Snape Vampire Theory: Where did this come from?

[subrosax99]

No: HPFGUIDX 76996

I'm sure this question has been asked and answered a million times on 
this board, but could someone kindly explain the Snape/Vampire theory 
to me? 

We know from the books that Snape eats normal food and walks around 
in broad daylight. He's not apparently bothered by Quirrel's garlic 
smell (except perhaps in an aesthetic sense) and in GoF, he sees his 
reflection in Moody's foe glass. Sounds like a pretty half-assed 
vampire to me.

Even if we allow that he isn't "that" kind of vampire, or that he 
smears some greasy potion all over his body to protect himself from 
sunlight, I think we can agree that the need to drink blood would be 
the bare minimum requirement for someone to be considered a vampire. 
How then, could DD justify taking Snape as a student, then hiring him 
as a teacher? Lupin was one thing, but protecting the students and 
staff from Snape would be a logistical nightmare. 

Snape's appearence doesn't really suggest much to me either. Half the 
people in the wizarding world are going around dressed like the Son 
of Dracula. And where are Snape's gleaming white fangs? The most you 
could say for his teeth is that they could use a good cleaning and 
possibly some tartar-control toothpaste.

The half-vampire theory makes even less sense to me. How does that 
work? Isn't that sort of like being half-pregnant? Vampires aren't 
some seperate species. As far as I'm aware, vampires are, or were at 
one time, humans. So, does that mean one of Snape's parents was a 
vampire? If so, at least we know vampires have domestic problems like 
everyone else. 

I rather doubt JKR would make Snape a vampire for the simple reason 
that vampires have been done to death by that Rice woman. If I were 
her, I wouldn't touch that literary hot-potato with an industrial 
strength oven mitt. Not to mention all the back-tracking that would 
have to be done to explain everything.

I admit that I don't know a whole lot about vampires. I've read some 
literary analyses of Stoker's "Dracula", but that's about the extent 
of it. I am not conversant at all in fantasy/horror literature, and 
less so in actual vampire folklore (assuming ownership of a couple of 
Bauhaus records in the 80's doesn't count.)

I must be totally out to lunch, somehow, as I cannot understand the 
Snape/vampire connection. Could someone please explain this to me?


Allyson