death to capslock

What kind of mark is the Dark Mark?

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 13:54:00 GMT

Posted by: sunnyskywalker

It’s amazing how many times I can re-read something and yet still miss the obvious. In my previous Dark Mark post, flyingskull said, "The DM is a magical tattoo, right?" And yes, I have consistently been picturing the Dark Mark as it appears in the movies: it’s your standard Little Black Tattoo. In GoF, Snape told us that an hour ago, it “burned black.” So it’s black, and when it’s used for summoning, it burns extra-dark black. Right?( Read more... )

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How could the Dark Mark remain unseen?

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 20:51:00 GMT

Posted by: sunnyskywalker

After working out the reasons I think the Dark Mark can’t be visible on Death Eaters’ arms at all times (otherwise wizards would all be so incompetent that their society should have collapsed ages ago), I decided that exploring other aspects of the Mark’s functioning that might be interesting, or at least useful for fic writers.( Read more... )

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Is the Dark Mark always visible?

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 16:56:00 GMT

Posted by: sunnyskywalker

It’s a common assumption that the Dark Mark is always visible on a Death Eater's arm, like a Muggle tattoo, and so Death Eaters must never, ever roll up their long sleeves. (I suppose this means they can never go swimming again, unless it’s at the Annual Death Eater Picnic.) Everyone knows about it, so characters might get suspicious if friends suddenly start taking unusual care about keeping their sleeves down. Romantic liaisons might end abruptly in shattering discoveries.

But does canon support this assumption?( Read more... )

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