Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Death Eaters
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Death Eaters are basically and simply stated, Voldemort's followers; his minions who tend to his tedious tasks for him, who have the Dark Mark burned into their arms, to know when to converge when Voldemort needs them or to call Voldemort with. They are first mentioned in the Harry Potter series in the fourth book, Goblet of Fire. From then on, they play a key role in the story, popping up throughout major parts of the fifth, sixth, and seventh book. There are many Death Eaters, however, the main and noteable ones being Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. The Death Eaters get some leg room that they had been aching for in the Order of the Phoenix story when Harry and fellow classmates Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and Neville go to the Department of Mysteries. In the sixth book, they assist in the attack on Hogwarts at the end of the book, and they pop in and out of the story of the Deathly Hallows while trying to catch Harry and friends in hopes of being top ranked Death Eater for Voldemort. At the end of book seven however, they are all driven away by the resistance of those who opposed Lord Voldemort.