Who Knows What?
I think I am beating a dead horse here (i.e. Dumbledore = Uber-Manipulator), but I was thinking about the Dark Mark recently and have made some assumptions that I'd like to share.
Quite possibly it's pauraque's re-reading of GoF which triggered this thought, because I can't otherwise explain what made me wonder about the Dark Mark and its implications at this stage. GoF is an old hat, and I should rather have continued writing my ideas on postHBP!Bill, but there you go. This theory appeared from thin air and required being written down.
I've always worked on the vague premise that the Dark Mark triggers reactions of other Dark Marks in its vicinity. It's not in the text, but what is in the text is:
"It was a means of distinguishing each other, and his means of summoning us to him,"
says Snape when explaining the Dark Mark to Fudge in Chapter 36, The Parting of the Ways, in GoF. But how exactly it is used by Death Eaters to distinguish each other?
The books imply that all wizard robes have long sleeves, which sort of rules out the possibility of accidentally spotting another Death Eater's Dark Mark. Besides, as the Dark Mark tattoo features the same motive as the Dark Mark spectre that is used by Death Eaters to indicate that they've just murdered people, it would not be wise for Death Eaters to flash it at the unsuspecting public, who are familiar with the motive and not very fond of it.
Sneaking up at random strangers loitering in dark corners in Knockturn Alley and pulling up one's sleeve to show them one's tattoo in the hope that they, too, are Death Eaters might work, but is still risky and is bound to be futile. - There are more random strangers loitering in dark corners in Knockturn Alley than there are Death Eaters, and it is not a very efficient way of recognising possible allies.
The Dark Mark might be used in lieu of a password to authorise Death Eaters to enter Dark Revels™. It's certainly very handy for people like Crabbe Sr. and Goyle Sr. who are - as the text implies - not terribly bright and incapable of remembering complicated sequences such as, say:
"The significant owl hoots in the night."
"Yet many grey lords go sadly to the masterless men."
"Hooray, hooray for the spinster's sister's daughter."
"To the axeman, all supplicants are the same height."
"Yet verily, the rose is within the thorn."
"The caged whale knows nothing of the nighty mighty deeps."
"The ill-built tower trembles mightily at a butterfly's passage."
So yeah, flashing your Dark Mark at the doorman instead of rattling down elaborate passwords does make sense - especially when you consider that Lord Voldemort does not seem to select his followers on account of their intellectual prowess.
But I thought - as Voldemort uses the Dark Mark to summon his followers by activating one Death Eater's Mark (Peter's in GoF) to which the other Dark Marks react thus indicating to their bearers that they have to Apparate at Voldemort's side - that it would make a lot of sense for individual Dark Mark's to activate each other, too. If a (masked and robed) Death Eater bumps into another (masked and robed) Death Eater, they know instantly that they work for the same side. I used this concept in The Last Resort, where Snape realises that Peter's just entered the room by the reaction of his Dark Mark.
However, I've never thought it through thoroughly, and it never before occurred to me that, if one Dark Mark triggers a reaction in the other, then Snape would have realised that Moody was a Death Eater in GoF, because Crouch Jr. carries the Dark Mark. I am very fond of my concept, though, and didn't want to give it up just because of Crouch's Mark. This made me consider the implications of what-was-really-going-on behind the scenes in GoF and of Who Knew What.
Assuming, as I do, that the individual Dark Marks react to each other, there are several possibilities:
+ When transforming into Moody, Crouch Jr. lost the Dark Mark and was safe from Snape. The End.
+ Snape knew that there was another Death Eater in the castle: Karkaroff. He assumed that the reaction of his Dark Mark was due to Karkaroff's presence and didn't realise that there was yet another Death Eater at Hogwarts.
+ Snape realised that Moody had a Dark Mark -
a) But he didn't confront him nor tell Dumbledore, because he is loyal to Voldemort and guessed enough to realise that it was part of Voldemort's plan. (He knew that Voldemort was getting stronger in GoF, and it is safe to assume that he expected Voldemort to plan something.) (Though he probably did not expect the plan to be quite as ridiculous as it turned out to be.) He might even have guessed that Harry's entering the Tournament was somehow part of the plan, too, but was happy enough to see that Harry was in mortal danger.
