Warning! At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.

As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

"They were a motley collection; a mixture of the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking some shared glory, and the thuggish gravitating toward a leader who could show them more refined forms of cruelty." —Forerunners of the Death Eaters[src]

The Death Eaters was the name given to the most ardent followers of Lord Voldemort. The group primarily consisted of wizards and witches who were radical pure-blood supremacists who practised the Dark Arts with reckless abandon, malevolence and without regard to or fear of wizarding law.

Lord Voldemort used this select group of wizards and witches during both the First and Second Wizarding Wars, employing them as his elite force. They often wore black hoods and masks with snake-like eye slits to cover their faces. The Death Eaters were considered Lord Voldemort's inner circle and had the Dark Mark burned into their left forearms. When Voldemort touched one of them, each of the Death Eaters felt it, signalling for them to Apparate to their leader's side.[1]

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History

Forerunners

Before the Death Eaters themselves came to be, Tom Riddle, as Voldemort was known in his childhood and early adulthood, gathered a gang of Slytherin students who considered themselves his friends, though in truth, he felt no real attachments to any of them due to his lack of desire for a true friend.

According to former Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, they were a mixture of the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking glory, and the thuggish seeking a leader who could show them more refined cruelty, and were considered to be forerunners of the Death Eaters since most (if not all) indeed became the first Death Eaters. He manipulated them to do his bidding, and though this led to several nasty incidents over the years, with Riddle's strategic discretion, none was linked back to the group, much less the model student Riddle himself.

Origins

"Voldemort... this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too –– some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right." —Voldemort gaining his many followers[src]

Seeking dominance

First Wizarding War

"Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves." —Voldemort's undetermined Death Eaters at the height of the war[src]

Before 1970 , Riddle formed a group he named the Knights of Walpurgis , an organisation that included people that Voldemort knew from his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . Nearly all of those recruited were from Slytherin House . However there may have been recruits from Gryffindor Hufflepuff and even from foreign schools within the ranks as well. He would later rename the group "the Death Eaters". Members of the organisation Voldemort deemed to be valuable and faithful would be branded with the Dark Mark. This symbol, a skull with a snake protruding from the mouth, was used to summoned his followers at will. Actively gathering an army of Dark Wizards and creatures, with the belief that his hidden Horcruxes granted him immortality, Voldemort and his followers planned to overthrow the Ministry of Magic Their ranks were huge, outnumbering the Order of the Phoenix by approximately twenty to one.

Death Eater activity during the First Wizarding War consisted of stealth attacks, espionage, torture and mass killings of wizards, witches, and large numbers of Muggles. These were initiated by the Death Eaters, often, but not always, on the orders of Voldemort. Part of the Death Eaters modus operandi was to cast the Dark Mark over every house where they committed murder. This inspired much terror in the wizarding community. However, the Death Eaters remained opposed by the Order of the Phoenix, founded by Albus Dumbledore and the Ministry, in retaliation for these heinous crimes and spearheaded by the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Thirteen years of chaos

"The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!" —Bellatrix Lestrange on trial for her Death Eater activities[src]

After Lord Voldemort attempted to circumvent a prophecy written by Sybill Trelawney during the height of the war, he fell out of the picture following his attack on Godric's Hollow that resulted in the murder of James and Lily Potter. His primary target, the infant Harry Potter, was mysteriously credited for Voldemort's fall and surviving with nothing but a scar, thus sealing his fate as the "Boy Who Lived" as well as starting the destiny forced upon him. Being none the wiser to what had become of their master, the Death Eaters largely fell into chaos. Many were rounded up and imprisoned in Azkaban without trial as part of the hard line taken by Ministry official Barty Crouch Snr, who had legalised the Unforgivable Curses against those suspected to be among the enemy's ranks.[3] Sirius Black, whom Pettigrew framed for his crimes, was among the prime suspects of Death Eater activities imprisoned without a trial.[4] Soon afterwards, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jnr tortured the Longbottoms into insanity while trying to procure information about Voldemort's whereabouts: this attack was considered one of the most atrocious crimes in recent history. They were captured and sentenced to Azkaban, but Bellatrix proudly proclaimed that the Dark Lord would rise again. On the other hand, Barty Crouch Jnr proclaimed his own innocence, begging for his father to believe him: his father ignored his pleas for leniency and sentenced him to prison, a sentence that led the entire court to roar with triumph.[3]

