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{{FA}}
 
{{FA}}
{{Youmay|[[Harry Potter]]'s godfather| [[Sirius Black I]] or [[Sirius Black II]]}}
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{{Youmay|[[Harry Potter]]'s godfather|[[Sirius Black I]] or [[Sirius Black II]]}}
{{Youmay|the character nicknamed the "Prisoner of Azkaban"|the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban|book]], the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|film]], the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] or the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)|video game]]}}
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{{Youmay|the character nicknamed the "Prisoner of Azkaban"|the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban|novel]], the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|film]], the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (soundtrack)|soundtrack]], the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)|video game]] or the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game soundtrack)|video game soundtrack]]}}
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{{Semiprotected}}
{{Order_of_the_Phoenix_individual_infobox
 
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{{Individual infobox
|image=[[File:Sirius Black profile.jpg|250px]]
 
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|theme = phoenix
|name=Sirius Black
 
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|image = OOTP promo front closeup Sirius Black.jpg<!--- Please discuss changing this image first before on this article's talk page before deciding to change it, like with many other profile images of popular characters. Thanks.--->
|hideb=
 
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|name = Sirius Black III
|born=[[1950s|Autumn 1959]]<br/>[[England]]<ref name="LE">''[[Harry Potter Limited Edition]]'' (See [[:File:SiriusBlackMinistryFile.png|this image]])</ref>
 
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|born = [[3 November]] [[1959]]<ref name="BD"/><ref>In the [http://web.archive.org/web/20110430145439/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=61 F.A.Q. section] of {{JKRS}}, she stated that Sirius was "around twenty-two" when he was imprisoned shortly after 31 October [[1981]], and as he attended Hogwarts from [[1971]] to [[1978]], Sirius must have been born in 1959.</ref><br>[[London Borough of Islington|Islington]], [[London]], [[England]], [[Great Britain]]<ref name="LE">{{HPLE}} (See [[:File:SiriusBlackMinistryFile.png|this image]])</ref>
|died=[[18 June]], [[1996]] (aged 36)<br />[[Death Chamber]], [[British Ministry of Magic Headquarters|Ministry of Magic]], [[London]]
 
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|died = [[18 June]] [[1996]]<ref name="death">[https://www.pottermore.com/explore-the-story/sirius-black {{PM}} - Writing by J.K Rowling: Sirius Black]</ref> (aged 36)<br >[[Death Chamber]], [[Department of Mysteries]], [[British Ministry of Magic Headquarters|Ministry of Magic]], [[Whitehall]], [[London]], [[England]], [[Great Britain]]<ref name="OOTP35">{{OOTP|B|35}}</ref>
|blood=[[Pure-blood]]
 
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|blood = [[Pure-blood]]
|marital= Single
 
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|marital = Single<!--- DO NOT add Remus Lupin as the husband of Sirius Black, as this is untrue in canon. Edits of this nature (shipping) shall be considered vandalism and reverted.--->
|alias=*Padfoot
 
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|nationality = [[England|English]]
*The Prisoner of Azkaban
 
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|alias = *Padfoot (by [[Marauders]] and the [[trio]])<ref name="POA18"/>
*Snuffles (by [[Harry Potter]], [[Ron Weasley]] and [[Hermione Granger]])
 
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*Snuffles (by the [[trio]])<ref name="GOF27">{{GOF|B|27}}</ref>
*The Grim
 
*[[Stubby Boardman]] (by ''The Quibbler'')<ref name="OTP10">{{OOTP}} - Chapter 10: "Luna Lovegood"</ref>
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*[[Stubby Boardman]] (by ''[[The Quibbler]]'')<ref name="OTP10">{{OOTP|B|10}}</ref>
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|title =
*Serious Black (by the [[Muggle]] [[Prime Minister]])<ref name="HBP1">{{HBP}} -
 
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|signature = [[File:Sirius Black sig.jpeg|85px]]
*Murderin Traitor
 
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|species = [[Human]]<ref name="POA17"/>
Chapter 1: "The Other Minister"</ref>
 
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|gender = Male<ref name="POA17"/>
|title=
 
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|height = 5'9.5"<ref name="LE"/>
|signature=[[File:Sirius Black sig.png|100px]]
 
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|weight =
|hidep=
 
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|hair = Black<ref name="hair">{{OOTP|B|4}} - "Then a man with long black hair came charging out of a door facing Harry. [...] Panting slightly and sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes, Harry's godfather, Sirius, turned to face him."</ref>
|species=[[Human]]
 
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|eyes = Grey<ref name="eyecolor">[http://web.archive.org/web/20110623034807/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/fansite_view.cfm?id=1 "Immeritus" on J. K. Rowling's Official Site (available via Internet Archive)]</ref>
|gender=Male
 
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|skin = Waxy white<ref>{{POA|B|3}} - "Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one."</ref>
|height=5ft, 9.5in<ref name="LE"/>
 
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|family = <!-- DON'T add Harry Potter. Per family infobox guidelines, godparents are not blood relatives or relatives by marriage.-->
|hair=Black
 
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*[[Orion Black]] (father; maternal second cousin once removed; paternal second cousin once removed-in-law) †
|eyes=Grey<ref name="eyecolor">[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/fansite_view.cfm?id=1 "Immeritus" on J. K. Rowling's Official Site]</ref>
 
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*[[Walburga Black]] (mother; paternal second cousin once removed; maternal second cousin once removed-in-law) †
|skin=Light
 
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*[[Fleamont Potter]] (legal guardian) †
|hidef=
 
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*[[Euphemia Potter]] (legal guardian) †
|family=<!-- DON'T add Harry Potter. Per family infobox guidelines, godparents are not blood relatives or relatives by marriage.-->
 
*[[Phineas Nigellus Black]] (paternal/maternal great-great-grandfather) †
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*[[Regulus Black]] II (younger brother; paternal third cousin; maternal third cousin) †
*[[Orion Black]] (father/second cousin once removed) †
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*[[Arcturus Black III]] (paternal grandfather; maternal first cousin twice removed) †
*[[Walburga Black]] (mother/second cousin once removed)
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*[[Melania Macmillan|Melania Black]] (née [[Macmillan family|Macmillan]]) (paternal grandmother; maternal first cousin twice removed-in-law)
*[[Regulus Black|Regulus Arcturus Black]] (brother/third cousin)†
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*[[Pollux Black]] (maternal grandfather; paternal first cousin twice removed)
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*[[Irma Crabbe|Irma Black]] (née [[Crabbe family|Crabbe]]) (maternal grandmother; paternal first cousin twice removed-in-law)
*[[Arcturus Black III]] (paternal grandfather) †
 
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*[[Lucretia Black|Lucretia Prewett]] (née [[House of Black|Black]]) (paternal aunt; maternal second cousin once removed) †
*[[Melania Macmillan]] (paternal grandmother)
 
*[[Pollux Black]] (maternal grandfather) †
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*[[Alphard Black]] (maternal uncle; paternal second cousin once removed) †
*[[Irma Crabbe]] (maternal grandmother)
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*[[Cygnus Black III]] (maternal uncle; paternal second cousin once removed)
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*[[Ignatius Prewett]] (paternal uncle by marriage; maternal second cousin once removed-in-law)
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]] (first cousin) †
 
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*[[Druella Black]] (née [[Rosier family|Rosier]]) (maternal aunt by marriage; maternal second cousin once removed-in-law) †
*[[Andromeda Tonks]] (first cousin)
 
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*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]] (née [[House of Black|Black]]) (maternal first cousin; paternal third cousin) †
*[[Narcissa Malfoy]] (first cousin)
 
*[[Alphard Black]] (maternal uncle)
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*[[Andromeda Tonks]] (née [[House of Black|Black]]) (maternal first cousin; paternal third cousin)
*[[Cygnus Black III|Cygnus Black]] (maternal uncle)
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*[[Narcissa Malfoy]] (née [[House of Black|Black]]) (maternal first cousin; paternal third cousin)
*[[Druella Rosier]] (maternal aunt by marriage)
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*[[House of Black]] (paternal/maternal family)
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|romances = <!--- DO NOT add Remus Lupin as the husband of Sirius Black, as this is untrue in canon. Edits of this nature shall be considered vandalism and reverted.--->
*[[Lucretia Black]] (paternal aunt)
 
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|animagus = [[Dog|Black dog]]<ref name="POA17">{{POA|B|17}}</ref> (unregistered)<ref name="POA18">{{POA|B|18}}</ref>
*[[Ignatius Prewett]] (paternal uncle by marriage)
 
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|boggart = [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]<ref name="LEGOHP">{{LEGO|Y1}}</ref>
*[[House of Black|Black family]]
 
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|wand = [[Sirius Black's wand|Unknown length, wood and core]]<ref name="POA17"/>
|hidem=
 
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|patronus = Non-corporeal<ref name="LEGOHP">{{LEGO|Y1}}</ref><ref name="LHP5-7">{{LEGO|Y2}}</ref>
|animagus=Black [[dog]] (unregistered)
 
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|job =
|boggart=
 
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|house = [[Gryffindor]]<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2004/0304-wbd.htm 2004 World Book Day Chat]</ref>
|wand=[[Sirius Black's wand|Unknown length, wood, and core]]
 
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|loyalty = *[[House of Black]] (disowned)
|patronus=
 
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*[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
|hidea=
 
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**[[Gryffindor]]
|job=
 
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**[[Marauders]]<ref name="POA18"/>
|house=[[Gryffindor]]<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2004/0304-wbd.htm 2004 World Book Day Chat]</ref>
 
|loyalty=*[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
 
*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
 
*[[Marauders]]
 
*[[House of Black|Black family]] (formerly)
 
 
*[[Potter family]]
 
*[[Potter family]]
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*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
 
}}
 
}}
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{{Quote|I don't know how I did it. I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me... but it kept me sane and knowing who I am... helped me keep my powers... so when it all became... too much... I could transform in my cell... become a dog.|How Sirius survived in Azkaban|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
{{Quote|Sirius was a brave, clever, and energetic man, and such men are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe others to be in danger.|[[Albus Dumbledore]]|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
'''Sirius Black III''' ([[1950s|1959]]<ref>In the [http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=61 F.A.Q. section] of [[J.K.Rowling Official Site|J.K. Rowling's Official Site]], she stated that Sirius was "around twenty-two" when he was imprisoned in [[Azkaban]]. Given that he was imprisoned shortly after 31 October [[1981]] and attended Hogwarts from [[1971]] to [[1978]], Sirius would have been born between 1 September 1959 and November 1959.</ref> - [[18 June]], [[1996]]), also known by his nickname '''Padfoot''', was a [[pure-blood]] [[wizards|wizard]], son of [[Orion Black|Orion]] and [[Walburga Black]] and elder brother of [[Regulus Black|Regulus]] by a little over a year. Although he was the heir of the [[House of Black]], Sirius disagreed with his family's belief in [[blood purity]] and defied tradition when he was sorted into [[Gryffindor]] instead of [[Slytherin]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], which he attended from [[1971]] to [[1978]]. As Sirius' relationship with his relatives deteriorated, he gained great friendship in [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Remus Lupin]], and [[Peter Pettigrew]]. The four friends, also known as the [[Marauders]], joined the [[Order of the Phoenix]] to fight against [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and his [[Death Eaters]] during the [[First Wizarding War]]. Sirius also became the godfather of [[Harry Potter]], son of [[James Potter I|James]] and [[Lily Evans|Lily Potter]]. When Pettigrew betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, Sirius sought to exact revenge on Pettigrew. However, Pettigrew was able to frame Sirius for his betrayal of the Potters, the murder of [[Peter Pettigrew's victims|twelve Muggles]], and the staged murder of Pettigrew before Sirius could accomplish this.
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'''Sirius Black''' '''III''' ([[3 November]]<ref name="BD">[https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/652868162703237120 WE WON!!!!!! And Sirius Black was born on the 3rd of November xxxxxxxx] posted by JKR on Twitter on 10 October 2015</ref> [[1959]]<ref>In the [http://web.archive.org/web/20110430145439/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=61 F.A.Q. section] of {{JKRS}}, she stated that Sirius was "around twenty-two" when he was imprisoned in [[Azkaban]]. Given that he was imprisoned shortly after [[31 October]] [[1981]] and attended Hogwarts from [[1971]] to [[1978]], Sirius would have been born between 1 September 1959 and November 1959</ref> [[18 June]] [[1996]]),<ref name="death" /> also known as '''Padfoot''' or '''Snuffles''' (in his [[Animagus]] form), was an [[England|English]] [[pure-blood]] [[Wizardkind|wizard]], the older son of [[Orion Black|Orion]] and [[Walburga Black]], the older brother of [[Regulus Black]], and godfather of [[Harry Potter]]. Although he was the heir of the [[House of Black]], Sirius disagreed with his family's belief in [[Blood status|blood purity]] and defied tradition when he was [[Sorting Ceremony|Sorted]] into [[Gryffindor|Gryffindor House]] instead of [[Slytherin]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], which he attended from [[1971]] to [[1978]]. As the rest of his family had been in Slytherin, he was the odd one out.
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As Sirius's relationship with his relatives deteriorated, he gained a lifelong friendship with [[James Potter I|James Potter]] and [[Remus Lupin]]. He was also friends with [[Peter Pettigrew]]. The four friends, also known as the [[Marauders]], joined the [[Order of the Phoenix]] to fight against [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and his [[Death Eaters]] during the [[First Wizarding War]]. Sirius was named the godfather of Harry James Potter, the only son of James and [[Lily J. Potter|Lily Potter]]. When Pettigrew betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, Sirius sought to get revenge on Pettigrew. However, Pettigrew was able to [[Massacre in London|frame]] Sirius for his betrayal of the Potters, the murder of [[Peter Pettigrew's unidentified victims|twelve Muggles]], and the staged murder of Pettigrew before Sirius could accomplish this.
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Sirius was sent to [[Azkaban]] and, after twelve years, became the only known person to [[Azkaban escapes#1993 breakout|escape]] the prison unassisted. He did it by transforming into his Animagus form of a massive black dog often confused with a "Grim", an omen said to cause death. Sirius [[Encounter at the Shrieking Shack|exposed]] Pettigrew's treachery to his old friend Remus and his godson Harry. Unfortunately, [[Dementor|Dementors]] [[Attack at the Great Lake|attacked]] the group and allowed Pettigrew to escape. With the [[Minister for Magic]] [[Cornelius Fudge]] wanting to have Sirius [[Dementor's Kiss|kissed]] and Sirius's proof of innocence gone, he was forced to go on the run,
   
Sirius was sent to [[Azkaban]] for thirteen years, eventually becoming the only known person to [[Azkaban escapes#1993|escape]] the prison unassisted, by transforming into his [[Animagus]] form of a massive black dog confused with a "Grim". Sirius exposed Pettigrew's treachery to his old friend Remus and his godson. After Lord Voldemort returned in [[1995]], Sirius rejoined the Order. He was killed by his cousin [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] during the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], and subsequently cleared of all charges by the Ministry of Magic.
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After Lord Voldemort [[Return of Lord Voldemort|returned]] in [[1995]], Sirius rejoined the Order. He was [[Bellatrix Lestrange's unidentified spell|killed]] by his cousin [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] during the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]] and subsequently cleared of all charges by the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], though it was too late for him to enjoy his freedom. Eventually, his death was [[Duel between Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange|avenged]] by [[Molly Weasley]].
   
He briefly appeared again through the [[Resurrection Stone]] for Harry, along with [[James Potter I|James]], [[Lily Evans|Lily]] and [[Remus Lupin|Remus]] in [[1998]].
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He briefly appeared again to Harry through the [[Resurrection Stone]] on [[2 May]] [[1998]], along with James and Lily Potter, and Remus Lupin. Harry later named his first son [[James Potter II|James Sirius Potter]] after him and his father James Potter I.
   
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
  +
===Early life {{C|1959–1971}}===
{{Quote|Sirius was a brave, clever, and energetic man, and such men are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe others to be in danger.|[[Albus Dumbledore]]|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
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{{Dialogue a-b|Harry Potter|Were — were your parents Death Eaters as well?|Sirius|No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge.|Sirius regarding his family's beliefs|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
===Early life===
 
Sirius was the last remaining heir (resident) of the [[House of Black]], a once-notable [[pure-blood]] wizarding family. His parents, [[Orion Black|Orion]] and [[Walburga Black|Walburga]], were both Blacks by birth and second cousins. Sirius had a younger brother, [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], who died after turning against [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] in [[1979]] by attempting to destroy his Horcruxes. He was killed by the [[Inferius|Inferi]] guarding [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|one of his Horcruxes]] (although Sirius did not know this). Sirius didn't share a close relationship with his brother, calling him "a better son" than himself.<ref name="OTP">{{OOTP}}</ref>
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Sirius Black III was born on [[3 November]] [[1959]], in the London borough of Islington, [[England]], to [[Orion Black]] and [[Walburga Black]], both of whom were [[Dark wizard]]s and second cousins. He was the last remaining heir of the [[House of Black]], a once-notable [[pure-blood]] wizarding family. Sirius had a younger brother, [[Regulus Black|Regulus]]. Sirius did not share a close relationship with his brother, calling him a "better son" than himself.<ref name="OTP">{{OOTP}}</ref>
   
"Sirius" is a traditional Black family name, recurring in at least three generations and following a family tradition of naming children after stars, constellations, and galaxies. The names ''Cygnus'', ''Arcturus'', and ''Regulus'' have also occurred at least twice each. Notably, however, only one Sirius (the subject's [[Sirius Black II|great-grandfather]]) left a line of descent, which ended with the youngest Sirius.<ref>[[House of Black|Black family tree]]</ref>
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"Sirius" was a traditional Black family name, recurring in at least three generations and following a family tradition of naming children after stars, constellations, and galaxies. The names ''Cygnus'', ''Arcturus'', and ''Regulus'' have also occurred at least twice each. Notably, however, only one Sirius (the subject's [[Sirius Black II|great-grandfather]]) left a line of descent, which ended with the youngest Sirius, as he did not have children.<ref name="BTF">[[House of Black|Black family tree]]</ref>
   
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[[File:The Blacks - Pottermore.png|262x262px|thumb|left|The Blacks in the early 1970s]]
{{Dialogue a-b|Harry|Were - were your parents Death Eaters as well?|Sirius|No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge.|Sirius on his family's beliefs|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
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The Black family believed strongly in pure-blood elitism. They refused to consort with [[Non-magic people|Muggles]] or [[Muggle-born]]s, Squibs, and [[Septimus Weasley|blood traitors]] and even disowned [[Squib]] family members, such as Sirius's great-uncle [[Marius Black]], and insisted that their family members only marry within respectable pure-blood classes; because of these beliefs, they were forced to marry their own cousins. They also held the [[Dark Arts]] in reverence.
   
The Black family believed strongly in pure-blood elitism. They refused to consort with [[Muggle]]s or [[Muggle-born]]s, Squibs and [[Septimus Weasley|blood traitors]] and even disowned [[Squib]] family members, such as Sirius' great-uncle [[Marius Black]], and insisted that their members only marry within respectable pureblood classes, because of these beliefs they were forced to marry their own cousins. They also held the [[Dark Arts]] in reverence. Sirius rejected these values, leading to conflict with his family. He even put permanent-sticking charms on [[Gryffindor]] banners, as well as pictures of Muggle girls in bikinis,and motorcycles, and a picture of himself and his Gryffindor friends on the walls of his room to emphasise his differences from the family and annoy his parents<ref name="DH">{{DH}}</ref>. When his cousins [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]] and [[Narcissa Malfoy|Narcissa]] made the desirable pure-blood marriages, to [[Rodolphus Lestrange]] and [[Lucius Malfoy]] respectively, Sirius held them in contempt. His favourite cousin, [[Andromeda Tonks|Andromeda]], was disowned by the family as a "[[blood traitor]]" when she married [[Ted Tonks]], a [[Muggle-born]] wizard.
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Sirius rejected these values, leading to conflict with his family. He even put permanent-sticking charms of [[Gryffindor]] banners, as well as pictures of Muggle girls in bikinis and motorcycles, as well as a picture of himself and his Gryffindor friends on the walls of his room to emphasise his differences from the family and annoy his parents.<ref name="DH">{{DH}}</ref> When his cousins [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]] and [[Narcissa Malfoy|Narcissa]] made the desirable pure-blood marriages, to [[Rodolphus Lestrange]] and [[Lucius Malfoy]] respectively, Sirius held them in contempt. His favourite cousin, [[Andromeda Tonks|Andromeda]], was disowned by the family as a "[[blood traitor]]" when she married [[Edward Tonks|Ted Tonks]], a Muggle-born wizard.
   
Sirius would later share this designation and was held in contempt, even hatred, by [[Bellatrix Lestrange|some members of his family]]. However, in his later life, Sirius established friendships with his first cousin once removed, [[Nymphadora Tonks]], as well as his godson Harry (whom he loved as a son), Harry's friends [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]] and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]], (his third cousin) and his distant cousins in the [[Weasley family]]. He was distantly related to Arthur.<ref name="OTP" />
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Sirius would later share this designation and was held in contempt, even hatred, by some members of his family.
   
===Hogwarts years===
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===Hogwarts years {{C|1971–1978}}===
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{{Dialogue a-b-c-b|James Potter|How'd the exam go, Snivelly?|Sirius Black|I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment. There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word.|Severus Snape|You — wait. You — wait....|Wait for what? What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?|James and Sirius tormenting Severus Snape in their fifth year|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
[[File:Young_Sirius.jpg|thumb|200px|Sirius shortly after his Sorting.]]{{Quote|It's beautiful, isn't it? I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again as a free man.|Sirius to Harry, reminiscing on his days at Hogwarts.|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)}}
 
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[[File:1971 sorting.jpg|250px|thumb|Sirius during his Sorting sitting next to Lily Evans]]
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Sirius had an unhappy childhood; by adolescence he had come to hate most of his relatives, in particular his mother [[Walburga Black|Walburga]] and his cousin [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix Black]]. Whereas all other members of the Black family were Sorted into [[Slytherin]], Sirius was placed in Gryffindor during his [[Sorting Ceremony|Sorting]] in [[1971]], showing that his views had already diverged from those of the rest of the family before he came to school. Sirius also took great care in hanging Gryffindor banners all over his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place to show his difference from the rest of the family. Aside from the shrine to Godric Gryffindor, Sirius did the rest of his room akin to a Muggle boy of his age. He put up pictures of motorcycles and fighter jets as well as posters of bathing beauties. Honouring Muggle accomplishments annoyed his family, but none so much as angering his mother that Sirius considered Muggle women attractive.
   
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[[File:Marauders.jpg|250px|thumb|left|The Marauders in their Animagus forms (Sirius is the black dog) keeping Lupin company in his werewolf form]]
Sirius had an unhappy childhood; by adolescence he had come to hate most of his relatives, in particular his mother and his cousin [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix Black]] (later [[Lestrange family|Lestrange]]). Whereas all other members of the Black family were sorted into [[Slytherin]], Sirius was placed in [[Gryffindor]], showing that his views had already diverged from those of the rest of the family before he came to school. Sirius also took great care in hanging Gryffindor banners all over his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place to show his difference from the rest of the family.
 
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By contrast, he greatly enjoyed life at Hogwarts, where he was inseparable from his best friends: [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Remus Lupin]], and [[Peter Pettigrew]]. They later discovered that Remus was a werewolf. To support him, Sirius, James, and Peter secretly — and illegally — became [[Animagus|Animagi]]. This allowed them to safely accompany Remus during his transformations and keep him under control. Sirius's form took the shape of a huge black dog (not unlike the Grim), from which his nickname "Padfoot" was derived. James would become a stag (Prongs), and Peter would become a rat (Wormtail). The four friends called themselves "the Marauders" and used the nicknames "''Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs''". Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail came from their three Animagus forms and Moony after his lycanthropic condition. They also created the [[Marauder's Map]], which allowed them to see where everyone in the castle was at a given time, which made sneaking around and avoiding teachers much easier.
   
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Although he later considered himself "an idiot" during this time, Sirius, along with James were immensely popular. Teachers respected his intelligence (though not his behaviour), and girls adored his dark handsome looks. His especially rebellious attitude made him ignore them, therefore making girls fawn over his bad boy attitude as well as his looks. Many teachers regarded him and James as troublemakers or practical jokers. [[Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]] once compared them to the mischievous twins [[Fred and George Weasley]], saying that the Weasleys could "''give them a run for their money''".
[[File:JamesAndSirius.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Sirius in his youth, with best friend and fellow Marauder [[James Potter I|James Potter]].]]
 
By contrast, he greatly enjoyed life at Hogwarts, where he was inseparable from his best friends [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Remus John Lupin]] and [[Peter Pettigrew]]. Remus, they later discovered, was a werewolf. To support him, Sirius, James and Peter secretly — and illegally — became [[Animagi]], which allowed them to safely accompany Remus during his transformations and keep him under control. Sirius' form took the shape of a huge black dog (not unlike the Grim), from which his nickname "Padfoot" was derived, James would become a stag (Prongs), and Peter would become a rat (Wormtail). The four friends called themselves "the Marauders" and used the nicknames "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs"; Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail after their three Animagus forms and Moony after his werewolf condition.
 
   
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[[file:James tormenting Severus flashback.gif|250px|thumb|right|Harry witnessing Sirius and James bullying [[Severus Snape|Snape]] in their fifth year]]
{{Quote|Precisely. Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course — exceptionally bright, in fact — but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers.|Minerva McGonagall about Sirius Black and his best friend, James Potter.}}
 
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Sirius's popularity was not universal, however. A mutual hatred sprang up between James Potter and Severus Snape. Sirius actively supported James, leading to Snape bestowing an equal and life-long grudge upon Sirius. Sirius later claimed Snape was "''this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the [[Dark Arts]]''", from Snape's first moments at Hogwarts. He was one of the many people who hated Snape.
   
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Sirius and James often went out of their way to bully Snape. One time, Sirius and James physically bullied him simply out of boredom. Though, Sirius did admit that he and James were "''arrogant little berks''" and that he was not proud of his behaviour, but he had done nothing to rectify it. He and James eventually ended their campaign of ill-treatment towards Snape, but they apparently never apologised. The only time James ever stopped was in front of [[Lily J. Potter|Lily Evans]], a pretty redhead who disapproved of such behaviour, whom James later married right after they left Hogwarts.
Although he later considered himself "an idiot" during this time, Sirius, along with James, was immensely popular: teachers respected his intelligence, though not his behaviour, and girls adored his dark handsome looks, but his especially rebellious attitude made him ignore them, therefore making the girls fawn over his bad boy attitude. Many teachers regarded him and James as troublemakers or practical jokers; [[Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]] once compared them to the mischievous twins [[Fred and George Weasley]].
 
   
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[[File:The Marauders.png|250px|thumb|left|Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter as teenagers during their final years at Hogwarts]]
Sirius' popularity was not universal, however. Early on, a mutual hatred sprang up between James Potter and Severus Snape. Sirius actively supported James, leading to Snape bestowing an equal and life-long grudge upon Sirius, which resulted in Snape's happiness after Sirius's death. Sirius later claimed Snape was "this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts" from Snape's first moments at Hogwarts, though there is no evidence of this during their first meeting. It could be that Sirius was exaggerating this to demonise Snape. Sirius and James often went out of their way to bully Snape; while watching one of Snape’s memories in the Pensieve, Harry saw Sirius and James physically bully him simply out of boredom. Sirius attempted to justify this by pointing out that he and James were only 15 at the time (to which Harry hotly replied, "I'm 15!"), though he did admit that he and James were "arrogant little berks", and that he wasn't proud of his behaviour. He and James eventually ended their campaign of ill treatment towards Snape, but they apparently never apologised.
 
