[HPforGrownups] Snape's goatee? NOOooooooooo!

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 79817

Erin wrote:
>A few months ago, when I first joined this group, my attention was
>drawn to a picture of Professor Snape, drawn by J.K. Rowling, which
>is in the photos section of HP for Grownups.  In it, he has a
>goatee.  This startled me, as never in my wildest dreams had I ever
>pictured a bearded Snape.  He's never described as having one in the
>books, right?

I'm amazed! I'm boggled! And here's why...

For a little while I've been wondering whether Snape can be compared to
another oily-haired, sallow-skinned, black-haired, hook-nosed villain/hero
in fiction, namely Lord Gro in "The Worm Ouroboros". I've searched the
archives but no one seems to have made this connection before. But one of
the things that made me lean away from the comparison was the fact that Gro
is described as having a curly black beard while I'd always thought, like
you, of Snape being clean shaven.

Now we see a bearded Snape, I start to wonder again.

In "Ouroboros", Gro is introduced as a character who has deserted his native
allegiance to join up with the villains of the piece. But, when our heroes
are at their lowest gasp, he turns to their side. And, at the end, when our
heroes are about to win the final battle, he turns back again and is killed.

Snape "turns" from the WW to join up with the DEs. At some point during the
Voldemort war, he turns back to the good side. Does that mean, I wonder,
that the twist in book 7 will be that Snape will turn back to Voldemort and
be killed by the Order?

A quote or two: "...I judge him to be one who is not false save only in
policy. Subtle of mind he is, and dealy loveth plotting and scheming, and,
as I think, perversely affecteth ever the losing side if he be brought into
any quarrel; and this hath dragged him oft-times to misfortune"

"And who dares call me turncoat, who do but follow now as I have followed
this rare wisdom all my days: to love the sunrise and the sundown and the
morning and the evening star? since there only abideth the soul of nobility,
true love, and wonder, and the glory of hope and fear."

"Pale he is as the moon in daylight hours, slender, with fine-cut features
and great dark eyes, and his nose hooked like a reaping-hook; gentle-looking
and melancholy looking, yet noble"

The only difference that remains is that Gro is drawn as a bit of a dandy,
whereas Snape is drawn as a bit of a scruff.

Does anyone feel this idea is a starter?

Cheers

Ffred

O Benryn wleth hyd Luch Reon
Cymru yn unfryd gerhyd Wrion
Gwret dy Cymry yghymeiri