It’s that day of the year again. For Harry Potter fans May 2nd is the anniversary of the battle of Hogwarts, the bloody end to the wizarding war where Voldemort was finally defeated. And for the past two years on this day writer JK Rowling has apologised for killing off a character during the battle.

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In 2015 she said sorry for Fred Weasley's demise. Last year was Remus Lupin’s turn…

And this year, it’s the big one: Snape. Yes, the Snape played by Alan Rickman in the films.

It’s hit us all hard. After all, Snape was the double-agent wizard whose love for Lily Potter saw him sacrifice his life for her son Harry. The hero who Harry would go on to name a child after. The man who brutally died at the hands of Voldemort’s serpent.

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We’ve got you in mind, Severus. Always.

@jk_rowling let's all raise our wands in honor of those we lost during the battle of Hogwarts?

— E U N (@JuliaAndreyy) May 2, 2017

Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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