Some Death Eaters managed to elude justice by claiming the Imperius Curse had been used on them, such as Lucius Malfoy, or by turning in other Death Eaters, as Igor Karkaroff did. Due to many trying to escape by claiming they were bewitched, the Ministry assigned specialists to find out who was lying, although this did not work out to the fullest since Malfoy and several others were found innocent. Most followers hid their allegiance to Voldemort and therefore did not try to find him, although a handful of Death Eaters, such as the Lestranges and Barty Crouch Jnr, remained fiercely loyal to their fallen master and sought him out. They were supposedly rewarded by Voldemort for their loyalty. Some, such as Evan Rosier, chose to resist arrest and fought to the death. Sirius Black believed that if the rogue Death Eaters got wind of Peter Pettigrew is still alive, they would seek to kill him for it was his information that led to Voldemort's downfall. It was for this reason that Pettigrew hid in his unregistered Animagus form as a pet rat, stationed near Harry in an attempt to bide his time to turn the boy in should the Death Eaters start to regain momentum, in which nobody would dare say he betrayed Lord Voldemort. However, Pettigrew was ousted by Sirius and Remus Lupin, thus forcing him to seek out the weakened Dark Lord for shelter, assisting him in his regeneration.

Receiving a sign

Thirteen years later, at the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup in 1994, a group of Death Eaters attacked the camp of wizards and witches and a nearby Muggle family. The Death Eaters seemed to consider torturing and humiliating Muggles a form of entertainment. When Crouch Jnr launched the Dark Mark into the air out of rage for his comrades not seeking out their fallen master, the Death Eaters fled in fear of Voldemort's retribution for their disloyalty.[3]

Second Wizarding War

The Dark Lord's return

"Welcome, my friends. Thirteen years it's been, and yet, here you stand as if it were only yesterday. I confess myself... disappointed. Not one of you tried to find me... Crabbe! Macnair! Goyle! Not even you, Lucius." —Voldemort letting his disappointment in his Death Eaters known[src]

On 24 June 1995 , Lord Voldemort finally returned to a physical body through a Dark potion created by Peter Pettigrew (the potion required a bone from Voldemort's father, flesh from the servant and blood from the enemy — that being Harry). The body was human-shaped, though hairless and with many unusual features such as serpentine nostril slits and feline-esque eyes.

Moments after Lord Voldemort had finally regained his body, he summoned his followers to him by touching Peter Pettigrew's Dark Mark. Some proved too afraid to return to him, such as defector Igor Karkaroff, while others who were dead or imprisoned remained absent. Severus Snape did not return on the claim that he had to appear more loyal to Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix: Snape returned two hours later, under the claim that he was trying to maintain the cover of a double agent, which the Dark Lord found satisfying.

Despite several absences, there were many who returned the call, including Walden Macnair, Lucius Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle, and Avery. Avery went to beg for forgiveness, but Voldemort told the band of Death Eaters who did not try to find him that he wants thirteen years of repayment before he could forgive them for their wavered loyalty: Snape would later comment that had the faithless Death Eaters not been forgiven, then Voldemort would have very few followers left.

Harry Potter was present for Voldemort's return to power, and even duelled him, resulting in a spectacular display of Priori Incantatem, revealing that the cores of Voldemort's and Harry's wands were related. Harry managed to escape and tell Headmaster Albus Dumbledore of Voldemort's return.[3]

Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and most of the Ministry of Magic originally refused to believe that Voldemort had returned. Though Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore served as dissenting voices, the majority of the public chose to believe in the Ministry and its wider propaganda and smear campaign against Potter and Dumbledore, which would be printed in news outlets such as the Daily Prophet. Finally in 1996, the Minister for Magic witnessed Voldemort and Dumbledore's duel in the Ministry of Magic and was forced to admit his mistake.[5]

Bid for the Prophecy

"We have confirmed that ten-high security prisoners in the early hours of yesterday evening had escaped. And of course the Muggle Prime Minister has been alerted to the danger. There is convincing evidence that the escape was engineered by a man with personal experience in breaking out of Azkaban, notorious mass murderer Sirius Black, cousin of the escapee, Bellatrix Lestrange." —Announcement of the 1996 mass Azkaban breakout[src]

Armed with the advantage of the Ministry's denial, the Death Eaters kept a low profile in order to maintain their standing in the wizarding world and slowly but surely rebuild their forces without detection or hindrance. Due in part to the Ministry's refusal to remove the Dementors from Azkaban, a proposition Dumbledore supported immediately following Voldemort's return, the Death Eaters informally recruited the Dementors to their cause. Similar progress was made with the giants. The quiet revolt of the Dementors fostered a mass breakout of imprisoned Death Eaters from Azkaban in early 1996.

