Sirius Black

Sirius Black, also known by his Marauders nickname Padfoot, was a pure-blood wizard, the godfather of Harry Potter, and a key member of the original and reconstituted Order of the Phoenix. A scion of the noble and ancient House of Black, he rejected his family's pure-blood supremacy ideology and was sorted into Gryffindor house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His life was defined by fierce loyalties, a tragic injustice that saw him wrongfully imprisoned in Azkaban for twelve years, and his profound role as a father figure to Harry. Sirius was a powerful wizard and an unregistered Animagus with the ability to transform into a large black dog.

Born to Orion and Walburga Black, Sirius grew up in the family home at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He deeply despised his family's obsession with blood purity and their affinity for the Dark Arts. Unlike the rest of his family, who were almost all sorted into Slytherin, Sirius was placed in Gryffindor, an act which cemented his status as the “black sheep” of the family. At Hogwarts, he became best friends with James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The four friends, known as the Marauders, were exceptionally clever and notorious for their rule-breaking. To support Remus Lupin during his monthly werewolf transformations, Sirius, James, and Peter secretly and illegally became Animagi. Sirius's form was a large black dog, earning him the nickname “Padfoot.” Together, the four created the Marauder's Map, a highly detailed magical map of Hogwarts. At the age of sixteen, Sirius ran away from home and was taken in by James Potter's family, who treated him like a second son. He was officially disowned and burned off the family tapestry by his mother.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Sirius joined the Order of the Phoenix with his friends to fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He was James and Lily Potter's best man at their wedding and was named Harry Potter's godfather. When the Potters went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm, Sirius was chosen to be their Secret-Keeper. However, believing it to be a clever bluff, he persuaded them to switch to Peter Pettigrew at the last minute. This proved to be a fatal mistake, as Pettigrew was a spy for Voldemort. On 31 October 1981, Pettigrew betrayed the Potters, leading to their murders. Devastated, Sirius tracked Pettigrew down. Pettigrew confronted Sirius on a city street, shouting that Sirius had betrayed the Potters for all to hear, before killing twelve Muggles with a single powerful curse. He then cut off his own finger, transformed into his rat Animagus form, and escaped into the sewers, framing Sirius for the betrayal, his own murder, and the death of the Muggles. Sirius was arrested by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and sent to Azkaban without a trial. He endured twelve years there, surviving the soul-sucking Dementors by focusing on the truth of his innocence—a thought that was not happy, and thus gave the Dementors little to feed on, allowing him to maintain his sanity.

In 1993, Sirius saw a picture of the Weasley family in the Daily Prophet, in which he recognized Peter Pettigrew in his rat form (as Scabbers) on Ron Weasley's shoulder. This motivated his escape, as he transformed into his thin dog form and slipped past the Dementors and through the prison bars. He made his way to Hogwarts to protect Harry from Pettigrew. At the end of the school year, his innocence was revealed to Harry, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley in the Shrieking Shack, with the help of Remus Lupin. However, Pettigrew escaped before Sirius's name could be cleared. Sirius, a fugitive once more, fled Hogwarts with the Hippogriff Buckbeak. He remained on the run but kept in close contact with Harry, offering guidance and support. When Lord Voldemort returned, Sirius reconvened the Order of the Phoenix, offering his despised family home, Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, as its headquarters. Confined to the house by order of Albus Dumbledore, Sirius grew increasingly frustrated and reckless.

In 1996, Lord Voldemort used Legilimency to plant a false vision in Harry's mind of Sirius being tortured in the Department of Mysteries. Harry, believing it to be real, rushed to the Ministry of Magic to save him. Several members of the Order of the Phoenix, including Sirius, arrived to aid Harry and his friends in the ensuing battle against a group of Death Eaters. During a duel with his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, in the Death Chamber, Sirius was struck by a curse (unspecified in the book) that sent him staggering backward through a mysterious veiled archway. He was killed instantly, falling beyond the veil.