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In his fifth year<ref>In {{POA|B|22}}, Snape says he was nearly killed in a prank by Sirius who was sixteen when it happened. Sirius was born in Nov 1959. He turned sixteen in Nov 1975, when he was in the fifth year. According to {{DH|B|33}}, the prank happened before they took their O.W.L.s in June 1976, so the prank have to have happened between Nov 1975 and June 1976.</ref> at Hogwarts years, Sirius played a potentially lethal practical joke on Snape. He informed Snape of how to enter a tunnel under the [[Whomping Willow]] that would lead to the [[Shrieking Shack]] where, unknown to Snape, Remus Lupin was confined during his transformations into a werewolf. Snape went there during a full moon, and James was forced to rescue him. Sirius excused his own actions, explaining that he had simply told Snape what he wanted to know about the tunnel while omitting crucial information. He simultaneously claimed it "''served Snape right''". The resentment Snape felt for Sirius was never healed. Snape was not the only student whom Sirius and James tormented during their years at Hogwarts. They also used an illegal hex on a boy named [[Bertram Aubrey]] that caused his head to grow twice its original size. It is unknown why they hexed him.
   
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At age sixteen, Sirius finally broke away from his [[House of Black|pure-blood family]] and took refuge with James Potter and his parents. [[Fleamont Potter|Fleamont]] and [[Euphemia Potter]] generously adopted Sirius as a son. His outraged mother blasted his name off the family tree, as was the tradition for those who did not support the family's supremacist ideology. Sirius's uncle [[Alphard Black|Alphard]], Walburga's brother, sympathised with his young nephew and left him a large inheritance in his will, most likely causing Walburga to blast Alphard's name off, as well. Sirius was left financially independent by his uncle's generous bequest and eventually got a place of his own.
Early in his Hogwarts career, Sirius played a potentially lethal practical joke on Snape. He informed Snape of how to enter a tunnel under the [[Whomping Willow]] that would lead to the [[Shrieking Shack]] where, unknown to Snape, Remus Lupin was confined during his transformations into a werewolf. Snape went there during a full moon, and James was forced to rescue him. Sirius excused his own actions, explaining that he had simply told Snape what he wanted to know about the tunnel, while omitting crucial information. He simultaneously claimed it "served Snape right." The resentment Snape felt for Sirius was never healed.
 
   
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===First Wizarding War {{C|1978–1981}}===
At age sixteen, Sirius finally broke away from his family and took refuge with James Potter and his parents. The Potters genorously adopted Sirius as a son. His outraged mother blasted his name off the family tree, as was tradition for those who did not support the family's supremacist ideology. Sirius’ uncle [[Alphard Black|Alphard]], Walburga's brother, sympathised with his young nephew and left him a large inheritance, most likely causing Walburga to blast Alphard's name off as well. Sirius was left financially independent by his uncle’s generous bequest.
 
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{{Dialogue a-b-a|Sirius|What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard that ever existed? Only innocent lives, Peter!|Peter Pettigrew|You don't understand! He would have killed me, Sirius!|THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! ''DIED'' RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!|Sirius confronting Peter in regards to his betrayal|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
   
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[[File:The Marauders in Order of the Pheonix image.jpg|250x250px|thumb|Sirius as an original Order member during the [[First Wizarding War]]]]
===First Wizarding War===
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Sirius|What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard that ever existed? Only innocent lives, Peter!|Peter|You don’t understand! He would have killed me, Sirius!|THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!|Sirius confronting Peter in [[1994]]|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
 
   
After leaving school, Sirius fought against [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], eventually joining the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. Around [[1977]], he and James were involved in a motorbike chase with two policemen. Although the chase started off as a bit of fun, it turned slightly more serious when the pair were attacked by three men on broomsticks. Sirius and James used their wands to raise the police car that had been chasing them, and their attackers crashed into it.<ref>''[[Harry Potter Prequel]]''</ref>
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After leaving school, Sirius fought against [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], eventually joining the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. Around [[1977]], he and James were involved in a motorbike chase with two policemen. Although the chase started off as a bit of fun, it turned slightly more serious when the pair were attacked by three men on broomsticks. Sirius and James used their wands to raise the police car that had been chasing them, and their attackers crashed into it. It is unknown whether they got into trouble with the Ministry of Magic.<ref name="prequel">''[[Untitled charity auction story|Harry Potter Prequel]]''</ref>
[[File:Sirius.JPG|thumb|150px|left|Sirius, as a young man, during the First Wizarding War.]]
 
   
Sometime in [[1979]], Sirius's [[Orion Black|father]] and [[Regulus Black|brother]] both died. Orion's death was from an unknown cause, while Regulus's death was when he drank the [[Drink of Despair]], and when he tried to get water to quench his thirst, he was dragged to his death by the [[Inferius|Inferi]].
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Sometime in [[1979]], [[Orion Black|Sirius's father]] and [[Regulus Black|brother]] both died. Orion's death was from an unknown cause, while Regulus's death was caused when he drank the [[Emerald Potion|Drink of Despair]] while trying to destroy one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, and when he tried to get water to quench his thirst, he was dragged to his death by the [[Inferius|Inferi]], although Sirius never learned the details of his death.<ref name="DH"/>
   
He remained the best of friends with James, and attended James' [[Wedding of James Potter and Lily Evans|wedding]] to [[Lily Evans]] as best man. When their son [[Harry Potter|Harry]] was born, James and Lily named Sirius godfather, thus designating him as Harry's guardian in the event of their deaths. He also gave Harry his first broom at the age of one as a birthday present, as stated by Lily in [[Lily Evans's letter|a letter]] found by Harry a number of years later.<ref name="DH" />
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He remained the best of friends with James and attended James's wedding to [[Lily J. Potter|Lily Evans]] as best man. When their son [[Harry Potter|Harry]] was born, James and Lily named Sirius godfather, thus designating him as Harry's guardian in the event of their deaths. He also gave Harry his first broom at the age of one as a birthday present, as stated by Lily in a letter found by Harry a number of years later.<ref name="DH" />
   
After joining the [[Order of the Phoenix]], Sirius found himself roiling with mistrust and stress due to the great terror that was [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]. It took its toll — by October 1981, he no longer trusted his old friend [[Remus Lupin]], suspecting he was a spy and excluding him from important information. However, he trusted [[Peter Pettigrew]] implicitly, a decision he would grow to regret for the rest of his life.
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After joining the [[Order of the Phoenix]], Sirius found himself roiling with mistrust and stress due to the great terror that was Lord Voldemort. It took its toll — by [[October]], [[1981]], he no longer trusted his old friend [[Remus Lupin]], suspecting he was a spy and excluding him from important information. Meanwhile Remus himself had taken to suspecting that Sirius was the spy. However, Sirius trusted [[Peter Pettigrew]] implicitly, a decision he would grow to regret for the rest of his life.
   
In 1981, the Potters were aware that Harry, along with the [[Neville Longbottom|son]] of fellow Order members [[Alice and Frank Longbottom]], had become Lord Voldemort's specific targets. [[Albus Dumbledore]] advised the Potters to go into hiding using the [[Fidelius Charm]], which Dumbledore hoped would conceal them from doom. James was adamant about Sirius being their [[Secret-Keeper]], believing that Sirius would willingly die rather than reveal where they were. However, believing Voldemort would suspect him, Sirius suggested a "weak, talentless thing" — Peter Pettigrew as a less obvious choice. Keeping everyone else, including [[Remus Lupin]] and [[Albus Dumbledore]], in the dark, Sirius and the Potters reassigned Pettigrew to be Secret-Keeper with Sirius as a decoy.<ref name="POA">{{POA}}</ref>
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In [[1981]], the Potters were aware that Harry, along with the [[Neville Longbottom|son]] of fellow Order members [[Alice Longbottom|Alice]] and [[Frank Longbottom]], had become Lord Voldemort's specific targets. [[Albus Dumbledore]] advised the Potters to go into hiding using the [[Fidelius Charm]], which Dumbledore hoped would conceal them from doom. James was adamant about Sirius being their [[Secret Keeper|Secret-Keeper]], believing that Sirius would willingly die rather than reveal where they were. However, believing Voldemort would suspect him, Sirius suggested Peter Pettigrew as a less obvious choice. Keeping everyone else, including Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore, in the dark, Sirius and the Potters reassigned Pettigrew to be Secret-Keeper with Sirius as a decoy.<ref name="POA">{{POA}}</ref>
[[File:wanted.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Sirius Black wanted poster posted around [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], [[Hogsmeade]] and other magical locations.]]
 
   
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===Between the wars {{C|1981–1995}}===
 
====Imprisonment====
 
====Imprisonment====
 
{{Quote|I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!|Rubeus Hagrid recollecting his last meeting with Sirius|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
 
{{Quote|I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!|Rubeus Hagrid recollecting his last meeting with Sirius|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
   
On [[31 October|Halloween night]] [[1981]], Sirius went to Pettigrew’s hiding place and found him missing. Unsettled by the lack of signs of a struggle, Sirius frantically sped to [[Godric's Hollow]], discovering the Potters' house destroyed and his friends dead; only baby Harry was still alive. When [[Rubeus Hagrid]] appeared on the scene to rescue Harry, on Dumbledore's orders, Sirius offered to take Harry himself. However, Hagrid told him that Dumbledore had made arrangements to send Harry to Lily's sister, [[Petunia Dursley|Petunia]]. Sirius conceded, and gave Hagrid his [[Sirius Black's motorcycle|flying motorcycle]], telling him he wouldn't need it; nevertheless, after Hagrid had handed over the baby, he intended to return Black his bike.<ref name="PS">{{PS}}</ref>
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On [[31 October|Hallowe'en night]] [[1981]], Sirius went to Pettigrew’s hiding place and found him missing. Unsettled by the lack of signs of a struggle, Sirius frantically sped to [[Godric's Hollow]], discovering the Potters' house destroyed and his friends dead; only baby Harry was still alive.<ref name="POA"/> When [[Rubeus Hagrid]] appeared on the scene to take Harry from him on Dumbledore's orders, Sirius offered to take Harry himself as he was the chosen guardian in the events of James's and Lily's deaths. However, Hagrid told him that Dumbledore had made arrangements to send Harry to Lily's sister, [[Petunia Dursley|Petunia]]. Sirius conceded after an argument and gave Hagrid his [[Sirius Black's motorbike|flying motorcycle]], telling him he wouldn't need it; nevertheless, after Hagrid had handed over the baby, he intended to return Black his bike but never got the chance.<ref name="PS1">{{PS|B|1}}</ref>
   
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[[File:Pettigrew Kills Muggles.jpg|250x250px|thumb|left|[[Peter Pettigrew|Pettigrew]] murdering twelve Muggles after being confronted by Sirius about the death of [[Lily J. Potter|Lily]] and [[James Potter I|James Potter]]]]
After leaving Godric's Hollow, Sirius, overcome with grief and rage, tracked Pettigrew down, determined to kill him in vengeance. However, Pettigrew outwitted Black: confronted by Sirius on a city street, he shouted out that it was Sirius who betrayed the Potters, and then created a huge explosion which enabled him to fake his own death, leaving a severed finger behind as evidence, and killed [[Peter Pettigrew's victims|twelve Muggles]] in the process. Fudge claimed that he saw Black laughing maniacally at the scene of the crime, suggesting that Peter's escape nearly pushed him over the edge into insanity. Sirius was arrested by the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]] and was sentenced without trial to [[Azkaban]] for the murder of Pettigrew and the twelve Muggles, for giving the information about the Potters' whereabouts which lead to their death and for being in the service of Lord Voldemort. He would spend the next twelve years in solitary confinement at the mercy of the Azkaban guards, the [[Dementor]]s.
 
   
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After leaving Godric's Hollow, Sirius, overcome with grief and rage, tracked Pettigrew down, determined to kill him in vengeance. However, Pettigrew outwitted Black: confronted by Sirius on a city street, he shouted out that it was Sirius who betrayed the Potters and then created a huge explosion on the street with an extremely powerful explosive [[curse]] (likely the [[Blasting Curse]]), killing [[Peter Pettigrew's unidentified victims|twelve Muggles]] in the process and enabling him to fake his own death and escape in his Animagus form, leaving a severed finger behind as evidence. The surviving Muggles who witnessed the event were pretty certain they saw Sirius murder their twelve companions and Pettigrew with the curse, and Fudge claimed to have seen Sirius laughing maniacally at the scene of the crime.<ref name="POA19">{{POA|B|19}}</ref>
Driven to the brink of madness, he retained his sanity by focusing on his innocence. He said, in the Shrieking Shack, that "it was more an obsession than a happy thought"; it could not be detected by the Dementors, but still gave him small comfort. However, his brooding over his friends' deaths and Pettigrew's betrayal became an obsession as well.
 
   
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Sirius was arrested by the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]] and sentenced by [[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Barty Crouch Snr]] to life imprisonment in [[Azkaban]] without a trial for thirteen counts of murder with the curse giving the information about the Potters' whereabouts which lead to their death and service to Lord Voldemort. The surviving Muggles were [[Memory Charm|Obliviated]] and given an excuse by the [[Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee]] that a gas leak occurred before they could remember who really cast the Blasting Curse. Pettigrew was unjustly awarded the [[Order of Merlin]], First Class for his confrontation with Sirius, which, along with the finger that they recovered, were "posthumously" given to [[Peter Pettigrew's mother|his mother]]. As time passed, due to misconceptions, many believed that Black drew [[Sirius Black's wand|his wand]] and killed Pettigrew before the other had a chance of even drawing. Even the other remaining Marauder, Remus, believed it was Sirius who betrayed their brotherhood.<ref name="POA19"/>
===Escape from Azkaban===
 
[[File:black prison.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Sirius Black shortly after his escape from Azkaban]]
 
{{Quote|I never betrayed Lily and James. I would have died before I betrayed them.|Sirius trying to convince Harry of the truth in 1994.|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
 
   
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[[File:Sirius balck in azkaban_pm.jpg|244x244px|thumb|Sirius during his imprisonment in [[Azkaban]]]]
Sirius' escape was legendary to say the least. In [[1993]], he became the first known person to ever escape from the wizard prison of [[Azkaban]]. After several trying years in Azkaban, Sirius regained enough strength to transform into his Animagus form. As Dementors had difficulty sensing the less complex emotions of animals, he was able to remain relatively unaffected as a dog. After receiving an issue of the [[Daily Prophet]] from [[Cornelius Fudge]] during an inspection, Sirius discovered that Pettigrew was still alive and in hiding in his Animagus form as [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]'s pet rat. Filled with the desire for revenge, Sirius took his Animagus form and, thinned from malnourishment, was able to slip through the bars of his cell and past the Dementors. He swam across the North Sea to freedom, though the journey nearly killed him. He made his way to [[Little Whinging]] to catch a glimpse of his godson as a teenager, where his appearance startled Harry before the [[Knight Bus]] turned up. As news of Sirius muttering "He's at Hogwarts" in his sleep, and subsequently escaping, was released, the Wizarding community went on high alert, believing that he planned to murder Harry in a mad attempt to bring [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] back.
 
   
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Marked as Prisoner ᛈᛉ390, Sirius was placed in solitary confinement at the mercy of the Azkaban guards, the [[Dementor]]s. Driven to the brink of madness, he retained his sanity by focusing on his innocence, which he said in the [[Shrieking Shack]] was'' ''"''more an obsession than a happy thought''"; it could not be detected by the Dementors but still allowed him to maintain a sense of self and regain enough strength to transform into his Animagus form in his cell. Since Dementors have difficulty sensing the less complex emotions of animals, he was able to remain relatively unaffected by them. However, the Dementors evidently were not concerned about these apparent temporary disappearances since they thought it meant he was losing his mind like every other convict in their custody, including [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]] and some of her fellow [[Death Eaters]].
[[File:2003 harry potter and prisoner of azkaban 007.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Sirius, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Remus in the Shrieking Shack.]]
 
   
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However, his brooding over his friends' deaths and Pettigrew's betrayal became an obsession as well. This was due to hearing many different theories regarding why Harry survived Voldemort's attack being made by the confined Death Eaters, the most persistent of which indicating that they believed Pettigrew to have betrayed them since the Dark Lord met his downfall on Peter's information. This most likely meant that Pettigrew went into hiding as a rat in hopes of avoiding the half of Voldemort's followers who avoided imprisonment, afraid that they will be motivated to kill him if his continuing existence became known if not return to their master. Sirius waited until any sources reached within the prison walls leading to the discovery that Pettigrew was staying with a wizarding family as a rat to keep up on current news about Voldemort, all while getting very weak with no hope of driving the Dementors back without his wand, which was taken from him and stored away under [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] safety repercussions.
Sirius took refuge around [[Hogsmeade]] and the [[Forbidden Forest]], where he was spotted a few times and mistaken for the [[Grim]]. He made the acquaintance of [[Hermione Granger]]'s cat [[Crookshanks]], who had recognised that Sirius wasn't actually a dog, and who had also recognised Peter for what he was. Crookshanks attempted to bring Peter to Sirius but [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]] was very protective of his so-called pet. Half-crazed and desperate, Sirius sneaked into Hogwarts through the old passageway from the Shrieking Shack, and on one occasion slashed the [[Fat Lady]]'s portrait when she refused him entrance to [[Gryffindor Tower]]. Later, he came to view the Quidditch match between [[Gryffindor]] and [[Hufflepuff]], where he witnessed Harry's excellent flying skills, which mirrored James'. Eventually, he was able to enter the Gryffindor common room with a list of [[password]]s Crookshanks had stolen from [[Neville Longbottom]], and shredded Ron’s bed curtains in his search for "Scabbers". Peter was nowhere to be found, as Sirius's escape had prompted him to once again fake his own death and hide.
 
[[File:Siriusescape.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Sirius in the passage leading to the Shrieking Shack.]]
 
   
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By [[1985]], Sirius's mother died, leaving the Black house-elf [[Kreacher]] alone in the house, which was thus left abandoned.
In June, Sirius caught [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]] carrying Scabbers, after the rat had been discovered hiding in [[Rubeus Hagrid's cabin]], and dragged both boy and rat through the tunnel under the Whomping Willow to the [[Shrieking Shack]]. Harry and [[Hermione Granger]] followed, the former intent on confronting Sirius about the supposed betrayal of his parents, despite the obvious differences in their ages and skill levels; Sirius' weakened state (due to being on the run) at that time led to the boy easily, and wandlessly, overpowering the older wizard despite Crookshanks's attempts to aid the Animagus. Once Harry had Sirius at his mercy, [[Remus Lupin]], who had seen Peter on the confiscated [[Marauder's Map]], disarmed Harry and warmly greeted his old friend. Together, Lupin and Sirius revealed Peter's true form. Both wanted to kill their former friend for betraying James and Lily, but Harry prevented them from doing so, believing that it would be better to force Pettigrew to face justice at the hands of the Dementors. That, and he didn't want his father's friends to be murderers.
 
   
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====Escape from Azkaban====
{{Dialogue a-b|Sirius|That was a noble thing you did back there; he doesn't deserve it.|Harry|I don't think my dad would've wanted his two best friends to become killers. Besides, dead, the truth dies with him. Alive, you're free.|Sirius and Harry after they expose Pettigrew.|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)}}
 
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{{Dialogue a-b-c-a|Hermione Granger|Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry ... you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry —|Harry Potter|I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me.|Ron Weasley|How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him? No one knows how he got out of Azkaban. No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too.|But they'll catch him, won't they? I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too....|The [[trio]] discussing Sirius Black's escape on the [[Hogwarts Express]]|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
[[File:Sirius_black_soul.jpg|thumb|right|A Dementor attempting to administer the Dementor's Kiss.]]
 
   
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[[File:Wanted.jpg|296x296px|thumb|left|Sirius Black wanted poster posted around [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], [[Hogsmeade]] and other magical locations]]
As they made their way back to the castle, Sirius hesitantly asked Harry if he would like to live with him, thinking Harry would not want to live with the aunt and uncle who had raised him; Harry enthusiastically agreed, thrilled at the idea of leaving the Dursleys and finally having a real home. Unfortunately, soon after they left the Whomping Willow, Lupin transformed under the full moon and, having forgotten to take the [[Wolfsbane Potion]] in the wake of discovering Pettigrew, was uncontrollable. In order to protect Harry, Ron, and Hermione from Lupin, Sirius turned back into a dog, giving Pettigrew an opening to escape and flee. Sirius was weakened following his encounter with Lupin's werewolf form, and could not protect himself when the [[Dementor]]s guarding Hogwarts arrived. Harry, who had followed Sirius and found him lying unconscious and surrounded by the hooded creatures, attempted to perform the [[Patronus Charm]], to no avail. The Dementors nearly succeeded in sucking out Sirius' soul, until a powerful Patronus resembling a stag warded them off.
 
   
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In [[1993]], Sirius became the first known person ever to escape from [[Azkaban]]. He was, however, unknown to the public, beaten by [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Barty Crouch Jnr]] through his [[Bartemius Crouch Junior's mother|mother's]] sacrifice. After receiving an issue of the ''[[Daily Prophet]]'' from [[Cornelius Fudge]] during an inspection, he discovered that Pettigrew was indeed hiding in his Animagus form as [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]'s pet rat Scabbers. Filled with the desire for revenge and concern for Harry, Sirius took his Animagus form and (thinned from undernourishment) was able to slip past the Dementors when they opened his cell door to bring him food. Then, he slipped out of Azkaban and swam across the North Sea in his dog form back to the mainland and to freedom.
[[File:Sirius_black.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Sirius before Harry and Hermione rescue him for the topmost tower]]
 
Sirius was briefly re-captured by Snape, and was sentenced to the [[Dementor's Kiss]], a fate worse than death. Miraculously, and by [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s suggestion, Harry and Hermione used Hermione's [[Time-Turner]] to help Sirius [[Rescue of Sirius Black and Buckbeak|escape]]; as Dumbledore had also hinted that "more than one innocent life" could be saved that night, they rescued the [[hippogriff]] [[Buckbeak]] from execution, thus granting Sirius a form of travel. Sirius was once again a wanted man, although alive and with his soul intact. Soon after his escape, he sent Harry, Ron and Hermione a letter via a [[Pigwidgeon|tiny, hyperactive owl]], explaining that it was he who sent Harry the [[Harry Potter's Firebolt broomstick|Firebolt]] for Christmas, and giving Harry permission, as his godfather, to go to Hogsmeade. He also apologised to Ron for the loss of his pet, asking him to accept the owl in "Scabbers" place.<ref name="POA" /><ref name="GOF" />
 
   
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[[File:B3C3M1 Harry Running Away from Privet Drive PM.jpg|251x251px|thumb|right|Harry Potter unknowningly seeing Sirius Black in his Animagus form in Little Whinging]]
====Events surrounding the Triwizard Tournament====
 
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[[File:sirius fire.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Sirius talks to Harry at the Gryffindor Common Room fire in [[1994]].]]
 
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First, he made his way to [[Little Whinging]] to catch a glimpse of his godson as a teenager, where his Animagus appearance startled Harry before the [[Knight Bus]] turned up. News of his escape caused an unprecedented panic, as he was the first known escapee of the notorious prison, and many people believed that he was planning another mass murder as well to murder Harry in a mad attempt to bring [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] back. [[Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers|Witch Watchers]] that operated as a special Ministry force were used as a means of trying to catch him, but to no avail. The Muggle authorities were warned that Black was dangerous.
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Sirius took refuge around [[Hogsmeade]] and the [[Forbidden Forest]], where he was spotted a few times and mistaken by Harry for the [[Grim]]. He made the acquaintance of [[Hermione Granger]]'s cat [[Crookshanks]], who had recognised that Sirius was not actually a dog and who had also recognised Peter for what he was. Crookshanks attempted to bring Peter to Sirius, but Ron was very protective of his so-called pet. Sirius also spent some of his time in the Shrieking Shack planning various ways in which to catch Pettigrew.
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[[File:Sirius-Black-tunnel.jpg|250x250px|thumb|left|Sirius in the passage leading to the Shrieking Shack]]
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Half-crazed and desperate, Sirius snuck into Hogwarts through the old passageway from the Shrieking Shack and on one occasion slashed the [[Fat Lady]]'s portrait when she refused him entrance to [[Gryffindor Tower]] on 31 October, 1993. Later, he came to view the Quidditch match between [[Gryffindor]] and [[Hufflepuff]]. During the match he witnessed Harry's excellent flying skills, which he later commented mirrored James's skills.
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That [[Christmas]], Sirius filled out a broomstick order form in Harry's name, with instructions to take the gold from [[Vault 711|his own vault]] at [[Gringotts Wizarding Bank|Gringotts]] and had Crookshanks take the order to the owl office for him. Sirius ordered Harry a [[Harry Potter's Firebolt|Firebolt]], to make up for all the birthday presents he'd missed.
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Eventually, he was able to enter the Gryffindor common room. He accomplished this with a list of passwords Crookshanks had stolen from [[Neville Longbottom]] and shredded Ron's bed-curtains in his search for "Scabbers". Peter was nowhere to be found since Sirius's escape had prompted him to once again fake his own death and hide.
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====Reunion with Harry Potter====
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{{Quote|I thought you'd come and help [[Ronald Weasley|your friend]]. Your [[James Potter I|father]] would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a [[Professor|teacher]]. I'm grateful ... it will make everything much easier....|Sirius Black greeting Harry Potter for the first time in the Shrieking Shack|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
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[[File:Sirius ron whomping willow.jpg|thumb|250x250px|Sirius dragging Ron Weasley underneath the [[Whomping Willow]]]]
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In June, Sirius caught Ron carrying Scabbers after the rat had been discovered hiding in [[Hagrid's Hut|Rubeus Hagrid's cabin]] and dragged both boy and rat through the tunnel under the Whomping Willow to the [[Shrieking Shack]]. Harry and Hermione Granger followed, the former intent on confronting Sirius about the supposed betrayal of his parents despite the obvious differences in their ages and skill levels; Sirius's weakened state (due to being on the run) at that time led to the boy easily, and without a wand, overpowering the older wizard despite Crookshanks's attempts to aid the Animagus.
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[[File:B3C19M1 Shrieking Shack Wormtail revealed.jpg|left|thumb|250x250px|Professor Lupin and Sirius forcing Pettigrew into human form]]
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Once Harry had Sirius at his mercy, [[Remus Lupin]], who had seen Peter on the confiscated [[Marauder's Map]], disarmed Harry and warmly greeted his old friend. Together, Lupin and Sirius revealed Peter's true form. Both wanted to kill their former friend for betraying James and Lily, but Harry prevented them from doing so, believing that it would be better to force Pettigrew to face justice at the hands of the Dementors. That, and he did not want his father's friends to become murderers, as he did not think that would be what his father wanted.
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[[File:Harry-potter3_pass_out.jpg|251x251px|thumb|Harry and Sirius pass out after suffering a Dementor attack by the [[Great Lake|Black Lake]]]]
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As they made their way back to the castle, Sirius hesitantly asked Harry if he would like to live with him, thinking Harry would not want to; but Harry enthusiastically agreed, thrilled at the idea of leaving the Dursleys and finally having a real home. Unfortunately, soon after they left the Whomping Willow, Lupin transformed under the full moon and, having forgotten to take the [[Wolfsbane Potion]] in the wake of discovering Pettigrew, was uncontrollable.
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In order to protect Harry, Ron, and Hermione from Lupin, Sirius turned back into a dog, giving Pettigrew an opening to escape and flee. Sirius was weakened following his encounter with Lupin's werewolf form and could not protect himself when hundreds of [[Dementor]]s guarding Hogwarts arrived. Harry and Hermione had followed Sirius and found him lying unconscious and surrounded by the hooded creatures, he attempted to perform the [[Patronus Charm]] but to no avail. The Dementors nearly succeeded in sucking out Sirius's soul until a powerful Patronus resembling a stag warded them off.
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[[File:Harry Potter Prisoner Azkaban sirius buckbeak.jpg|250x250px|thumb|Sirius prepares to escape on Buckbeak after being rescued from the topmost tower|left]]
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Sirius was briefly recaptured by Snape and was sentenced to the [[Dementor's Kiss]], a fate worse than death. Miraculously, and by [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s suggestion, Harry and Hermione used Hermione's [[Time-Turner]] to help Sirius [[Rescue of Sirius Black and Buckbeak|escape]]; as Dumbledore had also hinted that "''more than one innocent life''" could be saved that night, they rescued the [[hippogriff]] [[Buckbeak]] from execution, thus granting Sirius a form of travel. Sirius was once again a wanted man, although alive, soul intact, and innocence known to at least certain people. Soon after his escape, he sent Harry, Ron, and Hermione a letter via a [[Pigwidgeon|tiny, hyperactive owl]] explaining that it was he who sent Harry the [[Harry Potter's Firebolt|Firebolt]] for Christmas and giving Harry permission, as his godfather, to go to Hogsmeade. He also apologised to Ron for the loss of his pet, asking him to accept the owl in place of "Scabbers".<ref name="POA" /><ref name="GOF" />
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====Years in hiding====
 
{{Quote|If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.|Sirius giving advice to Harry|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
 
{{Quote|If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.|Sirius giving advice to Harry|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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Sirius fled Europe beyond the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]'s jurisdiction. He communicated with Harry but very seldom to retain the secrecy of his location. However, due to his use of exotic birds, Harry suspected him of hiding somewhere in the tropics. Harry grew to greatly rely on Sirius's advice in time of need. Sirius returned to Britain when Harry gave him notice that his scar had been hurting, which had come to be known as a signal of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]'s presence or power.
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[[File:B4C27M1 fugitives in the cave near Hogsmeade.png|250x250px|thumb|The trio visiting Sirius in the cave in which he's hiding]]
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When Harry was mysteriously entered in the [[Triwizard Tournament]], Sirius hid in a cave near Hogsmeade, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione occasionally visited him. He did this in order to provide Harry with moral support and advice during this hard time.<ref name="GOF">{{GOF}}</ref> He warned Harry about [[Igor Karkaroff]], the [[Durmstrang Institute|Durmstrang]] headmaster, telling Harry that Karkaroff used to be a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] and that he gave up a considerable number of names in exchange for his freedom. This, in turn, caused Karkaroff to land himself on the wrong side of Death Eaters still loyal to Voldemort, one of the names he gave up was [[Augustus Rookwood]]. Harry told Sirius about seeing Barty Crouch when he was working on the second clue on his way to the [[Prefects' Bathroom|prefect's bathroom]]. Sirius admitted that it was fishy but told Harry to focus on the task at hand and leave the mystery surrounding Crouch's "illness" to others.
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[[File:Sirius_fire.gif|245x245px|thumb|Sirius contacting Harry through the [[Floo Network]]|left]]
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After Harry followed [[Viktor Krum]] to the edge of the Dark Forest, as Krum wanted to talk to him about his relationship with Hermione Granger, Harry encountered a delusional Barty Crouch Snr. When Barty Crouch mysteriously disappeared in the castle grounds after Harry left to retrieve Dumbledore, Sirius warned Harry that someone did not want Crouch to get to the headmaster. He advised Harry to continue his practice of defensive spells and to never wander off on his own, as times were dangerous.
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Following the final task of the tournament, Dumbledore summoned Sirius to his office to meet with Harry, who had barely survived an encounter with Lord Voldemort. Sirius wished for Harry to be allowed to rest from his ordeal but was overruled by Dumbledore. As Harry explained the night's events, Sirius nearly interrupted twice and was greatly angered. He also showed signs of strong emotion when he learned that shades of his old friends James and Lily had returned and hid his face in his hands.
   