In early summer of 1996, Voldemort sent a group of twelve Death Eaters, led by Lucius Malfoy, into the Department of Mysteries in order to steal the prophecy concerning himself and Harry Potter. Having originally attacked Harry Potter based upon a partial recounting of it, Voldemort now desired to hear the full version in order to understand entirely the nature of the connection between himself and Potter. Harry was lured there, along with five other members of Dumbledore's Army, when Voldemort used their connection to give Harry a false vision of his godfather being tortured.

However, Harry and his friends managed to elude the Death Eaters, and the prophecy was accidentally destroyed by Neville Longbottom during the struggle. A battle ensued between the Death Eaters and several members of the Order of the Phoenix. Eleven of the twelve Death Eaters were captured, and Sirius Black was killed: Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange fled but not before Ministry officials witnessed the return of the Dark Lord,[5] which thus signalled the start of open warfare.

Start of open war

The raid was a failure for the Death Eaters because their reactivation was no longer a secret and the captured Death Eaters were then sent to Azkaban. Additionally, Voldemort failed in his objective to seize the prophecy concerning himself and Harry, infuriating him. Revealed at last to the wizarding community, the Death Eaters proceeded to resume their earlier lifestyle and behaviour. Kidnapping, torturing, and murdering of wizards, witches and Muggles began anew as the Second War began, which included the capture of wandmaker Garrick Ollivander, the murder of Order Of The Phoenix member Emmeline Vance, and the murder of Amelia Bones, who was until that point the head of the Department For Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. Due to the Ministry's failure to accept the reality of Voldemort's return early on, the Death Eaters' forces had already grown to the point where the Ministry had a very difficult time keeping them in check, made only worse when the Minister for Magic still cared more about the bureaucracy's reputation than actual security.

Victory at Hogwarts

"Dumbledore cornered! Dumbledore wandless! Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco, well done!" —Amycus Carrow on Dumbledore being cornered on the Astronomy Tower[src]

During the Second Wizarding War , Voldemort plotted to be rid of Albus Dumbledore. At the close of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry year in June 1997 , Dumbledore and Harry obtained a locket that they believed to be one of the Horcruxes of Voldemort from a cave filled with Inferi . They Apparated into Hogsmeade and through the assistance of Madam Rosmerta , they saw a Dark Mark hanging in the sky above Hogwarts Castle. Dumbledore and Harry borrowed broomsticks and flew to Hogwarts' highest tower in the castle, the Astronomy Tower.

Dumbledore encountered Draco Malfoy and performed the Full Body-Bind Curse on Harry, who was hidden under the Invisibility Cloak. Draco revealed how he successfully used a Vanishing Cabinet to help the Death Eaters enter Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore then informed Draco that he already knew about the assassination plot, the cursed necklace, and the poison intended to kill him. He also delayed Draco in his plans to murder him until several Death Eaters, including Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Fenrir Greyback, and Corban Yaxley, arrived at the scene.

Severus Snape successfully cast the Killing Curse on Dumbledore in front of the four Death Eaters, Fenrir Greyback, Draco, and Harry, who was still hidden under his Invisibility Cloak and frozen in place by Dumbledore's spell. After the latter's death, the jubilant Death Eaters retreated on Snape's orders. Harry, free from Dumbledore's Full Body-Bind Curse, quickly chased after the Death Eaters and cast several unsuccessful spells at Snape when they reached the grounds. One Death Eater, Thorfinn Rowle, set fire to Rubeus Hagrid's hut, and the Death Eaters disapparated when they reached the gate.

Also present were Rowle and Gibbon, who was accidentally killed by a stray Killing Curse from the former, the only casualty on the Death Eater's side. In addition to Dumbledore's death, Bill Weasley was attacked by Fenrir Greyback and received scars on his face but lived without becoming a werewolf because Greyback was not fully transformed at the time of the attack. However, Bill sustained minimal lycanthropic symptoms, including a taste for raw meat. Overall, the mission was a great success for the Death Eaters as they had destroyed their master's most powerful enemy, striking a devastating blow to the morale of those who remained standing against Voldemort.

