5 Snape scenes that have to stay in the HBO adaptation

February 21 was the birthday of the late and extremely great Alan Rickman and we observed a moment of silence on the subject. It would have been the 79th birthday of the man who brought us Severus Snape and in his honor, here are five moments from the books that should not be missed when Harry Potter is adapted again.

1. Snape vs. Moody (Year 4)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is full of mystery and intrigue. One of the major threads running through the story is why Professor Dumbledore hired a Dark Wizard catcher to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Moody is abrasive and offensive at times, but also undeniably awesome as an authority figure.

Before the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, Harry witnesses one of the few times we see Moody challenged. Professor Snape is not willing to just let this interloper set his own agenda and cross lines at Hogwarts. "Dumbedore happens to trust me," Snape tells Moody when Moody claims to have authority to conduct a search of his office. "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office." Snape is the one person before the end who sees Moody as out of line and it's more about prudence than paranoia.

2. Snape and Lupin (Year 3)

Snape often gets a bad rap for his harsh treatment and anti-student biases, but he does a great service to a former foe in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. We see him bring a potion to Professor Lupin early in the book and know that it's not the only time Snape makes that visit.

In a crucial moment, Snape brings the potion once more to Professor Lupin and sees the Marauder's Map on Lupin's desk. The book only covers his eagerness to capture Sirius Black and implicate Remus Lupin, but we learn in the seventh book how hard he worked to protect Harry. Him rushing into danger against a murderer and a werewolf is a crucial point.

3. Snape and Sirius (Year 5)

One of my favorite Dumbledore moments is at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when he mandates that one of the first steps of the second war against Voldemort is Snape and Sirius putting aside their differences. As Dumbledore says, "unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we see that things aren't so simple. Snape is a member of the Order, but never stays for social functions and is treated with suspicion by many people. At the end of the book, in spite of sneering at Sirius' cowardice and nearly coming to blows with Harry's godfather over Occlumency lessons, Snape springs into action to send forces to the Ministry of Magic. He hates Sirius, but he stands united with him.

4. Snape and the sisters (Year 6)

It takes some time to get to the main action in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and it's significant that, before we ever get to the regular characters, we stop in at Spinner's End. We step inside Snape's house with Narcissa Malfoy and her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange.

The main purpose of the chapter is to establish the mission given to Draco Malfoy by Lord Voldemort, but it also prepares us for the ending of the book. By the time we're finished reading, Snape has killed Dumbledore and fled the castle. But in this early chapter, we see that his actions are as calculated as they are remarkable and he acts for cunning purposes like any good Slytherin. And many of us caught on that the murder of Dumbledore had to fit that model as well.

5. Snape and Dumbledore (Year 7)

"Well, Severus? What message does Lord Voldemort have for me?" So starts a pivotal scene in the war against the Dark Lord. On "a hilltop, forlorn and cold in the darkness," Snape appeals to Dumbledore for help. Harry witnesses this moment in which Snape promises to give Dumbledore "Anything" in return for helping to save Lily, James, and Harry Potter.

Snape is despicable in only concerning himself with the fate of the woman he loves, but this is turning point at which Dumbledore gains an ally who will save the wizarding world in his own way. Snape showed great courage in risking his life to come to this decision.