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[[File:B4C36M1 Snape Dark Mark reveal.png|251x251px|thumb|Sirius along with Harry’s friends stay with him as he recovers in the hospital wing]]
Sirius fled Europe beyond the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]'s jurisdiction. He communicated with Harry (using brightly coloured tropical birds, much to [[Hedwig]]'s annoyance) very seldom to retain the secrecy of his location. Harry grew to greatly rely on Sirius' advice in time of need. Sirius returned to Britain when Harry gave him notice that his scar had been hurting, which had come to be known as a signal of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]’s presence or power.
 
   
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Sirius was allowed to stay with Harry in the hospital wing in his dog form — Dumbledore telling [[Poppy Pomfrey|Madam Pomfrey]] that he was very well-trained — and remained so even as he heard Cornelius Fudge besmirch Harry and question his credibility on Voldemort's return. Once the Minister had left, Dumbledore began making plans to resist the Dark Lord. He asked Sirius to resume his human form and make his peace with Snape, although neither was pleased (Sirius also frightened [[Molly Weasley]] when she first saw him as she believed him to be a murderer). Dumbledore then asked Sirius to retrieve Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, and Mundungus Fletcher and lie low at Lupin's house until Dumbledore contacted him.
When Harry was mysteriously entered in the [[Triwizard Tournament]], Sirius hid in a cave near Hogsmeade and provided mostly moral support to Harry during this time.<ref name="GOF">{{GOF}}</ref> He warned Harry about [[Igor Karkaroff]], the [[Durmstrang Institute|Durmstrang]] headmaster, telling Harry that Karkaroff used to be a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] and that he gave up a considerable number of names in exchange for his freedom. Harry told Sirius about seeing the name "Bartemius Crouch" appear on the [[Marauder's Map]] when he was working on the second clue. Sirius admitted that it was fishy, but told Harry to focus on the task at hand and leave the mystery surrounding Crouch's "illness" to others.
 
   
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Sirius promised to see Harry again soon and left to fulfil his instructions.<ref name="GOF" />
When Barty Crouch mysteriously disappeared in the castle grounds, Sirius warned Harry that someone didn't want Crouch to get to Dumbledore. He advised Harry to continue his practise of defensive spells, and to never wander off on his own.<ref name="GOF" />
 
   
===Second Wizarding War===
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===Second Wizarding War {{c|1995–1998}}===
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====Rejoining the Order of the Phoenix====
 
{{Quote|I don't like being back here...I never thought I'd be stuck in this house again.|Sirius on being forced to remain in his family home|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
{{Quote|I don't like being back here...I never thought I'd be stuck in this house again.|Sirius on being forced to remain in his family home|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
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[[File:Order of the Pheonix.png|251x251px|thumb|An Order meeting taking place at 12 Grimmauld Place|left]]
   
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With Lord Voldemort restored to his physical form, Dumbledore reinstated the [[Order of the Phoenix]], sending Sirius to gather the "old crowd" and inform them of the situation. Sirius donated his family home at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] in London as Order Headquarters. Unfortunately, as he was still wanted by the authorities, Sirius could never safely leave the house and became quite bitter over his perceived "''uselessness''". When he briefly left the house to see Harry to the [[Hogwarts Express]], [[Draco Malfoy]] nastily complimented Harry on his "''pet dog,''" which, coupled with comments Malfoy made on the train, suggested that the Malfoys recognised Sirius in his Animagus form. Harry and Sirius stayed in touch during Harry's school year via owls and the [[Floo Network]], though Sirius's presence was nearly discovered by [[Dolores Umbridge]] during her dictatorial managing of Hogwarts that year.
[[File:SiriusBlack.jpg|thumb|left|Sirius during the [[Second Wizarding War]].]]
 
With Lord Voldemort restored to his physical form, Dumbledore reinstated the [[Order of the Phoenix]], sending Sirius to gather the old crowd and inform them of the situation. Sirius donated his family home at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] in [[London]] as Order Headquarters. Unfortunately, as he was still wanted by the authorities, Sirius could never safely leave the house and became quite bitter over his perceived "uselessness". When he briefly left the house to see Harry to the [[Hogwarts Express]], [[Draco Malfoy]] nastily complimented Harry on his "pet dog", which, coupled with comments Malfoy made on the train, suggested Sirius' cover was blown.
 
 
[[File:Sirius Black.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Sirius in a meeting of the [[Order of the Phoenix|Order]].]]
 
Harry and Sirius stayed in touch during Harry's school year via owls and the [[Floo Network]], though Sirius' presence was nearly discovered by [[Dolores Umbridge]] during her dictatorial managing of Hogwarts that year.
 
   
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[[File:Order-of-the-phoenix-sirius harry.jpg|250px|thumb|Sirius sees Harry off at King's Cross Station, and gives him a photo of the original Order of the Phoenix]]
Sirius acted as more of a brother than father figure to Harry throughout his hardships with Umbridge, encouraging him to oppose her reforms and strongly approving of Harry's secret defensive tutorial group for students, [[Dumbledore's Army]]. His vigorous support of Dumbledore's Army worried Hermione, who thought that Sirius was attempting to live vicariously through them. He also willingly answered all of Harry's questions about the Order and Voldemort, though most of Harry's mentors felt Harry was too young to handle the burden of the truth.<ref name="OTP" /> He also urged Harry to contact him if Professor Snape gave him a hard time during their [[Occlumency]] lessons.[[File:Siriusandharry.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Sirius sees Harry off at [[King's Cross Station]].]]
 
   
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During Harry's fifth year, some of the adults discredited Sirius's ability to parent Harry and often insinuated that Sirius acted like Harry was James, rather than being a proper father figure to Harry. Throughout Harry's hardships with Umbridge, Sirius encouraged him to oppose her reforms and strongly approved of Harry's secret defensive tutorial group for students, [[Dumbledore's Army]]. His vigorous support of Dumbledore's Army worried Hermione, who thought that Sirius was attempting to live vicariously through them. He also willingly answered all of Harry's questions about the Order and Voldemort, though most of Harry's mentors felt Harry was too young to handle the burden of the truth.<ref name="OTP" /> He also urged Harry to contact him if Professor Snape gave him a hard time during their [[Occlumency]] lessons.
During his time confined to the Order's headquarters, Sirius began to let himself go. When Harry and the Weasleys arrived at Grimmauld Place just after Arthur was attacked by [[Nagini]], Sirius was unshaven and still in his day clothes late at night. He also seemed to have taken to drinking, as he had a "Mundungus-like whiff of stale drink about him". However, Sirius made a complete turn-around when the Weasley family and Harry decided to stay at Grimmauld Place over the [[Christmas holidays]] for its proximity to St. Mungo's, and at one point was heard singing "[[God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs]]" at the top of his lungs.
 
   
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[[File:Christmas 1995.JPG|250x250px|thumb|Christmas at [[12 Grimmauld Place]]|left]]
====Battle of the Department of Mysteries and death====
 
[[File:Siriusdom.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Harry's vision of Sirius in the Department of Mysteries.]]
 
{{Quote|Come on, you can do better than that!|Sirius' last words, to [[Bellatrix Lestrange]].|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
   
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During his time confined to the Order's headquarters, Sirius fell into a deep depression. When Harry and the Weasleys arrived at Grimmauld Place just after Arthur was attacked by [[Nagini]], Sirius was unshaven and still in his day clothes late at night. He also seemed to have taken to drinking, as he had a "''Mundungus-like whiff of stale drink about him''". However, Sirius made a complete turn-around when the Weasley family and Harry decided to stay at Grimmauld Place over the [[Christmas holidays]] for its proximity to St Mungo's, and at one point was heard singing "''[[God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs]]''" at the top of his lungs. Sirius also gave Harry advice when he confided in him about how he had been feeling.
Voldemort used [[Legilimency]] to implant a false vision into Harry's mind that Sirius was being [[Cruciatus Curse|tortured]] in the [[Department of Mysteries]], convincing Harry that Sirius had in fact been captured. After giving [[Severus Snape]] a cryptic message informing him of the situation and then ditching Umbridge in the [[Forbidden Forest]], Harry, along with Ron, Hermione and fellow D.A. members [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]], [[Neville Longbottom]] and [[Luna Lovegood]], flew to London via [[Thestral]]. The students made their way through the deserted Ministry of Magic and gained access to the [[Department of Mysteries]], only to be ambushed by [[Death Eaters]].
 
   
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====Battle of the Department of Mysteries====
It was Snape who ultimately saved their lives by alerting the Order to what Harry had seen; Sirius, [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], [[Nymphadora Tonks]], [[Remus Lupin]], [[Alastor Moody]], and eventually [[Albus Dumbledore]], arrived at the Ministry and began battling the Death Eaters.
 
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{{Main|Battle of the Department of Mysteries}}
[[File:Gary-oldman-top-11-sirius-black.jpg|thumb|200px|Sirius Black duelling with Lucius Malfoy.]]
 
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{{Quote| ''Come on, you can do better than that!''... And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.|Sirius's last words and death by falling through the veil|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
   
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[[File:False vision - Voldemort tortures Sirius Black.jpg|250x250px|thumb|Harry's ''false ''vision of Sirius being [[Cruciatus Curse|tortured]] in the Department of Mysteries]]
{{Quote|And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.|Description of Sirius's death by falling through the veil.|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
   
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Voldemort used [[Legilimency]] to implant a false vision into Harry's mind that Sirius was being tortured in the [[Department of Mysteries]], convincing Harry that Sirius had in fact been captured, but in reality Sirius was alive and safe in Grimmauld Place and also treating Buckbeak, who had been injured by Kreacher as part of his plan to keep Sirius out of the way on the orders of the Malfoys through Voldemort. After giving [[Severus Snape]] a cryptic message informing him of the situation and then ditching Umbridge in the Forbidden Forest, Harry, along with Ron, Hermione, and fellow D.A. members [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]], [[Neville Longbottom]], and [[Luna Lovegood]], [[Flight to the British Ministry of Magic Headquarters|flew]] to London via [[Thestral]]. The students made their way through the deserted Ministry of Magic and gained access to the [[Department of Mysteries]], only to be ambushed by [[Death Eaters]].
Tragically, however, during a frenzied duel with his hated cousin [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]], Sirius was struck with a spell, <!-- NOTE: ''DON'T'' change this to "Avada Kedavra." Within the wiki's canon policy, the books supersede the films, and the book never says what curse killed Sirius. --> causing him to fall through the [[Veil]] in the [[Death Chamber]] to his death.<ref name="OTP" /> It would be years before Harry could fully come to terms with the loss of his godfather, who, as Dumbledore flatly stated, was the "closest thing to a parent" Harry had ever known. [[Harry Potter]] blamed himself for Sirius's [[death]].
 
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[[File:Sirius-Black-Bellatrix Lestrange duel.jpg|250x250px|thumb|Sirius preparing to duel Bellatrix Lestrange in the Death Chamber|left]]
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It was Snape who ultimately saved their lives by alerting the Order to what Harry had seen; Sirius, [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], [[Nymphadora Tonks]], [[Remus Lupin]], [[Alastor Moody]], and eventually [[Albus Dumbledore]], arrived at the Ministry and began battling the Death Eaters in the [[Death Chamber]]. Black was seen fighting bitterly with an unknown Death Eater. Then he pushed [[Antonin Dolohov]], which tried to [[Antonin Dolohov's curse|curse]] Harry and use the [[Summoning Charm]] on the [[prophecy]]. Dolohov tried to use the same curse on Sirius, but Harry placed Dolohov under [[Full Body-Bind Curse|Body-Bind]].
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=====Death=====
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[[File:Sirius Veil.gif|250x250px|thumb|Sirius falling through the Veil in the Death Chamber, killing him|alt=]]
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Tragically, however, during a frenzied duel with his hated cousin Bellatrix, Sirius was struck with [[Bellatrix Lestrange's unidentified spell|an unknown spell]] which caused him to fall through the [[Veil]] in the [[Death Chamber]] to his [[death]].<ref name="OTP" /> This was witnessed by a distressed Harry Potter. It would be years before Harry could fully come to terms with the loss of his godfather. Harry had a hard time dealing with this loss because, as Dumbledore flatly stated, Sirius was the "''closest thing to a parent''" Harry had ever known. Harry also blamed himself for Sirius's death.
   
 
===Post-mortem===
 
===Post-mortem===
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{{Dialogue a-b|Harry Potter|Does it hurt?|Sirius|Dying? Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep.|Sirius's spirit speaks to Harry through the [[Resurrection Stone]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
[[File:Sirius's Death.gif|frame|Sirius Black's death.]]
 
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{{Dialogue a-b|Harry|Does it hurt?|Sirius|Dying? Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep.|Sirius' spirit speaks to Harry through the [[Resurrection Stone]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
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In the aftermath of Sirius's death, Harry, enraged and grief-stricken, unsuccessfully attempted to [[Cruciatus Curse|take revenge]] on Bellatrix before Voldemort arrived, even attempting to use the Cruciatus Curse. After a short duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort, the latter fled, but not before he was seen by Cornelius Fudge himself and several other Ministry officials, finally forcing them to abandon their [[Campaign to discredit Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter|smear campaign against Dumbledore and Harry]] and admit the truth to the world. With that done with, Dumbledore successfully convinced the Ministry that Sirius was innocent all along and managed to get him cleared of all charges posthumously.
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Black did not get married or have children. As the portrait of [[Phineas Nigellus Black|Phineas Nigellus]], Black's deceased great-great-grandfather, stated, the direct line of the ancient [[House of Black|Black]] family ended with Sirius's death.<ref name="OTP" /> Had [[Regulus Black]] lived, he would have been the heir of the Black home; however, he predeceased Sirius. By right of primogeniture, then, his heir was either [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] (his eldest cousin, but legally invalidated by her murder of Sirius), [[Andromeda Tonks]] (his second-eldest cousin, who was disowned), or [[Draco Malfoy]], the next senior male of the Black family through his mother, [[Narcissa Malfoy]] (née [[House of Black|Black]]).
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However, their rights were superseded by Black's will, which designated [[Harry Potter]] as heir to all his worldly possessions. Thus, by the will, Harry inherited 12 Grimmauld Place, Buckbeak, Kreacher, and the remaining Black fortune. Having no great love for 12 Grimmauld Place, the house that held so many painful memories for Sirius, Harry chose to give it to the [[Order of the Phoenix]] for their continued use as Headquarters. Kreacher, forced to serve Harry by Black's will, was sent to work as a Hogwarts house-elf in the school kitchens (an imposition which did nothing to improve Kreacher's hatred of Harry). Buckbeak passed back into [[Rubeus Hagrid]]'s care under the assumed name "Witherwings".
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[[File:Sirius's file.JPG|250px|thumb|Sirius's Ministry file|left]]
   
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It was discovered that Sirius (along with others) had a file kept by the [[Ministry of Magic]] while it was under Lord Voldemort's control in 1997. It was kept in [[Dolores Umbridge]]'s office. The document listed Sirius's [[blood status]], his status of his family, and his security status. Because he died in the service of the Order of the Phoenix his picture had a giant red X crossed over it.
In the aftermath of Sirius's death, Harry, enraged and grief-stricken, unsuccessfully attempted to [[Cruciatus Curse|take revenge]] on Bellatrix before Voldemort arrived. After a short duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort, the latter fled, but not before he is seen by Cornelius Fudge himself and several other Ministry officials, finally forcing them to abandon their [[Campaign to discredit Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter|smear campaign against Dumbledore and Harry]] and admit the truth to the world. With that done with, Dumbledore successfully convinced the Ministry that Sirius was innocent all along and managed to get him cleared of all charges posthumously.
 
   
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Black had given [[Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]] an enchanted, flying motorbike sixteen years prior at [[Godric's Hollow]] after Black discovered the Potters had been killed. After begging Hagrid to give him baby Harry - a request Hagrid refused because he had orders to take young Harry to [[Little Whinging]] - Black gave Hagrid the bike before setting off to hunt down [[Peter Pettigrew]]. The bike was in Hagrid's possession until it was needed to bring Harry from Number 4 Privet Drive to Order Headquarters shortly before Harry's seventeenth birthday. The bike ended up crashing, as the Order was ambushed by Death Eaters. [[Edward Tonks|Ted Tonks]] collected the debris and sent it to [[Arthur Weasley]], who later repaired the bike.
Black did not have a wife or children. As the portrait of [[Phineas Nigellus Black|Phineas Nigellus]], Black's deceased great-great-grandfather, stated, the direct line of the ancient [[House of Black|Black]] family ended with Sirius' death.<ref name="OTP" /> Had [[Regulus Black]] lived, he would have been the heir of the Black home; however, he predeceased Sirius. By right of primogeniture, then, his heir was either [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] (his eldest cousin, but legally invalidated by her murder of Sirius), [[Andromeda Tonks]] (his second-eldest cousin, who was disowned), or [[Draco Malfoy]], the next senior male of the Black family through his mother, [[Narcissa Malfoy]] (née Black). However, their rights were superseded by Black’s will, which designated [[Harry Potter]] as heir to all his worldly possessions. Thus, by the will, Harry inherited 12 Grimmauld Place, [[Buckbeak]] (later known as Witherwings), [[Kreacher]], and the remaining Black fortune. Having no great love for 12 Grimmauld Place, the house that held so many painful memories for Sirius, Harry chose to give it to the [[Order of the Phoenix]] for their continued use as Headquarters. [[Kreacher]], forced to serve Harry by Black's will, was sent to work as a Hogwarts House-elf in the school kitchens (an imposition which did nothing to improve Kreacher's hatred of Harry). [[Buckbeak]] passed back into [[Rubeus Hagrid]]'s care under the assumed name [[Buckbeak|Witherwings]].
 
   
[[File:Sirius's_file.JPG|thumb|Sirius' Ministry file]]
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[[File:Harry-potter7-sirius_harry.jpg|250px|thumb|A resurrected Sirius talking with Harry in the [[Forbidden Forest]]]]
Black had given [[Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]] an enchanted, flying motorbike 16 years prior at [[Godric's Hollow]], after Black discovered the Potters had been killed. After begging Hagrid to give him baby Harry — a request Hagrid refused because he had orders to take young Harry to [[Little Whinging]] — Black gave Hagrid the bike before setting off to hunt down [[Peter Pettigrew]]. The bike was in Hagrid's possession until it was needed to bring Harry from Number 4 Privet Drive to Order Headquarters shortly before Harry's seventeenth birthday. The bike ended up crashed, as the Order was [[Battle of the Seven Potters|ambushed by Death Eaters]]. [[Ted Tonks]] collected the debris and sent it to [[Arthur Weasley]], who later repaired the bike and gave it to Harry.
 
   
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Sirius Black was one of the four shadows that were summoned by the [[Resurrection Stone]] to speak to Harry as he went to what he believed to be his death on [[2 May]], [[1998]]. Black assured his godson that dying was not painful, that it was faster and easier than falling asleep. He also promised Harry that he and the others would stay with him as he went to confront [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and would stay to the very end. When Harry reached the fire, he allowed the stone to slip from Harry's hand, thus his parents, Sirius, and Lupin vanished.<ref name="DH" /> Harry later gave his first son the middle name Sirius to honour his godfather's memory. [[James Potter II|James Sirius]]'s personality was very similar to Sirius's.
[[File:Sirius_1998.jpg|thumb|left|Harry sees Sirius again with the Resurrection Stone.]]
 
Black was one of the four shadows that summoned by the [[Resurrection Stone]] to speak to Harry as he went to what he believed to be his death in [[1998]]. Black assured his godson that dying was not painful, and that they would stay with him as he went to confront [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]. When Harry reached the fire, the stone slipped from Harry's hand, thus his parents, Sirius, and Lupin vanished.<ref name="DH" /> Harry later gave his first [[James Potter II|son]] the middle name Sirius to honour his godfather.
 
   
==Physical appearance==
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==Physical description==
{{Quote|And there he was... his face wasn't waxy at all but handsome and full of laughter.|Sirius' early appearance|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
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{{Quote|And there he was... his face wasn't waxy at all but handsome and full of laughter.|Sirius's appearance before Azkaban|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
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[[File:Siriusteen.PNG|200px|thumb|Sirius in his fifth year, age 16|left]]
Sirius was a tall, well-built, darkly handsome man with fair skin, long, lustrous black hair, striking grey eyes,<ref name="eyecolor" /> and an air of "casual elegance". This vestige of aristocratic beauty is apparently an attribute passed down through the [[House of Black|Black Family]]. When Harry entered into Snape's memory, he saw a fifteen-year-old Sirius finishing his exams while being ogled by a girl who sat a few rows behind him, due to his considerable good looks and casual yet elegant attitude.
 
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Sirius was a tall, well-built, darkly handsome man with fair skin, medium, lustrous black hair<ref name="hair" />, which sometimes appeared light in the sun, striking grey eyes,<ref name="eyecolor" /> and an air of "casual elegance"; Harry also noted that as a teenager, Sirius always had a slightly haughty look on his face. This vestige of aristocratic beauty and haughtiness is apparently an attribute passed down through the [[House of Black|Black Family]]. When Harry entered into Snape's memory, he saw a sixteen-year-old Sirius finishing his exams while being ogled by a girl who sat a few rows behind him due to his considerable good looks and casual, yet elegant, attitude.
   
Unfortunately, Sirius's handsomeness suffered due to the depression and maltreatment he underwent during the twelve years he spent in [[Azkaban]]. When [[Harry Potter|Harry]] first saw him in the [[Shrieking Shack]] in [[1994]], he had a gaunt, sunken face, waxy skin, yellow teeth, and long, matted hair; Harry thought he looked as a corpse might. By November, after his escape, he visited Harry in the Common Room fireplace, and he was described as having short, clean hair and a fuller, younger face.
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Unfortunately, Sirius's handsomeness — much like his imprisoned cousin Bellatrix — suffered due to the depression and maltreatment he underwent during the twelve years he spent in [[Azkaban]]. As a result, Sirius had prematurely aged beyond that of a man in his thirties. He had a gaunt, sunken face, waxy skin, yellow teeth, and long, matted hair. Harry thought he looked as a corpse might. By November, after his escape, he visited Harry in the common room fireplace, and he was described as having short, clean hair and a fuller, younger face, though his physical appearance had yet to fully recover from his imprisonment.
   
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[[File:Sirius Black Profile.JPG|200px|thumb|Sirius, aged 35]]
Sadly, by the next spring, his condition deteriorated, and he reverted back to a state that was only slightly better than that which he had been in a year ago: unshaven, with a faint scent of stale drink around him, and he did not bother to change his clothes at night (presumably a result of his "imprisonment" at the home he utterly despised and his conviction of his apparent uselessness). He was also branded with a series of [[tattoo]]s over the chest and arms.<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)]]''</ref>
 
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Unfortunately, by the next spring, his condition deteriorated, and he reverted back to a state that was only slightly better than that which he had been in a year ago: unshaven, with a faint scent of stale drink around him, and he did not bother to change his clothes at night (presumably a result of his "imprisonment" at the home he utterly despised and his conviction of his apparent uselessness). He was also branded with a series of [[tattoo]]s over the chest and arms.<ref>{{POA|F}}</ref>
   
Death, however, served to restore him to the peak of his dark good looks and vitality - his spirit was described as "tall and handsome, and younger by far than Harry had ever seen him in life. He loped with an easy grace, his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face".
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Death, however, served to restore him to the peak of his good looks and vitality his spirit was described as "''tall and handsome, and younger by far than Harry had ever seen him in life. He loped with an easy grace, his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face''".
   
 
==Personality and traits==
 
==Personality and traits==
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{{Quote|Sirius, to me, he's kind of on the edge, do you not get that feeling from Sirius? He's a little bit of a loose cannon... But Sirius had his flaws — I've sort of discussed that before — some quite glaring flaws. I see Sirius as someone who was a case of arrested development. I think you see that from his relationship with [[Harry Potter|Harry]] in “Phoenix.” He kind of wants a mate from Harry, and what Harry craves is a father. Harry's kind of outgrowing that now. Sirius wasn't equipped to give him that.|[[J. K. Rowling]] about Sirius's character|Accio Quote!}}
[[File:BlackTapestryHarrySirius.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sirius with his godson, [[Harry Potter]].]]
 
