Song for Arbonne SPOILERS of a sort

[Carol]

Alla wrote:
<snip>
> So why am I posting this quote from Song for Arbonne here? Well, to 
> introduce Snape like character, whom I love so much and hoping that 
> some people read this book, since God knows I bugged Zara who 
> recommended this book to me enough :-)
> 
> 
> Now, when I am saying that the character described in this quote is 
> Snape like, it does not mean of course that all circumstances of his 
> life is just like Snape's, but in a very important way and I believe 
> more than one he reminds me of Snape.
> 
> "He was huge, Blaise saw, robed in extravagantly expensive dark
green satin trimmed with white fur, even in summer. Easily sixty years
old, his grey hair cropped close like a soldier's, he stood lightly 
balanced, for all his size, and his posture was straight backed and 
arrogant. 
> "What am I doing here?" he echoed mockingly. The voice was
memorable, deep and resonant. "Isn't this where the singers are? Is
this not Carnival? Cannot a man seek the solace and pleasure of music
at such a time? 
> "You hate musicians," Bertrain de Talair said harshly, biting off
his words. He still had not turned. "You kill singers, remember? 
> "Only the impertinent ones," the other man said indifferently. "Only
those who forget where they are and sing what they should not. And 
that was a long time ago, after all. Men can chance, surely, as we
move towards our waiting graves. Age can mellow us." There was nothing
mellow about that tone though. What Blaise heard was mockery, savage,
acid-dipped" - p.133

Carol responds:

I'm confused, Alla. The big, fat, sixty-year-old character who used to
kill singers reminds you of Snape, and you like this character? The
only Snapelike feature I can detect is a mocking tone. And seeking
solace in the pleasure of music sounds more like slughorn (with his
piano and victrrola) than Snape.

By the way, I saw something interesting with regard to Snape on the
"Today" show this morning or one of the early morning shows, anyway; I
flip channels, so it might have been "The Early Show" or GMA): Two
authors who were telling people how to get what they want at work gave
the following advice for power seekers: Wear black, don't smile, and
move slowly. I'm not sure whether sweeping out of a room counts as
moving slowly, but Snape (except on those memorable occasions when he
loses control) is aware of every gesture, every movement, every facial
expression, every tone of his voice, every word that he speaks.

Carol, who sees Slytherin elements in the character you described but
thinks he combines aspects of Phineas Nigellus (arrogance, a mocking
tone, and dark green satin robes), Slughorn (age and a body build that
reflects self-indulgence, and Voldemort (killing those who displease
him), but little of Snape except intelligence and a trace of sarcasm
and nothing to like