In his youth, Sirius was described as tall and handsome with long, lustrous black hair, grey eyes, and an air of “casual elegance.” Twelve years in Azkaban left him emaciated and gaunt, with a waxy, skull-like face, yellow teeth, and long, matted hair. After his escape, with proper care, some of his former handsomeness returned, though his face remained haunted by his experiences. His Animagus form was that of a huge, bear-like black dog. Sirius was brave, fiercely loyal, and deeply loving toward his friends and godson. However, he was also reckless, short-tempered, and possessed a bitter streak, largely born from his unhappy childhood and wrongful imprisonment. He could be arrogant and had a cruel side to his humor, particularly in his treatment of Severus Snape and the house-elf Kreacher. He struggled to separate Harry from his memories of James, sometimes treating his godson more like a friend than a ward, a tendency that worried Molly Weasley and Remus Lupin.

• Animagus: Sirius was one of the few known wizards to master the difficult magic of becoming an Animagus, transforming at will into a large black dog. This skill was crucial to his escape from Azkaban.
• Duelling: He was a highly proficient duellist, capable of fighting multiple Death Eaters, including formidable opponents like Antonin Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange.
• Non-verbal Magic: Sirius was skilled enough to use non-verbal spells, as demonstrated during the battle in the Department of Mysteries.
• Charms and Transfiguration: His ability to become an Animagus and co-create the Marauder's Map indicates exceptional talent in both Transfiguration and Charms.
• Wand: The composition of Sirius's wand (wood, core, length) is not mentioned in the books.

• Flying Motorcycle: An enchanted motorcycle large enough for a half-giant like Rubeus Hagrid to ride. It could fly, though it was noisy. Sirius lent it to Hagrid the night he rescued the infant Harry from Godric's Hollow.
• Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place: He inherited the Black family home and all its contents, including the cantankerous house-elf, Kreacher. He allowed the Order of the Phoenix to use it as their headquarters.
• Two-way Mirror: A magical mirror, one of a pair, that allows two users to communicate. He gave one to Harry as a gift, but Harry did not open it until after Sirius's death.
• Marauder's Map: A co-creator of this magical map of Hogwarts, though he did not possess it during the events of the series.

• Harry Potter: As his godfather, Sirius was the closest thing Harry had to a parent. Their relationship was one of deep mutual affection and loyalty. Sirius was fiercely protective of Harry, and his death was one of the most devastating losses Harry ever suffered.
• James Potter: Sirius's best friend, whom he loved like a brother. Their bond was the defining relationship of his youth.
• Remus Lupin: One of his closest friends from Hogwarts. Their friendship was damaged for twelve years by Lupin's belief in Sirius's guilt, but it was fully restored after they reunited in the Shrieking Shack.
• Peter Pettigrew: A former friend whose betrayal led to the deaths of James and Lily Potter and Sirius's imprisonment. Sirius harbored a deep and consuming hatred for him.
• The Black Family: Sirius loathed his immediate family and their pure-blood prejudice, leading to his being disowned. He had a particularly antagonistic relationship with his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange and his mother's portrait at Grimmauld Place.
• Severus Snape: Their relationship was one of mutual and lifelong animosity, stemming from a dangerous prank Sirius played on Snape during their school days. As adults, they were forced to work together in the Order of the Phoenix, but their loathing for one another never subsided.

• Sirius: The name of the brightest star in the Earth's night sky. It is part of the constellation Canis Major, which means “the Greater Dog” in Latin. This is a direct reference to his Animagus form and is often called the “Dog Star.” Many members of the House of Black are named after stars and constellations.
• Black: A straightforward surname that may allude to his family's connection to the Dark Arts, his dark hair, or the tragic and dark nature of his life story.

• In the film adaptations, Sirius Black is portrayed by actor Gary Oldman. (film)
• According to the Black Family Tree created by J.K. Rowling, Sirius was born in 1959 and died in 1996. (J.K. Rowling supplementary material)
• J.K. Rowling has stated in interviews that she regretted killing Sirius, as he was a character she personally liked, but that his death was narratively necessary to force Harry to grow up and face his destiny alone. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• The film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix significantly downplayed the role of the two-way mirror, which confused many viewers as to why Harry didn't use the gift Sirius had given him to check if he was safe before rushing to the Ministry of Magic. (film)