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Sirius was true to the ideal of a [[Gryffindor]] student. He was true-hearted and brave, as shown by his participation in both wars and his willingness to die for those he loved. He was particularly loyal to his best friend, [[James Potter I|James Potter]], a fellow Gryffindor. In his youth, he was a witty and talented wizard, but he was also quite an arrogant and mischievous troublemaker and, sometimes, a bully. He bullied and humiliated those he particularly disliked, namely [[Severus Snape]]. He was vicious towards those he hated, sometimes unjustifiably — deliberately sending the teenage Snape off to the [[Shrieking Shack]] when [[Remus Lupin]] was a full-fledged [[werewolf]] while knowing that it could be fatal for Severus. He, along with James, were acknowledged to be some of the most brilliant students Hogwarts had ever seen, as proven by their ability to become Animagi as underage wizards and by the creation of the Marauders' Map.
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Hermione|You don’t think he has become…sort of…reckless…since he’s been cooped up in Grimmauld Place? You don’t think he’s…kind of…living through us?|Harry|What d'you mean, 'living through us'?|I mean...well, I think he’d love to be forming [[Dumbledore's Army|secret Defence societies]] right under the nose of [[Dolores Umbridge|someone]] from [[British Ministry of Magic|the Ministry]]... I think he’s really frustrated at how little he can do where he is…so I think he’s keen to kind of…egg us on.|[[Hermione Granger]] on Sirius in [[1996]]|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
   
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{{Quote|He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black.|[[Peeves]] describing Black's violent temper|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
True to a [[Gryffindor]] student's ideals, Sirius Black was very brave and loyal, as shown by his participation in both wars and willingness to die for those he loved. He was a talented and clever wizard, but also quite an arrogant and mischievous troublemaker in his youth, with a habit of bullying people with his best friend, James, namely [[Severus Snape]]. Sirius could also be vicious towards those whom he disliked, sometimes unjustifiably; by sending Snape off to the [[Shrieking Shack]] as a teenager.
 
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[[File:Attack on the Fat Lady.png|220x220px|thumb|The result of Sirius's nasty temper, the [[Fat Lady]]'s portrait in shreds|left]]
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As an adult, Sirius was shown to be capable of an explosive temper when angered, a trait shared by his mother [[Walburga Black]] and his mad cousin [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]. His years in Azkaban contributed dramatically, which was especially evident during 1993 and 1994: trying persistently to capture and kill [[Peter Pettigrew]], going to lengths that even Dumbledore commented as not those of an innocent right-thinking man.
   
At times, Sirius demonstrated himself to be reckless, immature, and even downright irresponsible. In several instances, he risked getting caught by the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry]] because he felt stir-crazy in his house and advised Harry to take rash actions. Much of this can likely be attributed to the vast amount of time spent in jail, stunting his emotional development and making him especially eager to spend time with, and protect, his loved ones.
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Later on, he occasionally demonstrated himself to be reckless, immature, and even downright irresponsible. In several instances, he risked getting caught by the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry]] because he felt stir-crazy in his house and advised Harry to take rash actions. Much of this can likely be attributed to the vast amount of time spent in jail, which stunted his emotional development and made him especially eager to spend time with and protect his loved ones.
   
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{{Quote|Believe me. Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them.|Sirius's firm loyalty to James and Lily Potter|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
Though Sirius was a kind, loyal, courageous and selfless person, he has shown to be capable of an explosive temper when angered. This trait is shared with both his mother, [[Walburga Black]], and cousin, [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]. His years in Azkaban contributed greatly to his short-fuse, which was particularly evident during the events of 1993 and 1994 in which he tried persistently to capture [[Peter Pettigrew]]. It should be noted, however, that for all his anger towards Pettigrew, Sirius was capable of respecting Harry's request to not murder the man he escaped Azkaban to kill; opting instead to expose Pettigrew (a plan that unfortunately failed, with catastrophic results).
 
   
Contrary to his passionate, impulsive nature, Sirius seemed to have possessed superb mental control. The fact that he was able to completely resist the psychological effects of the [[Dementor|dementors]] for so many years suggests that he had an unusually strong sense of self, and thus was capable of withstanding long periods of emotional torture and despair.
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However, through it all, Sirius had good intentions. For all his wrath and vengeance toward Pettigrew, he was capable of respecting Harry's request to not murder the man he escaped Azkaban to kill; opting instead to expose Pettigrew (a plan that unfortunately failed with catastrophic results). Despite this hatred for Snape, Sirius did display shame for his treatment of him in their youth. He also seemed to have possessed a superb mental control that contrasted sharply with his passionate and impulsive nature. The fact that he was able to completely resist the psychological effects of the [[Dementor]]s for so many years suggests that he had an unusually strong sense of self, and therefore was capable of withstanding long periods of emotional torture and despair.
   
Sirius seems to have some traits related to his Animagus form of a dog. Such examples are when James Potter points out Snape and Sirius is described as "perfectly still like a dog smelling a rabbit." The most referenced of these traits is his "bark-like laugh" as it is described nearly everytime it is heard.
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Besides all this, Sirius seems to have some traits related to his Animagus form of a dog. Such examples are when James Potter points out Snape, and Sirius is described as "''perfectly still like a dog smelling a rabbit.''" The most referenced of these traits is his "''bark-like laugh''." as it is described nearly every time it is heard. Sirius's other dog-like traits include his need to protect his loved ones, his selfless nature, his great sense of loyalty, and his need to be part of something bigger than himself, such as when he helped to plant the seeds of Dumbledore's Army and encouraged and enabled Harry to further the movement against Umbridge's increasingly totalitarian hold over Hogwarts. His territorial protectiveness over the places and people he cared for were always evident, given how he stayed in his dog form for Harry after his encounter and duel against the newly resurrected Voldemort in Little Hangleton, comforting his godson in plain view of many people, including Cornelius Fudge, who still thought he was a criminal, at great personal risk to himself.
   
 
==Magical abilities and skills==
 
==Magical abilities and skills==
[[File:Padfoot.jpg|thumb|250px|Sirius as Padfoot.]]
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[[File:Padfoot to Sirius Black.gif|250px|thumb|Black demonstrating his Animagus ability in [[King's Cross Station]]]]
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{{Quote|It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong — one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will.|[[Remus Lupin]] explaining how Sirius became an Animagus along with his friends|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
Sirius was described as a powerful wizard by [[Minerva McGonagall]], his former teacher. One of his dearest friends, [[Remus Lupin]], also stated that he had been one of the cleverest [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] students of his time.
 
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Sirius was described as a powerful wizard by his former teacher, McGonagall. Remus also once stated that he had been one of the cleverest Hogwarts students of his time. This was demonstrated by how he and James became [[Animagus]] during their fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
{{Quote|Normally, I have a very sweet disposition as a dog; in fact, more than once, James suggested I make the change permanent. The tail, I could live with, but the fleas...they're murder.|Sirius on his "usual" disposition while in his dog form.|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)}}
 
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{{Quote|I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all.|Sirius boasting of his Transfiguration expertise in his fifth year|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
*'''[[Animagus]]''': Sirius was able to become an Animagus at the early age of fifteen, assuming the shape of a large black dog, like the Grim. As he was unregistered, he was able to take advantage of this ability to elude his Ministry captors.
 
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*'''[[Transfiguration]]''': Sirius was incredibly talented in Transfiguration. In his fifth year, he was already skilled enough in [[Human Transfiguration]] to successfully become an [[Animagus]], assuming the shape of a large black [[dog]]. Since he was an unregistered Animagus, he was able to take advantage of this ability to elude his Ministry captors. Along with Remus Lupin, he easily performed [[Untransfiguration]] on Peter, forcing him out of his Animagus form.
*'''[[Transfiguration]]''': Sirius, along with [[Remus Lupin]], could perform human transfiguration on [[Peter Pettigrew]], forcing him out of his [[Animagus]] form.
 
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*'''[[Potion]]s''': In their fifth year, Sirius and James successfully brewed the [[Animagus Potion]], a potion which is highly complex and time-consuming to brew and with great consequences if done improperly. This demonstrated that Sirius was skilled with potion-making.
*'''[[Nonverbal spell|Non-verbal magic]]:''' Sirius was able to perform human transfiguration and defensive spells non-verbally.
 
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*'''[[Charm]]s''': Sirius was highly talented in charm-work from a young age. With his friends, he created the Marauder's Map during their teenage years, the complex manufacturing process of which involved the [[Homonculous Charm]] and a [[Charm to insult Severus Snape|spell to insult those who attempted to read it]], and both enchantments lasted long after all four of the producers' demises. He also placed [[Permanent Sticking Charm]]s on the decorations in his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place that were too strong for his parents to remove. He was capable of [[Levitation|levitating]] [[Severus Snape]]'s unconscious body in the [[Shrieking Shack]] with the charm ''[[Mobilicorpus]]''. He was good with other everyday household charms, such as the [[Levitation Charm]], [[Summoning Charm]], [[Banishing Charm]], and [[Mending Charm]]. He also used charms to enchant his motorcycle to be able to fly and travel at unnaturally high speeds. He also used the [[Summoning Charm]] to successfully summon several bottles of [[Butterbeer]] at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] to himself, Harry, and the [[Weasley family|Weasley]]s. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he cast an effective [[Shield Charm]] to protect Harry. Last but not least, Sirius was capable of producing a non-corporeal [[Patronus Charm|Patronus]],<ref name="LEGOHP">{{LEGO|Y1}}</ref><ref name="LHP5-7">{{LEGO|Y2}}</ref> which is a highly advanced piece of protective [[magic]], and further proof of his superior magical and overall charms ability.
*'''[[Duel]]ling:''' In his [[fifth year]], Sirius helped [[James Potter I|James Potter]] humiliate [[Severus Snape]], who was an exceptionally talented wizard even in his youth. During the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], Sirius duelled with [[Lucius Malfoy]] and [[Antonin Dolohov]] and with the help of his godson, Harry, he defeated both of them. He was also able to hold his own against his cousin, [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], who was Voldemort's most powerful [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]]. Sirius was also known to infuse physical combat into his duelling style, such as when he rammed Dolohov with his shoulder and punched Malfoy in the face.
 
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*'''[[Nonverbal spell|Nonverbal magic]]''': Sirius was able to non-verbally perform Human Transfiguration and defensive magic ([[Disarming Charm|Disarming]] and [[Stunning Spell|Stunning spells]]). Since non-verbal magic is very difficult, this is testament to his power and skill as a wizard.
*'''[[Healing spell]]s:''' Sirius healed an injury from [[Wartcap Powder]] as soon as he received it.
 
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*'''[[Healing magic]]''': Sirius [[healing spell|magically healed]] an injury from a biting [[snuffbox]] filled with [[wartcap powder]] seconds after he received it. He also tended to the injury Kreacher caused Buckbeak, apparently successfully.
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*'''[[Care of Magical Creatures]]''': Sirius won the trust and loyalty of magical creatures easily. During his hunt for Wormtail, he managed to gain the trust of [[Crookshanks]], a highly intelligent half-[[Kneazle]] [[cat]]. He also got along well with [[Buckbeak]] the [[Hippogriff]]. Sirius escaped with Buckbeak and took care of him for the next two years, feeding him and caring for his injuries successfully.
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[[File:Sirius_dueling.gif|245x245px|thumb|Sirius duelling during the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]]]]
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*'''[[Duelling]]''': Sirius fought with the Order of the Phoenix in the [[First Wizarding War]] and survived. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he defeated an unnamed Death Eater and fought the extremely deadly [[Antonin Dolohov]] to a standstill until Harry intervened and knocked out Dolohov. He also fought on par with his cousin Bellatrix, who was Voldemort's most powerful Death Eater, although his recklessness led to his death at her hands.
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*'''[[Muggle duelling|Physical combat skills]]''': During his school years, Sirius and James used their respective Animagus forms to physically keep Remus in check while he was a werewolf. As demonstrated by his attack on Wormtail, Sirius possessed a dog's swift speed in his Animagus form, which allowed him to get the jump on his opponents before resuming his human form. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he infused physical combat into his duelling style by ramming Dolohov with his shoulder and punching Malfoy in the face.
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{{Quote|Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake. I'll be surprised if I don't get Outstanding on it at least.|A [[fifth year]] Sirius boasting about his high intelligence after his [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] [[Ordinary Wizarding Level|O.W.L.]]|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
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*'''Intellectual skills''': Sirius was able to deduce that [[Pettigrew family|Pettigrew]] was at Hogwarts with Harry when he saw a photograph of the [[Weasley family|Weasley]] family with Pettigrew in his animagus form in a ''[[Daily Prophet]]'' article. Sirius then escaped [[Azkaban]] to protect Harry, using his [[Animagus]] form and weight loss to his advantage, becoming the only person to escape Azkaban unaided. He was able to successfully enter [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] on two separate occasions and escaped recapture both times, even though the highly skilled Hogwarts professors and the Dementors were searching for him. The intelligent questions he asked about the schemes surrounding the [[Triwizard Tournament]] confirm his incisive intelligence.
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*'''Indomitable willpower''': Sirius had an extremely strong willpower and mental fortitude, which allowed him to resist the [[Dementor]]s' depressive effects in [[Azkaban]] for twelve years by focusing on both his innocence and his desire for vengeance against [[Peter Pettigrew|Pettigrew]] along with transforming into his [[Animagus]] form when necessary. This was especially notable as most prisoners of Azkaban either became insane or lost their will to live within weeks when succumbing to the Dementor's depressive effects, something which especially unnerved [[Cornelius Fudge]], who was surprised to see how little the Dementors had an effect on Black. Earlier in life, Sirius was unafraid of challenging and rebelling against [[House of Black|his family]]'s prejudice against non-pure-bloods, which eventually resulted in them disowning him, upending their tradition of being sorted into [[Slytherin]], which resulted in him being sorted into [[Gryffindor]], and even fighting against family members like [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix,]] who joined [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] and his [[Death Eaters]]. This also included fighting against both Voldemort and his [[Death Eaters]] while being unafraid to say Voldemort's name aloud. After his escape from Azkaban, Sirius was determined and relentless in wanting to both avenge his wrongful imprisonment due to Pettigrew's treachery and protect Harry from Pettigrew even though the [[Ministry of Magic]] was after him and [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] was heavily guarded by both the [[professor]]s and Dementors. He was later willing to risk his own safety and risk exposure in order to give Harry and his friends advice along with protecting them, which eventually resulted in his own death at the hands of his cousin Bellatrix to protect Harry and his friends when Voldemort lured them to the Ministry of Magic. [[Albus Dumbledore]] in particular noted that Sirius was never one to stand by when any of his loved ones were in danger, which was another testament to Sirius's strong willpower.
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*'''Driving skills''': Sirius was a very capable motorcyclist, able to maintain stability with a passenger riding pillion while duelling three pursuers on broomsticks and evading a Muggle police car. Sirius's driving was certainly above average, if not at peak levels, as very few professional stunt cyclists would be capable of a similar feat.
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*'''Mechanical skills''': Sirius modified a motorbike to be able to fly (among other possible modifications he made) and maintained it for around four years.
   
 
==Relationships==
 
==Relationships==
 
===Family===
 
===Family===
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{{Quote|I hated the lot of them: [[Orion Black|my]] [[Walburga Black|parents]] with their [[Pure-blood supremacy|pure-blood mania]], convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal... [[Regulus Black|my idiot brother]], soft enough to believe them... They thought [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge.|Sirius's alienation in regards to his family and his resentment of their views.|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
[[File:Photo_49.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Sirius' cousin Bellatrix casting the curse that killed him.]]
 
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[[File:Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-promotional-picture-bellatrix-lestrange-27985392-500-667.jpg|240px|thumb|Sirius's cousins [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] (his murderer) and [[Narcissa Malfoy]]]]
{{Quote|I hated the lot of them: [[Orion Black|my]] [[Walburga Black|parents]] with their [[pure-blood]] mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal... [[Regulus Black|my idiot brother]], soft enough to believe them... They thought [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge.|Sirius telling Harry how he felt about his family|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
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The nature of Sirius's relationship with his [[House of Black|family]] during his early childhood is unknown, but at the age of eleven, he earned the severe disappointment and disapproval of his family by being Sorted into [[Gryffindor]] house at Hogwarts. Sirius, in turn, became increasingly rebellious by flaunting his house affiliation and his disdain for his family's pure-blood values. His relationships with his mother and cousin Bellatrix became particularly antagonistic; Walburga disowned Sirius when he left home at the age of sixteen, burned his name off the family tree, and even treated her brother [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] to the same punishment simply for leaving money to his nephew.
   
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Little is known about Sirius's relationship with his younger brother [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], as he never spoke about it. It was revealed, however, that Sirius had wished that Regulus had not been foolish enough to go with what their parents told him to do, and he was rather upset with losing his little brother to the Death Eaters at such a young and promising age. It can be theorised that he would have been comforted if he had known that his brother had died defying Voldemort.
The nature of Sirius's relationship with his [[House of Black|family]] during his early childhood is unknown, but at the age of eleven, he earned the severe disappointment and disapproval of his family by being Sorted into [[Gryffindor]] house at Hogwarts. Sirius, in turn, became increasingly rebellious, flaunting his house affiliation and disdain for his family's [[pure-blood]] values. His relationships with his [[Walburga Black|mother]] and cousin [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]] became particularly antagonistic; Walburga disowned Sirius when he left home at the age of sixteen, burned his name off the family tree, and even treated her brother, [[Alphard Black|Alphard]], to the same punishment simply for leaving money to his nephew.
 
   
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[[File:Walburga Black - Pottermore.jpg|left|thumb|245px|[[Walburga Black]], Sirius's mother, on the family tree]]
[[File:Narcissa_Malfoy.PNG|thumb|150px|Narcissa, also Sirius's cousin.]]Little is known about Sirius' relationship with his younger brother, [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], as he never spoke about it. It was revealed, however, that Sirius had wished that Regulus had not been foolish enough to go with what their parents told him to do, and was rather upset with losing his little brother to the Death Eaters at such a young and promising age. It can be theorised that he would have been comforted if he had known that his brother had died defying Voldemort.
 
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Sirius later claimed to have "''hated the whole lot of them,''" referring to his family, aside from his cousin [[Andromeda Tonks|Andromeda]], who also rejected the notion of [[Blood status|blood purity]] and married a [[Muggle-born]] wizard named [[Edward Tonks|Ted Tonks]]. After his escape from [[Azkaban]], Sirius became friendly with Andromeda's daughter, [[Nymphadora Tonks]], a fellow member of the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. It can also be assumed that he at least had a healthier relationship with his uncle Alphard than most of his family, considering he left some inheritance for Sirius. Furthermore, Sirius refers to Alphard affectionately as his "Uncle Alphard", indicating they had been close.
   
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He was killed by his cousin Bellatrix during the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]] in a duel, during which both taunted each other; Bellatrix laughed after killing her cousin, overjoyed that she had simultaneously killed a "blood traitor" and caused Harry, her beloved master's most hated enemy, unbearable pain and heartbreak.<ref name="OOTP35"/> His other cousin, Narcissa Malfoy, also seemed to hold Sirius in low regard, as she taunted [[Harry Potter]] about his death when they argued in [[1996]].<ref name="HBP6">{{HBP|B|6}}</ref>
[[File:Sirius_Disowned.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Sirius' burn mark on the Black family tree.]]
 
Sirius later claimed to have "hated the whole lot of them," referring to his family, aside from his cousin [[Andromeda Tonks|Andromeda]], who also rejected the notion of [[blood purity]] and married a [[Muggle-born]] wizard. After his escape from [[Azkaban]], Sirius became friendly with Andromeda's daughter, [[Nymphadora Tonks]], a fellow member of the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. It can also be assumed that he at least had a more healthy relationship with his uncle Alphard than most of his family considering he left some inheritence for Sirius.
 
   
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It is unknown how his family reacted when he was arrested and thrown in [[Azkaban]] after the public believed he betrayed the [[Potter family|Potters]] to Lord Voldemort.
[[File:Walburga_Black.jpg|thumb|[[Walburga Black]] on the family tree, Sirius's mother]]
 
He was killed by his cousin Bellatrix during the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]] in a [[duel]], during which both taunted each other; Bellatrix laughed after killing her cousin, overjoyed that she had simultaneously killed a "blood traitor" and caused [[Harry Potter|Harry]], her beloved master's most hated enemy, unbearable pain and heartbreak. His other cousin, [[Narcissa Malfoy]], also seemed to hold Sirius in low regard, as she taunted [[Harry Potter]] about his death when they argued in [[1996]].<ref name="HBP">{{HBP}}</ref>
 
 
It is unknown how his family reacted when he was arrested and thrown in [[Azkaban]], after the public believed he betrayed [[Potter family|the Potters]] to Lord Voldemort.
 
   
 
===Kreacher===
 
===Kreacher===
{{Quote|Sirius was the last of the family to which he was enslaved, but he felt no true loyalty to him.|Dumbledore to Harry, after Sirius's death|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
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{{Quote|Sirius was the last of the family to which he was enslaved, but he felt no true loyalty to him.|Kreacher's intense dislike of Sirius|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
[[File:062507_kreacher_full.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Kreacher]], the [[house-elf]].]]
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[[File:Kreacher OotP SF.png|thumb|240x240px|[[Kreacher]], the [[house-elf]]]]
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Kreacher was the house-elf of the [[House of Black|Black family]] for years. Kreacher mimicked the family's [[pure-blood]] supremacist values, believing he should only serve pure-blood wizards; as such, he accused Sirius of being a "blood-traitor" and "''breaking [[Walburga Black|his mother's]] heart.''" Sirius, on his part, did not care at all about Kreacher, as he saw too much of the family he loathed in the utterly unpleasant and bad-natured house-elf, and treated him, in Dumbledore's terms, as "''a servant unworthy of much interest or notice''".
 
[[Kreacher]] was the [[house-elf]] of the [[House of Black|Black family]] for years. Kreacher mimicked the family's [[pure-blood]] supremacist values, believing he should only serve pure-blood wizards; as such, he accused Sirius of being a "blood-traitor" and "breaking [[Walburga Black|his mother's]] heart." Sirius, on his part, did not care at all about Kreacher, as he saw too much of the family he loathed in the utterly unpleasant and bad-natured house-elf, and treated him, in Dumbledore's terms, as "a servant unworthy of much interest or notice". As a result, Kreacher grew to harbour a hatred of Sirius, which ultimately proved fatal when Kreacher was easily convinced to reveal the nature of Harry and Sirius' relationship to [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]. Equipped with this highly valuable information, Voldemort and his Death Eaters organised a plan that lured Harry to the [[Department of Mysteries]] with the intention of rescuing Sirius, whom Harry believed was being held captive and tortured. Sirius and various other members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]] arrived at the Department of Mysteries to rescue Harry, but Sirius was tragically killed in the ensuing battle.
 
   
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As a result, Kreacher grew to harbour a hatred of Sirius, which ultimately proved fatal when Kreacher was easily convinced to reveal the nature of Harry's and Sirius's relationship to [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]. Equipped with this highly valuable information, Voldemort and his Death Eaters organised a plan that lured Harry to the [[Department of Mysteries]] with the intention of rescuing Sirius, who Harry believed was being held captive and tortured. Sirius and various other members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]] arrived at the Department of Mysteries to rescue Harry, but Sirius was tragically killed in the ensuing battle.
===The Marauders===
 
{{Quote|It's been fourteen years, and still not a day goes by that I don't miss your [[James Potter I|dad]].|Sirius to Harry|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)}}
 
   
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===Marauders===
[[File:The_Marauders.png|thumb|left|250px|The [[Marauders]].]]
 
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{{Dialogue a-b-a-c|Sirius Black|Put that away, will you? Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement.|James Potter|If it bothers you.|I'm bored. Wish it was full [[moon]].|Remus Lupin|You might. We've still got [[Transfiguration (class)|Transfiguration]], if you're bored you could test me....|Sirius talking with friends in their fifth year, during their [[Ordinary Wizarding Level|O.W.L.]] exam period|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
Though he became increasingly estranged from his own family, Sirius gained three good friends who were in Gryffindor with him: [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Remus Lupin]], and [[Peter Pettigrew]]. The group was very popular and loved to play pranks. When they discovered that Remus was a [[werewolf]], instead of ostracising him as many would have, they endeavoured to become [[Animagus|Animagi]] in order to keep him company during his monthly transformations. When Sirius ran away from home at age sixteen, James' [[Potter family|family]] took him in. After graduating from Hogwarts, the group of friends joined the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. Sirius was James' best man at his wedding to [[Lily Evans]], and the godfather to their [[Harry Potter|son]].
 
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[[File:The Marauders.png|left|thumb|256x256px|The [[Marauders]], his best friends]]
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Though he became increasingly estranged from his own family, Sirius gained three good friends who were in Gryffindor with him: [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Remus Lupin]], and [[Peter Pettigrew]]. The group was very popular and loved to play pranks. When they discovered that Remus was a [[werewolf]], instead of ostracising him as many would have, they endeavoured to become [[Animagus|Animagi]] in order to keep him company during his monthly transformations. Together, this group created the [[Marauder's Map]]. When Sirius ran away from home at age sixteen, James's [[Potter family|family]] took him in. After graduating from Hogwarts, the group of friends joined the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. Sirius was James's best man at his wedding to [[Lily J. Potter|Lily Evans]], and the godfather to their [[Harry Potter|son]].
   
At some point during the [[First Wizarding War]], Sirius came to distrust Remus, suspecting that he might be a spy. Thus, he did not reveal to Remus that he decided not to be the Potters' [[Secret-Keeper]] when they became targets of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], instead giving the job to Peter, who was less likely to be suspected of holding the secret. This turned out to be a fatal mistake that Sirius regretted for the rest of his life, as Peter betrayed them all. The tragic deaths of James and Lily was a cruel brutal blow to him, as he would have willingly died for them, and confessed that he desperately missed his best friend everyday. He was sent to Azkaban for Peter's crimes, and Remus initially believed that he was guilty. After he [[Azkaban escapes#1993|escaped]] from prison in [[1993]], he told Remus the truth and, together, they planned to kill Peter for his treachery, though they were stopped by Harry. Afterwards, the two reclaimed their friendship, but it was tragically cut short by Sirius' death two years later.
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At some point during the [[First Wizarding War]], Sirius came to distrust Remus, suspecting that he might be a spy. Thus, he did not reveal to Remus that he decided not to be the Potters' [[Secret Keeper|Secret-Keeper]] when they became targets of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], instead giving the job to Peter, who was less likely to be suspected of holding the secret. This turned out to be a fatal mistake that Sirius regretted for the rest of his life, as Peter betrayed them all. The tragic deaths of James and Lily was a cruel brutal blow to him, as he would have willingly died for them, and confessed that he desperately missed his best friend (whom he loved as a brother) every day. He was sent to Azkaban for Peter's crimes, and Remus initially believed that he was guilty. After he [[Azkaban escapes#1993|escaped]] from prison in [[1993]], he told Remus the truth and, together, they planned to kill Peter for his treachery, though they were stopped by Harry. Afterwards, the two reclaimed their friendship, but it was tragically cut short by Sirius's death two years later.
   
The ending of the three Marauders who had stayed true to their friendship to the very end - James, Sirius, and Remus - was bittersweet: though they all lost their lives to the two wizarding wars, it can be theorised that they were reunited in death, never to be parted again, as seen when Harry summoned the three of them with the [[Resurrection Stone]]. However, all respect for Peter was lost, as his betrayal was what led to such a breakdown.
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The ending of the three Marauders who had stayed true to their friendship to the very end James, Sirius, and Remus was bittersweet: though they all lost their lives to the two wizarding wars, it can be theorised that they were reunited in death, never to be parted again, as seen when Harry summoned the three of them with the [[Resurrection Stone]]. However, all respect for Peter was lost, as his betrayal was what led to such a breakdown.
   
