Alan Rickman, a famous British actor, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 14th. He was a widely beloved actor and director, and the media has been mourning him since his death Thursday morning.

Rickman has had many memorable roles, including Hans Gruber in “Die Hard,” Harry in “Love Actually,” and the Sheriff of Nottingham in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.” However, his most notable role will forever be Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. His acting career has spanned since he was eighteen, when he went to acting school against the judgement of his mother. Obviously though, acting school was the best choice for him. He has won an incredible amount of awards including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a People’s Choice Award.

The media has been in mourning at the loss of the actor who played Snape. Social media especially has been focused on Alan Rickman’s passing. #AlanRickman was trending on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat for days. Harry Potter fans have been especially impacted by the loss of the actor, and have been leaving displays of affection. For example, fans at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter raised their wands outside of the Hogwarts building in vigil. Also, people have been leaving flowers outside Severus Snape’s potions classroom and at Platform 9 ¾. Said Harry Potter superfan Anika Hagen, 9, “It has made and it will make people really sad. And I think that whenever fans watch the movies back they’ll be reminded of him.”

During this time of sadness in the media and Harry Potter fanbase, admirers of Alan Rickman must remember Dumbledore’s words on the topic. “To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”