Do the Dead Walk

[Campbell, Anne-TMC-Rcvg]

No: HPFGUIDX 88922


"K"

What I don't understand is why the above attributes can't be used as 
sign? I think what the anti-vampire groups want is to see Snape 
drinking blood and showing his fangs and JKR isn't going to show us 
that. She gives us little clues here and there. That's what she has 
done throughout the books. Snape isn't going to be walking around 
with a vampire neon sign on his back.

{Anne}
 No, he wouldn't advertise....but thing is is that ALL he has is looks so far...and quite frankly, with all the "Goths", "Dark Heroes" and other similar creatures---like Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde--it's hardly a call sign anymore for vamps...in fact, if you want to combine modern vamp ideas into the mix, and go by clothes alone--Vamps nowadays show up on movies dressed in spikes and leather most of the time (Blade, Lost Boys, From Dusk Til Dawn, Near Dark....etc etc etc....).

"K"
Asking for irrefutable evidence on anything in the HP books is just 
about impossible. Isn't that what makes all of this so much fun? :-) 

{Anne}
I have to agree with that--by the same token, though, Rowling does eventually shove it in our face, stating the facts in clear English (Rita is a beetle animagus, Lupin a were wolf, Hagrid a half giant....)---even Lupin was hard to miss once the clues were all there...and the thing is, after everything Rowling has said about Sev, including the "Watch out for him" quote in regards to book seven....she hasn't pointed to him as a vamp either. Unless, of course, he finally becomes prey to one in book seven and comes back...then we really WOULD have to watch out for him.

"K"
I don't think that's necessarily true either. There are many 
traditional vampire traits that one can associate with Snape but 
because it's only given in hint form most people won't accept them. 
Plus I don't think too many people are expecting or wanting JKR to 
totally ignore traditional vampirism. Some of us just believe she 
will add her own version of vampire in the books with mostly 
traditional traits.
{Anne}
Again, I don't disagree with your assessment of how she might handle the vampire myth. I do find it unlikely she would draw from the more modern vampire movies, or from things like role playing games (Vampire: The Masquerade has just about every vampiric and near-vampiric idea you could ever hope to think of, and does an excellent job of making it all look smooth). Unfortunately, a lot of the 'well this is how he could be a vampire' stems from these sources...and again,,,it isn't that I'm ignoring hints...it's that the ones pointing directly to Severus simply are not there, but for the looks and the 'bat-like' traits he shows when swooping down a hallway...

"K"
That's exactly right. All we have are hints but lordy that's all we 
ever get about anything. If we can't go by the hints then we might as 
well shut the board down and not discuss anything. I don't think so but 
others do. See, we all tend to look at these clues differently. It is 
hard to figure out where JKR is going on many, many things.
{Anne:}
Also true, but again, look to her track record in retrospect to many things and you will see that she really does not stray far at all from original folklore concepts....we may miss the clues, but they are obvious and unquestionable...

"K"

I think those lollie's are just to remind us there are vampires out 
there. I don't think we can dismiss this at all.
{Anne}
Heh....well, I don't either, but the point there wasn't to dismiss them as a clue, but to demonstrate that IF we really pared down the description, the lollipops would be out of the running...even now, they may be, but we will have to wait on that score.

"K"
I agree except maybe in the case of Hagrid's mom and dad and I won't 
go there. 

{Anne}
Actually, in Norse myth I believe the gods slept with the giants....in Greek, some of the ancestors of the gods themselves were giants--so there is mythic support for 'human' (or human sized) people mating with giants. Stretching it a bit, yes...but if you want a not-so-stretchable bit of proof--then there were the giants that were born of Angels and Mankind in the bible--although that's a bit retrospect...although I think those giants--some of them at any rate, went on to find wives among Eve's children (will have to go dig up the bibles at home for that one--my monotheistic mythology is not so solid as my folkloric...^^;)

"K"
But again, when one says Snape looks like the traditional 
vampire with his pallid, thin, gaunt face and his black clothes it's 
dismissed. 
{Anne}
Actually, his skin is described in our first meeting as 'Sallow"--in other words yellow and sickly--Jaundiced. Not a result of undead but rather a liver or kidney condition.
"K"
Yet I have a feeling if vampire Snape dressed like 
Lockhart and had rosy cheeks then the anti-vampire crowd would be 
screaming that traditional vampires always wear black and have pale 
skin.
{Anne}
I protest either way simply because you can be pale and sickly without being a vampire...and so many different 'bad guys' and 'monsters' have dressed in black over the ages that its a huge cliché by now...as for the rosy cheeks--since a vampire tends to have such things when they are well-fed, according to popular myth (all that nice warm stolen blood running through the old undead veins), I actually would not have objected (provided the other indicators were also there). Especially since Snape is surrounded by potential meals 24/7. The last thing you would want is a starving vampire hanging around all of those tasty kids...and as for clothes--I would actually expect 'normal' or even Lockhart-style clothing from a vampire trying to hide itself (especially a spy like Snape who spends most of his life keeping people from finding out who he 'really' is). After all, who would seriously think the gent running around in pastel blues and pinks was a vicious blood sucking vamp...?(unless we're talking comedy here, that is). 

"K"

It doesn't matter what Quirrel was really doing in the Black Forest. 
He could have still run across vampires. 
{Anne}
Again, stating comments from other posts, including Quirrel's trustworthiness. He you can question his assertations since he spent a lot of time lying...Hagrid hasn't lied, although he has tried (unsuccessfully) to hide the truth. Point is--you can doubt Quirrels assertations, or those made about him...Hagrid is put up as someone who you can trust his word on--especially when he's talking about something he himself has done...

"K"
Snape. All the hints point to Snape but I don't believe he is the 
only one.

Anne, I can assure you that you know much more about vampire folklore 
than I do. I enjoy the info you give. That's why I'm so surprised 
that you just can't see Snape for what he is. You just need to let go 
and join the vampire crowd. <G> Plus I'm waiting for you to tell me 
why Dumbledore is one.

{Anne}
Nope, sorry. Much as I enjoy reading vamp stories, much as I enjoyed participating in White Wolf games (Including the Live Action Camarilla---Lady Isabella Lamont, Gangrel Elder, 8th gen, at your service, thank you...), and much as I like mucking about with the concept of Vampirism as the next person, I really do not see real proof of Vampire!Snape...if for no other reason than because it's TOO easy...and there are no real indications of vamp activity around him.
As for Dumbly, as I said in a post shortly after that, I threw that idea out more for fun than any proof....although I suppose I could go about trying to gather cannon for it...lol. It would be a scary concept though...and isn't Harry being set up to be betrayed by one he trusts closely, according to Rowling...*winks*

"K"
Please try. 

I am going to show some examples of Snape and traditional vampire 
folklore. Hopefully very soon. It's all there. Honest, it is.

{Anne}
^^ Please do...I still have my plate of crow ready should someone manage to convince me before Rowling actually writes it...