 
===Severus Snape===
 
===Severus Snape===
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{{Dialogue a-b|Sirius|I've warned you, ''Snivellus'', I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better —|Severus Snape|Oh, but why don't you tell him so? Or are you afraid he might not take very seriously the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house for six months?|Sirius and Snape have a heated argument whilst Snape was informing Harry about his Occlumency lessons|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
[[File:SeverusSnape.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Severus Snape]], his long-time rival.]]
 
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[[File:Severus Snape Profile.jpg|233x233px|thumb|[[Severus Snape]], his long-time rival]]
{{Dialogue a-b|Sirius|I've warned you, ''Snivellus'', I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better -|Snape|Oh, but why don't you tell him so? Or are you afraid he might not take very seriously the advice of a man who has been hiding inside [[12 Grimmauld Place|his mother's house]] for six months?|Sirius and Snape arguing within [[12 Grimmauld Place]] at the end of the [[Christmas holidays]] in [[1995]].|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
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Sirius immediately got off on the wrong foot with Severus Snape when they met on the [[Hogwarts Express]] in their first year, as did [[James Potter I|James Potter]], who would become Sirius's best friend. Sirius snapped at Snape after he sneered at James's wish to be Sorted into [[Gryffindor]] house, and the two bestowed the mocking name of "''Snivellus''" on the [[Slytherin]] student.<ref name="DH" /> They loathed Snape as an "''oddball up to his eyeballs in the [[Dark Arts]].''" He also described him as a "''greasy, oily haired kid.''"<ref name="GOF"/>
   
Sirius immediately got off on the wrong foot with [[Severus Snape]] when they met on the [[Hogwarts Express]] in their first year, as did [[James Potter I|James Potter]], who would become Sirius' best friend. Sirius snapped at Snape after he sneered at James' wish to be sorted into [[Gryffindor]] house, and the two bestowed the mocking name of "Snivellus" on the [[Slytherin]] student.<ref name="DH" /> They loathed Snape as an "oddball up to his eyeballs in the [[Dark Arts]]." According to Sirius, the other boy was jealous of his and James' popularity, and took to following them around, trying to get them into trouble. Sirius and James outright bullied Snape frequently during their years at Hogwarts, sometimes simply out of boredom.<ref name="OTP" /> Sirius also played a potentially lethal prank on Snape, telling him how to get into the [[Shrieking Shack]] while omitting the fact that a [[werewolf]] was on the other side, showing a shockingly callous attitude towards Snape's safety.
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According to Sirius, the other boy was jealous of his and James's popularity, and took to following them around, trying to get them into trouble. Sirius and James outright bullied Snape frequently during their years at Hogwarts, sometimes simply out of boredom, even in front of his childhood friend [[Lily J. Potter|Lily Evans]].<ref name="OTP" /> Sirius also played a potentially lethal prank on Snape, telling him how to get into the [[Shrieking Shack]] while omitting the fact that a [[werewolf]] was on the other side, showing a shockingly callous attitude towards Snape's safety.
   
Sirius and Snape maintained their hatred of each other into adulthood. Snape was very eager to see Sirius receive the [[Dementor's Kiss]], a fate worse than death, after he [[Azkaban escapes#1993|escaped]] from [[Azkaban]] in [[1993]], as Snape believed him to be the one that betrayed [[Lily Evans|Lily]]. Snape's efforts to capture Sirius were thwarted by [[Harry Potter]], [[Hermione Granger]], and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]].<ref name="POA" /> Later, Snape delighted in taunting Sirius about his "uselessness" to the [[Order of the Phoenix]] while he was forced to remain cooped up in [[12 Grimmauld Place]], and the two needled each other at every opportunity. He also, however, told Harry that he "wasn't proud" of his treatment of Snape in their younger years. <ref name="OTP" />
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Sirius and Snape maintained their hatred of each other into adulthood. Not only did Snape grow to despise Sirius for humiliating him at school, but he also believed Sirius to have been the one who betrayed Lily to Voldemort. He was eager to see Sirius receive the [[Dementor's Kiss]] (a fate considered by many to be worse than death) after he [[Azkaban escapes#1993|escaped]] from [[Azkaban]] during the summer of [[1993]], yet he was beside himself in outrage when Sirius was able to escape yet again at the end of the preceding school year, with the assistance of [[Harry Potter]], [[Hermione Granger]], and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]].<ref name="POA" /> After Sirius's innocence was proven by the end of the 1994-1995 school year, however, Dumbledore insisted that the two put their differences aside and ally against Voldemort, which they accepted. Later, Snape delighted in taunting Sirius about his "uselessness" to the [[Order of the Phoenix]] while he was forced to remain cooped up in 12 Grimmauld Place, and the two needled each other at every opportunity. Sirius also, however, told Harry that he was ashamed of his treatment of Snape in their younger years.<ref name="OTP" />
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It's possible that Snape never knew Sirius was an unregistered Animagus, as he didn't recognise him in dog form at the end of the 1994-1995 school year, but he showed a mix of horror and hatred when he recognised him for what he was.
   
[[File:Lily Potter fullcoloured.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Lily Evans]], his friend.]]
 
 
===Lily Evans===
 
===Lily Evans===
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{{Quote|Lots of love, Lily.|Lily's friendship and affection toward Sirius|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
{{Quote|...could ever have been friends with [[Gellert Grindelwald]]. I think [[Bathilda Bagshot|her]] mind's going, personally! Lots of love, Lily.|The end part of [[Lily Evans|Lily's]] letter to Sirius during the [[First Wizarding War]]}}
 
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[[File:Lily DHP2.png|thumb|226x226px|[[Lily J. Potter|Lily Evans]], his friend|left]]
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Sirius met Lily Evans on the [[Hogwarts Express]], where he and James Potter almost immediately made a bad impression on her by insulting her best friend, [[Severus Snape]]. She quickly moved to leave the compartment they were all sharing on the train, with Snape in tow, and literally turned her back on Sirius when she was [[Sorting Ceremony|Sorted]] with him into [[Gryffindor|Gryffindor House]].
   
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During their earlier years at Hogwarts, Lily came to believe that Sirius was nothing more than a common highly arrogant bully, just like his best friend, James, so their relationship was not likely a friendly one. That changed in their later years at Hogwarts, presumably after she had ended her friendship with Snape and got to know and understand Sirius better. During the First Wizarding War, they both became members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]] and fought in several battles. She also sent a letter to Sirius, which showed that they were still friends despite the intense distrust and fear spread by the First War.
Sirius met [[Lily Evans]] on the [[Hogwarts Express]], where he and James Potter almost immediately made a bad impression on her by insulting her best friend, [[Severus Snape]]. She quickly moved to leave the compartment they were all sharing on the train, with Snape in tow, and literally turned her back on Sirius when she was [[Sorting ceremony|Sorted]] with him into [[Gryffindor]] House.
 
   
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After Lily and James were killed by [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], Sirius was devastated; he attacked their betrayer, [[Peter Pettigrew]], and attempted to kill him. He later told Harry that he cared deeply for James and Lily and that he would have rather died than betray them.
During their earlier years at Hogwarts, Lily came to believe that Sirius was nothing more than a common, highly arrogant bully, just like his best friend, James, so their relationship was not likely a friendly one. That changed in their later years at Hogwarts, presumably after she had ended her friendship with Snape, and got to know and understand Sirius better. During the [[First Wizarding War]], they both became members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], and fought in several battles. She also sent a letter to Sirius, which showed that they were still friends, despite the intense distrust and fear spread by the First War.
 
 
After Lily and James were killed by [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], Sirius was devastated; he attacked their betrayer, [[Peter Pettigrew]], and attempted to kill him. He later told Harry that he cared deeply for James and Lily, and that he would have rather died than betrayed them.
 
   
 
Sirius was also godfather to Lily's son, Harry, and they shared a strong bond of friendship, love, and trust.
 
Sirius was also godfather to Lily's son, Harry, and they shared a strong bond of friendship, love, and trust.
   
 
===Harry Potter===
 
===Harry Potter===
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{{Quote|Like the fact that the person Sirius cared most about in the world was you. Like the fact that you were coming to regard Sirius as a mixture of father and brother. Voldemort knew already, of course, that Sirius was in the Order, that you knew where he was, but Kreacher's information made him realise that the one person whom you would go to any lengths to rescue was Sirius Black.|Sirius and Harry's close relationship|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
[[File:Siriusandharrybattle.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sirius with Harry battling at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries]]
 
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[[File:Harry Potter movies hbp promostills 6.jpg|228x228px|thumb|[[Harry Potter]], his godson and friend]]
{{Quote|I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You are ''not'' a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and [[Death Eaters]]. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. And when all this is over we'll be a proper family. You'll see.|Sirius talking to Harry during Christmas at 12 Grimmauld Place in 1995.|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)}}
 
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Sirius was Harry Potter's godfather and acted as a confidant and paternal figure to him. He deeply [[love]]d Harry and was the only person Harry felt comfortable confiding in completely.<ref name="GOF" /> Harry regarded Sirius as a mixture of father and older brother, and Sirius viewed Harry as exceptionally brave and mature for his age, having experienced as much as many adults have.
   
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{{Quote|We'll see each other again, You are — truly your [[James Potter I|father]]'s son, Harry...|Sirius Black's [[love]] and eternal gratitude for his godson [[Harry Potter]]|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
Sirius was [[Harry Potter]]'s godfather, and acted as a confidant and paternal figure to him. He deeply loved Harry, and was the only person Harry felt comfortable confiding in completely.<ref name="GOF" /> Harry regarded Sirius as a mixture of father and older brother, and Sirius viewed Harry as exceptionally brave and mature for his age, having experienced as much as many adults have.
 
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Sirius felt that Harry should have the right to know difficult truths, and considered him perfectly capable of taking on heavy burdens that many other fully-grown wizards could not. Molly Weasley, however, criticised Sirius's behaviour towards Harry, claiming that he acted as if Harry were [[James Potter I|James]] rather than the child that he undeniably still was. Sirius shared a good deal of information about the [[First Wizarding War]] with Harry, much to the disapproval of [[Molly Weasley]], and supported Harry and his friends' efforts to sabotage [[Dolores Umbridge]]'s dictatorial rule over Hogwarts in their [[1995|fifth year]].
   
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[[File:Harry&Sirius1.gif|245px|thumb|left|Harry and Sirius's affection for each other]]
Sirius felt that Harry should have the right to know difficult truths, and considered him perfectly capable of taking on heavy burdens that many other fully-grown wizards could not. Some of the other Order members, however, criticised Sirius' behaviour towards Harry, claiming that he acted as if Harry were [[James Potter I|James]], rather than the child that he undeniably still was. Sirius shared a good deal of information about the [[First Wizarding War]] with Harry, much to the disapproval of [[Molly Weasley]], and supported Harry and his friends' efforts to sabotage [[Dolores Umbridge]]'s dictatorial rule over Hogwarts in their [[1995|fifth year]].
 
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While Harry craved a paternal figure, Sirius wasn't equipped to be one and more or less treated Harry like his best friend, the way Harry's father was before him.<ref name="int">[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-2.htm 16 July 2005 Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview with J.K. Rowling]</ref> [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] lured Harry to the [[Department of Mysteries]] in [[1996]] by planting a vision of Sirius suffering in his mind, knowing that Harry would do whatever it took to save his godfather.<ref name="OTP" /> Harry was completely devastated by Sirius's death, having lost the closest thing to a parent he had ever known. Harry felt riddled with guilt over the incident but eventually managed to compartmentalise his grief, knowing that Sirius wouldn't have wanted him to shut himself up.
   
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In [[1998]], Harry used the [[Resurrection Stone]] to summon the spirits of Sirius, Remus, and his parents, all four of whom gave him the emotional support he needed to sacrifice himself. Sirius assured his godson that dying was not painful at all and was actually quicker and easier than falling asleep.
{{Quote|He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though … keep up with news … check if I'm happy.…|Harry enjoying threatening the Dursleys when he learns he has a godfather.|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
 
 
While Harry craved a paternal figure, Sirius wasn't equipped to be one, and more or less treated Harry like his best friend, the way Harry's father was before him<ref name="int">[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-2.htm 16 July 2005 Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview with J.K. Rowling]</ref>. [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] lured Harry to the [[Department of Mysteries]] in [[1996]] by planting a vision of Sirius suffering in his mind, knowing that Harry would do whatever it took to save his godfather.<ref name="OTP" /> Harry was completely devastated by Sirius's death, having lost the closest thing to a parent he has ever known. Harry felt riddled with guilt over the incident but eventually managed to compartmentalise his grief, knowing that Sirius wouldn't have wanted to him to shut himself up.
 
 
{{Quote|Are you insane? Of course I want to leave [[Dursley family|the Dursleys]]! Have you got a house? When can I move in?|Harry expressing his joy when Sirius suggests they live together.|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
 
 
In [[1998]], Harry used the [[Resurrection Stone]] to summon the spirits of Sirius, Remus, and his parents, all four of whom gave him the emotional support he needed to sacrifice himself. He assured his godson that dying was not painful at all, and was actually quicker and easier than falling asleep.
 
   
 
Harry later named his [[James Potter II|first son]] after both James and Sirius.<ref name="DH" />
 
Harry later named his [[James Potter II|first son]] after both James and Sirius.<ref name="DH" />
   
 
===Ron Weasley===
 
===Ron Weasley===
{{Quote|Poor old Snuffles.|Ron, on Sirius living off rats.|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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{{Quote|Poor old Snuffles. He must really like you, Harry.... Imagine having to live off rats.|Ron's sympathy towards Sirius|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
[[File:Ron DH.PNG|thumb|left|125px|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]].]]
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[[File:Ron Weasley.jpg|220x220px|thumb|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]], his friend and his godson's best friend]]
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Sirius first met Ron Weasley in [[1994]]. Ron owned a rat named Scabbers, which, unbeknownst to him and the rest of his family, was actually [[Peter Pettigrew]] in disguise. With his mind and heart firmly set on murdering Pettigrew for his treacherous betrayal, Sirius snuck into [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] and approached Ron's bed, knife in hand, with the intention of killing the disguised rat. However, Ron awoke, saw Sirius, and, frightened out of his wits, screamed, alerting the whole dormitory and forcing Sirius to flee for his life. At the end of his third year, however, Ron learned that Sirius was innocent and discovered the true identity of his pet. Feeling partly responsible for Ron's loss, Sirius gave him an owl to replace "Scabbers". A year later, Ron, along with Harry and Hermione, provided food for Sirius, who was hiding in a cave outside of Hogsmeade.
 
Sirius first met [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] in [[1993]]. Ron owned a rat named Scabbers which, unbeknownst to him and the rest of his family, was actually [[Peter Pettigrew]] in disguise. With his mind and heart firmly set on murdering [[Peter Pettigrew|Pettigrew]] for his treacherous betrayal, Sirius snuck into [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] and approached Ron's bed, knife in hand, with the intention of killing the disguised rat. However, Ron awoke, saw Sirius and, frightened out of his wits, screamed, alerting the whole dormitory and forcing Sirius to flee for his life. At the [[1993|end of his third year]], however, Ron learned that Sirius was innocent, and discovered the true identity of his pet. Feeling partly responsible for Ron's loss, Sirius gave him [[Pigwidgeon|an owl]] to replace "Scabbers". A year later, Ron, along with Harry and Hermione, provided food for Sirius, who was hiding in a cave outside of Hogsmeade.
 
   
During the [[Second Wizarding War]], Ron and Sirius grew closer, as they both lived at Sirius' [[12 Grimmauld Place|house]] for several weeks, and eventually became good friends. When Hermione voiced her theory that Sirius was attempting to "live through" her, Ron and Harry, both boys snapped at her angrily in Sirius' defence. Sirius and Ron fought alongside one another during the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], and when Sirius was killed by [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], Ron grieved for him, and grew to share Harry's intense hatred of Bellatrix.
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During the [[Second Wizarding War]], Ron and Sirius grew closer, as they both lived at [[12 Grimmauld Place|Sirius's house]] for several weeks and eventually became good friends. When Hermione voiced her theory that Sirius was attempting to "live through" her, Ron, and Harry, both boys snapped at her angrily in Sirius's defence. Sirius and Ron fought alongside one another during the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], and when Sirius was killed by [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], Ron grieved for him and grew to share Harry's intense hatred of Bellatrix.
   
 
===Hermione Granger===
 
===Hermione Granger===
{{Quote|You really ''are'' the brightest witch of your age.|Sirius to Hermione after she and Harry rescued him from receiving the [[Dementor's Kiss]] in [[1994]].|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)}}
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{{Quote|Er Mr Black Sirius? If you don't mind me asking, how how did you get out of Azkaban if you didn't use Dark Magic?|Hermione Granger politely addressing Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
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[[File:Hermione Granger.jpg|220x220px|thumb|left|[[Hermione Granger]], his friend and his godson's best friend]]
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Sirius also met Hermione Granger during the [[1993–1994 school year]], following his escape from [[Azkaban]]. Hermione, like the rest of the [[wizarding world]], initially believed that Sirius was the wizard who betrayed [[James and Lily Potter]] to [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]. However, she learned the truth and even indirectly helped to clear any doubts of his innocence through her questions. Together with Harry and Ron, she brought him food when he was hiding in a cave near Hogsmeade during the [[1994–1995 school year]].
   
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In [[1995]], she lived for a few weeks at Sirius's [[12 Grimmauld Place|house]], along with other members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. It was then, however, that she started to see "flaws" in Sirius's character. Firstly, she severely disapproved of his indifferent and occasionally cruel treatment of his [[house-elf]] [[Kreacher]] despite the fact that Kreacher initially appeared to be disgusted by her and addressed her as "the [[Mudblood]]" (which Hermione often attributed to Kreacher being senile due to his old age.)
[[File:Hermione.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Hermione Granger]].]]
 
Sirius also met [[Hermione Granger]] during the [[1993-1994 school year]], following his escape from [[Azkaban]]. Hermione, like the rest of the [[wizarding world]], initially believed that Sirius was the wizard who betrayed [[James and Lily Potter]] to [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]. However, she learned the truth, and even indirectly helped to clear any doubts of his innocence through her questions. Together with Harry and Ron, she brought him food when he was hiding in a cave near Hogsmeade during the [[1994–1995 school year]].
 
   
In [[1995]], she lived for a few weeks at Sirius' [[12 Grimmauld Place|house]], along with other members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. It was then, however, that she started to see "flaws" in Sirius' character. Firstly, she severely disapproved of his indifferent and occasionally cruel treatment of his [[house-elf]], [[Kreacher]], despite the fact that Kreacher initially appeared to be disgusted by her and addressed her as "the [[Mudblood]] (which Hermione often attributed to Kreacher being senile due to his old age.)" Secondly, she grew to believe that Sirius could be very selfish when it came to Harry, even voicing her theory that a part of Sirius had actually been hoping for Harry's expulsion from Hogwarts, so that Harry would stay with him at Grimmauld Place instead of going back to school for his fifth year. Last but not least, she thought that Sirius was attempting to live vicariously through her, Harry and Ron, but the two boys became angry and snapped at her when she expressed this belief. Nevertheless, she had a generally good relationship with Sirius, knowing him to be an ultimately good person, and was greatly saddened by his death at the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]].
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Secondly, she grew to believe that Sirius could be very selfish when it came to Harry, even voicing her theory that a part of Sirius had actually been hoping for Harry's expulsion from Hogwarts so that Harry would stay with him at Grimmauld Place instead of going back to school for his fifth year. She also thought that Sirius was attempting to live vicariously through her, Harry, and Ron, but the two boys became angry and snapped at her when she expressed this belief. Nevertheless, she had a generally good relationship with Sirius, knowing him to be an ultimately good person, and was greatly saddened by his death at the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], and was one of the last people to duel his killer Bellatrix Lestrange during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].
[[File:Dumbledore and Elder Wand.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Albus Dumbledore]].]]
 
   
 
===Albus Dumbledore===
 
===Albus Dumbledore===
{{Quote|I offered it to Dumbledore for Headquarters - about the only useful thing I've been able to do.|Sirius, on Grimmauld Place|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
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{{Quote|I offered it to Dumbledore for Headquarters about the only useful thing I've been able to do.|Sirius trying to be useful|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
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[[File:Albus Dumbledore POA promo.jpg|224x224px|thumb|[[Albus Dumbledore]], his former headmaster]]
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Albus Dumbledore was Sirius's Headmaster at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]. Like the rest of the wizarding world, Dumbledore initially believed it was Sirius who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort, but he was quick to accept Sirius's innocence when he learned the Secret-Keeper had actually been Pettigrew, and he helped Hermione and Harry to save Sirius from the Dementor's Kiss and to escape from his Ministry captors by means of a [[Time-Turner]] and [[Buckbeak]]. The two resumed their friendship, and Sirius helped Dumbledore to recall the Order of the Phoenix an hour after Voldemort returned. However, their relationship was soon strained: Dumbledore forced Sirius to stay at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] on account of his being a wanted convict and because he had a tendency to act rashly, which could lead him to put himself in great danger.
   
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Though his intentions were noble, Sirius could not bring himself to appreciate Dumbledore's actions, as he utterly despised the home which brought him many bitter, unhappy memories, and the fact that he was to be alone in the house most of the time with only his house-elf for company made it all the more intolerable. Nevertheless, he still trusted Dumbledore enough to confide in him about how Harry felt Voldemort awaking inside him the night that [[Arthur Weasley]] was attacked. Dumbledore was devastated when Sirius was killed by Bellatrix, believing that it was mostly his fault, and he later expressed to Harry his belief that Sirius was a brave, clever, and energetic man who would never be content with sitting at home in hiding while his loved ones were in danger. Sirius's death was also a factor that led to Dumbledore finally revealing to Harry things that had been kept secret from him, mainly about the true power of his mother's sacrificial protection and the prophecy about him and Voldemort.
[[Albus Dumbledore]] was Sirius' Headmaster at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]. Like the rest of the wizarding world, Dumbledore initially believed it was Sirius who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort, but was quick to accept Sirius' innocence when he learned the Secret-Keeper had actually been Pettigrew, and helped Hermione and Harry to save Sirius from the Dementor's Kiss, and to escape from his Ministry captors, by means of a [[Time-Turner]] and [[Buckbeak]]. The two resumed their friendship, and Sirius helped Dumbledore to recall the Order of the Phoenix an hour after Voldemort returned. However, their relationship was soon strained: Dumbledore forced Sirius to stay at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] on account of his being a wanted convict, and because he had a tendency to act rashly, which could lead him to put himself in great danger.
 
 
Though his intentions were noble, Sirius could not bring himself to appreciate Dumbledore's thoughtfulness, as he utterly despised the home which brought him many bitter, unhappy memories, and the fact that he was to be alone in the house most of the time made it all the more intolerable. Nevertheless, he still trusted Dumbledore enough to confide in him about how Harry felt Voldemort awaking inside him the night that [[Arthur Weasley]] was attacked. Dumbledore was devastated when Sirius was killed by Bellatrix, believing that it was mostly his fault, and he later expressed to Harry his belief that Sirius was a brave, clever, and energetic man, who would never be content with sitting at home in hiding while his loved ones were in danger. Sirius' death was also a factor that led to Dumbledore finally revealing to Harry things that had been kept secret from him, mainly about the true power of his mother's sacrificial protection and the prophecy about him and Voldemort.
 
[[File:Normal poahighres49.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Weasley family]].]]
 
   
 
===The Weasley family===
 
===The Weasley family===
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[[File:Weasley Wizarding Vacation in Egypt.png|245x245px|thumb|left|The [[Weasley family]]]]
Sirius had a close relationship with most of the [[Weasley family]], and was so thrilled to have their company during the Christmas of [[1995]] that he was heard singing "[[God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs]]" at the top of his lungs. However, Sirius disapproved of [[Molly Weasley|Molly]]'s overprotective behaviour towards Harry, who had proven time after time that, despite his age, he was brave and matured far beyond his years. Molly, in turn, thought Sirius was wrong to treat Harry like an adult, and that he treated Harry as though he were [[James Potter I|James]].
 
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Sirius had a good relationship with most of the Weasley family and was so thrilled to have their company during the Christmas of [[1995]] that he was heard singing "[[God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs|''God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs'']]" at the top of his lungs. When Sirius was going over the Black Family Tree with Harry, he mentioned that he was distantly related to both Molly and Arthur, although they were not on the tapestry due to being known as "blood traitors".
   
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Sirius disapproved of [[Molly Weasley|Molly]]'s overprotective behaviour towards Harry, who had proven time after time that, despite his age, he was brave and matured far beyond his years. Molly, in turn, thought Sirius was wrong to treat Harry like an adult and that he treated Harry as though he were [[James Potter I|James]]. However, they still had a relatively good relationship, and it was Molly who ultimately avenged Sirius's death by killing Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of Hogwarts.
He was also a good friend of [[Arthur Weasley|Arthur]], who was given Sirius' motorbike after the latter's death, and [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]], at one point, stated that she cared about Sirius as much as Harry did. [[Fred and George Weasley]] liked Sirius, and they all joked together; [[Rubeus Hagrid]] once compared Sirius and James to Fred and George. A rare bump in Sirius' relationship with the twins occurred shortly after Arthur was wounded by Nagini, and Sirius forbade the Weasley children from visiting their father before it was safe to do so. At this, Fred and George argued, forcing Sirius to remind them of the importance of maintaining the Order's security, at which point Fred yelled back that Sirius, trapped in Grimmauld Place by his fugitive status, was doing virtually nothing for the Order himself. Although he was angered by Fred's words (he even seemed to Harry like he would have liked to hit Fred), Sirius let the slight go, and their relationship recovered shortly after.
 
   
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He was also a good friend of [[Arthur Weasley|Arthur]], who was given Sirius's motorbike after the latter's death, and [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]], at one point, stated that she cared about Sirius as much as Harry did. [[Fred and George Weasley]] liked Sirius, and they all joked together; [[Rubeus Hagrid]] once compared Sirius and James to Fred and George. A rare bump in Sirius's relationship with the twins occurred shortly after Arthur was wounded by Nagini, and Sirius forbade the Weasley children from visiting their father before it was safe to do so. At this, Fred and George argued, forcing Sirius to remind them of the importance of maintaining the Order's security, at which point Fred yelled back that Sirius, trapped in Grimmauld Place by his fugitive status, was doing virtually nothing for the Order himself.
Sirius' relationship with [[William Weasley|Bill]], [[Charles Weasley|Charlie]] and [[Percy Weasley|Percy]] is unknown; Sirius met Bill during the time of the Second War when the Weasley family were often at Grimmauld Place with the rest of the Order, but whether he met Percy or Charlie was unknown. Given that Charlie was on his family's side and Percy on the Ministry's, however, it's likely that Sirius would have been friends with Charlie, if he met him, but not Percy; though, considering Percy was practically Sirius' polar opposite, he arguably wouldn't have been particularly close to him in any case.
 
   
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Although Sirius was angered by Fred's words (he even seemed to Harry like he would have liked to strike Fred), Sirius let the slight go, and their relationship recovered shortly after. It is unknown whether Sirius learnt that the Marauders Map was once in Fred's and George's possession, and it is unknown whether Fred and George learnt that Sirius was one of the map's creators (although it is possible they did learn it considering Sirius mentioned Pettigrew's nickname "Wormtail" in front of them while explaining Voldemort's plans to them).
Ginny eventually named her [[James Potter II|eldest son]] after Sirius.
 
