“A film, a piece of theater, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world.” said Alan Rickman in an interview with IFC.

For most of my life, I knew Alan Rickman as Professor Snape from Harry Potter.

My entire existence revolves around books. And when you become attached to a story, you become attached to its characters. I became attached to the very complex and extraordinarily amazing Professor Snape, who is portrayed by Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter film series.

Unfortunately, Alan Rickman passed away on January 14th, 2016, at the age of 69 due to cancer.

Although J.K. Rowling’s first book was published a year prior to my birth, I grew up reading her novels many years later. These were the very first books that introduced me to a world I had never experienced before, and eventually allowed me to develop the love I now have for writing.

Every year, my family would present me with a new Harry Potter book. And every year, I would sit down in my room and transport into another dimension. The books weighed almost as much as I did, but I would never leave the house without them.

Ever since then, I have loved Professor Snape possibly more than I love myself. When the books were adapted into movies, my fondness of the half-blood prince only grew. This appreciation was further enhanced after I took the quiz on Pottermore and was sorted into Slytherin house.

Many people developed a disliking towards Snape, but there was always something there that made me appreciate the character.

This may be mostly due to Alan Rickman himself, whose talent and personality captivated audiences as the antihero in numerous iconic films. Whether he was Hans Gruber in Die Hard or the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood, he portrayed every role flawlessly.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of such an amazing person; it was like the Deathly Hallows Part 2 all over again. Only this time, his death was not the work of fiction.

Even though he is no longer physically here, Alan Rickman will always be there in the heart of his fans, reminding us to turn to page 394.

His memory will live on in our tears, and when we want to relive these memories, the T.V. screen will act as our Pensieve.