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Death Eater

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The Death Eaters
The Dark Mark of Lord Voldemort
The Death Eaters logo
First appearanceTerm first used in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, though other followers of Voldemort had been previously met.
LocationUnknown, but possibly The Riddle House
PurposePreservation of blood purity and serving Lord Voldemort
EnemiesOrder of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, and the Ministry of Magic

In the fictional Harry Potter series, a Death Eater is a follower of Lord Voldemort. The Death Eaters serve as Voldemort's troops in his wars on the British Ministry of Magic and are his most trusted allies - insofar as he trusts anyone.

Their tasks include doing battle against the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix, and conducting psychological warfare against those who oppose Voldemort by threatening their families. After joining, Death Eaters are required to exhibit loyalty and obedience until death. Failure to do so results in punishment, including death.

All Death Eaters are branded with the Dark Mark on their left forearm. The Dark Mark, Voldemort's sign (a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth) is used to summon the Death Eaters - when Voldemort touches any Death Eater's mark, the others' marks would burn black, and the Death Eaters were expected to apparate next to their Master. The standard Death Eater attire is a black, hooded cape.

The film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire features the Death Eaters in skull masks and black robes with pointed hats. The outfit is reminiscent of the robes worn by members of the Ku Klux Klan. This is a fitting comparison: much like the Klan, the Death Eaters are greatly concerned with "blood purity" or racial purity.

Template:Spoiler

The sons and daughters of Death Eaters are welcome at Hogwarts - the school itself has never had any political or ideological allegiance, although its various Heads did. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, some of these children are given extra disciplinary powers by Dolores Umbridge when she becomes headmistress. Known as the Inquisitorial Squad, these students use their powers to harass the other students, especially the members of Dumbledore's Army. According to J.K. Rowling, although the Slytherins we most often hear from are the children of Death Eaters, they are only a fraction of the Slytherin population and there are some students connected to the Death Eaters in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw as well.

The Fall and Second Rise of Lord Voldemort

When Voldemort vanished after failing to kill Harry Potter, the Death Eaters lost their ability to function effectively. The Ministry rounded them up and imprisoned them in Azkaban, with some eluding justice by claiming innocence or by turning in other Death Eaters; we see some of these cases via Dumbledore's Pensieve.

As Voldemort regains a full-strength corporeal existence at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he summons his followers to him. Some of them have betrayed him and are too afraid to return to him, and others are dead or imprisoned, but many return to his service as Voldemort begins his second attempt to claim power.

File:Death Eater.jpg
A Death Eater, as seen behind his skull mask in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The Ministry refuses to believe that Voldemort has returned. Though Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore serve as dissenting voices, the majority of the public choose to believe the official position. This gives the Death Eaters a great advantage, and for much of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the group keeps a low profile in order to maintain their secrecy. The Ministry's denial enables the Death Eaters to recruit the Dementors to their cause and make similar overtures to the giants, as well as bolster their ranks by orchestrating a mass breakout of their surviving imprisoned members.

An attempt to learn the entirety of a prophecy made about the connection between Potter and Voldemort - which had led to the latter's original fall - fails thanks to the Order of the Phoenix, and eleven of the twelve Death Eaters present are captured. They also blow their cover as the Minister sees Voldemort and is forced to admit his return. With no reason to stay covert, the Death Eaters start another war to serve their master's ends.

Death Eater Tally

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix we learn that a "dozen-odd" Death Eaters appeared at the summons. Counting them, the ten mentioned as being broken out of Azkaban in the same book, the three said by Voldemort to be dead in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the three in that book named by Voldemort as not present but not imprisoned, it is certain there were at least twenty-eight Death Eaters at the time of Voldemort's fall. During his duel with Voldemort in Goblet of Fire, Harry contemplates using Expelliarmus, but at first sees no need for it, as he sees himself as outnumbered "at least thirty to one".

It is unknown how many followers Voldemort has outside of Britain, but two known non-British Death Eaters are Antonin Dolohov and Igor Karkaroff, indicating that the Death Eaters aren't just dangerous to Britain, and that they are an international organization.