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Sirius's relationship with [[William Weasley|Bill]], [[Charles Weasley|Charlie]], and [[Percy Weasley|Percy]] is unknown; Sirius met Bill during the time of the Second War when the Weasley family were often at Grimmauld Place with the rest of the Order, but whether he met Percy or Charlie was unknown. Given that Charlie was on his family's side and Percy on the Ministry's, however, it's likely that Sirius would have been friends with Charlie if he met him but not with Percy; though, considering Percy was practically Sirius's polar opposite, he arguably wouldn't have been particularly close to him in any case. Despite this, Sirius assured Molly that Percy would eventually reconcile with them after he fell out with his family, something which ultimately did happen at the Battle of Hogwarts.
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Ginny eventually named her [[James Potter II|eldest son]] after her [[James Potter I|father-in-law]] and Sirius.
   
 
===Hogwarts staff===
 
===Hogwarts staff===
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{{Quote|Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course — exceptionally bright, in fact — but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers —|Minerva McGonagall regarding James and Sirius|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
When Sirius attended [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], the professors were very fond of him, knowing him to be a witty and charming wizard with a good heart. Their affection, however, did not blind them to the fact that he was also a mischievous trouble-maker and prankster, and did not prevent them from punishing him or his best friend, James, when they went too far with their pranks or caused too much trouble.
 
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[[File:Minerva McGonagall POAF promo.jpg|180px|thumb|Minerva McGonagall, his Head of House]]
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When Sirius attended [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], the professors were very fond of him, knowing him to be a witty and charming wizard with a good heart. Their affection, however, did not blind them to the fact that he was also a mischievous troublemaker and prankster, and it did not prevent them from punishing him or his best friend James when they went too far with their pranks or caused too much trouble.
   
[[Minerva McGonagall]] was Sirius' [[Head of House]] during his years at Hogwarts. She described him as a powerful wizard, but she believed it was he who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. She learned the truth in [[1995]], and it's possible that she and Sirius had a good relationship until his death. It is unknown how she reacted when she learned about his death.
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[[Minerva McGonagall]] was Sirius's [[Head of House]] during his years at Hogwarts. She described him as a powerful wizard, but she believed it was he who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. She learned the truth in [[1995]], and it's possible that she and Sirius had a good relationship until his death. It is unknown how she reacted when she learned about his death.
   
 
[[Horace Slughorn]], the [[Head of Slytherin House]], mentioned that he would have liked to have Sirius in his house, having had all of his family.
 
[[Horace Slughorn]], the [[Head of Slytherin House]], mentioned that he would have liked to have Sirius in his house, having had all of his family.
   
[[File:OotP.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The first [[Order of the Phoenix]].]]
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===Order of the Phoenix===
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[[File:Order of the Phoenix.png|251x251px|thumb|The original [[Order of the Phoenix]]|left]]
 
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Sirius had a good relationship with most members of the Order of the Phoenix, and it was he who set out to alert them all when Dumbledore reinstated the Order upon Voldemort's return in [[1995]]. Several of the Order members fought alongside Sirius at the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], and when Sirius was killed by [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] continued his duel with Bellatrix.
===Order of the Phoenix members===
 
Sirius had a good relationship with most members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], and it was he who set out to alert them all when Dumbledore reinstated the Order upon Voldemort's return in [[1995]]. Several of the Order members fought alongside Sirius at the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], and when Sirius was killed by [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] continued his duel with Bellatrix.
 
   
 
Sirius had been fairly close with [[Rubeus Hagrid]] prior to the Death of [[James and Lily Potter|the Potters]], both having been members of the First Order, and most likely having fought together in several battles of the [[First Wizarding War]]. Although Hagrid initially believed that Sirius was a traitor, he understood the real situation after it was explained to him, and it is likely that they resumed their friendship.
 
Sirius had been fairly close with [[Rubeus Hagrid]] prior to the Death of [[James and Lily Potter|the Potters]], both having been members of the First Order, and most likely having fought together in several battles of the [[First Wizarding War]]. Although Hagrid initially believed that Sirius was a traitor, he understood the real situation after it was explained to him, and it is likely that they resumed their friendship.
   
Though Sirius also appeared to be friendly with [[Mundungus Fletcher]], that did not stop Fletcher from stealing Sirius' possessions after his death.
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Though Sirius also appeared to be friendly with [[Mundungus Fletcher]], that did not stop Fletcher from stealing Sirius's possessions after his death.
   
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===Barty Crouch Snr===
==Media==
 
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{{Quote|Should have spent a bit more time at home with his [[Crouch family|family]], shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while ... gotten to know his own [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|son]].|Sirius's contempt for Bartemius Crouch Senior|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
{{VideoFooter}}
 
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[[File:Barty Crouch Senior GOFF promo.jpg|thumb|Bartemius Crouch Senior, the man who had him imprisoned in Azkaban]]
<gallery widths="200" position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
 
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Sirius had a strong grudge and hatred against [[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Barty Crouch Snr]]. This was mostly because Crouch was the one responsible for sentencing him to life imprisonment in Azkaban without a trial, denying him the opportunity to appeal his frame-up, and because of his disgust about Barty Crouch Jnr. However, his hatred of Crouch didn't stop Sirius from taking Crouch seriously, for when Harry told him about Crouch's ramblings and him vanishing afterwards, he instantly realised that Crouch was trying to warn Dumbledore, and that the reason he vanished is because someone wanted to stop him from seeing Dumbledore. He also was knowledgeable of Crouch's tactics to catch Death Eaters and other enemies while he was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including using the Unforgivable Curses against them. Sirius stated that despite his disdain towards him, Crouch's principles may have been right to start off with, as they were fellow opponents against Voldemort at the time, although he also said that Crouch became just as cruel and ruthless as the forces he was fighting against. Sirius also knew Crouch's demeanour well enough to be suspicious over Crouch's disappearance and the rumours of Crouch's illness, knowing that Crouch would never miss a day of work for any simple reason such as sickness. Even after Crouch's death, Sirius was still resentful of Crouch's decision to sentence him in Azkaban without a trial, commenting that he was unsure he would accept an apology from the Ministry of Magic even if they acknowledged Voldemort's return.
File:Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Sirius Black|Sirius Black
 
File:Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Saying goodbye|Saying goodbye
 
File:Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Talking to Sirius|Talking to Sirius
 
File:Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Sirius's warning|Sirius's warning
 
File:Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Harry confides in Sirius|Harry confides in Sirius
 
File:Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Padfoot's update|Padfoot's update
 
File:Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Sirius' photograph|Sirius' photograph
 
</gallery>
 
   
 
==Etymology==
 
==Etymology==
The name "Sirius Black" is a pun on his [[Animagus]] form of a black dog, as the star [[Wikipedia:Sirius|Sirius]] is known as the Dog Star, and is the brightest star in [[Wikipedia:Canis Major|Canis Major]], the Great Dog constellation. ''Sirius'' is derived from the Ancient Greek Σείριος, ''Seirios'', meaning "glowing" or "scorcher". In greek mythology, it is Orion's dog. In Arabic, the star is known as ''al-shira'', "the leader", and in Scandinavia, it has been referred to as ''Lokabrenna'', meaning "Loki's torch". [[Wikipedia:Loki|Loki]] was a trickster god in Norse mythology, a possible allusion to Sirius' days of mischief-making as one of the [[Marauders]].
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The name "Sirius Black" is a play on his [[Animagus]] form of a black dog since the star [[Sirius]] is known as the Dog Star and is the brightest star in [[Wikipedia:Canis Major|Canis Major]], the Great Dog constellation. ''Sirius'' is derived from the Ancient Greek Σείριος, ''Seirios'', meaning "glowing" or "scorcher." In Greek mythology, it is Orion's dog. In Arabic, the star is known as ''al-shira'', "the leader," and in Scandinavia, it has been referred to as ''Lokabrenna'', meaning "Loki's torch." [[Wikipedia:Loki|Loki]] was a trickster god in Norse mythology, a possible allusion to Sirius's days of mischief-making as one of the [[Marauders]]. His full name is an oxymoron of sorts, as his first name, "Sirius", is referring to the brightest star in the night sky, and his last name, "Black", is referring to the darkest colour, which is the result of the absence of light.
   
Padfoot refers to a spectral Hellhound with glowing red eyes that haunts the moors around Leeds, in Northern England. Its presence is announced by soft, padding footfalls that may be accompanied by the rattle of chains or a fierce roaring as the beast draws closer to its intended victim. It's one of many "black dog" myths and is the likely source for Sirius' nickname.
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Padfoot refers to a spectral Hellhound (Most commonly known as Black Shuck) with glowing red eyes that haunts the moors around Leeds, in Northern England. Its presence is announced by soft, padding footfalls that may be accompanied by the rattle of chains or a fierce roaring as the beast draws closer to its intended victim. It's one of many "black dog" myths and is the likely source for Sirius's nickname.
   
 
Black hounds also appear on the [[House of Black|Black family crest]].
 
Black hounds also appear on the [[House of Black|Black family crest]].
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
 
==Behind the scenes==
[[File:Siriusjjj.jpg|thumb|The LEGO mini-figure of Sirius (just after escaping Azkaban).]]
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[[File:Siriusjjj.jpg|thumb|The LEGO mini-figure of Sirius (just after escaping Azkaban)]]
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[[File:LEGOsirius.png|204x204px|thumb|Sirius as a LEGO minifigure (2nd edition)]]
*Sirius is portrayed by [[Great Britain|British]] actor [[Gary Oldman]] in the [[Harry Potter films|film adaptations]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)|Goblet of Fire]]'', ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Order of the Phoenix]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2|Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]''.
 
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[[File:Sirius Black - Young Marauders - PM.png|thumb|Sirius Black as a young Marauder]]
*The fifteen-year old Sirius in the film version of ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' is portrayed by [[James Walters]].
 
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[[File:SiriusBlackWU.png|thumb|Sirius Black as he appears in {{WU}}]]
*Young Sirius is portrayed by [[Rohan Gotobed]] in a flashback in the ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]'' film.
 
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[[File:YoungSiriusBlackWU.png|150px|thumb|Young Sirius Black as he appears in {{WU}}]]
*Like Snape, Lupin and Pettigrew, Sirius is portrayed as being much older in the Harry Potter films. Gary Oldman was 46 when he first played Sirius in Prisoner of Azkaban and 53 when he last played him. Sirius died at age 36.
 
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[[File:SiriusBlackPOP.jpg|thumb|Sirius Black as a [[POP! Vinyl]]]]
*In the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|film adaptation]] of [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]], [[Filius Flitwick]]'s [[Filius Flitwick's office|office]] is replaced by the [[Dark Tower]] as a temporary prison.
 
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[[File:SiriusAzkabanPOP.jpg|thumb|Sirius Black (as an [[Azkaban]] convict) as a [[POP! Vinyl]]]]
*Due to the much bigger fourth book compared to its predecessors, Sirius' role in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is drastically cut. All of the scenes after his head appears in the fire are removed, and Molly Weasley does not meet him (incidentally, Molly herself is cut from the film).
 
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[[File:PadfootPOP.png|thumb|Sirius Black (as Padfoot) as a [[POP! Vinyl]]]]
*Sirius and Snape only meet on screen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Their two subsequent meetings in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix do not occur.
 
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*Sirius is portrayed by [[Great Britain|British]] actor [[Gary Oldman]] in the [[Harry Potter (film series)|film adaptations]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)|Goblet of Fire]]'', ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Order of the Phoenix]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2|Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]''.
*In the film versions of the series, Sirius has many tattoos, but it is never stated in the book if he has any. These are implied to be prison tattoos that he received while in Azkaban.
 
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**Sirius is 5'9.5" (176.5cm), as is Oldman. He is described in the book as "very tall", which is contradictory given that the average height of men in England was 174.4 cm in 1998.<ref>[https://www.statista.com/statistics/332542/height-of-individuals-by-gender-in-england-uk/ Height of Individuals by gender in England UK - Statista]</ref>.
*In [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]], it is notable that despite the fact that Snape and Lupin know that Sirius was aware of the passageway to the Shrieking Shack and, presumably, were convinced of his guilt, the passageway was not blocked off or guarded.
 
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*The fifteen-year-old Sirius in the film version of {{OOTP}} is portrayed by [[James Walters]].
*In the [[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|film version]] of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Snape's memory shows James disarming Snape, and Sirius remarks, "Nice one, James!" In [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], Sirius repeats this line when Harry disarms Lucius Malfoy, calling Harry "James"; a slip of the tongue that does not occur in the book, although it is consistent with comments made in the novel regarding him considering Harry a younger version of James. Also, Harry's middle name is James.
 
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*Young Sirius is portrayed by [[Rohan Gotobed]] in a flashback in the {{DH|F2}} film.
*In the ''Order of the Phoenix'' film, when Sirius arrives with the other members of the Order, he punches [[Lucius Malfoy]] exclaiming, "Get away from my godson". This unknowingly causes the destruction of [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|The Prophecy]] Orb by causing [[Lucius Malfoy]] to drop it. Both actions are contrary to [[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix|the book]], in which [[Neville Longbottom]] breaks the orb and the punch does not occur.
 
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*Like James Potter, Snape, Lupin and Pettigrew, Sirius is portrayed as being much older in the Harry Potter films. Gary Oldman was 46 when he first played Sirius in Prisoner of Azkaban and 53 when he last played him. Sirius died at age 36. However, in Sirius's case, it may have been done purposely to help represent how much the trauma he suffered in Azkaban greatly aged him well beyond his actual years.
*Also, in the film version of the Department of Mysteries battle, Sirius is hit with a [[Killing Curse]] by Bellatrix Lestrange which kills him, quite unlike the book, where he falls through the veil, which is what kills him as he had moved beyond it.
 
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*In {{POA|FA}}, [[Filius Flitwick]]'s [[Filius Flitwick's office|office]] is replaced by the [[Dark Tower]] as a temporary prison.
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*Due to the much bigger fourth book compared to its predecessors, Sirius's role in the film adaptation of ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' is drastically cut. All of the scenes after his head appears in the fire are removed, and Molly Weasley does not meet him (incidentally, Molly herself is cut from the film).
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*Sirius and Snape only meet on screen in ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'', directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Their subsequent meeting in ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' does not occur, and their meeting in ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' is only heard off-screen.
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*In the film versions of the series, Sirius has multiple tattoos, but it is never stated in the books if he has any. These are implied to be prison tattoos that he received while in Azkaban, although it would be almost impossible considering what is known about the conditions in Azkaban. It could be implied these brands were done to him as a form of a testament to his crimes.
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*In {{POA}}, it is notable that despite the fact that Snape and Lupin know that Sirius was aware of the passageway to the Shrieking Shack and, presumably, were convinced of his guilt, the passageway was not blocked off or guarded.
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*In the [[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|film version]] of ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'', Snape's memory shows James disarming Snape, and Sirius remarks, "Nice one, James!" In [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]], Sirius repeats this line when Harry disarms Lucius Malfoy, calling Harry "James" (these are his last words); a slip of the tongue that does not occur in the book, although it is consistent with comments made in the novel regarding him considering Harry a younger version of James.
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*In the ''Order of the Phoenix'' film, when Sirius arrives with the other members of the Order, he [[Muggle duelling|punches]] [[Lucius Malfoy]] exclaiming, "Get away from my godson". This unknowingly causes the destruction of [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|The Prophecy]] Orb by causing [[Lucius Malfoy]] to drop it. Both actions are contrary to [[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix|the book]], in which [[Neville Longbottom]] breaks the orb and the punch does not occur.
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*Also, in the film version of the Department of Mysteries battle, Sirius is hit in the shoulder and arm with a [[Killing Curse]] by Bellatrix Lestrange. The curse stings him and causes him weakness before he falls back into the veil. This differs from the book, where he is killed as he was knocked through the veil by an unknown red spell that Bellatrix casted.
 
*The names Sirius and Regulus are also names of two main characters in the video game ''[[Wikipedia:Bomberman 64 (Baku)|Bomberman 64]]''. Interestingly enough, in Bomberman, Sirius is thought to be a hero when in actuality he is a villain, which is the exact reverse of Sirius Black.
 
*The names Sirius and Regulus are also names of two main characters in the video game ''[[Wikipedia:Bomberman 64 (Baku)|Bomberman 64]]''. Interestingly enough, in Bomberman, Sirius is thought to be a hero when in actuality he is a villain, which is the exact reverse of Sirius Black.
*In ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', the way Sirius describes [[Regulus Black|his brother]]'s death implies that Regulus was killed by the Killing Curse. But in ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'', it is established that Regulus was killed by the [[Inferius|Inferi]] in Voldemort's Horcrux cave. However, Sirius states regarding his brother's death "from what I've found out since I got out (of Azkaban)", so it is likely Sirius received this information second hand, so his source may have been mistaken or Sirius may have assumed it was the Killing Curse.
+
*In {{OOTP}}, the way Sirius describes [[Regulus Black|his brother]]'s death implies that Regulus was killed by the Killing Curse. But in {{DH}}, it is established that Regulus was killed by the [[Inferius|Inferi]] in Voldemort's Horcrux cave. However, Sirius states regarding his brother's death "from what I've found out since I got out (of Azkaban)", so it is likely Sirius received this information second hand, so his source may have been mistaken or Sirius may have assumed it was the Killing Curse.
*There is also a suggestion that Sirius might have done under-age magic. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius states that he ran away from home at age 16. However, in Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Sirius put permanent sticking charms of the back of all his pictures and posters hanging on his bedroom wall. But, considering he ran away from home at 16, and did not return until about age 35, he would have been under-age at the time he performed the permanent sticking charm. However, since he was in the home of a witch and wizard at the time, this would not have registered.
+
*There is also a suggestion that Sirius might have done under-age magic. In ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'', Sirius states that he ran away from home at age 16. However, in Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Sirius put permanent sticking charms of the back of all his pictures and posters hanging on his bedroom wall. But, considering he ran away from home at 16 and did not return until about age 35, he would have been under-age at the time he performed the permanent sticking charm. However, since he was in the home of a witch and wizard at the time, this would not have registered.
*The relationship between Sirius and Mrs. Weasley is considerably more tense in the books than is depicted in the films. He is also depicted in the books as being somewhat less in control than he is shown to be in the ''Order of the Phoenix'' film.
+
*The relationship between Sirius and Mrs Weasley is considerably more tense in the books than is depicted in the films. He is also depicted in the books as being somewhat less in control than he is shown to be in the ''Order of the Phoenix'' film.
*In the films, after Sirius' death, it seems that Harry has picked up Sirius' fashion sense of occasionally wearing a blazer as regular wear, much like Sirius, who in the ''Order of the Phoenix'' film was always depicted as wearing a blazer.
+
*In the films, after Sirius's death, it seems that Harry has picked up Sirius's fashion sense of occasionally wearing a blazer as regular wear, much like Sirius, who in the ''Order of the Phoenix'' film was always depicted as wearing a blazer.
*In an interview, J.K. Rowling said that Sirius began to laugh hysterically when the Aurors lead him to jail because James and Lily's death had unhinged him.<ref>http://www.accio-quote.org/themes/sirius.htm</ref>
+
*Sirius was hysterical when the Aurors lead him to jail because James and Lily's death had unhinged him.<ref>http://www.accio-quote.org/themes/sirius.htm</ref>
*Sirius' godson Harry honoured Sirius by naming his first-born James Sirius Potter.
+
*Sirius's godson Harry honoured Sirius by naming his first-born James Sirius Potter.
 
*Interestingly enough, the [[James Potter II|child]] that Harry named after James and Sirius often teases the [[Albus Potter|child]] whose middle name is Severus, as in Severus Snape.
 
*Interestingly enough, the [[James Potter II|child]] that Harry named after James and Sirius often teases the [[Albus Potter|child]] whose middle name is Severus, as in Severus Snape.
*In the [[Harry Potter films|film versions]], Sirius Black has brown hair instead of black and blue eyes instead of grey.
+
*In the [[Harry Potter (film series)|film versions]], Sirius Black has brown hair instead of black and blue eyes instead of grey.
*Sirius and his cousin, Bellatrix, met their deaths in a similar way, because they were both taunting their killers before they died (and their taunts were their last words)
+
*Sirius and his cousin, Bellatrix, met their deaths in a similar way because they were both taunting their killers before they died (and their taunts were their last words)
*Despite being innocent of murdering Pettigrew and Muggles, a crime for which he was sent to Azkaban, he was not wrongly at Azkaban, per se; being an unregistered Animagus is a crime for which the sentence is, in fact, imprisonment in Azkaban.
+
*Despite being innocent of murdering Pettigrew and the Muggles, a crime for which he was sent to Azkaban, if he had been discovered as an unregistered Animagus, it carries a sentence in Azkaban.
*In the books, Sirius gives Harry an enchanted mirror (by which they should be able to communicate with), however, in the films, this is not shown on-screen.
+
*In the books, Sirius gives Harry an enchanted mirror (by which they should be able to communicate with); however, in the films, this is not shown on-screen.
  +
*Sirius is described in the books as being able to transform into a dog about the size of a bear. In the films, however, he transforms into a fairly normal-sized dog.
* Sirius was born at autumn, something the possibly relate to the Dog sign of the Chinese Zodiac being associated with that season.
 
  +
*''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is the only book in which the narrator calls Sirius by his surname, likely (but not confirmed to be) due to the fact that the novels are portrayed from Harry's perspective and throughout most of the novel, Harry views Sirius Black as a dangerous criminal and later not only this, but also a man who betrayed his parents. He is first referred to as "Sirius" in the narration about halfway through Chapter 20, at which point Harry has learned the truth about him, though at this point the narration is somewhat inconsistent in referring to him as either "Sirius" or "Black". By the final chapter, however, he is referred to consistently in the narration as "Sirius".
* In the movie, Sirius was depicted as being mad. However, in the book, he is noted as being quite sane compared to the other prisoners.
 
  +
*On the first episode of BBC's [[Wikipedia:The Casual Vacancy (TV series)|''The Casual Vacancy'']] miniseries, there's a comment by a "S. Black" to the announcement of Barry Fairbrother's death in Pagford's Parish Council Website. It reads: "''The news came as a shock when I heard. Always so full of life, and I know the work he was doing at Sweetlove House was invaluable to the community. He'll be greatly missed''".
  +
*Sirius was born at autumn, something that possibly relates to the Dog sign of the Chinese Zodiac being associated with that season.
  +
*Sirius Black's dog form, '''Padfoot''', was portrayed by the dogs [[Fern (dog)|Fern]] and [[Cleod]] in ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' and by [[Quinn]] in ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''.
  +
*Sirius' middle name is often said to be Orion; however, there is no canonical evidence for this. But it is worth mentioning that Regulus' received his middle name from his grandfather, Arcturus, so it is possible Sirius was named after his father.
  +
**[[File:SiriusBlack Pottermore.png|thumb|Sirius Black Pottermore]]Another speculation is that Sirius's middle name could be Licorus. The reasoning behind this is that the House of Black is a "Traditional" pureblood house. Thus the traditional difference between a Junior and II (the Second) is that a Junior is (typically) a son named after the father. Traditionally, a (typically) male child that is the Second (II) of their name is in honour of a family member who is not the father. Both Junior and the II of that name must be entirely the same (First, Middle, and Surname). So following that reasoning, we know Sirius I was the eldest son of (possibly) Cygnus Black I and Ella Max; and Cygnus is possibly the first-born son of Licorus Black and Magenta Tripe. We also know that he died young, and we can reason that Phineas Nigellus Black named his eldest son in honour of his lost brother and therefore kept his full name the same as his (Sirius II) deceased paternal uncle. It would also explain why Sirius II named his first-born daughter Lycoris, a variation of Licorus.
  +
[[File:Azkabanhires7.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Behind the Scenes of the Prisoner of Azkaban]]
   
[[File:Azkabanhires7.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Behind the Scenes of the Prisoner of Azkaban.]]
 
 
===Author's comments===
 
===Author's comments===
 
[[J. K. Rowling]] has said that she likes Sirius as a character, but she does not think he is "wholly wonderful":
 
[[J. K. Rowling]] has said that she likes Sirius as a character, but she does not think he is "wholly wonderful":
   
:''"Sirius is very good at spouting bits of excellent personal philosophy, but he does not always live up to them. For instance, he says in "Goblet of Fire" that if you want to know what a man is really like, 'look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.' But Sirius loathes [[Kreacher]], the house-elf he has inherited, and treats him with nothing but contempt. Similarly, Sirius claims that nobody is wholly good or wholly evil, and yet the way he acts towards [[Severus Snape|Snape]] suggests that he cannot conceive of any latent good qualities there...Sirius's great redeeming quality is how much affection he is capable of feeling. He loved [[James Potter I|James]] like a brother and he went on to transfer that attachment to [[Harry Potter|Harry]]."''<ref name="JK" />
+
:''"Sirius is very good at spouting bits of excellent personal philosophy, but he does not always live up to them. For instance, he says in "Goblet of Fire" that if you want to know what a man is really like, 'look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.' But Sirius loathes [[Kreacher]], the house-elf he has inherited and treats him with nothing but contempt. Similarly, Sirius claims that nobody is wholly good or wholly evil, and yet the way he acts towards [[Severus Snape|Snape]] suggests that he cannot conceive of any latent good qualities there... Sirius's great redeeming quality is how much affection he is capable of feeling. He loved [[James Potter I|James]] like a brother and he went on to transfer that attachment to [[Harry Potter|Harry]]."''<ref name="JK" />
   
 
Rowling also described Sirius as a "bit of a loose cannon" and a "case of arrested development"<ref name="int" /> and once described Sirius as "brave, loyal, reckless, embittered and slightly unbalanced by his long stay in Azkaban."<ref name="JK">[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=61 J.K. Rowling's Official Website: FAQs]</ref>
 
Rowling also described Sirius as a "bit of a loose cannon" and a "case of arrested development"<ref name="int" /> and once described Sirius as "brave, loyal, reckless, embittered and slightly unbalanced by his long stay in Azkaban."<ref name="JK">[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=61 J.K. Rowling's Official Website: FAQs]</ref>
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==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
 
{{Imagecat|Images of Sirius Black}}
 
{{Imagecat|Images of Sirius Black}}
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*{{PS}} {{1st Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter Prequel]]''
 
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*{{POA}} {{1st}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' {{1st Mention}}
 
  +
*{{POA|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' {{1st}}
 
  +
*{{POA|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{GOF}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{GOF|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{HBP}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]''
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' {{Mention}}
+
*{{HBP|F}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{HBP|G}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)]]'' {{Mention}}
 
  +
*{{DH}} {{Flashback}} {{Ghost}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)]]'' {{Mention}}
 
  +
*{{DH|F1}} {{Mention}} {{Photograph}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' {{Flashback}} {{Ghost}}
 
  +
*{{DH|G1}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]'' {{Mention}} {{Photograph}}
 
  +
*{{DH|F2}} {{Flashback}} {{Ghost}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)]]'' {{Mention}}
 
  +
*{{DH|G2}} {{Ghost}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]'' {{Flashback}} {{Ghost}}
 
  +
*{{LEGO|B}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World]]''
 
  +
*{{LEGO|C}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World]]''
 
  +
*{{LEGO|Y1}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''
 
  +
*{{LEGO|Y2}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]''
 
  +
*{{LEGO}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter|Harry Potter LEGO Sets]]''
 
  +
*{{HPK}}
  +
*''[[Untitled charity auction story|Harry Potter Prequel]]''
  +
*{{PM}}
  +
*{{WW}}
  +
*{{HPV|CH}}
  +
*{{HPV|CR}}
  +
*{{HM}}
  +
*{{WU}}
  +
*{{MA}} {{BNN}} {{Echo}}
  +
*{{HPWA}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
 
==Notes and references==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Sirius}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Sirius}}
 
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[[pt-br:Sirius Black]]
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[[ru:Сириус Блэк]]
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[[zh:小天狼星·布莱克]]
 
[[Category:1959 births]]
 
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:Animagi|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Attack at Godric's Hollow (1981) participants]]
[[Category:Attack on Godric's Hollow (1981) participants]]
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[[Category:Azkaban convicts]]
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[[Category:Battle of the Department of Mysteries participants]]
[[Category:Azkaban escapees|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Blood traitors]]
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[[Category:Bulstrode family descendants]]
[[Category:Battle of the Department of Mysteries participants|Black, Sirius]]
 
[[Category:English individuals|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Crabbe family descendants]]
[[Category:Bullies|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Dementor victims]]
[[Category:Dementor attacks|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Disowned members of the House of Black]]
[[Category:Disowned members of the House of Black|Sirius Black III]]
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[[Category:English individuals]]
[[Category:First Order of the Phoenix|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:First Order of the Phoenix]]
[[Category:Gryffindors|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Flint family descendants]]
[[Category:Hogwarts students|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Foundables]]
[[Category:Hogwarts students during the marauders era]]
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[[Category:Gamp family descendants]]
[[Category:Killed by Bellatrix Lestrange|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Grey-eyed individuals]]
[[Category:Males|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Gryffindors]]
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[[Category:Killed by Bellatrix Lestrange]]
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[[Category:Macmillan family descendants]]
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[[Category:Males]]
 
[[Category:Marauders]]
 
[[Category:Marauders]]
[[Category:Mischief makers|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Murder victims]]
[[Category:Murder victims|Black, Sirius]]
 
 
[[Category:Passwords]]
 
[[Category:Passwords]]
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[[Category:Plot to murder Peter Pettigrew participants]]
[[Category:Pure-bloods|Black, Sirius]]
 
[[Category:Second Order of the Phoenix|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Pure-bloods]]
[[Category:Second War casualties|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Secret-Keepers|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Second Wizarding War casualties]]
[[Category:Sidekicks|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Sorted in 1971]]
[[Category:Sorted in 1971|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Unmarried individuals|Black, Sirius ]]
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[[Category:Unregistered Animagi]]
[[Category:Werewolf attacks|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Werewolf victims]]
[[Category:Wizards|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Wizards]]
[[Category:Wrongfully convicted individuals|Black, Sirius]]
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[[Category:Wrongfully convicted individuals]]
[[Category:Blood traitors]]
 

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"I don't know how I did it. I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me... but it kept me sane and knowing who I am... helped me keep my powers... so when it all became... too much... I could transform in my cell... become a dog."
— How Sirius survived in Azkaban[src]

Sirius Black III (3 November[1] 1959[16]18 June 1996),[4] also known as Padfoot or Snuffles (in his Animagus form), was an English pure-blood wizard, the older son of Orion and Walburga Black, the older brother of Regulus Black, and godfather of Harry Potter. Although he was the heir of the House of Black, Sirius disagreed with his family's belief in blood purity and defied tradition when he was Sorted into Gryffindor House instead of Slytherin at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which he attended from 1971 to 1978. As the rest of his family had been in Slytherin, he was the odd one out.

