Dawn Images

Alan Rickman, one of the finest British actors of the past 3 decades, passed away yesterday in London at the age of 69.

Rickman managed to fall between a leading man and a character actor and it worked out well for him.

The star, who succumbed to cancer, was known for many roles but found a fresh legion of fans when he took on the role of Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies.

In memory of the brilliant actor, us Potterheads recall some of our most memorable Snape moments:

1) When he lost Lily, the (unrequited) love of his life, he could have gone over to the dark side in despair. But Snape didn't. He devoted himself to good, not evil.

2) When James threatened to deprive Snape of his pants we realised Snape had a reason to be bitter. It explained his harshness towards Harry.

3) Despite everything, Snape still watched over Harry, Lily's only child. He saved him from Voldemort's nefarious designs time and again — first, at this Quidditch match.

4) He threatened Ron and Harry with explusion for flying into Hogwarts in a car. Snape sounds almost parental, in retrospect.

5) Some years later, he put his own life at risk to save Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione from Lupin the Werewolf.

6) He was the truest Dumbledore devotee – who else would take a beloved wizard's life at his own insistence and silently let the world call him a murderer?

7) When he tells Harry that he has his mother's eyes, we feel his pain.

8) When he produced a doe Lily as his Patronus, his strength. "After all this time? Always." Sigh.

9) When he totally put Lockhart in his place. We're glad he had no patience for phonies.

You will be missed, Professor.