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J.K. Rowling: No, Professor Snape Was Not a Vampire

Just like her partner in two initials George R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling is releasing 12 days of digital Christmas gifts for fans. Today’s Pottermore update: a story on vampires, which Rowling admits she didn’t include in Harry Potter because “there was little I could add to the tradition.†Besides, she says, vampires are an Eastern-European thing, and she tried to draw more from British and Celtic mysticism when creating Harry’s world. Still, one bloodsucker does make a brief appearance in The Half-Blood Prince, and Rowling admits she had plans for another: a vampire teacher named Trocar, who would have presumably only taught night classes. Rowling adds that, despite appearances, Severus Snape was not a vampire either, making this the latest Pottermore update to come back to Snape in the end. We’ve previously learned why he became a Potions teacher and all about the drab industrial town in which he grew up, though Rowling has yet to confirm whether or not Snape was based on Antonin Scalia.

J.K. Rowling: No, Snape Was Not a Vampire