As Sirius's relationship with his relatives deteriorated, he gained a lifelong friendship with James Potter and Remus Lupin. He was also friends with Peter Pettigrew. The four friends, also known as the Marauders, joined the Order of the Phoenix to fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. Sirius was named the godfather of Harry James Potter, the only son of James and Lily Potter. When Pettigrew betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, Sirius sought to get revenge on Pettigrew. However, Pettigrew was able to frame Sirius for his betrayal of the Potters, the murder of twelve Muggles, and the staged murder of Pettigrew before Sirius could accomplish this.

Sirius was sent to Azkaban and, after twelve years, became the only known person to escape the prison unassisted. He did it by transforming into his Animagus form of a massive black dog often confused with a "Grim", an omen said to cause death. Sirius exposed Pettigrew's treachery to his old friend Remus and his godson Harry. Unfortunately, Dementors attacked the group and allowed Pettigrew to escape. With the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge wanting to have Sirius kissed and Sirius's proof of innocence gone, he was forced to go on the run,

After Lord Voldemort returned in 1995, Sirius rejoined the Order. He was killed by his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and subsequently cleared of all charges by the Ministry of Magic, though it was too late for him to enjoy his freedom. Eventually, his death was avenged by Molly Weasley.

He briefly appeared again to Harry through the Resurrection Stone on 2 May 1998, along with James and Lily Potter, and Remus Lupin. Harry later named his first son James Sirius Potter after him and his father James Potter I.

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Biography

Early life (1959–1971)

Harry Potter: "Were — were your parents Death Eaters as well?"
Sirius: "No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge."
— Sirius regarding his family's beliefs[src]

Sirius Black III was born on 3 November 1959, in the London borough of Islington, England, to Orion Black and Walburga Black, both of whom were Dark wizards and second cousins. He was the last remaining heir of the House of Black, a once-notable pure-blood wizarding family. Sirius had a younger brother, Regulus. Sirius did not share a close relationship with his brother, calling him a "better son" than himself.[17]

"Sirius" was a traditional Black family name, recurring in at least three generations and following a family tradition of naming children after stars, constellations, and galaxies. The names Cygnus, Arcturus, and Regulus have also occurred at least twice each. Notably, however, only one Sirius (the subject's great-grandfather) left a line of descent, which ended with the youngest Sirius, as he did not have children.[18]

The Blacks - Pottermore

The Blacks in the early 1970s

The Black family believed strongly in pure-blood elitism. They refused to consort with Muggles or Muggle-borns, Squibs, and blood traitors and even disowned Squib family members, such as Sirius's great-uncle Marius Black, and insisted that their family members only marry within respectable pure-blood classes; because of these beliefs, they were forced to marry their own cousins. They also held the Dark Arts in reverence.

Sirius rejected these values, leading to conflict with his family. He even put permanent-sticking charms of Gryffindor banners, as well as pictures of Muggle girls in bikinis and motorcycles, as well as a picture of himself and his Gryffindor friends on the walls of his room to emphasise his differences from the family and annoy his parents.[19] When his cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa made the desirable pure-blood marriages, to Rodolphus Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy respectively, Sirius held them in contempt. His favourite cousin, Andromeda, was disowned by the family as a "blood traitor" when she married Ted Tonks, a Muggle-born wizard.

Sirius would later share this designation and was held in contempt, even hatred, by some members of his family.

Hogwarts years (1971–1978)

James Potter: "How'd the exam go, Snivelly?"
Sirius Black: "I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment. There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."
Severus Snape: "You — wait. You — wait...."
Sirius Black: "Wait for what? What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"
— James and Sirius tormenting Severus Snape in their fifth year[src]
1971 sorting

Sirius during his Sorting sitting next to Lily Evans

Sirius had an unhappy childhood; by adolescence he had come to hate most of his relatives, in particular his mother Walburga and his cousin Bellatrix Black. Whereas all other members of the Black family were Sorted into Slytherin, Sirius was placed in Gryffindor during his Sorting in 1971, showing that his views had already diverged from those of the rest of the family before he came to school. Sirius also took great care in hanging Gryffindor banners all over his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place to show his difference from the rest of the family. Aside from the shrine to Godric Gryffindor, Sirius did the rest of his room akin to a Muggle boy of his age. He put up pictures of motorcycles and fighter jets as well as posters of bathing beauties. Honouring Muggle accomplishments annoyed his family, but none so much as angering his mother that Sirius considered Muggle women attractive.

Marauders

The Marauders in their Animagus forms (Sirius is the black dog) keeping Lupin company in his werewolf form

By contrast, he greatly enjoyed life at Hogwarts, where he was inseparable from his best friends: James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. They later discovered that Remus was a werewolf. To support him, Sirius, James, and Peter secretly — and illegally — became Animagi. This allowed them to safely accompany Remus during his transformations and keep him under control. Sirius's form took the shape of a huge black dog (not unlike the Grim), from which his nickname "Padfoot" was derived. James would become a stag (Prongs), and Peter would become a rat (Wormtail). The four friends called themselves "the Marauders" and used the nicknames "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs". Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail came from their three Animagus forms and Moony after his lycanthropic condition. They also created the Marauder's Map, which allowed them to see where everyone in the castle was at a given time, which made sneaking around and avoiding teachers much easier.

Although he later considered himself "an idiot" during this time, Sirius, along with James were immensely popular. Teachers respected his intelligence (though not his behaviour), and girls adored his dark handsome looks. His especially rebellious attitude made him ignore them, therefore making girls fawn over his bad boy attitude as well as his looks. Many teachers regarded him and James as troublemakers or practical jokers. Hagrid once compared them to the mischievous twins Fred and George Weasley, saying that the Weasleys could "give them a run for their money".

James tormenting Severus flashback

Harry witnessing Sirius and James bullying Snape in their fifth year

Sirius's popularity was not universal, however. A mutual hatred sprang up between James Potter and Severus Snape. Sirius actively supported James, leading to Snape bestowing an equal and life-long grudge upon Sirius. Sirius later claimed Snape was "this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts", from Snape's first moments at Hogwarts. He was one of the many people who hated Snape.

Sirius and James often went out of their way to bully Snape. One time, Sirius and James physically bullied him simply out of boredom. Though, Sirius did admit that he and James were "arrogant little berks" and that he was not proud of his behaviour, but he had done nothing to rectify it. He and James eventually ended their campaign of ill-treatment towards Snape, but they apparently never apologised. The only time James ever stopped was in front of Lily Evans, a pretty redhead who disapproved of such behaviour, whom James later married right after they left Hogwarts.

The Marauders

Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter as teenagers during their final years at Hogwarts

In his fifth year[20] at Hogwarts years, Sirius played a potentially lethal practical joke on Snape. He informed Snape of how to enter a tunnel under the Whomping Willow that would lead to the Shrieking Shack where, unknown to Snape, Remus Lupin was confined during his transformations into a werewolf. Snape went there during a full moon, and James was forced to rescue him. Sirius excused his own actions, explaining that he had simply told Snape what he wanted to know about the tunnel while omitting crucial information. He simultaneously claimed it "served Snape right". The resentment Snape felt for Sirius was never healed. Snape was not the only student whom Sirius and James tormented during their years at Hogwarts. They also used an illegal hex on a boy named Bertram Aubrey that caused his head to grow twice its original size. It is unknown why they hexed him.

At age sixteen, Sirius finally broke away from his pure-blood family and took refuge with James Potter and his parents. Fleamont and Euphemia Potter generously adopted Sirius as a son. His outraged mother blasted his name off the family tree, as was the tradition for those who did not support the family's supremacist ideology. Sirius's uncle Alphard, Walburga's brother, sympathised with his young nephew and left him a large inheritance in his will, most likely causing Walburga to blast Alphard's name off, as well. Sirius was left financially independent by his uncle's generous bequest and eventually got a place of his own.

First Wizarding War (1978–1981)

Sirius: "What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard that ever existed? Only innocent lives, Peter!"
Peter Pettigrew: "You don't understand! He would have killed me, Sirius!"
Sirius: "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
— Sirius confronting Peter in regards to his betrayal[src]
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Sirius as an original Order member during the First Wizarding War

After leaving school, Sirius fought against Lord Voldemort, eventually joining the Order of the Phoenix. Around 1977, he and James were involved in a motorbike chase with two policemen. Although the chase started off as a bit of fun, it turned slightly more serious when the pair were attacked by three men on broomsticks. Sirius and James used their wands to raise the police car that had been chasing them, and their attackers crashed into it. It is unknown whether they got into trouble with the Ministry of Magic.[21]

Sometime in 1979, Sirius's father and brother both died. Orion's death was from an unknown cause, while Regulus's death was caused when he drank the Drink of Despair while trying to destroy one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, and when he tried to get water to quench his thirst, he was dragged to his death by the Inferi, although Sirius never learned the details of his death.[19]

He remained the best of friends with James and attended James's wedding to Lily Evans as best man. When their son Harry was born, James and Lily named Sirius godfather, thus designating him as Harry's guardian in the event of their deaths. He also gave Harry his first broom at the age of one as a birthday present, as stated by Lily in a letter found by Harry a number of years later.[19]

After joining the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius found himself roiling with mistrust and stress due to the great terror that was Lord Voldemort. It took its toll — by October, 1981, he no longer trusted his old friend Remus Lupin, suspecting he was a spy and excluding him from important information. Meanwhile Remus himself had taken to suspecting that Sirius was the spy. However, Sirius trusted Peter Pettigrew implicitly, a decision he would grow to regret for the rest of his life.

In 1981, the Potters were aware that Harry, along with the son of fellow Order members Alice and Frank Longbottom, had become Lord Voldemort's specific targets. Albus Dumbledore advised the Potters to go into hiding using the Fidelius Charm, which Dumbledore hoped would conceal them from doom. James was adamant about Sirius being their Secret-Keeper, believing that Sirius would willingly die rather than reveal where they were. However, believing Voldemort would suspect him, Sirius suggested Peter Pettigrew as a less obvious choice. Keeping everyone else, including Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore, in the dark, Sirius and the Potters reassigned Pettigrew to be Secret-Keeper with Sirius as a decoy.[22]

Between the wars (1981–1995)

Imprisonment

"I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!"
— Rubeus Hagrid recollecting his last meeting with Sirius[src]

On Hallowe'en night 1981, Sirius went to Pettigrew’s hiding place and found him missing. Unsettled by the lack of signs of a struggle, Sirius frantically sped to Godric's Hollow, discovering the Potters' house destroyed and his friends dead; only baby Harry was still alive.[22] When Rubeus Hagrid appeared on the scene to take Harry from him on Dumbledore's orders, Sirius offered to take Harry himself as he was the chosen guardian in the events of James's and Lily's deaths. However, Hagrid told him that Dumbledore had made arrangements to send Harry to Lily's sister, Petunia. Sirius conceded after an argument and gave Hagrid his flying motorcycle, telling him he wouldn't need it; nevertheless, after Hagrid had handed over the baby, he intended to return Black his bike but never got the chance.[23]

Pettigrew Kills Muggles

Pettigrew murdering twelve Muggles after being confronted by Sirius about the death of Lily and James Potter

After leaving Godric's Hollow, Sirius, overcome with grief and rage, tracked Pettigrew down, determined to kill him in vengeance. However, Pettigrew outwitted Black: confronted by Sirius on a city street, he shouted out that it was Sirius who betrayed the Potters and then created a huge explosion on the street with an extremely powerful explosive curse (likely the Blasting Curse), killing twelve Muggles in the process and enabling him to fake his own death and escape in his Animagus form, leaving a severed finger behind as evidence. The surviving Muggles who witnessed the event were pretty certain they saw Sirius murder their twelve companions and Pettigrew with the curse, and Fudge claimed to have seen Sirius laughing maniacally at the scene of the crime.[24]

Sirius was arrested by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and sentenced by Barty Crouch Snr to life imprisonment in Azkaban without a trial for thirteen counts of murder with the curse giving the information about the Potters' whereabouts which lead to their death and service to Lord Voldemort. The surviving Muggles were Obliviated and given an excuse by the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee that a gas leak occurred before they could remember who really cast the Blasting Curse. Pettigrew was unjustly awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class for his confrontation with Sirius, which, along with the finger that they recovered, were "posthumously" given to his mother. As time passed, due to misconceptions, many believed that Black drew his wand and killed Pettigrew before the other had a chance of even drawing. Even the other remaining Marauder, Remus, believed it was Sirius who betrayed their brotherhood.[24]

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Sirius during his imprisonment in Azkaban

Marked as Prisoner ᛈᛉ390, Sirius was placed in solitary confinement at the mercy of the Azkaban guards, the Dementors. Driven to the brink of madness, he retained his sanity by focusing on his innocence, which he said in the Shrieking Shack was "more an obsession than a happy thought"; it could not be detected by the Dementors but still allowed him to maintain a sense of self and regain enough strength to transform into his Animagus form in his cell. Since Dementors have difficulty sensing the less complex emotions of animals, he was able to remain relatively unaffected by them. However, the Dementors evidently were not concerned about these apparent temporary disappearances since they thought it meant he was losing his mind like every other convict in their custody, including Bellatrix and some of her fellow Death Eaters.

However, his brooding over his friends' deaths and Pettigrew's betrayal became an obsession as well. This was due to hearing many different theories regarding why Harry survived Voldemort's attack being made by the confined Death Eaters, the most persistent of which indicating that they believed Pettigrew to have betrayed them since the Dark Lord met his downfall on Peter's information. This most likely meant that Pettigrew went into hiding as a rat in hopes of avoiding the half of Voldemort's followers who avoided imprisonment, afraid that they will be motivated to kill him if his continuing existence became known if not return to their master. Sirius waited until any sources reached within the prison walls leading to the discovery that Pettigrew was staying with a wizarding family as a rat to keep up on current news about Voldemort, all while getting very weak with no hope of driving the Dementors back without his wand, which was taken from him and stored away under Ministry of Magic safety repercussions.

By 1985, Sirius's mother died, leaving the Black house-elf Kreacher alone in the house, which was thus left abandoned.

Escape from Azkaban

Hermione Granger: "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry ... you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry —"
Harry Potter: "I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me."
Ron Weasley: "How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him? No one knows how he got out of Azkaban. No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."
Hermione Granger: "But they'll catch him, won't they? I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too...."
— The trio discussing Sirius Black's escape on the Hogwarts Express[src]
Wanted

Sirius Black wanted poster posted around Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and other magical locations

In 1993, Sirius became the first known person ever to escape from Azkaban. He was, however, unknown to the public, beaten by Barty Crouch Jnr through his mother's sacrifice. After receiving an issue of the Daily Prophet from Cornelius Fudge during an inspection, he discovered that Pettigrew was indeed hiding in his Animagus form as Ron Weasley's pet rat Scabbers. Filled with the desire for revenge and concern for Harry, Sirius took his Animagus form and (thinned from undernourishment) was able to slip past the Dementors when they opened his cell door to bring him food. Then, he slipped out of Azkaban and swam across the North Sea in his dog form back to the mainland and to freedom.

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Harry Potter unknowningly seeing Sirius Black in his Animagus form in Little Whinging

First, he made his way to Little Whinging to catch a glimpse of his godson as a teenager, where his Animagus appearance startled Harry before the Knight Bus turned up. News of his escape caused an unprecedented panic, as he was the first known escapee of the notorious prison, and many people believed that he was planning another mass murder as well to murder Harry in a mad attempt to bring Lord Voldemort back. Witch Watchers that operated as a special Ministry force were used as a means of trying to catch him, but to no avail. The Muggle authorities were warned that Black was dangerous.

Sirius took refuge around Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest, where he was spotted a few times and mistaken by Harry for the Grim. He made the acquaintance of Hermione Granger's cat Crookshanks, who had recognised that Sirius was not actually a dog and who had also recognised Peter for what he was. Crookshanks attempted to bring Peter to Sirius, but Ron was very protective of his so-called pet. Sirius also spent some of his time in the Shrieking Shack planning various ways in which to catch Pettigrew.

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Sirius in the passage leading to the Shrieking Shack

Half-crazed and desperate, Sirius snuck into Hogwarts through the old passageway from the Shrieking Shack and on one occasion slashed the Fat Lady's portrait when she refused him entrance to Gryffindor Tower on 31 October, 1993. Later, he came to view the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. During the match he witnessed Harry's excellent flying skills, which he later commented mirrored James's skills.

That Christmas, Sirius filled out a broomstick order form in Harry's name, with instructions to take the gold from his own vault at Gringotts and had Crookshanks take the order to the owl office for him. Sirius ordered Harry a Firebolt, to make up for all the birthday presents he'd missed.

Eventually, he was able to enter the Gryffindor common room. He accomplished this with a list of passwords Crookshanks had stolen from Neville Longbottom and shredded Ron's bed-curtains in his search for "Scabbers". Peter was nowhere to be found since Sirius's escape had prompted him to once again fake his own death and hide.

Reunion with Harry Potter

"I thought you'd come and help your friend. Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful ... it will make everything much easier...."
— Sirius Black greeting Harry Potter for the first time in the Shrieking Shack[src]
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Sirius dragging Ron Weasley underneath the Whomping Willow

In June, Sirius caught Ron carrying Scabbers after the rat had been discovered hiding in Rubeus Hagrid's cabin and dragged both boy and rat through the tunnel under the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack. Harry and Hermione Granger followed, the former intent on confronting Sirius about the supposed betrayal of his parents despite the obvious differences in their ages and skill levels; Sirius's weakened state (due to being on the run) at that time led to the boy easily, and without a wand, overpowering the older wizard despite Crookshanks's attempts to aid the Animagus.

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Professor Lupin and Sirius forcing Pettigrew into human form

Once Harry had Sirius at his mercy, Remus Lupin, who had seen Peter on the confiscated Marauder's Map, disarmed Harry and warmly greeted his old friend. Together, Lupin and Sirius revealed Peter's true form. Both wanted to kill their former friend for betraying James and Lily, but Harry prevented them from doing so, believing that it would be better to force Pettigrew to face justice at the hands of the Dementors. That, and he did not want his father's friends to become murderers, as he did not think that would be what his father wanted.

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Harry and Sirius pass out after suffering a Dementor attack by the Black Lake

As they made their way back to the castle, Sirius hesitantly asked Harry if he would like to live with him, thinking Harry would not want to; but Harry enthusiastically agreed, thrilled at the idea of leaving the Dursleys and finally having a real home. Unfortunately, soon after they left the Whomping Willow, Lupin transformed under the full moon and, having forgotten to take the Wolfsbane Potion in the wake of discovering Pettigrew, was uncontrollable.

In order to protect Harry, Ron, and Hermione from Lupin, Sirius turned back into a dog, giving Pettigrew an opening to escape and flee. Sirius was weakened following his encounter with Lupin's werewolf form and could not protect himself when hundreds of Dementors guarding Hogwarts arrived. Harry and Hermione had followed Sirius and found him lying unconscious and surrounded by the hooded creatures, he attempted to perform the Patronus Charm but to no avail. The Dementors nearly succeeded in sucking out Sirius's soul until a powerful Patronus resembling a stag warded them off.

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Sirius prepares to escape on Buckbeak after being rescued from the topmost tower

Sirius was briefly recaptured by Snape and was sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss, a fate worse than death. Miraculously, and by Albus Dumbledore's suggestion, Harry and Hermione used Hermione's Time-Turner to help Sirius escape; as Dumbledore had also hinted that "more than one innocent life" could be saved that night, they rescued the hippogriff Buckbeak from execution, thus granting Sirius a form of travel. Sirius was once again a wanted man, although alive, soul intact, and innocence known to at least certain people. Soon after his escape, he sent Harry, Ron, and Hermione a letter via a tiny, hyperactive owl explaining that it was he who sent Harry the Firebolt for Christmas and giving Harry permission, as his godfather, to go to Hogsmeade. He also apologised to Ron for the loss of his pet, asking him to accept the owl in place of "Scabbers".[22][25]

Years in hiding

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."
— Sirius giving advice to Harry[src]

Sirius fled Europe beyond the Ministry of Magic's jurisdiction. He communicated with Harry but very seldom to retain the secrecy of his location. However, due to his use of exotic birds, Harry suspected him of hiding somewhere in the tropics. Harry grew to greatly rely on Sirius's advice in time of need. Sirius returned to Britain when Harry gave him notice that his scar had been hurting, which had come to be known as a signal of Lord Voldemort's presence or power.

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The trio visiting Sirius in the cave in which he's hiding

When Harry was mysteriously entered in the Triwizard Tournament, Sirius hid in a cave near Hogsmeade, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione occasionally visited him. He did this in order to provide Harry with moral support and advice during this hard time.[25] He warned Harry about Igor Karkaroff, the Durmstrang headmaster, telling Harry that Karkaroff used to be a Death Eater and that he gave up a considerable number of names in exchange for his freedom. This, in turn, caused Karkaroff to land himself on the wrong side of Death Eaters still loyal to Voldemort, one of the names he gave up was Augustus Rookwood. Harry told Sirius about seeing Barty Crouch when he was working on the second clue on his way to the prefect's bathroom. Sirius admitted that it was fishy but told Harry to focus on the task at hand and leave the mystery surrounding Crouch's "illness" to others.

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Sirius contacting Harry through the Floo Network

After Harry followed Viktor Krum to the edge of the Dark Forest, as Krum wanted to talk to him about his relationship with Hermione Granger, Harry encountered a delusional Barty Crouch Snr. When Barty Crouch mysteriously disappeared in the castle grounds after Harry left to retrieve Dumbledore, Sirius warned Harry that someone did not want Crouch to get to the headmaster. He advised Harry to continue his practice of defensive spells and to never wander off on his own, as times were dangerous.

Following the final task of the tournament, Dumbledore summoned Sirius to his office to meet with Harry, who had barely survived an encounter with Lord Voldemort. Sirius wished for Harry to be allowed to rest from his ordeal but was overruled by Dumbledore. As Harry explained the night's events, Sirius nearly interrupted twice and was greatly angered. He also showed signs of strong emotion when he learned that shades of his old friends James and Lily had returned and hid his face in his hands.

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Sirius along with Harry’s friends stay with him as he recovers in the hospital wing

Sirius was allowed to stay with Harry in the hospital wing in his dog form — Dumbledore telling Madam Pomfrey that he was very well-trained — and remained so even as he heard Cornelius Fudge besmirch Harry and question his credibility on Voldemort's return. Once the Minister had left, Dumbledore began making plans to resist the Dark Lord. He asked Sirius to resume his human form and make his peace with Snape, although neither was pleased (Sirius also frightened Molly Weasley when she first saw him as she believed him to be a murderer). Dumbledore then asked Sirius to retrieve Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, and Mundungus Fletcher and lie low at Lupin's house until Dumbledore contacted him.

Sirius promised to see Harry again soon and left to fulfil his instructions.[25]

Second Wizarding War (1995–1998)

Rejoining the Order of the Phoenix

"I don't like being back here...I never thought I'd be stuck in this house again."
— Sirius on being forced to remain in his family home[src]
Order of the Pheonix

An Order meeting taking place at 12 Grimmauld Place

With Lord Voldemort restored to his physical form, Dumbledore reinstated the Order of the Phoenix, sending Sirius to gather the "old crowd" and inform them of the situation. Sirius donated his family home at 12 Grimmauld Place in London as Order Headquarters. Unfortunately, as he was still wanted by the authorities, Sirius could never safely leave the house and became quite bitter over his perceived "uselessness". When he briefly left the house to see Harry to the Hogwarts Express, Draco Malfoy nastily complimented Harry on his "pet dog," which, coupled with comments Malfoy made on the train, suggested that the Malfoys recognised Sirius in his Animagus form. Harry and Sirius stayed in touch during Harry's school year via owls and the Floo Network, though Sirius's presence was nearly discovered by Dolores Umbridge during her dictatorial managing of Hogwarts that year.

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Sirius sees Harry off at King's Cross Station, and gives him a photo of the original Order of the Phoenix

During Harry's fifth year, some of the adults discredited Sirius's ability to parent Harry and often insinuated that Sirius acted like Harry was James, rather than being a proper father figure to Harry. Throughout Harry's hardships with Umbridge, Sirius encouraged him to oppose her reforms and strongly approved of Harry's secret defensive tutorial group for students, Dumbledore's Army. His vigorous support of Dumbledore's Army worried Hermione, who thought that Sirius was attempting to live vicariously through them. He also willingly answered all of Harry's questions about the Order and Voldemort, though most of Harry's mentors felt Harry was too young to handle the burden of the truth.[17] He also urged Harry to contact him if Professor Snape gave him a hard time during their Occlumency lessons.

