(Important note: I hold no copyrights over the images used in this post. They are used for representation purpose only.)
It has been a long time since I wrote another post that could touch my heart as well as yours. But nothing compelled me to write more than the news related to the death of Alan Rickman. Now many of you, my fellow friends, would be wondering who the heck was this person. But there is no need for introduction to the fans of Harry Potter series. This man immortalized the character of Severus Snape by beautifully portraying it onscreen. While the author J.K. Rowling has already won the accolades for her magical series, it was he who popularized the character of Snape. I am sure many will agree to my point that nobody, I mean nobody, could have essayed the role on 70mm better than him. This image may help the non-Harry-Potter followers to understand Snape in a better way.
It is said that one does not understand the value of what they have until they lose it. Nobody understands the pain until one feels it. I experienced the pain, few years ago, when the author released her final book Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. The pain of losing Snape. And today, I go through the same pain when the world talks of Alan’s death. It was Alan who made Snape from being the most hated guy to the most respected hero. With due respect to Rowling for her books, it was Alan who taught me and the Potter fans the true meaning of love. He taught all of us about selfless love. He taught us about protection. He taught us about fighting the wrongs. He taught us about dedication, determination and devotion towards the duty of safeguarding the interests of the people we love. He taught us about turning to evil for the good to win. Alan left a deep imprint in the minds of all through his exquisite portrayal of Severus Snape.
The images of Snape still run vividly in my mind, from protecting Harry throughout The Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire and The Order of Phoenix to revealing his identity of being The Half Blood Prince and successfully completing his mission by sacrificing his life in The Deathly Hallows. All of these would have made little sense had Alan not played the role of Severus Snape. The image of Alan as Snape hugging the dead body of Lily, the woman he loved wholeheartedly still brings tears to the eyes of Potter fans. The outrage he displays after Dumbledore asks Snape to kill him and orchestrate the death of Harry will remain the scene of the Harry Potter movie franchise. The arrogant Potions teacher who always craved to teach Defense Against Dark Arts, every single scene will remain etched in the memories forever. But there’s one scene that stands out the most; the one in which his Patronus is a doe i.e. same as Lily’s Patronus.
No doubt, Alan may have acted brilliantly in movies like Die Hard and Robin Hood, but it was the role of Severus Snape that gave him worldwide recognition. Alan’s name remains as invincible as Hogwarts School of Magic.
Today, as he enters the gate of Heaven, God may ask him, “What makes you deserve a stay in heaven?” He can proudly proclaim, “I taught Your Children the true meaning of Love by playing the role of Severus Snape.” Thank you Alan for teaching us the meaning of unconditional love. Of course, Rowling may have scripted the role of Snape but nobody could have played it so effortlessly as you did.
Right now, many of my readers would be wondering, how come I am remembering Alan Rickman now. After all this time? In his Severus Snape styled mimicry I would like to reply, “ALWAYS.”
RIP ALAN ‘SEVERUS SNAPE’ RICKMAN. May your soul rest in peace for now, ALWAYS and forever.
Peace, Poetry and Power.