Snape as Vampire

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 35433

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "prefectmarcus" 
<prefectmarcus at y...> wrote:
> I doubt he is.  Why?
> 
> * He is mean and nasty enough.  Why cheapen it by doing 
such a cliche?

I don't follow the argument here. He's not enough like a "real" 
vampire to be one, and yet if he is, it's a cliche?

> * He is mean and nasty.  If he did have such a secret, wouldn't 
he  try to keep a low profile?

He's a Slytherin, so he's not known for making nice. A Slytherin 
who behaved like Lupin would draw attention, not one who acts 
like Snape. 

> * He is mean and nasty.  Everybody "knows" he wants the 
DADA job.   Since he doesn't shirk from making enemies, surely 
some student  sometime would pull a "Hermione" and add up 
the clues.  

They, like us, may be stymied by what "everybody knows" about 
vampire lore. It is quite possible that what everybody knows is 
erroneous, particularly about creatures who are feared and 
hated and out of the ordinary.  People used to believe that Jews 
had horns and tails, for example. And drank blood for that matter.  

> * He is mean and nasty.  He has been personally horrible to 
> Hermione.  Why would she cover for him?

She's still sticking  up for Snape in chapter 27 of GoF, after the 
tooth bashing and the Rita Skeeter reading. Yet she's quite 
happy to avenge herself on Rita. I'd say she's guessed 
something we haven't  about our Severus<g>

> * He is mean and nasty.  Why wouldn't someone in the know 
be offend once too often and pull a "Snape" and "let slip" he was 
a vampire?
> * The MoM has to be aware of what he is.  Would you want your 
child studying at Hogwarts if you knew one of the teaches was a 
vampire?

All of this applies equally to Snape being a Death Eater. 
Somehow Dumbledore has managed to keep that quiet. 

> * If Lupin knew, then Black knows.  Why didn't Sirius bring it up 
> when he was warning Harry in GOF?

Sirius trusts a werewolf, he knows Dumbledore trusts Snape. 
He dislikes Snape personally, but nevertheless he believes that 
it is our choices, not our abilities, which make us what we are. 
As a responsible Godfather, he's trying to pass these principles 
on. He's not very happy about having to shake Snape's hand. But 
he does it.


> * If Lupin gave the vampire essay in retaliation for Snape's 
werewolf  essay, he certainly took his time doing it.  Snape 
assigned his essay  before Halloween.  Lupin assigned his the 
following spring, at least  three months later.

When he could work it into the curriculum, so it wouldn't look like 
a direct retaliation. Lupin is subtle.

> * If Snape had his secret, I would think he would have been a 
bit more sympathetic to Lupin, another person with a secret.  
Why would  he "let slip" the werewolf story if Lupin could so 
easily retaliate?

Snape has his DE past to hide too, but that didn't stop him from 
letting Lupin's secret out. (Hiring Moody, who knew all about 
Severus' past was probably Dumbledore's notion of making the 
punishment fit the crime. ) And as I said, nobody would believe a 
werewolf. 
 
> * Why did not Fudge bring up the fact that Dumbledore 
employed vampires when he brought up werewolves and 
half-giants in GOF-36? 

Why should Fudge know? He doesn't even seem to have known 
that Snape was a Death Eater before seeing the mark.

Pippin