Not-confronting Fake!Moody about being a Death Eater makes sense: Communication does not figure largely in the HP universe, Fake!Moody was openly hostile, and Snape would not know which Death Eater was impersonating Moody - it was likely to be someone who would not trust Snape anyway. So Snape knew that Fake!Moody was a Death Eater, Fake!Moody knew that Snape knew (because he knows how the Dark Marks work), and they both circled around each other all year.
b) And did confront Fake!Moody, offering his assistance. Moody did or did not accept Snape's help, but it helped establish Snape as a loyal Death Eater after Voldemort's rise (Moody and Voldemort did communicate during GoF), which is why he was welcomed back in the ranks.
c) And he did tell Dumbledore, because he is loyal to him. Dumbledore of course knew anyway, because is smart like that, and it was all part of his plan. GoF was a logical extension of PS, really: In PS, Dumbledore happily sent the children after Quirellmort, in order to test Harry's strength and abilities, and in GoF, he happily let him enter the Tournament to test his strength and abilities again.
Actually, this is my favourite theory: I think it's very likely that Dumbledore knew, but was prepared to risk a confrontation between Harry and Voldemort. He knew that Voldemort would rise again at some point, he knew that Harry was the one to fight him eventually. He knew (e.g. because of Loyal!Snape's information) that Voldemort was actually rising during GoF - there was nothing he could do to stop him, and it was better to have Harry confront Voldemort under more or less controlled conditions. It is likely that he knew that Voldemort would need Harry's blood for the resurrection ritual and it was essential for Voldemort to regain a body before he could be ultimately killed. This would explain the "look of triumph" in Dumbledore's eyes at the end of GoF. By having Harry enter the Tournament and fight through it under Dumbledore's watchful eye, Dumbledore was setting up the chessboard for the final battle.* It was risking a lot, as Harry could be killed. But it was not risking as much as one might think: Harry is the one to kill Voldemort not because of some cosmic plan, but because he has been carefully trained to think he has to, as Dumbledore explained in HBP.
The prophecy is a self-fulfilling one (and I am very happy that Rowling acknowledges this, as I've said so months ago**): Harry kills Voldemort because Voldemort has gone after him and his family and, by doing so, gave Harry some weapons others don't posses (according to Dumbledore). So, if Harry would have been killed during GoF, it would be regrettable, but it would not mean that Voldemort was now immortal. He could be just as well killed by someone else who acquired the necessary skills.
+ MultipleAgent!Snape knew about Moody's Mark, and he told both Moody and Dumbledore, in order to keep his options open. He knew that Voldemort would know that he, Snape, must realise that Moody was a Death Eater. It was safer to pretend to be loyal to Moody and, ultimately, to Voldemort. At the same time he also assumed that Dumbledore would find out in any case and wanted to make a good impression. This theory works in combination with the one above: Dumbledore follows his own agenda and Snape follows his. Harry and Crouch Jr. are only pawns in their larger-than-life game of chess.
*The internal logic of the books only works if we assume that Dumbledore knew all along and let Harry endanger himself. In PS, even Harry guessed that Dumbledore sent him after Voldemort. In CoS, it is most probable (I'm not sure whether or not explicitly stated) that Dumbledore knew about the basilisk - but having Harry have a go would test Harry's abilities as Parselmouth, which, as we learned in HBP, are an important factor in Harry's fight against Voldemort. In PoA, we know that Dumbledore knew about the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack and yet he did not have it blocked. He had Filch block all other secret passages, but the one tunnel which Dumbledore definitely knew existed (because it was he who had it built) was left open. He knew that Sirius knew about the tunnel, because he sent Snape there after Remus. While I think that a lot of this can be contributed to Rowling's plot holes (which is why I've always considered Dumbledore the largest plot hole of all), I am getting very fond of the idea of MasterManipulator!Dumbledore and JustAsSneaky!Snape, especially after HBP.
