Snape - according to J.K.

[Reverie Revenge]

A snake ... very stylish but very obvious too.
A raven ...? Maybe - because of his billowing black robes, hooked nose, etc., I think it makes a sense. --> What do you think, Aberforth? Hey, what is your Patronus, anyway??? A goat??? (just joking, no offense, please! And I like your arguments as well as your goats:)

A bat ... Yes, if you believe the theory about Snape being a vampire. I thought this theory was ridiculous, but I have read some cool supportive arguments (fathomless eyes - because vampires have no souls, etc.). But - if Snape is a vampire, does he need a patronus at all??? We don't know it yet. Can't wait to see ...!

And about childhood - I think JKR gives it major importance - Voldie an orphelin, Snape - violence in the family, Sirius - arguments with perents, ...
Maybe you think I shouldn't have put Sirius in such a company but although he's on the good side he was disagreeable and impulsive, always tried to argue, and when I read his scenes, I always thought he really should cool down.

[Phinea Rogue]

...this particular teacher does abuse his power. He’s not a particularly pleasant person at all. However, everyone should keep their eye on Snape...
...

Yes, but you shouldn't think he's too nice. Let me just say that. It is worth keeping an eye on old Severus Snape, definitely.

...

I really like Snape. I mean, I wouldn’t want to have a dinner with him, but as a character he’s great because he’s complicated and quite nasty.

She does scare me sometimes. Although I usually prefer negative characters, with Snape it's a bit complicated and I would really be sad if he turns out evil. I hope he's a 'not nice good guy', but sometimes I doubt it. If he turns out as evil, I guess it will be something like his failure that he wasn't strong enough to stay on the good side.

[pallas artemis]

After reading this interview, I wonder if Snape has every actually been a good guy. But then again maybe she chose to word things that way just to keep us wondering

[Reverie Revenge]

Phinea Rogue wrote: ''She does scare me sometimes. Although I usually prefer negative characters, with Snape it's a bit complicated and I would really be sad if he turns out evil. I hope he's a 'not nice good guy', but sometimes I doubt it. If he turns out as evil, I guess it will be something like his failure that he wasn't strong enough to stay on the good side.''

Are we confused ?
I suppose Snape is a nice evil guy or a mean good guy ... Or both, he might be a split personality
Or just a vampire, restlessly searching for understanding ?

''not strong enough'' --> I think Snape must have a very strong character, otherwise he couldn't master Legillimency, right? But even the strongest may break, just think of his ''joyful'' childhood ...

Snape never switched sides? But we don't know on which side he started - he might have been working undercover for Dumbledore right from the start ... he's sooooooo intriguing

[Phinea Rogue]

''not strong enough'' --> I think Snape must have a very strong character, otherwise he couldn't master Legillimency, right? But even the strongest may break, just think of his ''joyful'' childhood ...

I didn't mean strong enough to master Legillimency, but strong not to yield to temptation. If he's a spy, he's often with Death Eaters and most probably he has to do some things they do in order not to look suspicious. He may be forced to use Dark Arts and as someone mentioned it here (with Dumbledore not wanting him to teach DADA as a cured alcoholic shouldn't be brought into a bar), doesn't that dark power tempt him? Hagrid said once that when someone falls for the Dark Arts, nothing more matters to them. And I'm not sure Snape's that strong, after all, he's just a human.

[Reverie Revenge]

You're right, it depends on his attitude towards Dark Arts. I think he likes them but not to the extend the other DE like (Bella, Lucius, MacNair, ...).
Snape can be very resistent, he masters himself, but what was in his office - the worst memory? He lost control, this was too much. But he can't break like this in front of Voldie - he has to be really strong 8)

Are you sure he's not a vampire? I mean, at first me too, I didn't like this idea but arguments (from a French site) are really strong. I hope not to offend you, but I myself find vampires sexy , so: an obvious evidence are all prickled animals in the jars in his dungeon. I think he drinks blood of theese animals to survive as a vampire. He is not an stereotypical, odlfashioned vampire, he can also walk in the sun and eat ''normal'' food, but some his characteristics are very ''vampire''. Appearance for example, then ''mindreading'' like muggles call Legillimency. One more: Harry always says Snape shows up where the trio needs him least . This is maybe the ability to appear somewhere in an instant without Apparating. Reactions of vampires are much faster than of other humans.
I really don't want anyone to be offended by theese arguments, they're not mine but I find them convincing. Anyway, in reality I don't believe in vampires, I just find them fascinating in fiction, ok?
And, Snape is fascinating, right ?

[Mistress Siana]

I think he definitely fits into the way Anne Rice portrays vampires, which is probably the most popular. You know, sexy, sensitive, mind-reading, quick movement etc...
But in my opinion, JKR introduced vampires in a slightly different way, more fitting into stereotypes, like vampires having something against garlic etc...remember what was said about Quirrell's turban? Snape being exposed as as vampire would necessarily include something like "you know, vamires aren't really like that. In fact, they..." and that would be too mauch of Anne Rice, I think, and it would fit in the story.

[Phinea Rogue]

Hmm, I like Anne Rice's vampires a lot (some of them), but I think JKR wouldn't do anything that obvious. There're many theories about Snape being a vampire and even some possible allusions (for example, when Snape gave the students an essay on werewolves to uncover Lupin, Lupin gave them an essay on vampires right after that lesson... ), but I think Snape is a more complicated character, being a vampire would be a too easy explanation. And in an interview with JKR, when she was asked whether there's some connection between him and vampires, she said there isn't.