Death Eaters at graveyard - GOF

[claire_elise2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 173741

A longtime lurker, I am delurking to ask about Voldemort's comment in the graveyard scence in GOF in the light of what we now know about Snape.  Voldemort says, "And here we have six missing Death Eaters ... three dead in my service.  One, too cowardly to return... he will pay.  One, who I believe has left me for ever ... he will be killed, of course ... and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already re-entered my service. ...He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived tonight."

At the time, I recall much speculation about whether the "most faithful servant" was Crouch Jr or Snape.  But in the light of what we now know, it seems to me that Crouch was the "faithful servant" and Karkaroff the "one too cowardly to return".  Which leaves Snape as the one who has left forever and who would have to be killed.  Do we have any canon to suggest how Snape subsequently convinced Voldemort that he was indeed still a Death Eater and so avoided being killed off (at least until the end, when he was killed no because of any treachery but simply to give Voldemort power over the Elder Wand).

And where does Regulus fall in this?  Given that he dies by drinking the poison because of his disgust with the Dark Lord, did he really die in his service?

Sorry if this has been discussed recently.  I have tried looking to see if anything was said post DH, but there is so much there to digest!!

Claire