Why ole Snapey is a vamp

[Barry Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 88386

Kneasy takes up the cudgels again, though the way be weary and long, 
still onward he presses, seduced not by siren voices promising rest and 
succour to his keyboard if he would only cease his objections.

Quite a long one, this; but I wanted to address all of the points 
raised. I've managed a bit of snipping, wish it could have been more 
but it might have made it confusing.

 >
Jake:
This is an insightful observation. True, most significant character
transformations occur over the course of a single text. However, I
think it is safe to say that significant character revelations are
approaching for Lily Evans, one of the Dursleys (probably Pet.), one
of the OoTP (probably turn out to be a counterspy), Neville (or one
of the Longbottoms), and Snape (just to name a few). These character
transformations will be appear at the end of the series, even though
JKR has been developing them for thousands of pages. So, for
example, if all of a sudden Petunia is revealed to be a squib who
lived actively in the WW for most of her early years it would be a
lengthy revelation (started in book one). So, given that such
transformations/revelations are likely for at least some of the main
characters, I think we should consider them a definite
possibility.
 >

Kneasy:
I see a difference here (are you surprised?). Character development is 
one thing, turning a central figure into a non-human for no  apparent 
benefit as something else entirely.

Harry is changing, so is Neville; this is to be expected with the 
development of teenagers. Our perceptions of James and Fudge have 
changed, those of Lily and Petunia might as the story unfolds. But as I 
see it this is part of the explication for events past and background 
for action to come. They will still remain Harry, Neville, Fudge etc., 
they will not become an Elf, Troll or Goblin. I'm looking forward to 
the certain revelations that explain Snape's actions and attitudes, 
they should be (they'd better be! Do you hear me up there in Scotland, 
JK?) fascinating. But I want them to be understandable human 
motivations, not a throw-away "Oh, he's a vampire, so you must expect 
him to be nasty." What a let down that would be.


Going on to  your other points:
Well, we do learn in OoP that Snape has been after the DADA job for 
years.
Have you considered that Snape is anti-Lupin because he was one of the 
gang that tormented him? That he sees Lupin being appointed DADA as 
rubbing salt in his wounds? That he may (would, most likely) have heard 
about the map from Filch, who confiscated it? Why else would he summon 
Lupin? He knows where and who it originated from.
Lupin appears to be a restrained and fair person, not one to make rash 
accusations. Now if he suspected Snape to be a vampire, it's a fair bet 
that Sirius would too (not in PoA maybe, but later). Now he is very 
different; he'd throw accusations around like confetti - yet he 
doesn't.

Why would a vampire come to Hogwarts? More - why would a vampire come 
to Hogwarts and think he could get away with it for 14 years when 
Hogwarts is where students learn about such monsters?

 >
Jake:
As I peiced back through the books I noticed that
(1) JKR is always talking about vampires (like a running joke to 
herself),
 >

Kneasy:
Not always, just sometimes. It may indeed be a running joke; it may 
also be because she needs to mention a recognisable monster sometimes 
and not everyone will have bought copies of FBaWTFT. (Is it still in 
print for new converts? I'm not certain.)

 >
(2) Snape looks like a vampire (see both description of Snape in book 
and drawing by JKR),
 >

Kneasy:
Tall, thin, pale, dark clothes does not a vampire make, IMO.
For me he calls to mind Mr Murdstone, not Dracula.

 >
(3) Snape is described as a bat several times by multiple characters,
 >

Kneasy:
Any bats flickering through the twilight? Any scratching at the windows 
at midnight? Umbridge is described as a toad. Nice.

 >
(4) Snape is skilled at reading minds (a power attributed to vampires 
in many myths),
 >

Kneasy:
Maybe they do. But do they have to have a wand to cast spells to do it?

 >
(5) Snape was treated by Filch in book one when he was injured (which, 
at the time, seems like a way to avoid the attention of his fellow 
teachers...but we later learn
that this is not the case...he is on the side of good...so why
Filch....who is a bit on the dark side himself),
 >

Kneasy:
To avoid the attention of Quirrell, maybe. And what's this about Filch? 
Lovely man; sweetness and light personified. Sort of. No, he just hates 
kids, they ruin his lovely tidy school and keep breaking the rules.

 >
(6) Snape is often pictured in the books doing things at night (roaming 
the halls, the dark forest, outside the castle looking for Harry...why 
was Snape doing this and not McGonagall?),
(7) indeed, Snape is often used by DD for special physical tasks (guard 
the stone, search the forests, etc.) which seems odd (Snape is not an 
athelete or anything),
 >

Kneasy:
Snape seems to have made it his mission, or it's a mission entrusted to 
him, to keep Harry out of trouble; he comes to the rescue on a number 
of occasions, and I don't think it's accidental. Yes, DD does trust 
him; he could almost be DD's deputy in the Order. He certainly knows 
things that the other Order members don't know. Why would DD need to 
find a jock athlete to do his chores? A powerful wizard is much more 
useful, and I don't doubt that Snape is very powerful.

 >
(8) JKR says DD won't give Snape DADA because it would "bring out the 
worst in him" (what does that mean?),
 >

Kneasy:
He'd probably do a Crouch!Moody and torture the little buggers, either 
that or get the Slytherins to practice casting curses on the 
Gryfindors. Serve 'em right, but it'd look bad in the Daily Prophet.
In truth, I don't know. Like you I'll be interested to find out.

 >
(9) Quirrels been teaching at Hogwarts for awhile, but suddenly he is 
very concerned about vampires (needs a "new" book on vampires. Hagrid 
says he ran into a vampire during his year off.
 >

Kneasy:
Or was it because he wanted to get away from Harry and the Leaky 
Cauldron as quickly as possible and any reasonable excuse would do?
He is not Harry's friend. It's not long before he tries to kill him.

 >
Jake:
So I thought, "Might Snape be a vampire? Is that what JKR is hinting at?

Sure, there is canon evidence suggesting he is not.  Where are all the 
dead bodies from him feeding? Well, there are a number of
ways around this. He is a potions master. Maybe he mixed a potion
(like Blade). Maybe he feeds on non-humans
What about a coffin? Well, we haven't seen where Snape sleeps and if he 
is like most vampires his coffin is probably hidden. Most of all,
what about sunlight? JKR already gave us a way out of this. Lupin
feared the moonlight of a full moon, but he drank a potion and it
allowed him to survive it. Who made that potion? Why none other
than Snape.
 >

Kneasy:
One point that you may want to consider after comparing Lupin with 
Snape!Vampire - the WW  seems to consider that lycanthropy is an 
illness that can be treated. Lupin's disease is only able to be 
'controlled' not cured because the really effective potion was invented 
after he contracted it. Vampirism on the other hand, is a state of 
being that is non-human. They seem to be seen as a race apart. They 
live, apparently, in wild places. Humans shun them. There may be spells 
to repel them (otherwise Quirrell would never have escaped from his bit 
of trouble), but in the WW  there is no evidence that they can be or 
should be 'cured'.
And when did Snape 'die'? Didn't anyone notice? Are you suggesting that 
  Filch is his Igor, shifting his coffin, keeping it polished?

Snape!Vampire  would be a major disappointment to me. As I've said 
before it would give him an excuse for being nasty, when I want 
reasons, solid human motives. There's  a tale to tell there, and I 
don't think it's "Interview with the Vampire'. In addition, I cannot 
see how it would credibly advance the storyline, either to explain past 
events or to set things up for the future.

Now I *might* just have been able to swallow it if he had been 
introduced as a semi-house-trained vampire from day 1. There'd be a lot 
of tension and potential in that, but to dump it on us now would upset 
a lot of fans, IMO.






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