Many of Huntington’s Harry Potter fans are feeling nostalgia as they mourn the loss of Alan Rickman, who played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films.

Rickman, the English actor and director, died after battling cancer at age 69.

Azyn Chahryar, a senior taking Professor Jill Treftz’s Special Topics Harry Potter English class, said Snape was not her favorite when she started reading the series, but said she ended up liking him more as she read and got to know his character better.

“Snape was kind of like a silent guardian over Harry,” Chahryar said. “Snape is one of my favorite professors that Harry Potter had.”

Bradey Bowen, a senior with a self proclaimed fondness for Rickman’s work, said Neville Longbottom is his favorite Harry Potter character throughout the series, but said he really did enjoy Snape and how his character was played.

“Alan Rickman is just a fantastic actor,” Bowen said. “Anything I have ever seen him in he just completely enhances the character and I don’t think there could have been a better actor to play Severus Snape.”

Chris Carter, another student in Treftz’s Harry Potter class, said he thought Snape’s bravery easily makes him one of the greatest characters in the series and said Rickman did a very good job of portraying the character.

“His pauses are legendary,” Carter said. “He had a flare to his acting that was unique and impactful on the series. I can’t imagine the series without him.”

With a series as popular as the Harry Potter series, fans feel the loss of an actor — always.

Emily Kinner can be contacted at [email protected]