Plottings and tactics

Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defence of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the pure-bloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance... She would have us all mate with Muggles..." —Lord Voldemort ridiculing Charity Burbage before mudering her[src]

Now that Dumbledore had been killed, the Death Eaters became even bolder in their campaign of terror against the British wizarding world. Voldemort, with his Death Eaters, planned several courses of action following the successful assassination of Dumbledore. One was the overthrowing of the Ministry of Magic so that Voldemort would have absolute power. Another was capturing Harry Potter and killing him. While Voldemort went on his own personal quests and stayed out of sight of the wizarding community's eye, he worked through others, including Corban Yaxley at the Ministry working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Severus Snape and the Carrows at Hogwarts working as professors.

The meeting place for the Death Eaters was Malfoy Manor. At this place, the Death Eaters would make reports, and the Dark Lord would give them orders. On one occasion, Voldemort heard Yaxley's reports concerning events at the Ministry of Magic, though he was more impressed with Snape's reports regarding the Order of the Phoenix's plans to move Harry Potter. Voldemort also ridiculed Bellatrix Lestrange and the Malfoys for the marriage of Remus Lupin (a known werewolf) to Nymphadora Tonks, their niece. At this meeting, Charity Burbage, a professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts, was murdered by Voldemort and then fed to Nagini. Voldemort also took Lucius Malfoy's wand to fight against Harry Potter, believing his own to be inferior.[6]

Attempt on Harry Potter

Main article: Battle of the Seven Potters

"That's him, it's him, it's the real one!" —Death Eater after Harry Potter cast Expelliarmus, his "trademark" spell[src]

Still opposed by the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army, who knew it was not safe to trust the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort knew through Snape that Harry Potter would be moved from the house of his aunt and uncle a few days before his seventeenth birthday, which is when Lilly's Potter's charm protecting him would have broken if Harry had continued to call the place home until that point. The exact details of this move were unknown to the Death Eaters at large, though Snape manipulated Mundungus Fletcher with magic and knew the plans, he only told the Dark Lord enough to display loyalty.

As a congregation of members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army, including Alastor Moody, Arthur Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Rubeus Hagrid, Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Fred and George Weasley, Mundungus Fletcher, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, along with Harry Potter himself, left the home of the Dursleys, the Death Eaters attacked immediately. They could not tell right away which pair included the real Harry Potter because six of the congregation had used Polyjuice Potion. It was assumed that Harry would be with the strongest members, so Shacklebolt and Moody were attacked most fervently at first, leading to Voldemort, who himself was present in the air without aid of magical transportation in any shape or form, personally killing the latter. During the ensuing battle, numerous Death Eaters were injured, including Rodolphus Lestrange, and one was supposedly killed. However, they inflicted noticeable casualties of their own, even by accident: George Weasley lost an ear and Hedwig was killed.

When Harry Potter used Expelliarmus, which they had come to consider his trademark spell, against Stan Shunpike, who was under the Imperius Curse, the Death Eaters knew the real Harry to be with Hagrid. Despite their attempts to capture the boy, they were thwarted by Harry's spell-work, Hagrid's selfless courage, and finally, when Harry crossed into a protective spell over the home of Ted Tonks. Lucius' wand was disintegrated by a spell cast by Harry's wand, infuriating Voldemort even more.[6]

The Death Eater-controlled Ministry

The Fall of the Ministry of Magic

The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming." —Kingsley Shacklebolt through his lynx Patronus[src]

In spite of their most recent failure to terminate Harry, the Death Eaters' plans of overthrowing the Ministry of Magic and taking a huge step towards reigning supreme were still underway. On 1 August 1997, they stormed into the complex, killing Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour. Then Pius Thicknesse was installed in his place, controlled by the Imperius Curse placed on him by Yaxley and effectively Voldemort's thrall, and several Death Eaters became employees of the Ministry, most notably Corban Yaxley. The Death Eaters used the Ministry's resources to eliminate the Order of the Phoenix's defences, attacking the Burrow and other homes of Order members, as well as those of some of their allies, such as Ted and Andromeda Tonks. While no one was killed, many were hurt under questioning about the whereabouts of Harry Potter, and all were subsequently put under surveillance.

