your face had many names,
               each one a ring in the tree of your life;
                 a paragon in the arts, a kind voice in the wind
                                 you were the lighthouse in the fog,
         the booming presence from above,
                   the firework display in Germany,
                   and the wizard who struck Muggle gold
                                in the hearts of millions;
            the laughter in your halls will cease
             to be moved to a higher place,
                the kindness you gave to all
                      will be expedited to the world
     I will remember you throughout the ages,
               bringing my childhood to life on the silver screen
       with your cloak darker than night,
          but a plot as thick and bright
                       as the summer sun in Alaska.
                you gifted secrets through your acting,
                                       displaying the greatest form of history you could;
             that even those deemed moste wicked and traitorous,
                 are not all they seem;
                     for help can always be given to those
             who need it at Hogwarts,
                               and happiness may always be found
        in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.

                                  there will be a bounty of wishes to bring you back

                            [   because everyone dies too young   ]

            and all the magic in the world
          cannot express how much we will love and miss you

                                                                         always.

---

I am heart broken, absolutely heart broken, over the passing of Alan Rickman.
I have grown up with Harry Potter; ever since I was a little girl, those books were my life. And when they came to the big screen, it was mind blowing to see all the things I had only imagined in my head while reading, come to life. And then throughout the span of ten years, anxiously waiting for the next installment, griping over the fact that Deathly Hallows was split in two, crying along with Harry (and everyone else) when Sirius, Dumbledore, Hedwig, Remus, Tonks, Dobby, and Fred died – they were my family.
We all went to Hogwarts. We were all there with them, the whole way.
And one has left our number. Many, many tears have been shed today, and it was hard writing this out.
I am a Slytherin, and I will always be proud of that fact. Our Housemaster was a brilliant man with an edge, a secret, and love for all mankind, and the power to go further than many men. 
Raise your wands for our Housemaster, Slytherins. He deserves it and so much more.

To you, Professor. Thank you for everything.

originally written January 14th, 2016.
https://www.deviantart.com/serendiipitii/art/wands-up-584372345