that Harry was 
> standing on the grave of his muggle father no? Why 
> did no one raise and eyebrow then? So, why is it in 
> OoTP, they all act appalled and like they had no clue 
> he wasn't a pure blood?

houyhnhnm:

I'm not sure how many DEs are still around that go 
back to Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts.  We don't really 
know too many DEs by name as a percentage of their 
total numbers.  Harry thought there were at least 
thirty Death Eaters present in the graveyard, but 
only nine are named.  The ones we do know seem to 
be from the next generation from Voldemort's 
contemporaries for the most part. That's one reason.

In the graveyard, I believe it is before he summoned 
the Death Eaters that Voldemort ran on about his lousy 
Muggle father.  After they showed up, all he said was 
that he was standing on his father's grave.  Couldn't 
they have figured it out?  Well, maybe not Grabbe and 
Goyle.  Six of the DEs who took part in the battle at 
the MoM were not present in the graveyard.  They were 
in Azkaban.  That's another reason.

I think any of them could have figured out Voldemort's 
antecedents, though, if they *wanted* to.  That is the 
real reason, I think.  They don't want to know Voldemort 
is a half blood.  Bellatrix, especially.  The very 
vehemence of her reaction is indicative to me of the 
amount of energy she has invested in denial, not just 
about Voldemort's bloodlines, but about anything that 
might contradict her fanatical devotion.  To become a 
Death Eater, I think, it is not only necessary to shut 
down pity and compassion, but all critical thought.

Lucius may be the lone exception.  He was at the 
graveyard.  He was at the Ministry.  His family has 
been rich and influential for generations.  I think 
he knew and didn't care that Voldemort was a half blood.  
I think he may even have liked the fact that there was 
something about Voldemort that he could look down on 
(in addition to wealth).  He may have seen Voldemort 
as just one more powerful wizard he could patronize and 
use for his own ends, as his family has always done.  
Poor Lucius. I don't expect he's thinking that way any 
more. I imagine *his* thoughts in Azkaban have been 
little different than they would have been if the 
Dementors were still there.