What's wrong with Snape

In honor of being completely fucking gluten-poisoned today because of my own stupidity, here's the actual case for what I've been saying for the last six months -- Snape has (untreated) celiac disease. Seriously, I'm not trying to be all Mary Sue here -- look (all HP citations just off of The Harry Potter Lexicon, because they can do it better than me):


"a professor with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin" (PS7).

Celiac can't explain the nose, but celiac symptoms do include chronic hepatitis and if left untreated primary biliary cirrhosis both of which would cover the sallow skin.

Celiacs also have a difficult time processing fats, especially when continuing to consume gluten. Many celiacs report that their skin and hair become less greasy after going on a gluten-free diet.

"uneven, yellow-ish teeth" (PA14).

Dental discoloration is a symptom in children, and this is one I can confirm from my own experience as well. So can a lot of people on the celiac community: here the community discusses celiac teeth.

"Snape-the-teenager had a stringy, pallid look about him, like a plant kept in the dark" (OP28).

"Children and adults with untreated celiac disease may become malnourished, meaning they do not get enough nutrients, resulting in anemia, weight loss, and, in children, delayed growth and small stature. Among the possible complications of untreated celiac disease are the inability to develop optimal bone mass in children and the loss of bone in adults, both of which increase the risk of osteoporosis." Other celiac related sites list this merely as "failure to thrive" -- if that's not a plant kept in the dark, what is?

Finally, I don't need to quote the books to remind everyone that Snape is one hell of an irritible fellow. Now, of course we can easily attritube this to his role int eh conflict, stress, and his horrible students, but we can also blame celiac disease for crankiness, irritibility and moodiness.

woah

In pulling up links for my "Snape has celiac disease" theory, I discovered some things about me and my celiac disease that are pretty upsetting.

Celiac symptoms I have and didn't know were celiac symptoms:

"gluten ataxia" -- if you know me, you've seen me do this, and I always thought I was just getting ahead of myself. This has gotten worse in the last few years.

night blindness -- which I've also had forever.

Fuck. This is like -- my _brain_.

Ghosts (repost), Snape/OFC, 32/48

Ghosts (repost), Snape/OFC, 32/48
Rating: G – hard-R; this chapter G
Author’s Notes:

If you don’t know what this is, please read this.

Despite a recent tune-up, this was written in 2001 and is not compliant with the current state of the HP universe.

Your feedback and commentary are always welcome, even for a time capsule such as this.

You can find all chapters here.

If you’re looking for slash, het, poly, Book-6 compliant Slytherin backstory please visit the recently updated Fascilis Descensus Averno a WIP written with kalichan. It features Severus Snape, Lucius & Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix & Rodolphus Lestrange and Regulus Black and mostly takes place in 1979 – 1981 but has forays both significantly forward and back in time.
Disclaimer: It’s JKR’s world, I just mess about with it.

( Their prejudices were their prejudices and they had both had experiences that made them seem logical. )