NEW YORK -- After 7.4 million votes cast and over three weeks of intense, head-to-head wizard combat action in MTV's "Harry Potter" World Cup, conflicted, calculating and beloved antihero Severus Snape has emerged a champion.

It is an impressive feat indeed, with Snape having overcome heavy hitters and fan favorites Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter himself. MTV News was lucky enough to present the fancy World Cup trophy to Alan Rickman, the man responsible for bringing life and suspense to the complex character, at Monday's New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."

"You're lying, aren't you?" Rickman said upon learning the news of Snape's victory. "I gotta get this on the plane tomorrow?" he joked. "Well, thank you, and it doesn't weigh nothing," he added, commenting on the prize's weight. "Is it chocolate, I hope? Thank you very much."

When asked what the victory means to him, Rickman took it seriously and further thanked the character's fans for recognizing the many aspects of Snape's magical journey.

"It's a vote for ambiguity and things where you don't quite know how they're going to turn out," he said of Snape's is-he-evil-or-good story line. "And also, it's [Snape's] values that you can't talk about without ruining the film, but things like courage and determination and loyalty and love, actually."

"Thank you," Rickman reiterated before heading into the premiere. "I appreciate it; that's an American thing."

Rupert Grint, whose Ron Weasley was our second-place finisher, was not surprised to learn that Snape triumphed over his character. In fact, he had predicted it.

"I knew it," he said with a smile when we broke the news to him. "It's the right choice," he admitted.

Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."

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