The morning of September 27, 2024, was a somber one as we learned of the passing of Dame Maggie Smith at the age of 89. As the sad news began to make the rounds, the Revelio staff group chat began to “ding” with sentiments of disbelief and sadness.

Maggie was a British legend both on the stage and on-screen. During her career, she won multiple Oscars, Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTA Awards, as well as a Tony Award. But to us, she will always be the one who perfectly brought McGonagall to life with that pointy hat, stern look on her face, and no-nonsense demeanor with a bit of humor and sass thrown in. In fact, Maggie has so much become the embodiment of that character for a generation of fans that it’s her voice many of us hear when reading back passages of McGonagall’s dialogue from the books.

When asked by the Telegraph why she took the role of McGonagall, Maggie very wittily replied, “Harry Potter is my pension.” She did, however, gain a reputation over the course of her career as being a little bit difficult, telling the Guardian, “It’s true I don’t tolerate fools, but then they don’t tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.”

While it is sad that she is no longer with us, her legend will always live on through our screens.