CHAPDISC HBP 15, The Unbreakable Vow -Bloody Seven

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 152091

Discussion Questions (Carol):
> > 
> > 7) ... Just for fun, why do you think JKR included the Vampire
Sanguini as a party guest?
> > 
> 
Steve/bboyminn responded:
> 
> I'm afraid I'm just stating the obvious and a side note at best, but
> did everyone catch the subliminal reference to 'blood' in the
vampires name 'Sanguini'? 
> 
> 'Sanguine' means the color of blood, and comes from the latin root
> /sanguis/ which means blood and /sanguineus/ which means bloody.


Carol again:
Yes, I was hoping someone would catch that. But "sanguine" also means
cheerful, or as Merriam-Webster Online puts it, "having blood as the
predominating bodily humor; also: having the bodily conformation and
temperament held characteristic of such predominance and marked by
sturdiness, high color, and cheerfulness." If we need a character who
fits this description, I'd vote for Ludo Bagman in his Quidditch-star
days.

Not that Sanguini has a sanguine disposition in this sense--in fact,
he's the exact opposite--emaciated, pallid, and morose--but he's
certainly a tame Vampire (much less scary than, say, a transformed
Werewolf or a Banshee). Maybe he and his fellow Vampires need to feed
on blood because they lack exactly the qualities present in a person
with a sanguine disposition (rather like the Dementors feeding on
cheerfulness but not so sinister)? Or it's just word play on JKR's
part that poor Sanguini is the polar opposite of sanguine (and
somewhat resembles a bloodless corpse in his pallor).

Of course, she may simply be trying to place a holly stake in the
heart of any lingering "Snape is a Vampire" theories.

Carol, apologizing to the List Elves for a fourth post and wondering
whether Sanguini likes blood-flavored lollipops