With the Ministry's resources all but absolutely in the hands of the Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort stationed Nagini at Godric's Hollow and left them to run the Ministry in his name until he could seek out the fabled Elder Wand. The Death Eater-controlled Ministry continued to flourish in his absence. They created the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, an instrument for the humiliation and persecution of Muggle-borns, who were falsely accused of having "stolen" magic and consequently imprisoned in Azkaban. Propaganda against Muggle-borns and Harry Potter was spread: Harry was considered "Undesirable Number One," and there was a 10,000 Galleon reward for his capture. The Taboo curse was also placed upon Voldemort's name as a method of locating anybody who was brave enough to say it.[6]

Headmaster Snape

"Severus Snape, long-standing Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry, was today appointed Headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. Following the resignation of the previous Muggle Studies teacher, Alecto Carrow will take over the post while her brother, Amycus, fills the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor." —Death Eaters are appointed positions in Hogwarts[src]

Attendance at Hogwarts became mandatory during the 1997-1998 school year since Voldemort wanted all members of the magical population under his control which among other things was another way to weed out Muggle-borns. Students were required to prove blood status, and any Muggle-born children were sent to the Muggle-Born Registration Commission and then to Azkaban.

Severus Snape was appointed Headmaster, though he faced fierce opposition from Minerva McGonagall and other professors, as well as the remaining members of Dumbledore's Army, including Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley. They encouraged rebellion, saved students from detentions that now involved corporal punishment with one known means being the Cruciatus Curse, and eventually stopped attending classes and took up residence in the Room of Requirement.

The Carrows were also there at the school, with Amycus Carrow teaching the Dark Arts, although the class' name remained as Defence Against the Dark Arts. There were many favoured students, such as Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who were at home performing black magic. His sister, Alecto, took over the now mandatory Muggle Studies, though the course became a brainwashing of the superiority of wizard-kind over Muggles.[6]

Skirmish at Malfoy Manor

Main article: Skirmish at Malfoy Manor

The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches! Now… Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight." —Bellatrix Lestrange sadistically taunting the trio[src]

During Harry Potter's time hidden from the Death Eaters, he accidentally said Voldemort's name and thus triggered the Taboo placed upon the name. He, Ron and Hermione were captured by a group of Snatchers led by Fenrir Greyback and brought to Malfoy Manor, where they were confronted by Bellatrix Lestrange and the Malfoys. Bellatrix spotted Godric Gryffindor's Sword among the trio's possessions and interrogated Hermione using the Cruciatus Curse to find out where they got the item, but Hermione lied, claiming it was only a copy.

In the meantime, Dobby the house-elf came and rescued Harry, Ron, Garrick Ollivander, Luna Lovegood, and Dean Thomas from the basement, along with Griphook, who had reluctantly supported Hermione's lie. Together, they took various wands from the house's occupants before fleeing, but Dobby was killed by Bellatrix, who had finally had time to summon the Dark Lord, in the process. Upon his arrival, Voldemort was enraged that he had been summoned for nothing and cruelly caused physical harm to all present and placed them under house arrest. Having recently interrogated the leader of the forerunners of the Death Eaters, who was Gellert Grindelwald of the Alliance, he proceeded to complete his quest and steal the Elder Wand, at which point he could lead the Death Eaters directly and further tighten their iron fist around Great Britain.[6]

Destruction of Voldemort's Horcruxes

Unknown to anyone even vaguely associated with the Death Eaters, Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, was out seeking to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes and finish what Regulus Black had started in the seventies that Albus Dumbledore, thanks to the destruction of Marvolo Gaunt's ring in 1995, could not finish. One Horcrux, Tom Riddle's diary, had already been destroyed by Harry four years prior, the first Voldemort would learn of. From Bellatrix's behaviour at Malfoy Manor, Harry Potter concluded that a Horcrux was in her safe at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. With the help of Griphook, Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the bank and took Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, escaping on a dragon. The cup was later destroyed by Hermione Granger.

Although the three companions were successful in locating and destroying Slytherin's Locket and now had a second Horcrux in their grasp, Voldemort learned of Harry's mission from the bank's protectors. In panic, he wiped them out an went to the places the Horcruxes were hidden, leaving Hogwarts last, but in the process revealing to Harry Potter that Hogwarts was indeed the last place to go.[6]

"I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour... I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you... I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour." —Voldemort's ultimatum during the final battle[src]

Voldemort, along with his Death Eaters and other allies, attacked Hogwarts and those defending it in May 1998. During this battle, Harry, Hermione, and Ron managed to find Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem in the Room of Requirement. It was accidentally destroyed by Vincent Crabbe's out of control Fiendfyre curse. In the meantime, Death Eaters and their allies were storming the castle: Colin Creevey and Fred Weasley were murdered, Lavender Brown was fatally wounded by Fenrir Greyback, and Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks were murdered in duels with Antonin Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange, respectively. Voldemort had Nagini kill Severus Snape, believing it would make him the true master of the Elder Wand, and then issued an ultimatum to the other side: Harry turns himself over within an hour, or everyone in Hogwarts will be killed.

