Maybe why LV didn't die at GH (was: A BIAS in the Pensieve)

[charme]

Neri wrote previously:
So, as someone who thinks that there actually MIGHT be
something in the vampire thing, I was trying to put my finger on
why many people don't like this speculation.

Pippin answered:
Because it makes Snape's coldness natural to him, which I am
afraid tramples the dearest fantasies of those who would like to
think that if only some warm-hearted witch -- too insightful to be
deluded by appearances-- had offered him affection, he might
not be what he is. Eurgh! Gimme vampires any day.

Charme now:

Ya'll inspired me. :)  You too Mel, as you told me what you felt was
interesting. Read on to see I am not saying Snape is a vampire, or 
even halfvampire. Or a bat animagus. Kudos to Lyn, Mel, and Neri for 
challenging me. I soooo like it when I'm challenged. :)

Taken from Wikipedia:

"In popular western culture, vampires are depicted as unaging, 
intelligent, and mystically endowed in many ways. The vampire 
typically has a variety of notable abilities. These include great 
strength and immunity to any lasting effect of any injury by mundane 
means, with specific exceptions. Vampires can also change into a 
mist, wolf, or bat; and some can control the minds of others. They 
typically have extended canines or fangs. It is believed that 
vampires have no reflection, as traditionally it was thought that 
mirrors reflected your soul and creatures of evil have no soul.
Fiction has extended this belief to an actual aversion to mirrors, as
depicted in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula when the vampire casts 
Harker'sshaving mirror out of the window"

I'm not saying I agree or disagree, I'm just raising my eyebrow at the
"control the minds of others" and "mirrors reflecting your soul."
(Legilimens and mirrors.) True, as Mel says, Snape ages so that's out.
However, that all could be collectively a clue to what follows 
below....


Neri now:
I don't pretend to understand anything about fandom sociology, but
aren't vampires supposed to be sexy and fashionable? I'd think that
many fans' dearest fantasies would actually go very well with vampire!
Snape. Especially when we know so little about Potterverse vampires,
so each of us can, in his/her fantasy, set the temperature of Snape's
coldness to the level that he/she likes.

Pippin:
As for connecting vampires to the main plot, I direct you to this
quote:

He disappeared after leaving the school...travelled far and
wide...consorted with the very worst of our kind,underwent so
many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he
resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognisable."
--CoS ch17

We know that some of those transformations were directed at
achieving immortality and that vampires are considered
"undead", commonly live (or exist?) for spans of several hundred
years (both PoA choc frog cards), and are notoriously hard to kill
(GoF). So it's hardly far-fetched to think that some of LV's
experiments were vampire-related. It's also been hinted that
those experiments will have to be reversed if LV is to die.

And Kneasy (#1296):
Associated with vampires, then. Could be, could be - though maybe not
in the way you mean. IMO the best fit for a vampire in HP is Voldy.

Neri:


<snipped a little>

And remember that the dementors
also have some vampire-like characteristics, but they still seem to
be something different than Potterverse vampires. So I see three
options here:


1) A theory that Voldy made himself a master vampire and the DEs,
including Snape, are junior vampires. In such a theory we need to
explain how all the Voldy/DEs elements above fit into the vampire
mythology.

2) A theory in which Snape was after similar goals as Voldy, but he
chose to become a vampire to achieve them, while Voldy used a
different way.

3) Assume that this "Voldy is the master vampire who initiated Snape"
is true, but strictly in a metaphorical sense. JKR is using the
common myth of vampires as one of several sources of inspiration, but
she's developing it in her own very special way, as the connection
between Voldy and the DEs, which actually no direct connection with
Potterverse vampires.

Charme:

Another Wikipedia reference:

"Most modern practitioners of vampirism do not believe themselves to 
beundead creatures; rather, they use vampirism as a means of 
practicing magic(k). For example, they claim that they are taking 
life energy or qi from another (usually a willing donor who also 
practices vampirism) to increase their own energy and vitality. 
Vampirists do not necessarily obtain this energy from blood, but will 
use other physical, spiritual or psychic means to obtain this energy 
(for example, there are self-styled "sexual vampires" and "psychic 
vamp."

Now I know I think I read in both Mel, Jo, Pippin and Kneasy's posts 
about possibility of a vampire concept applied to LV. Purely 
speculation on my part of course, but the Dark Mark could both be a 
form of communication as well as the physical way of taking "life 
energy" or a piece of the soul from the DE's (willing donors) - could 
be why they are so sensitive when someone says "Voldemort" in their 
presence as it could (and this is out on a limb)kick off the 
charm/curse/hex whatever that makes LV get what he wants. A wizard 
who says his name might unknowingly be "cursing" the DE who is marked
and within earshot, hence the shuddering and clutching of the Mark we 
see Peter and Snape do when the name is uttered in their presence.  I 
also considered CoS where Tom Riddle tells Harry:

"If I say it myself, Harry, I've always been able to charm the people 
I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened 
to be exactly what I wanted .... I grew stronger and stronger on a 
diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far 
more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start 
feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little 
of my soul back into her. . ."


Might keep Voldy alive those Dark Marks, maybe? Charm the people he 
needed (vampish), he wanted souls (Dementor like), and deepest fears 
(Boggart like) Maybe this is Snape's connection:  he is the first 
person we see who introduces the Dark Mark to the septology, perhaps 
he is the one who devised this wicked little method. Up to his 
eyeballs in the Dark Arts and smarter than everybody, he did it with 
the Dark Lord and created a Frankenstein (metaphorically speaking.)  
DD would know about it because Snape told him and *that*, my friends, 
might be why DD trusts Severus Snape.  He'd also know killing TR in 
the DoM would be futile, because LV with his ample source of DE's, 
would be able to restore him again eventually down the road.

Go ahead and add to it or pick it apart.  I'm waitin' :)  This is FUN!

Charme