I have seen it time and time again. A celebrity passes away and suddenly, their entire fan base is in mourning. The very first memory I can recall regarding this is when Michael Jackson passed away in 2009. The day after his passing, many people, including my friends, were distraught and a few of them broke down crying several times. I was confused. I had no idea why these individuals, who did not know Michael Jackson, were so upset. I told a few of them to stop being silly, not understanding what it felt like to lose someone you truly admired.

But this past week, I finally got it.

I woke up on Thursday morning to a notification from the BBC on my phone: “Potter actor Alan Rickman dies aged 69.” I was taken aback and let out an audible gasp. I thought it was a joke. But when I clicked on the article, I knew it was real and suddenly felt incredibly sad.

For any Potterheads out there, you probably know what I mean. "Harry Potter" was the story of our generation. It was what we read before bed, the book we would take everywhere, the reason we went to all those midnight premieres and begged our parents for wands and cloaks. Rickman’s character, Severus Snape, played a big part in that.

He was not a likable character, by any means. He bullied the Golden Trio, favored the Slytherins, and never hesitated to fail Harry in potions class. For these reasons, I always secretly labeled my least favorite teachers in school as “Snape,” and my friends and I would joke about it at lunch or in our free time.

But at the end of the series, fans discover that Snape truly did a lot for Harry. Bullying aside, he risked his life to work as a double agent to protect the son of his one and only true love. When I read the scene that revealed all of this in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, my heart shattered into a million pieces. I loathed myself for ever loathing Snape.

Seeing the above play out on screen only made me feel worse, but Sir Rickman carried out the job wonderfully. He was able to take a character who had experienced so much and done a lot of questionable things as a result and make him into a man that many could relate to. After all, who has not experienced a broken heart every now and then? We may not have gone to the lengths that Snape did as a result, but we may have wanted to.

It was at the moment that I saw Snape’s death play out in the movies that I realized that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not the only ones who grew up with the scary potions master. We had, too. Sir Alan Rickman was responsible for all of it.

I was lucky enough to meet Alan Rickman in person after seeing the play Seminar in 2011, and I have been replaying that night in my head since Thursday morning. Just from talking to him for a few minutes, I could tell he would be great company at any event. To me, he was extremely charismatic, wise, and incredibly funny! I can understand how he has made such an incredible impact on the lives of the people he worked with throughout his life, as made evident by Daniel Radcliffe’s moving tribute.

Sir Rickman was a brilliant actor who was able to play a large variety of roles. He won the hearts of millions (mine included) and will hopefully continue to make an impact on future generations, no matter which movies of his they watch. No one will ever be able to match his skill and ability in exactly the same way, and he will be missed. Always.