**Watch out for the pre-HBP thoughts on the "long line of inbreeding Slytherin descendants"!
Quite possibly it's pauraque's re-reading of GoF which triggered this thought, because I can't otherwise explain what made me wonder about the Dark Mark and its implications at this stage. GoF is an old hat, and I should rather have continued writing my ideas on postHBP!Bill, but there you go. This theory appeared from thin air and required being written down.
I've always worked on the vague premise that the Dark Mark triggers reactions of other Dark Marks in its vicinity. It's not in the text, but what is in the text is:
"It was a means of distinguishing each other, and his means of summoning us to him,"
says Snape when explaining the Dark Mark to Fudge in Chapter 36, The Parting of the Ways, in GoF. But how exactly it is used by Death Eaters to distinguish each other?
The books imply that all wizard robes have long sleeves, which sort of rules out the possibility of accidentally spotting another Death Eater's Dark Mark. Besides, as the Dark Mark tattoo features the same motive as the Dark Mark spectre that is used by Death Eaters to indicate that they've just murdered people, it would not be wise for Death Eaters to flash it at the unsuspecting public, who are familiar with the motive and not very fond of it.
Sneaking up at random strangers loitering in dark corners in Knockturn Alley and pulling up one's sleeve to show them one's tattoo in the hope that they, too, are Death Eaters might work, but is still risky and is bound to be futile. - There are more random strangers loitering in dark corners in Knockturn Alley than there are Death Eaters, and it is not a very efficient way of recognising possible allies.
The Dark Mark might be used in lieu of a password to authorise Death Eaters to enter Dark Revels™. It's certainly very handy for people like Crabbe Sr. and Goyle Sr. who are - as the text implies - not terribly bright and incapable of remembering complicated sequences such as, say:
"The significant owl hoots in the night."
"Yet many grey lords go sadly to the masterless men."
"Hooray, hooray for the spinster's sister's daughter."
"To the axeman, all supplicants are the same height."
"Yet verily, the rose is within the thorn."
"The caged whale knows nothing of the nighty mighty deeps."
"The ill-built tower trembles mightily at a butterfly's passage."
So yeah, flashing your Dark Mark at the doorman instead of rattling down elaborate passwords does make sense - especially when you consider that Lord Voldemort does not seem to select his followers on account of their intellectual prowess.
But I thought - as Voldemort uses the Dark Mark to summon his followers by activating one Death Eater's Mark (Peter's in GoF) to which the other Dark Marks react thus indicating to their bearers that they have to Apparate at Voldemort's side - that it would make a lot of sense for individual Dark Mark's to activate each other, too. If a (masked and robed) Death Eater bumps into another (masked and robed) Death Eater, they know instantly that they work for the same side. I used this concept in The Last Resort, where Snape realises that Peter's just entered the room by the reaction of his Dark Mark.
However, I've never thought it through thoroughly, and it never before occurred to me that, if one Dark Mark triggers a reaction in the other, then Snape would have realised that Moody was a Death Eater in GoF, because Crouch Jr. carries the Dark Mark. I am very fond of my concept, though, and didn't want to give it up just because of Crouch's Mark. This made me consider the implications of what-was-really-going-on behind the scenes in GoF and of Who Knew What.
Assuming, as I do, that the individual Dark Marks react to each other, there are several possibilities:
+ When transforming into Moody, Crouch Jr. lost the Dark Mark and was safe from Snape. The End.
+ Snape knew that there was another Death Eater in the castle: Karkaroff. He assumed that the reaction of his Dark Mark was due to Karkaroff's presence and didn't realise that there was yet another Death Eater at Hogwarts.
+ Snape realised that Moody had a Dark Mark -
a) But he didn't confront him nor tell Dumbledore, because he is loyal to Voldemort and guessed enough to realise that it was part of Voldemort's plan. (He knew that Voldemort was getting stronger in GoF, and it is safe to assume that he expected Voldemort to plan something.) (Though he probably did not expect the plan to be quite as ridiculous as it turned out to be.) He might even have guessed that Harry's entering the Tournament was somehow part of the plan, too, but was happy enough to see that Harry was in mortal danger.
