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Personally, I refuse to believe that he's dead. ^_^


Why it is possible for Snape to still be alive:



1) Harry is not medically trained, and did not take a pulse. He merely observed Snape’s eyes growing blanker, which could have been evidence of a deeper comatose state, not death. Also, Harry didn’t notice any different sort of smell (though this is rather ugly for a children’s book, the release of bowel and bladder is fairly distinct even in a chilly place) or notice the breathing stop. In fact, it was mentioned at the beginning of the book that he didn’t know common healing spells, though one would think a Quidditch team captain really ought to, and he apparently did know some in earlier books. I am surprised Hermione didn’t ram any down Harry’s throat during their long campout, on the very reasonable grounds that she might need help herself at some time. Hermione was also rather lax in not spreading out the dittany, as she did in massive quantities throughout the book, which apparently aids healing of cuts and whatnot. Granted, it may not have worked because of the venom, but I do think it was tacky not to have tried. Someone who has just been almost killed by Voldemort is probably not as villainous as he may seem, and even if he is, might well decide to change sides for revenge.



2) Chill conditions may induce a sort of hypothermia, which we currently know lessens the risk of brain death from infarcts, strokes, and other sorts of problems. Snape may have had a better chance to survive in the colder temperature of the Shrieking Shack than in the castle from his poisoned wound.



3) Did the Malfoys stay where they were put? If you were the Malfoys, would you stay put, if it was possible to escape? Lucius Malfoy undoubtedly knew the whole tale of the Shrieking Shack, and knew how to enter the tunnel successfully. If he and his family wanted to leave Hogwarts unobserved by either side, the tunnel to the Shack puts you in Hogsmeade, outside of school grounds, and leaves you able to Apparate (this clearly doesn’t require a wand, or Montague would never have made it out of the Vanishing Cabinet). Perhaps the reason the Malfoys were able to negotiate a deal with the Ministry is because they were able to reach resources outside of Britain. However, if they reached the Shack, they would have certainly tried to help Snape, or at least remove his body from it.



4) Speaking of which, do notice that everyone who died had their body sorted out in the Great Hall, including Voldemort—except for Snape. Given that many in the Ministry would not be happy until they were certain where Dumbledore’s killer was, I find this odd. Even with Harry vouching for Snape, and swearing the Potions Master was dead, I am surprised nobody made it their duty to fetch the body out and put it where someone in authority thought it belonged.



5) The Headmaster’s portrait. Snape was a duly chosen Headmaster of Hogwarts. I suspect the school has had some extremely interesting Headmasters in its time, and I wouldn’t vouch myself for how much Phineas Nigellus Black knew about the Dark Arts himself. Even Harry would have noticed Snape’s portrait in the Headmaster’s Office in the Triumph Scene, if only to note any sneers or if Snape were simply asleep, the way Dumbledore was soon after he died. As for Rowling’s remarks about desertion, I can only say that Snape was a) avoiding hexing McGonagall and b) fulfilling Dumbledore’s last wishes by trying to help Harry Potter fulfill the plan to destroy Voldemort. Given that his departure allowed the others to overcome the Carrow twins, I find it difficult to believe that the school—which allowed Snape to use the office, unlike Umbridge—would call that ‘desertion’, especially when it became apparent the school itself was allied against Voldemort. Rowling did say a portrait appeared later, theoretically after Harry Potter made some representations, but we are not given a time frame here. The portrait could have showed up 50 years later for all we currently know. Or longer. Harry could have petitioned for Snape’s portrait, been denied, still believed Snape was dead, only to have the portrait show up much later after Snape’s actual passing.



6) Snape himself. He was a Potions Master who had directly observed the effect of Nagini’s bit on Arthur Weasley. Are we to believe someone as rightfully paranoid as him took no precautions against the serpent’s bite and possible injury? Go pull the other one, it’s got bells on it, as Terry Pratchett would say. This is a man who kept Dumbledore alive under far worse circumstances. I can see Snape allowing himself to appear dead. Harry probably wouldn’t have believed the memories otherwise, having already run into some altered ones from Slughorn. Whether he miscalculated or not, we have no way of knowing—but I’m betting that Snape really could stopper death. Remember, the Draught of Living Death was mentioned in the very first book. But if I had been Snape, I would have had my Muggle papers up to date under a different name and a healthy Muggle bank account squirreled away somewhere. To quote from Coneheads, “your name is Donald Sicario, and your Social Security number is…” Now try to tell me there is no market for identity theft in Britain. I dare you. In fact, I suspect a Mr. Fletcher did a thriving business in them for other wizards as well, though Snape probably didn’t trust Dung that much. Hey, would you? Snape was the sort who believed in thorough preparation—one can only imagine what he would have said to the know-it-all for forgetting food in her Purse of Holding, never mind telling all to a portrait known to be under the power of the current Headmaster, Severus Snape. The fact that Harry and Hermione remained safe even after they’d talked rather a lot of Black really should have told them about Snape’s loyalties. It was clear that Snape left the castle as Headmaster at one point for certain, as he left the Sword of Gryffindor in the stream and cast his doe Patronus. If once, why not a few other times, as long as the Carrows were too drunk or asleep to bother the students?



7) No one so far has asked Rowling outright if Snape is dead or not. All of her answers about Snape, as far as I can tell from reading the interviews, would hold even if he survived.


cool He's just too awesome to die.

Harry didn't even check for a pulse! Besides, Severus says he can put a stopper in death; I wouldn't be surprised if he knew how to save someone from a snakebite.

But he was expecting the killing curse not a snake bite. (I cant believe I'm argueing that Snape is dead, I would love it if he was alive)

I dont know, I mean he was up against Lord Voldemort and that was no ordinary snake, it was his horux (however you spell it) I mean even Dumbledore got killed by a ring in the end (which is a lamer death than Black getting killed by a curtain if you ask me) and he was considered Voldemorts equal. Although of Snape really wanted to he would probably be just as powerful as those two

Well, reguardlesshe still lives on in our hearts,minds,and imaginations.(Not to mention fanart and fanfiction) I kind of think he's dead(Only as far as "Canon" is conccearned) but wouldn't object to him being alive. I actualy thought that he was probably gonna die before even reading the last book. But,I will probably cry,especialy if thety do a good job on his death scene.

Hooray for long posts about whether a fictional character is dead?

/doesn't know which side she's on/

I simply refuse to believe he's dead.
For me, he will always live on.