It was then revealed to Harry that he himself had accidentally been turned into a Horcrux. He willingly took a Killing Curse from Voldemort in order to destroy it, but because his mother's sacrifice lived on in his blood, the blood Voldemort took in himself in order to regain a body, Harry was not killed. He found himself in limbo, the plane between life and death and was given the choice to move on.

Goaded by Harry's apparent demise, an entire army of reinforcements stormed the castle, at which point Neville Longbottom beheaded Nagini with the sword of Gryffindor, and the final Horcrux was destroyed. Thanks to Harry's sacrifice that lived on in the blood of his allies, the Death Eaters were defeated, with Antonin Dolohov notably being defeated by Filius Flitwick and Bellatrix Lestrange notably being slain by Molly Weasley.[6]

Aftermath

With the Death Eater forces silenced and the battle all but lost, Harry Potter destroyed their master once and for all thanks to his mastery of the Elder Wand. Without their master, the surviving Death Eaters fell.[6] Nevertheless, a select few, such as the Malfoys, were pardoned. In fact, Lucius had given much information on his former comrades and assisted the Auror Office in their capture,[7] and many Death Eaters were permanently imprisoned. After Voldemort's death, the Dark Marks on the Death Eaters' forearms faded into scars.[6]

Following the outbreak of The Calamity on December 14, 2018, whereupon a powerful piece of Chaotic Magic was unleashed upon the world and resulted in one of the most massive breaches of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in the history of the wizarding world, several magical communities around the world saw a sudden resurgence of Dark Wizards adorning the black robes and masks of the original followers of the Dark Lord. Capitalising on the troubles of the day, these individuals would be sighted both in Great Britain as well as overseas, presumably trying to expose the wizardkind and provoke war between the magical and non-magical worlds as a pretext to re-establishing their prior reign of terror. They were known to have had numerous violent encounters with Aurors, Professors and even Magizoologists counted among the ranks of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force. It is unknown if these were a fraction of Lord Voldemort's old supporters that were still loyal to the cause, family members of former Death Eaters that shared their kin's ideology on a quest for revenge for their defeat at the Battle of Hogwarts, a group of disaffected anarchist wizards that were unrelated to the Death Eaters who enjoyed the chaos and used their public image as a type of scare tactic, or all of the above.[8]

Ideology

"Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time. You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest... And in your family, so in the world...we shall cut away the cancer that infects us until only those of the true blood remain..." —Lord Voldemort on his goals in Malfoy Manor[src]

There are hints that a long-standing dispute had existed in the wizarding world regarding the relationship between Magic and Muggles, and the status of magically talented people born to Muggle parents. These disputes clearly date back to at least the time of the founding of Hogwarts, as the Sorting Hat described the rift between pure blood-valuing Slytherin and the other three founders, who were enthusiastic to admit any young witch or wizard of talent.

There are also hints in The Tales of Beedle the Bard and other legends, to the point of even Muggle ones, that once upon a time witches, wizards and Muggles were known to each other and interacted. The International Statute of Secrecy was the solution settled upon in the 1600s to end these relationships, preventing misunderstanding, miscommunication, and cruelty by enforcing the hiding of magic and bringing about the obliviation of any Muggle aware of magic. Probably not coincidentally, the Scientific Revolution began in the Muggle world around this time.

But this remained a controversial choice. There were many in the magical world to whom it occurred that, united, the wizarding community had enough power to openly take control of governments worldwide. For some this was just a means of power, wealth, or fame; but to others, such as Dumbledore, who flirted with the idea of a wizard-led society with Grindelwald in his youth, this was an opportunity to improve the world, to use power responsibly and prevent tragedies based on xenophobia and secrecy like the one that had torn apart his own family.

As for Muggle-born witches and wizards, it seems that their status had been the subject of sometimes violent dispute for centuries. At the time of Harry's first year, and perhaps due to the influence of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff long before that, it was considered gross and impolite to openly disparage Muggle-borns or use slurs like 'mudblood'. But clearly, prejudice and belief in the superiority and supremacy of a long-suffering aristocratic class persisted in many corners of the magical community, to the point of it being centred in England around Hogwarts' Slytherin house, just as Slytherin himself had intended.

