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Reader Comments: (Page 15)

In the ly hallows when voldemort s snape he shows harry that hes a good guy so does it really matter if hes a vampire or not?

Posted by Natasha from brampton, Ontario on April 27, 2008 08:10 AM

And about the animagus in the book goblet of fire harry had 2 go down into the lake to get ron but he didn't know how so he thought of becoming a fish animagus but hermine told him it would take years to become a animagus so i think that you can become anything you want. When rita became a beetle she probably had already relized how usfull it would be in her,ahem, buisness.

Posted by Natasha from Canada on April 27, 2008 08:16 AM

I had never even thought about Snape being a vampire before! But now I think about it, it does make sense in a way...

Posted by Emily from Victoria on May 23, 2008 11:18 PM

I think it'd be useful here to think about the original vampire story, the motherlode of vampire folklore--"Dracula" by Bram Stoker. In it, Count Dracula has many superhuman qualities--he can control wolves and bees, he can generate mist, he can travel on moonbeams, and, most importantly, he can walk about in the daytime. I believe the limitations are that he cannot use his full vampiric powers in the daytime, and he must be in some sort of contact with the soil in which he was buried. Perhaps Snape can survive in the daytime, just with reduced vampiric/wizardish powers?

Posted by Hakeber from Mars on May 27, 2008 9:24 PM

I don't have my books handy, but didn't Snape's parents fight a lot? Did their marriage last? One being a vampire -- maybe not telling the other for awhile, or something like that -- could be the cause for their unhappy union...

Posted by Maggie from Philadelphia on July 7, 2008 1:07 PM

Has it ever occured to anyone that snape is described as batlike because he just looks like a bat? A guy with pale skin and greasy black hair hovering around in a cloak doesn't need to be a vampire to be batlike. plus folklore vampires have absolutely nothing to do with bats; given the research JK did on all her mythical creatures, you'd think she might notice that most of the stuff we associate with vampires was made up in the 1800's by a bunch of repressed british writers.
On the other hand, if she did do research on vampires, that would explain why he can walk around in the day; vampires weaken in sunlight but they don't because of it.
The real test is silver; its as bad for vamps as for werewolves, so see if snapes been licking the hogwarts spoons or something if you really want ot test the theory.

Posted by Pat from NYC on July 18, 2008 1:21 PM

But you know what they say, Pat:

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.

Posted by Dave Haber from Los Angeles, CA on July 18, 2008 1:27 PM

you've forgotten another bat reference. in the goblet of fire, after crouch turns up by the forest and snape stops harry finding dumbledore straight away, he, ron and hermione discuss the incident and the conversation goes...

"Maybe he didn't want you to get there!" said Ron quickly. "Maybe - hang on - how fast d'you reckon he could've got down to the forest? Do you think he could've beaten you and Dumbledore there?"
"Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something," said Harry.
"Wouldn't put it past him," Ron muttered.
(page 491 UK children's edition)

just thought i'd mention that one. i don't personally think it's likely snape's a vampire, purely for the reason that rowling doesn't confirm it, and i doubt she would've put in all those hints as a conscious effort to convince some hardcore fans that he is. but it's interesting isn't it? i wish i could have a conversation with her and discuss all my queries..!

Posted by Jos from south london on July 30, 2008 11:46 AM

Snape is "bat-like". So? Everyone wears black robes, and Snape seems threatening. Threatening characters tend to have a quick pace for some reason, and when you walk fast wearing black robes, they probably billow out, causing you to look bat-like.

As for the multiple references to Hermione reading "Voyages With Vampires", who knows? Maybe that's just the title that came most quickly to Ms. Rowling's head. There is a 0% chance that she meant Snape to be a vampire, especially considering her comments online.

Posted by Sasquatch from New York on August 9, 2008 01:20 AM

An interesting theory but not one I buy into. The comments about the animal similes JKR uses are correct. It is a literary tool to quickly visualize a character's appearance and behavior. Snape is described, going back to childhood, as being a sort of goth/emo type, even for a wizard. When did he become a vampire? Before entering Hogwarts? Not likely.

Also a characteristic of a vampire (that JKR also describes) is the magnetic attraction a (male) vampire has with women. At Slughorn's party Sanguini is described as flanked by adoring women. Except for his love of Lily, Snape is never mentioned as having romantic or sexual urges about anyone and no woman is mentioned who fancies the adult Snape. A real vampire would be expected to be able to mesmerize and attract women. However the girls of Hogwarts find Snape as unattractive as the boys do.

Posted by Jim from New Jersey, USA on September 17, 2008 2:35 PM

Well now tht its mentioned it could be true. All the clues do sound resonable and he does remind me of many vampires we've seen through out history whitch have been played on on screen, but I don't think its a big enough issue to make a big deal out of. If he is a vamp or half vamp then let him be one. I think if it was important enough it would of been included into the plot more thickly or have been stated directly like how we see Lupun turn into a werewolf. Since it wasn't I don't think we should dwell over it to much.

Posted by Anonymous from Boston, MA on September 25, 2008 5:17 PM

Okay...maybe Snape is half-vampire, and even if he dosent fit all of the traditional charicteristics. J.K. dosent have all of her charecters exactly fit the usual, anyway. In FBAWTFT, the kelpie is not the traditional view.

Jim, maybe she a) didn't put in the attraction because of kid readers, and b) how do we know he wasn't attracted'? We never get Snapes feelings!

I know this isn't supposed to be in there, but Where does it say that James was a Chaser?

Posted by ithil from TX on October 20, 2008 4:30 PM

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