A Crazy Idea

[devika261 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 19946

After rereading the 4 HP books for the umpteenth time, I'm again trying to 
find new meanings in things that I may not have noticed before...all I know 
is that I really need book 5 to come out.  But anyway, I've come up with a 
hypothesis, and I thought I'd run it by the group to find out what you all 
thought of it.  Be warned, though, this may sound a bit strange at first, but 
just give it a chance :)

My hypothesis is about our old friend Professor Snape.  It doesn't answer the 
question of whether he is good or evil, but it's still, IMHO, interesting to 
consider.   OK, here it is...

Did anyone ever consider the possibility that Snape might be a vampire?  I 
think he could be.  Now, I'm not exactly an expert on vampires, but here's my 
reasoning:

1)  JKR has compared him to a bat several times.  For example:
"Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he?  So useful to have him swooping 
around like an overgrown bat"  (Quirrell, SS, Ch. 17, The Man With Two Faces)

"How fast d'you reckon he [Snape] could have gotten down to the forest?  
D'you reckon he could've beaten you and Dumbledore there?"
"Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something," said Harry.
"Wouldn't put it past him," Ron muttered.  (GoF, The Dream)

I know there's at least one other bat reference, but I can't think of where 
it is at the moment...

2)  In GoF,Ch. 35, Veritaserum, after Dumbledore has stunned Moody/Crouch and 
enters the room with McGonagall and Snape, he goes straight to Moody.  
Finding out who Moody really is seems to be his top priority.  Prof. 
McGonagall goes right to Harry, so I get the impression that her top priority 
at the moment is his well-being.  Snape, however, goes directly to the 
Foe-Glass, "where his own face was still visible, glaring into the room."  
Why would Snape be so interested in his reflection in the Foe-Glass?  Yes, it 
is a magical object that might interest him, but it seems to me that he is 
looking more at his own reflection than at the mirror itself.  Why would this 
be so important to him, especially at a time like this?  Perhaps Snape is not 
used to seeing his reflection in a mirror.  Since the Foe-Glass is not an 
ordinary mirror, it would be able to show Snape's reflection, and this would 
interest Snape if he were a vampire.

3)  But if Snape were a vampire, wouldn't he have fangs?  Maybe he had them 
shrunk.  It seems to me that teeth-shrinking may have more uses in the books 
than just as a beauty tool for Hermione.
Also, vampires are not supposed to be exposed to sunlight.  But if there's a 
potion that prevents werewolves from transforming into monsters, it's 
possible that there is a potion that protects vampires from the sun.  And 
Snape is the potions master...

There are also many passing references to vampires in all 4 of the books--too 
many, IMO, for vampires not to be important in later books.

This is all speculation, obviously, and it's proof that I really need book 5 
to come out <g>.  But I thought this was an interesting idea, and I would 
like to know what you all think of it.  Try to prove me wrong, at least :)

Devika (whose job prevents her from reading HP all day--the Flying Ford 
Clinic has yet to decide whether this will reduce her obsession or increase 
her withdrawal symptoms...)


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