I watched "Harry Potter" for the first time about three months ago. If you were to ask me anytime before that if I ever saw myself as a "Harry Potter" fan, I would have laughed and told you no. Sometime early on in the semester, my friends sat me down, and we watched the entire first movie together without a single interruption. I was transfixed. Although it was made in the early 2000s with an ogre being the biggest threat to Harry, I suddenly got a glimpse at what I had been missing out all these years. I had gone from sceptic to supporter in a matter of minutes, and I was instantly filled with the feeling of regret for not filling my life with these films.

I spent the next two months taking in what each movie had to offer, wondering how they could possibly end such an amazing series filled with great imagination and deep truth. But let me tell you, I will always remember the moment I saw Snape’s tears reveal the past he was so adamant on hiding, the pain he kept to himself, and the heart-wrenching truth about losing the only woman he ever loved to a man he disliked the most. In just a few minutes, every single moment of the past eight movies tied together and made complete and perfect sense and before my jaw could even drop, Snape went from most hated villain to adored hero all because of the brilliant acting of Alan Rickman.

Alan was born on February 21, 1946, in London, England to Margaret and Bernard Rickman. He had two brothers and a sister and loved to write calligraphy and watercolor paint. After college, he spent many years in the theatre until taking on movies at the age of forty-two. Of his most famous roles, he played Hans Gruber in "Die Hard" as well as Severus Snape in "Harry Potter", which would turn the characters he played into two of the most well-known villains in film history.

Although villain on set, Alan Rickman was far from. He was described as unassuming with great wit and an active spirit and was always remembered by the sound of his voice. Despite unfortunately losing his battle against pancreatic cancer on January 14, 2016, Alan changed so many lives and became legendary through the roles he played and the movies he made. "Harry Potter" will forever be shaped by the character he portrayed and because of Alan, it will be one of the best movie series for decades to come.

Watch the most famous Snape scenes from "Harry Potter" in chronological order here: