The mark or tattoo of a skull and snake placed on the left arm was a sign on every Death Eater. When I was small, I was told that it was a tattoo that my Uncle had and thought nothing much about it. I suppose the innocence of children comes into that. It was a way that Death Eaters used to identify each other. There are those however, mostly women, that do not have a mark. I am told that my mother never had one and I do not have one. This was to serve the equally useful purpose of guarding and protecting people.

When he was at full power, he was able to call any Death Eater by simply touching the Mark. When he lost power, the dark marks faded and when he came back the Death Eaters could tell because they burnt black. The mark on my uncle’s arm fascinated me but it was rarely mentioned.

When I came to understand more about it, I found that each one was individual. The markings on the snake, some had the deathly hallows on them and some showed different emotions. To this day I do not know it this was more to do with the type of Death Eater they were, their rank or simply his emotion when casting the spell.

The Dark Mark was also the way in which I distinguished people, that could or couldn’t hurt me. Later in life I was to understand that this Dark Mark was more than a tattoo. I understood that anyone with this mark was unable to touch me. Unable to reach me. It gave me power over them. Power I wish I hadn’t learnt about. It was a power I learnt to control. It would show if someone had touched me and I hadn’t wanted them to. They would be burnt. Some were pained beyond belief. I guess that is how my father instigated it. Do not harm me or my blood. You will be punished.

When I see it now on people, I know that there are various reasons to judge someone. There is always more to the story than you think.