[HPforGrownups] Re: It's possible there ISN'T an Heir of Gryffindor and other matters

[Patricia Bullington-McGuire]

No: HPFGUIDX 58340

On Tue, 20 May 2003, probonoprobono wrote:

> from PoA: 
> "Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in 
> his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy 
> white skin, looked just like one."

This quote is the biggest reason I think Snape may not be a vampire.  I
have heard many people who make a big fuss about the fact that Snape is
described as having "sallow" skin and take that as evidence that he is a
vampire.  But "sallow" does not mean "waxy white."  "Sallow" is an
unhealthy yellowish color.  From the Mirriam-Webster Online dictionary:

Main Entry: 2sallow
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English salowe, from Old English salu; akin to Old High 
German salo murky, Russian solovyi yellowish gray
Date: before 12th century
: of a grayish greenish yellow color


I do think we will see a vampire eventually.  We have heard too many 
references to them not to.  But I'm not convinced Snape is it.

That said, I'm not 100% convinced Snape is not it, either.  I do still
wonder why Lupin assigned that vampire essay.  But it may just be a red
herring.  Or, Snape may be connected to vampires in some other way without
being one himself.  We do know vampires at least visit Hogsmeade on
occassion since the candy store sells blood-flavored lollipops, but I
would think the students would waste no time in spreading the news if
anyone had ever seen Snape in there buying such things.

----
Patricia Bullington-McGuire	<patricia at obscure.org>

The brilliant Cerebron, attacking the problem analytically, discovered
three distinct kinds of dragon: the mythical, the chimerical, and the
purely hypothetical.  They were all, one might say, nonexistent, but each
nonexisted in an entirely different way ... 
                -- Stanislaw Lem, "Cyberiad"