In many ways, this form of racism was delusional comparable to Nazi white supremacism, relying on a romanticised, imaginary history of wizarding genealogy, and conveniently ignoring realities such as the partial or total Muggle origins of most witches and wizards, the existence of Squibs, and the lack of real differences in talent between pure-bloods and others. And like Germany in the time of the Nazis, while most people were not openly prejudiced, only a few were really courageous enough to stand up to it as well. Most government officials were content to ignore the problems of classism in magical society, and many participated without complaint when the new Voldemort-backed regime began to persecute Muggle-borns.

Organisation

The Death Eaters can't be all pure-blood, there aren't enough pure-blood wizards left. I expect most of them are half-bloods, pretending to be pure. It's only Muggle-borns they hate..." —Hermione Granger regarding the Death Eaters[src]

The Death Eaters were an organisation of pure-blood supremacists that coalesced around Voldemort, the Dark Lord himself, a man who offered a lightning rod for their hatred and bloodlust and especially those who sought to enforce pure-blood supremacy or establish New World Order for both wizards and non-magics. He found them very useful, as their ranks included wizarding aristocrats that could accomplish his goals through government and money, and deadly, remorseless thugs of all stripes. However, Voldemort's single-minded pursuit of power was unpopular and he merely preyed on prejudice to obtain followers to unwittingly bring him to worldwide dominion. Though he allowed them to establish purification policies when they took over the Ministry of Magic, he busied himself with seeking power for himself while never bothering to help them with these goals.[6]

Death Eaters followed their leader's commands first and foremost, and he treated them ruthlessly, often sending them on virtually impossible missions and punishing them horribly if they failed him, even due to bad luck rather than incompetence. At his command, they worked against Voldemort's opponents, the Order of the Phoenix, through espionage, murder, and battle, and also infiltrated and undermined the Ministry of Magic. When he needed tasks done to increase his own power, he often sent them if he considered the task trivial enough to not warrant his personal attention, such as retrieving the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries and visiting the werewolves and the giants. The Death Eaters' other, more spontaneous activities included Muggle torture and murder for fun, property crime, and conspiracy against the world powers, beginning with Great Britain. Upon their success in taking over the Ministry during the Second Wizarding War, they began a campaign to identify Muggle-born witches and wizards and strip them of their wands, or even imprison or kill them, on the trumped-up premise that they must have 'stolen' their magic from a 'real' witch or wizard.[6]

Although some Death Eaters appeared to have been fanatically loyal to Voldemort, such as Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jnr, several only aligned with him for the ideals of purification and shared glory, such as Lucius Malfoy and Regulus Black, while many others seemed to serve him largely out of fear, such as Peter Pettigrew. As soon as he was defeated in 1981, many immediately renounced their loyalty and did not attempt to find Voldemort in the intervening years. Also, due to maltreatment from Voldemort, some who joined him would come to regret it later on, such as Lucius, Draco, and Regulus, when they either suffered his abuse or witnessed the true extent of his diabolical means. Those who rioted at the 1994 Quidditch World Cup also fled when the Dark Mark was cast. Bill Weasley speculated then that those Death Eaters were “even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back”.[9] However, most Apparated to his side if they were able to when Voldemort called them upon his return, claiming that they had been loyal all along.

Although Voldemort's standard recruitment seems to be centred around Slytherins, the Dark Wizard-inclined house which he was sorted into and thus the easiest to gain followers, he sometimes gained Death Eaters from other locations such as Peter Pettigrew of Gryffindor and Igor Karkaroff of the north. Valuing their loyalty over their social statuses or ages, Voldemort recruited Regulus Black and Draco Malfoy, both of whom were sixteen years old at the time of induction. This was beneficial to him because it, at least in Malfoy's case, gained him the latter's respect and anticipation for Death Eater-related duty.