Not-confronting Fake!Moody about being a Death Eater makes sense: Communication does not figure largely in the HP universe, Fake!Moody was openly hostile, and Snape would not know which Death Eater was impersonating Moody - it was likely to be someone who would not trust Snape anyway. So Snape knew that Fake!Moody was a Death Eater, Fake!Moody knew that Snape knew (because he knows how the Dark Marks work), and they both circled around each other all year.
b) And did confront Fake!Moody, offering his assistance. Moody did or did not accept Snape's help, but it helped establish Snape as a loyal Death Eater after Voldemort's rise (Moody and Voldemort did communicate during GoF), which is why he was welcomed back in the ranks.
c) And he did tell Dumbledore, because he is loyal to him. Dumbledore of course knew anyway, because is smart like that, and it was all part of his plan. GoF was a logical extension of PS, really: In PS, Dumbledore happily sent the children after Quirellmort, in order to test Harry's strength and abilities, and in GoF, he happily let him enter the Tournament to test his strength and abilities again.
Actually, this is my favourite theory: I think it's very likely that Dumbledore knew, but was prepared to risk a confrontation between Harry and Voldemort. He knew that Voldemort would rise again at some point, he knew that Harry was the one to fight him eventually. He knew (e.g. because of Loyal!Snape's information) that Voldemort was actually rising during GoF - there was nothing he could do to stop him, and it was better to have Harry confront Voldemort under more or less controlled conditions. It is likely that he knew that Voldemort would need Harry's blood for the resurrection ritual and it was essential for Voldemort to regain a body before he could be ultimately killed. This would explain the "look of triumph" in Dumbledore's eyes at the end of GoF. By having Harry enter the Tournament and fight through it under Dumbledore's watchful eye, Dumbledore was setting up the chessboard for the final battle.* It was risking a lot, as Harry could be killed. But it was not risking as much as one might think: Harry is the one to kill Voldemort not because of some cosmic plan, but because he has been carefully trained to think he has to, as Dumbledore explained in HBP.
The prophecy is a self-fulfilling one (and I am very happy that Rowling acknowledges this, as I've said so months ago**): Harry kills Voldemort because Voldemort has gone after him and his family and, by doing so, gave Harry some weapons others don't posses (according to Dumbledore). So, if Harry would have been killed during GoF, it would be regrettable, but it would not mean that Voldemort was now immortal. He could be just as well killed by someone else who acquired the necessary skills.
+ MultipleAgent!Snape knew about Moody's Mark, and he told both Moody and Dumbledore, in order to keep his options open. He knew that Voldemort would know that he, Snape, must realise that Moody was a Death Eater. It was safer to pretend to be loyal to Moody and, ultimately, to Voldemort. At the same time he also assumed that Dumbledore would find out in any case and wanted to make a good impression. This theory works in combination with the one above: Dumbledore follows his own agenda and Snape follows his. Harry and Crouch Jr. are only pawns in their larger-than-life game of chess.
*The internal logic of the books only works if we assume that Dumbledore knew all along and let Harry endanger himself. In PS, even Harry guessed that Dumbledore sent him after Voldemort. In CoS, it is most probable (I'm not sure whether or not explicitly stated) that Dumbledore knew about the basilisk - but having Harry have a go would test Harry's abilities as Parselmouth, which, as we learned in HBP, are an important factor in Harry's fight against Voldemort. In PoA, we know that Dumbledore knew about the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack and yet he did not have it blocked. He had Filch block all other secret passages, but the one tunnel which Dumbledore definitely knew existed (because it was he who had it built) was left open. He knew that Sirius knew about the tunnel, because he sent Snape there after Remus. While I think that a lot of this can be contributed to Rowling's plot holes (which is why I've always considered Dumbledore the largest plot hole of all), I am getting very fond of the idea of MasterManipulator!Dumbledore and JustAsSneaky!Snape, especially after HBP.
**Watch out for the pre-HBP thoughts on the "long line of inbreeding Slytherin descendants"!