Yeah, Alan Rickman died, so, as any true Harry Potter fan would do, I am writing a story in his honor. I hope you enjoy it. If you do, please comment and say so. :)

Disclaimer: I do not live in a luxury home, my name is not J. K. Rowling, therefore I do not own Harry Potter.

The Bravest Man I ever Knew

The students of Hogwarts, dressed in their black school uniforms, stood in the Great Hall. The tables had been moved to the sides, and the professors stood lined up in the front of the funeral for Severus Snape was signifigantly smaller than Dumbledore's, but the mood was still there; Hogwarts had lost an amazing professor.

Professor McGonagal stepped forward, and cleared her throat. The room was already silent, but it was habit for her. "Anyone who would like to step forward, and say a few words, you are welcome to." she said.

At first no one said anything, but then Neville quietly stepped forward, and raised his hand. Professor McGonagal nodded, and Neville started to speak; at first a little hard to hear, but as he spoke, he started to talk a little louder.

"Professor Snape might not have liked me very much, but no matter how much he sneered at me, or told me that I was worthless, I still tried as hard as I could to make him happy. At first when everyone found out that he was a Death Eater, I thought he was crazy, but when I heard Harry telling He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named how Snape had loved his mother, I knew that he was just, you know, misunderstood. Thank you."

Neville backed into the crowd for Gryfinndor, then Draco stepped forward, and, waiting for no one to acknowledge him, launched into his opinion.

"He was an excellent teacher. He was a good Head of Slytherin. He was a good friend. When I first entered Hogwarts, I saw a man who I thought was invincible. But when everyone found out about his weaknesses, I have to admit, it made him a figure to be respected, not just feared. He was an excellent Headmaster, for the few months that lasted, he protected us from the Death Eaters during his short term. He always protected us."

Draco spun on his heel, then walked back into the Slytherin crowd. Hermione stepped forward, a small tear rolling down her cheek. She started to speak, her words occasionally broken by tears.

"Professor Snape was an excellent teacher. I learned so much from him. Potions was always my favorite subject, even if he would criticize my work, or make fun of my teeth. And when Harry, Ron, and I saw him getting murdered by that snake, that was when we truly saw what Professor Snape was made of. He was the bravest man any of us ever knew. Thank you."

Hermione cupped her face in her hands, and quietly stepped back into the Gryfinndor crowd. Harry stepped forward, and cleared his throat. A few tears were slowly rolling down his face.

"When I saw his last thoughts in the Pensive, I saw his hopes, I saw his dreams, and I saw them all get dashed to pieces by the world. It seemed that he never got what he wanted in this world. If any of us had ever asked him about it, he probably would have told us that life isn't fair, and that he should have just gotten over it, and gone on with his life. And we would probably have gone along with it. But now, I know that there was a voice deep, deep inside of him that still wanted to cry, that still wanted to scream, that still wanted to mourn. But now, all we can do is mourn. Thank you."

A few sobs broke out from the crowd of Hufflepuffs. Harry bowed his head, and slowly joined the Gryfinndor crowd.

Professor Sprout started bawling in front of everyone. Professor Trelawny placed her delicate hand on Sprout's heaving shoulder, and nodded her head, a few tears on her cheek.

Professor McGonagal slowly raised her wand, and nonverbally cast a small light on it's tip. The rest of the staff did the same, and after a little while, the entire hall was filled with the small lights.

Even though everyone's wands were in the air, it seemed as though a soft melody was floating through the windows.