Ideology

File:Death eaters worldcup.JPG
Death Eaters go on a pyromaniac rampage at the Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The Death Eaters are pure-blood fanatics, (ironic in the sense that they're leader, Lord Voldemort, is a half-blood) although it is unlikely that all of them are pure-bloods, as very few pure-bloods still exist; it is noted that possibly many of them are half-bloods clinging to their pure-blood ancestors. This is most notable in Severus Snape, perhaps most cunning of all the Death Eaters. A half-blood, while at school Snape called himself (although few knew it) 'The Half Blood Prince', a reference to his mother Eileen's pure-blood family, the Princes. It is also stated, by JKR herself, that a Muggle-born wizard can become a Death Eater "in rare circumstances." [1]

The Death Eaters seek to destroy wizarding families of Muggle lineage, to destroy the Muggle world and gain complete power and control over the entire wizarding world, and restore the magical community to the pure-bloods.

The Ministry of Magic has an elite unit of Dark Wizard catchers known as the Aurors, a squad of the most accomplished trackers and Dark Wizard hunters in existence. (It is unclear, but probable that other countries have Aurors too). Aurors are responsible for hunting and capturing - or killing, if necessary - Death Eaters and other Dark Wizards. The British Ministry is not alone in this fight, however. The Order of the Phoenix, an organization set up by Albus Dumbledore to combat Lord Voldemort and his followers, plants spies among the Death Eaters, and recruits international help. While in his fifth year at school, Harry Potter and his best friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, started an organization called Dumbledore's Army. Initially Dumbledore's Army was a rebel study group where the members were secretly taught advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts by Harry Potter. Later several members help Harry fight Death Eaters, and a year later when their school is invaded by Death Eaters, several members again fight. A Death Eater dies in the battle.

Known Death Eaters

Those with no explicitly listed crimes, in most cases, participated in the battle at the Department of Mysteries, or are known to be Death Eaters for other reasons. Note that Current Status indicates as of the end of the sixth book

  • Alecto and Amycus
    • Known Crimes: Assaulted persons within Hogwarts school.
    • Current Status: At large
  • Avery, Senior
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • The Carrows
    • Current Status: Unknown: two of the Death Eaters who believed Voldemort was gone forever. May be the same people as siblings Alecto and Amycus.
  • Crabbe Sr.
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
    • Vincent Crabbe's father. Mentioned by Lord Voldemort in attendance of Death Eaters during his "rebirth".
  • Antonin Dolohov
    • Known Crimes: Helped kill Gideon and Fabian Prewett, nearly killed Hermione Granger
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Goyle Sr.
    • Current Status: At large
    • Gregory Goyle's father. Mentioned by Lord Voldemort in attendance of Death Eaters during his "rebirth".
  • Fenrir Greyback
    • Known Crimes: inflicted werewolf curse on Remus Lupin, among others, including children; serial killer and cannibal. Also mutilated Bill Weasley, scarring him for life.
    • Current Status: Appears to be imprisoned
  • Jugson
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Bellatrix "Bella" Black-Lestrange
  • Rabastan Lestrange
    • Known Crimes: Participated in the torture and the permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom via the Cruciatus Curse
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Rodolphus Lestrange
    • Known Crimes: Participated in the torture and the permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom via the Cruciatus Curse
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Walden Macnair
    • Known Crimes: Unknown; worked as an executioner of dangerous animals for the Ministry of Magic, and was promised "better victims" by Voldemort.
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Draco Malfoy
    • Known Crimes: Led the assault on Hogwarts school with the intention to murder Albus Dumbledore, distributed a known deadly item with intention to kill, distributed poison with intention to kill. Used the Imperius Curse (attributed), attempted to use the Cruciatus Curse. (It is debated by fans whether or not Draco is a willing Death Eater)
    • Current Status: At large
  • Lucius Malfoy
    • Known Crimes: Gave Voldemort's school diary to Ginny Weasley and headed the operation in the Department of Mysteries; long history of throwing about his political and financial weight against "good" characters, specifically trying to get Dumbledore fired. Numerous counts of bribery. Attempted to place Department of Mysteries employee Broderick Bode under an Imperius Curse in order to capture the prophecy for his master.
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Narcissa "Cissy" Black-Malfoy
    • Current Status: At large (possibly not an actual Death Eater, but a supporter)
  • Mulciber
    • Known Crimes: None specified, but Igor Karkaroff stated that "he specialised in the Imperius curse, forced countless people to do horrific things." (GOF p.640, British adult paperback edition)
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Nott
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Peter Pettigrew
    • Known Crimes: Framed Sirius Black for the betrayal of James and Lily Potter and the deaths of twelve innocent Muggles and himself; actually betrayed the Potters; murdered Cedric Diggory, led Bertha Jorkins to her death at the hands of Lord Voldemort; assisted Voldemort in procuring a new body. Possibly responsible for the numerous deaths of members of the Order of the Phoenix while he was still a member.
    • Current Status: At large, possibly living in Spinner's End
  • Augustus Rookwood
    • Known Crimes: Used his job as Ministry of Magic employee to spy for Voldemort.
    • Current Status: Imprisoned
  • Severus Snape
    • Known Crimes: Revealed to Voldemort the prophecy that a boy with the power to defeat him would soon be born. Served as a double agent for many years. Murdered Albus Dumbledore using the Avada Kedavra Curse. Fled with several other Death Eaters after Dumbledore's death; true loyalty is a matter of intense speculation and debate.
    • Current Status: At large
  • Travers
    • Known Crimes: Murdered the McKinnons according to Igor Karkaroff
    • Current Status: Unknown, presumably dead
  • Yaxley
    • Current Status: Unknown: one of the Death Eaters who believed Voldemort was gone forever.

