How could Severus Snape still be alive?

Question

Reading a lot of fan fiction lately where Snape is still alive-How did it happen? He's not hanging in the headmasters office, so I don't think it's conclusive that he did die, but how?

Answer 1

He is dead. The HP series has finished and he is dead. I can't really remember how he died. But he is definitely dead. He is not in the headmasters office but I've forgotten why either. Snape died in the shrieking shack though and Harry was there. Harry's green eyes are also an important part at the end, or relatively. Snape was always on Dumebledore's side since he came back from Voldemort's side. I think the best thing is for someone to explain it, even though I know the story well, but I think it would be even better if you read all the books. Yes, read all seven, I kid you not.    

Answer 2

I think he's dead. The reson he's not hanged in the headmasters office is that he killed Dumbledore, and be hanged in the headmasters office would be some kind of sharing him respect, which he doesn't deserve due to the reason aforementioned.

Answer 3

We don't know that he isn't hanging in the Headmaster's Office.  I firmly believe that if Harry had taken his youngest son into Hogwarts and up to the Headmaster's Office, young Albus Severus Potter would have been able to see and talk to BOTH of his namesakes.

Dumbledore was going to die within weeks, if not days, because of the injury to his hand.  Snape killing him not only released Dumbledore from his suffering, but it also prevented Draco from becoming a killer.  That left Draco the opportunity to change his life's path.  It was all in Dumbledore's master plan.

Snape was a good guy.  He's in the office.

And he's only alive in alternate universes.  Everyone's alive somewhere, in some alternate universe.  

Answer 4

alternate universe theory! It works for comic books, it can work for fanfic;) And I thought it was discredited, but it was suggested for awhile Snape was a vampire...

Answer 5

I think he is dead, voldemort had something to do with it, or it could have been his snake

Answer 6

I'm also keen to know the answer.

Answer 7

He can't be alive.

Why did you think he was?

Answer 8

He's dead, people are just sad, wishful thinkers, and need to get a life.  Obviously, death is where he belongs, or JKR wouldn't have killed him off.  I'm sure she was very sad when she did though, if it's any consolation to the poor readers who create fan fic stuff like that.  

Answer 9

There's no doubt that Snape died in Deathly Hallows.  The fanfics you've seen that have Snape alive are either:

1) Set before the end of Deathly Hallows, so they occur when Snape really was still alive.

2) Using some kind of alternate-universe theory, where Snape either wasn't killed at all or somehow came back from the dead.

And BTW, in interviews after Deathly Hallows came out, JKR said that Harry would have made sure that Snape did indeed get a portrait in the headmaster's office.  Even though Snape effectively abandoned his post as Headmaster, Harry later esteems Snape as the bravest man he ever knew.  So once Harry was in a position where he had enough influence to make sure it happened, Snape got his portrait.

Answer 10

Snape's portrait doesn't hang in the headmaster's office because he abandoned his post.  It has nothing to do with Dumbledore's death.  It was either stated in the book, or by JKR after the book's release, I can't recall which.

Answer 11

They hanged him. He was a criminal.