The downfall of Voldemort was easier than expected for the members of the Order of the Pheonix and their family and friends even considering that they almost lost the lives of some. The raids that Voldemort ordered his death eaters to do on villages cost the lives of many muggles and wizarding folk but the members of the Order were just happy that they lost none of their loved ones. Still no one would believe that the murders were the work of Voldemort until Voldemort was taken down during the battle for the prophecy at the Ministry of Magic and his body was found along with several of his followers. He didn't use horcruxes to sustain his life just pure luck. The lives of Sirius, Fred, Moody, Remus, Tonks, Colin, ect. and Georges ear were not taken due to the fact that the war with Voldemort never got to that point. Several of his death eaters were able to talk their way out of Azkaban even if some of them were caught at the ministry with Voldemort and even if their were witnesses there. Many believed it had to do with their financial statuses. It took two years for everyone to get it through their head that Voldemort had in fact come back to life and was now officially dead. The new Minister of Magic or shall I say Ministress, Dolores Umbridge, decided that she wanted to make life hard for everyone but especially children she had a hard time with at Hogwarts and passed a new marriage law that said that every male 17 or older was to marry a wife chosen for them.