JK Rowling gives emotional tribute to Harry Potters's Alan Rickman

The Harry Potter author, JK Rowling has tweeted a tribute to late Severus Snape actor Alan Rickman on Tuesday, April 8.

First, a fan wrote: "Tonight in Italy they air 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 2'. As always, I'm NOT ready to say goodbye to Severus Snape. Thank you @jk_rowling for this unique character and for convincing Alan Rickman to portray him - we had the perfect Severus Snape."

To which Rowling replied with a memory from seeing a rehearsal of her hit Harry Potter sequel play: "In Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Snape makes his first appearance with his back to the audience," she tweeted. "At the dress rehearsal I saw him in his long black wig & my eyes filled with tears because, for a split second, my irrational heart believed when Snape turned round, I'd see Alan."

Alan Rickman played the evil-seeming professor across all eight Harry Potter films. He was on Rowling's original shortlist to play Snape and was one of the few actors in the film series who was able to chat with the author about his character's future in the books.