In turn, even though Voldemort valued the services they provided, and spoke as though they were a family, he saw them as no more than dispensable servants. Voldemort was willing to sacrifice even the most loyal of them if it would increase his power, the most prominent example being Severus Snape, who he thought to the end was faithful. Some Death Eaters deluded themselves to thinking that they alone knew and understood Voldemort, or were even close to him, but Voldemort never desired friendship. Voldemort had some commons with several Death Eaters (such as a disappointing father like Barty Crouch Jnr, or trying to cover his muggle heritage like Severus Snape), and even sharing such facts to garner the loyalty of such people, making it seem as he understand them in return, taking advantage of their inner feelings without gaining any attachments to them in return. Coupled with either disloyalty or constant failures, Voldemort lost faith in some of the once-highly revered servants such as Lucius and Bellatrix.[6] As a sign of distrust-based precaution, the Death Eaters did not have knowledge of all their colleagues' identities: Voldemort alone knew who they all were. This was done in order to prevent any traitors from turning all the others in.[3]

"...why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?" —Voldemort stating the obligations of Death Eaters[src]

Becoming a Death Eater meant a lifetime service to Lord Voldemort. Death Eaters were denied the right to resign under any circumstances, under penalty of death. Sirius Black thought his younger brother was killed for attempting to quit after being given an exorbitantly taxing assignment, even though later this turned out to be the opposite.[6] Igor Karkaroff deserted the Death Eaters after turning many of them over to the Ministry, and even though he went into hiding after his former master was revived, he was eventually caught and killed for his disloyalty. However, Voldemort did forgive the servants who did not attempt to find him but returned when he touched Wormtail's Dark Mark since Snape claimed that, if otherwise, Voldemort would be left with very few followers. Because of his diminished military forces at the time of his rebirth ceremony, Voldemort only punished those who returned to him by mild torture and demands: he let Wormtail suffer the pain of severing his hand as punishment for years of disloyalty, and demanded that Avery suffer thirteen years of pain as repayment for thirteen years of disloyalty before truly being forgiven.[3]

Hierarchy

Voldemort's most senior Death Eaters, most of whom were old chums from Slytherin house or younger Slytherin alumni, mostly pure-bloods, and people highly useful to Voldemort for their wealth, skill, or ruthlessness, were bestowed with the Dark Mark on the inside of their lower left arm. These were his inner circle, those he summoned to his side upon his rebirth in Harry's fourth year, and who sat around his high table at Malfoy Manor. Being branded with the Dark Mark was a symbol of the highest status and honour in Voldemort's social order, but was also something of a dangerous burden, as it allowed the Dark Lord to track, communicate with, and summon his chosen few. Some associates, such as relatives of Death Eaters, are also on par with the actual members, prominently Narcissa Malfoy. On the other hand, Peter Pettigrew was branded a Dark Mark as well, though he was considered to be lower ranked than any other Death Eater, as Voldemort disdained his disloyalty and only saw him occasionally useful, thus assigning him to menial tasks most of the time. Age plays little influence on one's induction into the group, as both Draco Malfoy and Regulus Black became Death Eaters at age 16, their devotion being more important than their social qualifications.

The next level down were allowed to wear Death Eater garments in order to command the respect they engendered, but were not Marked. These seem to included those that Voldemort found useful but did not prefer to associate with. Genuine Death Eaters also regard these faux members with disrespect, as they did not hesitate to speak down on them, nor outright attack them.

On the lowest rung was a mass of supportive rabble, loyal to Voldemort but not useful enough to him to deal with him directly. They were given orders and opportunities to commit crimes or advance themselves through the senior Death Eaters. On the same tier were witches and wizards under the Imperius Curse (subtly implied to disproportionately constitute the weak-willed, like Pius Thicknesse, the slow-witted, like Stan Shunpike, and the dubiously loyal), and non-humans of different degrees of sentience such as Werewolves, Giants, Dementors and the Inferi. These were pressed into service by the Death Eaters, and sentient groups that would have ordinarily remained neutral like the Dementors, Giants, and Werewolves were brought into the fold with false promises that their grievances would be avenged upon victory in battle. This entire mass was mobilised for Voldemort's attack on Hogwarts, though before then, they were only used to maintain the new regime, or else roam uncontrolled, sowing chaos and demoralisation as they sought individual gain. During Voldemort's assault on Hogwarts, they were used as expendable cannon fodder meant to overwhelm the students and teachers through shear force of numbers or test Hogwarts's formidable magic defences.

Death Eaters affiliates

Members

Allies

The Death Eaters seem to have a hierarchy, with Voldemort at the top, followed by top ranking members, who were often his most powerful and trusted Death Eaters. Arguably, his topmost Death Eaters were Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy (until he lost favour), Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jnr, Antonin Dolohov, Peter Pettigrew, Augustus Rookwood, Corban Yaxley and Fenrir Greyback.

Death Eaters' influence

Deaths

Permanent injuries

Non-permanent injuries

Disappearances

Behind the scenes

Appearances

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