[HPforGrownups] Of Voldie and vampires and new theories

[Silverthorne]

No: HPFGUIDX 96523


Pippin:

(Anne Snips and combines from differemt threads)

Identity is a tricky business. Voldemort, as I think Anne once pointed out,
transformed himself from a human into something very much like a traditional
vampire, and did it so completely that in Dobby's mind at least, he had
nothing to do with Tom Riddle. But what if there was a vampire who
transformed himself into a human being?


{Silverthorne}

Hey, sorry for taking so long to answer...^^Yes, I did state once that
perhaps Voldemort was the Vampire, for the reasons stated above...^^;

Interesting theory, Pippin. That would shove whoever it was into "daywalker"
territory though, or make them similar to Lestat, who 'earned' his ability
to be more or less normal after feeding from Akasha...However there's never
really been a case in any literature/movie that I know of where the fully
turned Vampire managed to become completely human again. They may have a way
to avoid the hunger for awhile (even centuries), but the danger is *always*
still there ever after that they will 'revert' to their true nature. The
only total escape is true death once a vampiric life has been wholly
embraced--that's just about universally agreed upon by writers whether for
the movies, books, even RPG sourcebooks. Occasionally, there's some sort of
elixir/relic/magical stone that can over-ride the situation, but its SO
rarely used as a plot device that it also is almost a non-solution.

As for  those vampiric victims that are still changing (IE: Had not died
their first 'death' after being bitten),  they didn't escape the curse
either unless 'their' progenator was killed before they succumbed
completely. (Kill the original vampire of a line of vampires, and if you're
still living by the time you've managed that and haven't turned completely,
you're freed from the curse). And the problem with using this theory is that
even at the best of times, there *isn't* much time for the victim to find
his progenator--they may have days, weeks, even a few years before the
'infection' finally drives them to drink blood, and/or kills them outright,
but it *does* eventually take them down, removing them from a normal, human
life. Although Snape may have been able to find him, especially if it was
his father, I doubt that he would have been quick enough (or strong enough
as a child) to do old Dad in before Dad either totally converted him or
killed him to save the trouble (Vamps don't like loose ends--even ones
related by blood and genetics...bad for survival, you know? Half-turned
progeny tend to want to kill 'Daddy' even more than fully turned
children...It's a predator thing....;)...).


{Pippin}
Suppose that the hook-nosed man in Snape's memories is his father, a vampire
who passed for human. But that's not good enough for our Severus, he wants
to be a human indeed. He wants to be a Slytherin  and later, one of
Voldemort's humanity-firsters. And Voldemort, who has a use for him, accepts
him into the fold.


{Silverthorne}
Again, great theory, but except for a few very notable exceptions (Vampire
Hunter D and a book series someone else mentioned in an earlier
Vampire!Snape discussion and I can't recall the name of), even in mainstream
modern literature, Vampires cannot breed in the 'normal' way (Unless it is a
virus-driven infection--but that would put it at odds with Rowling's very
'magical' based world, I would think). Vampire 'live births' are an almost
universally fanfic invention. Rowling, even when she vastly skews a folklore
creature (as in the case of ghouls), still has a very solidly based
backround in real floklore for her magical creatures. You can see exactly
where she 'altered' facts and combined folklore for her creatures (Refer
back to my Basilisk post and how Medusa related to it)--and most of them are
still fairly close to the original mark. Vampires actually having children,
however, are not one of those 'facts' that has been altered, except in very
recent times...:(  So, in order for Daddy to be a Vampire, he would have had
to been bitten *after* Severus was conceived, and then bitten Severus some
time after that. And then there's also the niggling problem  that after
Daddy bit his son, that Severus was still aging normally.  Vampires, even
Daywalkers and 'altered' ones of most kinds do not age at all--it's one of
the staple signs of their unnatural Immortality--and Severus ages through a
normal lifespan, even in memories of  the past...Also take into account that
Sirius at the very least would have been quick to notice if Severus *didn't*
age...it would have been something the Marauders would have been quick to
use against their school nemesis...

{Pippin}
Maybe this is where the mysterious switching spells come into play. Could
one of those dangerous and difficult transformations Voldemort went through,
consorting with "the very worst of our kind" have allowed him to trade the
last of his humanity for a vampire's attributes, like maybe long life and
resistance to death spells?

{Silverthorne}
This I think is very likely. I just don't believe the 'source' was/will be
Severus.

{Pippin}
Did Snape,  like the little mermaid, acquire a human heart if not quite a
human soul, and find that he no longer had the ruthlessness to be a Death
Eater? Is that the story Dumbledore believes?

{Silverthorne}
^^;...well, if I thought Severus was meant to be a faerytale, perhaps. But
I'm more inclined to think what 'humanity' he has gained over the years was
from a more usual source--the death of a loved one at the hands of the DE
(Maybe even his own, forced by 'duty' to his allies or not),  a
disillusionment with Voldemort's principles, techniques and goals, a
betrayal of some sort from someone among the DE that he considered a friend
(Say, Malfoy, perhaps?). Any of these scenarios I find far more likely as
the cause of Severus's about face than Snape going from being a Vamp to
being Human. He's always been a bit of an a**, and that really doesn't
require being a supernatural creature to be that way--the hinted at abuse,
isolation from other kids, his tendencies towards solitude and the 'darker'
things in life would cause him to be the way he is without supernatural
help.

However, the idea of a Former Vampire/Current Vampire is still intrguing,
and although I take Rowling's 'Erm...I don't think so" to mean that Snape is
not, has not been, and will never be a Vampire...I'm also sure that she has
one tucked away somewhere and is waiting for the right moment to spring
him/her on us...

Great Theory, Pippin...maybe some of it will be true!

Anne/Silverthorne