There are few things in life that one can remember by sound and sound alone. You leave your roommates for a month and forget what they sound like. You try to remember what type of meow your cat had that passed away a few years ago, and you wrack your brain countless times to remember the crunching your feet made when they pressed into the snow last Christmas Eve. Maybe it was that song that you listened to on repeat when you played the CD in your portable disk player.
There's a sound that I'm sure most of us can't forget. The unmistakable double-bass voice of Professor Snape as he practically spit the words:
"Harry. Potter."
This week's harsh news of Alan Rickman's passing was one of the most heartbreaking moments that I've felt in a long while. My roommates can agree on that. So many of us had to read the headline one, two, maybe seven times before it actually hit that he was gone. His characters have all been so lovable and cherished that it's unbelievable to think he won't be acting again.
For us "Harry Potter" fans, the passing of one of our beloved professors is just as agonizing as if he were someone we knew by relation. Snape was the hero that nobody wanted to love, the mysterious shadow lurking in the corners, the antagonist to Harry's protagonist. He was the misunderstood malevolence. He had so much feeling, yet none at all. When the final "Harry Potter" movie was released, it was as though an entire world had ended for us fans, but today it very well might have. We're all trying to cope with this in our own ways, but tears are going down my face as I type.
Alan Rickman wasn't only amazing in "Harry Potter," but in all of the other roles that he played. Whether it be his romantic roles of "Truly, Madly, Deeply" or "Sense and Sensibility," or his deep tones echoing in "Sweeney Todd"...He was amazing. He played every role with so much feeling and dedication that he stole our hearts one movie after the next. There aren't enough words to describe how much of an amazing actor he was.
The headlines were flooded with heartfelt messages from previous coworkers of Rickman's, and most of them sent the reader into a tear-covered frenzy—at least they did for me. Emma Watson paid tribute to him on her Facebook page that described him as a "special man and actor." She was joined by other Harry Potter actors like Daniel Radcliffe who talked about Rickman in a way most people wouldn't have known. He was an awe-inspiring actor, but an even more stunning person. He was said to have been to the aid of anyone if they needed him, and his self-deprecating humor always made people smile.
I've watched enough Alan Rickman tribute videos to fill Niagara Falls with my tears. My heart and soul ache at this loss. We will all carry our fond memories of him in whatever role he played for the rest of our lives. I know that Alan Rickman will be a legend for the ages and a story for the children of the future. We'll keep our wands raised and mourn him together, as great wizards should.
Rest easy, Alan, and let us remember your greatness for years and years to come.