Deceased

  • Regulus Black (possibly the mysterious R.A.B.)
    • Reason for ceased servitude: Tried to back out of Death Eaters after realizing exactly how far Voldemort was willing to go to gain power; when Voldemort realized Regulus was trying to back out, he issued orders to have Regulus killed.
    • Current Status: Dead
  • Bartemius Crouch Jr.
    • Crimes: Participated in the torture and the permanent incapacitation of the Longbottoms; delivered Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort; performed the Imperius curse on Mad-Eye Moody; the murder of Bartemius Crouch Sr.; performed the Imperius curse on Viktor Krum, forcing him to torture Cedric Diggory
    • Reason for ceased servitude: "Kissed" by a Dementor that was accompanying Cornelius Fudge to Crouch's investigation as a means of protection
    • Current Status: Soul destroyed, no afterlife possible, useless but technically living body remaining
  • Gibbon
    • Crimes: Assaulted persons within Hogwarts school.
    • Reason for ceased servitude: Hit by a Killing Curse, fired by another Death Eater.
    • Current Status: Dead
  • Igor Karkaroff
    • Reason for ceased servitude: Naturally stopped serving Voldemort when he was defeated and decided to abandon the Death Eaters, turning in Augustus Rookwood in the process. He was killed by Death Eaters loyal to Voldemort.
    • Current Status: Dead
  • Quirinus Quirrell (canon sources differ on his given name, see his article)
    • Supposed Crimes: Served as a host for the bodiless Voldemort, attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone and murder Harry Potter
    • Actual Course of Events: Quirrell joined Voldemort because he was promised power. After he failed to steal the Philosopher's Stone in Gringotts (the Wizard Bank) Voldemort possessed him: "...'When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me... decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me...'" Template:HP1[1]
    • Current Status: Dead
  • Evan Rosier
    • Reason for ceased servitude: Refused to be caught by the Aurors after Voldemort's fall and killed in battle by famous Auror Mad-Eye Moody
    • Current Status: Dead
  • Wilkes
    • Reason for ceased servitude: Killed by Aurors.
    • Current Status: Dead

Innocents

The following are inncoent people who were or are suspected of being Death Eaters, or aided them unknowingly or unintentionally.

Trivia

JK Rowling once referred to the Death Eaters by an older name, the Knights of Walpurgis. It is unclear whether that name was ever used by the Death Eaters, or whether they were originally to be named that but she changed her mind.

The name "Death Eater" is likely a reference to Tom Marvolo Riddle's desire to prevent his own death from ever happening (as is his own chosen name "Voldemort"). Voldemort may also have promised immortality to his followers.

References

  1. ^ Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747532699. pg. 291

See also

  • A Death Eater's Guide ([[2]])
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