Christmas 1995

Christmas at 12 Grimmauld Place

During his time confined to the Order's headquarters, Sirius fell into a deep depression. When Harry and the Weasleys arrived at Grimmauld Place just after Arthur was attacked by Nagini, Sirius was unshaven and still in his day clothes late at night. He also seemed to have taken to drinking, as he had a "Mundungus-like whiff of stale drink about him". However, Sirius made a complete turn-around when the Weasley family and Harry decided to stay at Grimmauld Place over the Christmas holidays for its proximity to St Mungo's, and at one point was heard singing "God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs" at the top of his lungs. Sirius also gave Harry advice when he confided in him about how he had been feeling.

Battle of the Department of Mysteries

" Come on, you can do better than that!... And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place."
— Sirius's last words and death by falling through the veil[src]
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Harry's false vision of Sirius being tortured in the Department of Mysteries

Voldemort used Legilimency to implant a false vision into Harry's mind that Sirius was being tortured in the Department of Mysteries, convincing Harry that Sirius had in fact been captured, but in reality Sirius was alive and safe in Grimmauld Place and also treating Buckbeak, who had been injured by Kreacher as part of his plan to keep Sirius out of the way on the orders of the Malfoys through Voldemort. After giving Severus Snape a cryptic message informing him of the situation and then ditching Umbridge in the Forbidden Forest, Harry, along with Ron, Hermione, and fellow D.A. members Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood, flew to London via Thestral. The students made their way through the deserted Ministry of Magic and gained access to the Department of Mysteries, only to be ambushed by Death Eaters.

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Sirius preparing to duel Bellatrix Lestrange in the Death Chamber

It was Snape who ultimately saved their lives by alerting the Order to what Harry had seen; Sirius, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, and eventually Albus Dumbledore, arrived at the Ministry and began battling the Death Eaters in the Death Chamber. Black was seen fighting bitterly with an unknown Death Eater. Then he pushed Antonin Dolohov, which tried to curse Harry and use the Summoning Charm on the prophecy. Dolohov tried to use the same curse on Sirius, but Harry placed Dolohov under Body-Bind.

Death
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Sirius falling through the Veil in the Death Chamber, killing him

Tragically, however, during a frenzied duel with his hated cousin Bellatrix, Sirius was struck with an unknown spell which caused him to fall through the Veil in the Death Chamber to his death.[17] This was witnessed by a distressed Harry Potter. It would be years before Harry could fully come to terms with the loss of his godfather. Harry had a hard time dealing with this loss because, as Dumbledore flatly stated, Sirius was the "closest thing to a parent" Harry had ever known. Harry also blamed himself for Sirius's death.

Post-mortem

Harry Potter: "Does it hurt?"
Sirius: "Dying? Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep."
— Sirius's spirit speaks to Harry through the Resurrection Stone[src]

In the aftermath of Sirius's death, Harry, enraged and grief-stricken, unsuccessfully attempted to take revenge on Bellatrix before Voldemort arrived, even attempting to use the Cruciatus Curse. After a short duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort, the latter fled, but not before he was seen by Cornelius Fudge himself and several other Ministry officials, finally forcing them to abandon their smear campaign against Dumbledore and Harry and admit the truth to the world. With that done with, Dumbledore successfully convinced the Ministry that Sirius was innocent all along and managed to get him cleared of all charges posthumously.

Black did not get married or have children. As the portrait of Phineas Nigellus, Black's deceased great-great-grandfather, stated, the direct line of the ancient Black family ended with Sirius's death.[17] Had Regulus Black lived, he would have been the heir of the Black home; however, he predeceased Sirius. By right of primogeniture, then, his heir was either Bellatrix Lestrange (his eldest cousin, but legally invalidated by her murder of Sirius), Andromeda Tonks (his second-eldest cousin, who was disowned), or Draco Malfoy, the next senior male of the Black family through his mother, Narcissa Malfoy (née Black).

However, their rights were superseded by Black's will, which designated Harry Potter as heir to all his worldly possessions. Thus, by the will, Harry inherited 12 Grimmauld Place, Buckbeak, Kreacher, and the remaining Black fortune. Having no great love for 12 Grimmauld Place, the house that held so many painful memories for Sirius, Harry chose to give it to the Order of the Phoenix for their continued use as Headquarters. Kreacher, forced to serve Harry by Black's will, was sent to work as a Hogwarts house-elf in the school kitchens (an imposition which did nothing to improve Kreacher's hatred of Harry). Buckbeak passed back into Rubeus Hagrid's care under the assumed name "Witherwings".

Sirius's file

Sirius's Ministry file

It was discovered that Sirius (along with others) had a file kept by the Ministry of Magic while it was under Lord Voldemort's control in 1997. It was kept in Dolores Umbridge's office. The document listed Sirius's blood status, his status of his family, and his security status. Because he died in the service of the Order of the Phoenix his picture had a giant red X crossed over it.

Black had given Hagrid an enchanted, flying motorbike sixteen years prior at Godric's Hollow after Black discovered the Potters had been killed. After begging Hagrid to give him baby Harry - a request Hagrid refused because he had orders to take young Harry to Little Whinging - Black gave Hagrid the bike before setting off to hunt down Peter Pettigrew. The bike was in Hagrid's possession until it was needed to bring Harry from Number 4 Privet Drive to Order Headquarters shortly before Harry's seventeenth birthday. The bike ended up crashing, as the Order was ambushed by Death Eaters. Ted Tonks collected the debris and sent it to Arthur Weasley, who later repaired the bike.

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A resurrected Sirius talking with Harry in the Forbidden Forest

Sirius Black was one of the four shadows that were summoned by the Resurrection Stone to speak to Harry as he went to what he believed to be his death on 2 May, 1998. Black assured his godson that dying was not painful, that it was faster and easier than falling asleep. He also promised Harry that he and the others would stay with him as he went to confront Lord Voldemort and would stay to the very end. When Harry reached the fire, he allowed the stone to slip from Harry's hand, thus his parents, Sirius, and Lupin vanished.[19] Harry later gave his first son the middle name Sirius to honour his godfather's memory. James Sirius's personality was very similar to Sirius's.

Physical description

"And there he was... his face wasn't waxy at all but handsome and full of laughter."
— Sirius's appearance before Azkaban[src]
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Sirius in his fifth year, age 16

Sirius was a tall, well-built, darkly handsome man with fair skin, medium, lustrous black hair[10], which sometimes appeared light in the sun, striking grey eyes,[11] and an air of "casual elegance"; Harry also noted that as a teenager, Sirius always had a slightly haughty look on his face. This vestige of aristocratic beauty and haughtiness is apparently an attribute passed down through the Black Family. When Harry entered into Snape's memory, he saw a sixteen-year-old Sirius finishing his exams while being ogled by a girl who sat a few rows behind him due to his considerable good looks and casual, yet elegant, attitude.

Unfortunately, Sirius's handsomeness — much like his imprisoned cousin Bellatrix — suffered due to the depression and maltreatment he underwent during the twelve years he spent in Azkaban. As a result, Sirius had prematurely aged beyond that of a man in his thirties. He had a gaunt, sunken face, waxy skin, yellow teeth, and long, matted hair. Harry thought he looked as a corpse might. By November, after his escape, he visited Harry in the common room fireplace, and he was described as having short, clean hair and a fuller, younger face, though his physical appearance had yet to fully recover from his imprisonment.

Sirius Black Profile

Sirius, aged 35

Unfortunately, by the next spring, his condition deteriorated, and he reverted back to a state that was only slightly better than that which he had been in a year ago: unshaven, with a faint scent of stale drink around him, and he did not bother to change his clothes at night (presumably a result of his "imprisonment" at the home he utterly despised and his conviction of his apparent uselessness). He was also branded with a series of tattoos over the chest and arms.[26]

Death, however, served to restore him to the peak of his good looks and vitality — his spirit was described as "tall and handsome, and younger by far than Harry had ever seen him in life. He loped with an easy grace, his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face".

Personality and traits

"Sirius, to me, he's kind of on the edge, do you not get that feeling from Sirius? He's a little bit of a loose cannon... But Sirius had his flaws — I've sort of discussed that before — some quite glaring flaws. I see Sirius as someone who was a case of arrested development. I think you see that from his relationship with Harry in “Phoenix.” He kind of wants a mate from Harry, and what Harry craves is a father. Harry's kind of outgrowing that now. Sirius wasn't equipped to give him that."
J. K. Rowling about Sirius's character[src]

Sirius was true to the ideal of a Gryffindor student. He was true-hearted and brave, as shown by his participation in both wars and his willingness to die for those he loved. He was particularly loyal to his best friend, James Potter, a fellow Gryffindor. In his youth, he was a witty and talented wizard, but he was also quite an arrogant and mischievous troublemaker and, sometimes, a bully. He bullied and humiliated those he particularly disliked, namely Severus Snape. He was vicious towards those he hated, sometimes unjustifiably — deliberately sending the teenage Snape off to the Shrieking Shack when Remus Lupin was a full-fledged werewolf while knowing that it could be fatal for Severus. He, along with James, were acknowledged to be some of the most brilliant students Hogwarts had ever seen, as proven by their ability to become Animagi as underage wizards and by the creation of the Marauders' Map.

"He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."
Peeves describing Black's violent temper[src]
Attack on the Fat Lady

The result of Sirius's nasty temper, the Fat Lady's portrait in shreds

As an adult, Sirius was shown to be capable of an explosive temper when angered, a trait shared by his mother Walburga Black and his mad cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. His years in Azkaban contributed dramatically, which was especially evident during 1993 and 1994: trying persistently to capture and kill Peter Pettigrew, going to lengths that even Dumbledore commented as not those of an innocent right-thinking man.

Later on, he occasionally demonstrated himself to be reckless, immature, and even downright irresponsible. In several instances, he risked getting caught by the Ministry because he felt stir-crazy in his house and advised Harry to take rash actions. Much of this can likely be attributed to the vast amount of time spent in jail, which stunted his emotional development and made him especially eager to spend time with and protect his loved ones.

"Believe me. Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."
— Sirius's firm loyalty to James and Lily Potter[src]

However, through it all, Sirius had good intentions. For all his wrath and vengeance toward Pettigrew, he was capable of respecting Harry's request to not murder the man he escaped Azkaban to kill; opting instead to expose Pettigrew (a plan that unfortunately failed with catastrophic results). Despite this hatred for Snape, Sirius did display shame for his treatment of him in their youth. He also seemed to have possessed a superb mental control that contrasted sharply with his passionate and impulsive nature. The fact that he was able to completely resist the psychological effects of the Dementors for so many years suggests that he had an unusually strong sense of self, and therefore was capable of withstanding long periods of emotional torture and despair.

Besides all this, Sirius seems to have some traits related to his Animagus form of a dog. Such examples are when James Potter points out Snape, and Sirius is described as "perfectly still like a dog smelling a rabbit." The most referenced of these traits is his "bark-like laugh." as it is described nearly every time it is heard. Sirius's other dog-like traits include his need to protect his loved ones, his selfless nature, his great sense of loyalty, and his need to be part of something bigger than himself, such as when he helped to plant the seeds of Dumbledore's Army and encouraged and enabled Harry to further the movement against Umbridge's increasingly totalitarian hold over Hogwarts. His territorial protectiveness over the places and people he cared for were always evident, given how he stayed in his dog form for Harry after his encounter and duel against the newly resurrected Voldemort in Little Hangleton, comforting his godson in plain view of many people, including Cornelius Fudge, who still thought he was a criminal, at great personal risk to himself.

Magical abilities and skills

Padfoot to Sirius Black

Black demonstrating his Animagus ability in King's Cross Station

"It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong — one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."
Remus Lupin explaining how Sirius became an Animagus along with his friends[src]

Sirius was described as a powerful wizard by his former teacher, McGonagall. Remus also once stated that he had been one of the cleverest Hogwarts students of his time. This was demonstrated by how he and James became Animagus during their fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."
— Sirius boasting of his Transfiguration expertise in his fifth year[src]
  • Transfiguration: Sirius was incredibly talented in Transfiguration. In his fifth year, he was already skilled enough in Human Transfiguration to successfully become an Animagus, assuming the shape of a large black dog. Since he was an unregistered Animagus, he was able to take advantage of this ability to elude his Ministry captors. Along with Remus Lupin, he easily performed Untransfiguration on Peter, forcing him out of his Animagus form.
  • Potions: In their fifth year, Sirius and James successfully brewed the Animagus Potion, a potion which is highly complex and time-consuming to brew and with great consequences if done improperly. This demonstrated that Sirius was skilled with potion-making.
  • Charms: Sirius was highly talented in charm-work from a young age. With his friends, he created the Marauder's Map during their teenage years, the complex manufacturing process of which involved the Homonculous Charm and a spell to insult those who attempted to read it, and both enchantments lasted long after all four of the producers' demises. He also placed Permanent Sticking Charms on the decorations in his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place that were too strong for his parents to remove. He was capable of levitating Severus Snape's unconscious body in the Shrieking Shack with the charm Mobilicorpus. He was good with other everyday household charms, such as the Levitation Charm, Summoning Charm, Banishing Charm, and Mending Charm. He also used charms to enchant his motorcycle to be able to fly and travel at unnaturally high speeds. He also used the Summoning Charm to successfully summon several bottles of Butterbeer at 12 Grimmauld Place to himself, Harry, and the Weasleys. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he cast an effective Shield Charm to protect Harry. Last but not least, Sirius was capable of producing a non-corporeal Patronus,[13][14] which is a highly advanced piece of protective magic, and further proof of his superior magical and overall charms ability.
  • Nonverbal magic: Sirius was able to non-verbally perform Human Transfiguration and defensive magic (Disarming and Stunning spells). Since non-verbal magic is very difficult, this is testament to his power and skill as a wizard.
  • Healing magic: Sirius magically healed an injury from a biting snuffbox filled with wartcap powder seconds after he received it. He also tended to the injury Kreacher caused Buckbeak, apparently successfully.
  • Care of Magical Creatures: Sirius won the trust and loyalty of magical creatures easily. During his hunt for Wormtail, he managed to gain the trust of Crookshanks, a highly intelligent half-Kneazle cat. He also got along well with Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Sirius escaped with Buckbeak and took care of him for the next two years, feeding him and caring for his injuries successfully.
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Sirius duelling during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries

  • Duelling: Sirius fought with the Order of the Phoenix in the First Wizarding War and survived. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he defeated an unnamed Death Eater and fought the extremely deadly Antonin Dolohov to a standstill until Harry intervened and knocked out Dolohov. He also fought on par with his cousin Bellatrix, who was Voldemort's most powerful Death Eater, although his recklessness led to his death at her hands.
  • Physical combat skills: During his school years, Sirius and James used their respective Animagus forms to physically keep Remus in check while he was a werewolf. As demonstrated by his attack on Wormtail, Sirius possessed a dog's swift speed in his Animagus form, which allowed him to get the jump on his opponents before resuming his human form. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he infused physical combat into his duelling style by ramming Dolohov with his shoulder and punching Malfoy in the face.
"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake. I'll be surprised if I don't get Outstanding on it at least."
— A fifth year Sirius boasting about his high intelligence after his Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.[src]
  • Intellectual skills: Sirius was able to deduce that Pettigrew was at Hogwarts with Harry when he saw a photograph of the Weasley family with Pettigrew in his animagus form in a Daily Prophet article. Sirius then escaped Azkaban to protect Harry, using his Animagus form and weight loss to his advantage, becoming the only person to escape Azkaban unaided. He was able to successfully enter Hogwarts on two separate occasions and escaped recapture both times, even though the highly skilled Hogwarts professors and the Dementors were searching for him. The intelligent questions he asked about the schemes surrounding the Triwizard Tournament confirm his incisive intelligence.
  • Indomitable willpower: Sirius had an extremely strong willpower and mental fortitude, which allowed him to resist the Dementors' depressive effects in Azkaban for twelve years by focusing on both his innocence and his desire for vengeance against Pettigrew along with transforming into his Animagus form when necessary. This was especially notable as most prisoners of Azkaban either became insane or lost their will to live within weeks when succumbing to the Dementor's depressive effects, something which especially unnerved Cornelius Fudge, who was surprised to see how little the Dementors had an effect on Black. Earlier in life, Sirius was unafraid of challenging and rebelling against his family's prejudice against non-pure-bloods, which eventually resulted in them disowning him, upending their tradition of being sorted into Slytherin, which resulted in him being sorted into Gryffindor, and even fighting against family members like Bellatrix, who joined Voldemort and his Death Eaters. This also included fighting against both Voldemort and his Death Eaters while being unafraid to say Voldemort's name aloud. After his escape from Azkaban, Sirius was determined and relentless in wanting to both avenge his wrongful imprisonment due to Pettigrew's treachery and protect Harry from Pettigrew even though the Ministry of Magic was after him and Hogwarts was heavily guarded by both the professors and Dementors. He was later willing to risk his own safety and risk exposure in order to give Harry and his friends advice along with protecting them, which eventually resulted in his own death at the hands of his cousin Bellatrix to protect Harry and his friends when Voldemort lured them to the Ministry of Magic. Albus Dumbledore in particular noted that Sirius was never one to stand by when any of his loved ones were in danger, which was another testament to Sirius's strong willpower.
  • Driving skills: Sirius was a very capable motorcyclist, able to maintain stability with a passenger riding pillion while duelling three pursuers on broomsticks and evading a Muggle police car. Sirius's driving was certainly above average, if not at peak levels, as very few professional stunt cyclists would be capable of a similar feat.
  • Mechanical skills: Sirius modified a motorbike to be able to fly (among other possible modifications he made) and maintained it for around four years.

Relationships

Family

"I hated the lot of them: my parents with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal... my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them... They thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge."
— Sirius's alienation in regards to his family and his resentment of their views.[src]
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Sirius's cousins Bellatrix Lestrange (his murderer) and Narcissa Malfoy

The nature of Sirius's relationship with his family during his early childhood is unknown, but at the age of eleven, he earned the severe disappointment and disapproval of his family by being Sorted into Gryffindor house at Hogwarts. Sirius, in turn, became increasingly rebellious by flaunting his house affiliation and his disdain for his family's pure-blood values. His relationships with his mother and cousin Bellatrix became particularly antagonistic; Walburga disowned Sirius when he left home at the age of sixteen, burned his name off the family tree, and even treated her brother Alphard to the same punishment simply for leaving money to his nephew.

Little is known about Sirius's relationship with his younger brother Regulus, as he never spoke about it. It was revealed, however, that Sirius had wished that Regulus had not been foolish enough to go with what their parents told him to do, and he was rather upset with losing his little brother to the Death Eaters at such a young and promising age. It can be theorised that he would have been comforted if he had known that his brother had died defying Voldemort.

Walburga Black - Pottermore

Walburga Black, Sirius's mother, on the family tree

Sirius later claimed to have "hated the whole lot of them," referring to his family, aside from his cousin Andromeda, who also rejected the notion of blood purity and married a Muggle-born wizard named Ted Tonks. After his escape from Azkaban, Sirius became friendly with Andromeda's daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, a fellow member of the Order of the Phoenix. It can also be assumed that he at least had a healthier relationship with his uncle Alphard than most of his family, considering he left some inheritance for Sirius. Furthermore, Sirius refers to Alphard affectionately as his "Uncle Alphard", indicating they had been close.

He was killed by his cousin Bellatrix during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in a duel, during which both taunted each other; Bellatrix laughed after killing her cousin, overjoyed that she had simultaneously killed a "blood traitor" and caused Harry, her beloved master's most hated enemy, unbearable pain and heartbreak.[5] His other cousin, Narcissa Malfoy, also seemed to hold Sirius in low regard, as she taunted Harry Potter about his death when they argued in 1996.[27]

It is unknown how his family reacted when he was arrested and thrown in Azkaban after the public believed he betrayed the Potters to Lord Voldemort.

Kreacher

"Sirius was the last of the family to which he was enslaved, but he felt no true loyalty to him."
— Kreacher's intense dislike of Sirius[src]
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Kreacher, the house-elf

Kreacher was the house-elf of the Black family for years. Kreacher mimicked the family's pure-blood supremacist values, believing he should only serve pure-blood wizards; as such, he accused Sirius of being a "blood-traitor" and "breaking his mother's heart." Sirius, on his part, did not care at all about Kreacher, as he saw too much of the family he loathed in the utterly unpleasant and bad-natured house-elf, and treated him, in Dumbledore's terms, as "a servant unworthy of much interest or notice".

As a result, Kreacher grew to harbour a hatred of Sirius, which ultimately proved fatal when Kreacher was easily convinced to reveal the nature of Harry's and Sirius's relationship to Bellatrix Lestrange. Equipped with this highly valuable information, Voldemort and his Death Eaters organised a plan that lured Harry to the Department of Mysteries with the intention of rescuing Sirius, who Harry believed was being held captive and tortured. Sirius and various other members of the Order of the Phoenix arrived at the Department of Mysteries to rescue Harry, but Sirius was tragically killed in the ensuing battle.

Marauders

Sirius Black: "Put that away, will you? Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement."
James Potter: "If it bothers you."
Sirius Black: "I'm bored. Wish it was full moon."
Remus Lupin: "You might. We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me...."
— Sirius talking with friends in their fifth year, during their O.W.L. exam period[src]
The Marauders

The Marauders, his best friends

Though he became increasingly estranged from his own family, Sirius gained three good friends who were in Gryffindor with him: James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The group was very popular and loved to play pranks. When they discovered that Remus was a werewolf, instead of ostracising him as many would have, they endeavoured to become Animagi in order to keep him company during his monthly transformations. Together, this group created the Marauder's Map. When Sirius ran away from home at age sixteen, James's family took him in. After graduating from Hogwarts, the group of friends joined the Order of the Phoenix. Sirius was James's best man at his wedding to Lily Evans, and the godfather to their son.

At some point during the First Wizarding War, Sirius came to distrust Remus, suspecting that he might be a spy. Thus, he did not reveal to Remus that he decided not to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper when they became targets of Lord Voldemort, instead giving the job to Peter, who was less likely to be suspected of holding the secret. This turned out to be a fatal mistake that Sirius regretted for the rest of his life, as Peter betrayed them all. The tragic deaths of James and Lily was a cruel brutal blow to him, as he would have willingly died for them, and confessed that he desperately missed his best friend (whom he loved as a brother) every day. He was sent to Azkaban for Peter's crimes, and Remus initially believed that he was guilty. After he escaped from prison in 1993, he told Remus the truth and, together, they planned to kill Peter for his treachery, though they were stopped by Harry. Afterwards, the two reclaimed their friendship, but it was tragically cut short by Sirius's death two years later.

The ending of the three Marauders who had stayed true to their friendship to the very end — James, Sirius, and Remus — was bittersweet: though they all lost their lives to the two wizarding wars, it can be theorised that they were reunited in death, never to be parted again, as seen when Harry summoned the three of them with the Resurrection Stone. However, all respect for Peter was lost, as his betrayal was what led to such a breakdown.

Severus Snape

Sirius: "I've warned you, Snivellus, I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better —"
Severus Snape: "Oh, but why don't you tell him so? Or are you afraid he might not take very seriously the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house for six months?"
— Sirius and Snape have a heated argument whilst Snape was informing Harry about his Occlumency lessons[src]
Severus Snape Profile

Severus Snape, his long-time rival

Sirius immediately got off on the wrong foot with Severus Snape when they met on the Hogwarts Express in their first year, as did James Potter, who would become Sirius's best friend. Sirius snapped at Snape after he sneered at James's wish to be Sorted into Gryffindor house, and the two bestowed the mocking name of "Snivellus" on the Slytherin student.[19] They loathed Snape as an "oddball up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts." He also described him as a "greasy, oily haired kid."[25]

According to Sirius, the other boy was jealous of his and James's popularity, and took to following them around, trying to get them into trouble. Sirius and James outright bullied Snape frequently during their years at Hogwarts, sometimes simply out of boredom, even in front of his childhood friend Lily Evans.[17] Sirius also played a potentially lethal prank on Snape, telling him how to get into the Shrieking Shack while omitting the fact that a werewolf was on the other side, showing a shockingly callous attitude towards Snape's safety.

Sirius and Snape maintained their hatred of each other into adulthood. Not only did Snape grow to despise Sirius for humiliating him at school, but he also believed Sirius to have been the one who betrayed Lily to Voldemort. He was eager to see Sirius receive the Dementor's Kiss (a fate considered by many to be worse than death) after he escaped from Azkaban during the summer of 1993, yet he was beside himself in outrage when Sirius was able to escape yet again at the end of the preceding school year, with the assistance of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.[22] After Sirius's innocence was proven by the end of the 1994-1995 school year, however, Dumbledore insisted that the two put their differences aside and ally against Voldemort, which they accepted. Later, Snape delighted in taunting Sirius about his "uselessness" to the Order of the Phoenix while he was forced to remain cooped up in 12 Grimmauld Place, and the two needled each other at every opportunity. Sirius also, however, told Harry that he was ashamed of his treatment of Snape in their younger years.[17]

It's possible that Snape never knew Sirius was an unregistered Animagus, as he didn't recognise him in dog form at the end of the 1994-1995 school year, but he showed a mix of horror and hatred when he recognised him for what he was.

Lily Evans

"Lots of love, Lily."
— Lily's friendship and affection toward Sirius[src]
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Lily Evans, his friend

Sirius met Lily Evans on the Hogwarts Express, where he and James Potter almost immediately made a bad impression on her by insulting her best friend, Severus Snape. She quickly moved to leave the compartment they were all sharing on the train, with Snape in tow, and literally turned her back on Sirius when she was Sorted with him into Gryffindor House.

During their earlier years at Hogwarts, Lily came to believe that Sirius was nothing more than a common highly arrogant bully, just like his best friend, James, so their relationship was not likely a friendly one. That changed in their later years at Hogwarts, presumably after she had ended her friendship with Snape and got to know and understand Sirius better. During the First Wizarding War, they both became members of the Order of the Phoenix and fought in several battles. She also sent a letter to Sirius, which showed that they were still friends despite the intense distrust and fear spread by the First War.

After Lily and James were killed by Lord Voldemort, Sirius was devastated; he attacked their betrayer, Peter Pettigrew, and attempted to kill him. He later told Harry that he cared deeply for James and Lily and that he would have rather died than betray them.

Sirius was also godfather to Lily's son, Harry, and they shared a strong bond of friendship, love, and trust.

Harry Potter

"Like the fact that the person Sirius cared most about in the world was you. Like the fact that you were coming to regard Sirius as a mixture of father and brother. Voldemort knew already, of course, that Sirius was in the Order, that you knew where he was, but Kreacher's information made him realise that the one person whom you would go to any lengths to rescue was Sirius Black."
— Sirius and Harry's close relationship[src]
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Harry Potter, his godson and friend

Sirius was Harry Potter's godfather and acted as a confidant and paternal figure to him. He deeply loved Harry and was the only person Harry felt comfortable confiding in completely.[25] Harry regarded Sirius as a mixture of father and older brother, and Sirius viewed Harry as exceptionally brave and mature for his age, having experienced as much as many adults have.

"We'll see each other again, You are — truly your father's son, Harry..."
— Sirius Black's love and eternal gratitude for his godson Harry Potter[src]

Sirius felt that Harry should have the right to know difficult truths, and considered him perfectly capable of taking on heavy burdens that many other fully-grown wizards could not. Molly Weasley, however, criticised Sirius's behaviour towards Harry, claiming that he acted as if Harry were James rather than the child that he undeniably still was. Sirius shared a good deal of information about the First Wizarding War with Harry, much to the disapproval of Molly Weasley, and supported Harry and his friends' efforts to sabotage Dolores Umbridge's dictatorial rule over Hogwarts in their fifth year.

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Harry and Sirius's affection for each other

While Harry craved a paternal figure, Sirius wasn't equipped to be one and more or less treated Harry like his best friend, the way Harry's father was before him.[28] Voldemort lured Harry to the Department of Mysteries in 1996 by planting a vision of Sirius suffering in his mind, knowing that Harry would do whatever it took to save his godfather.[17] Harry was completely devastated by Sirius's death, having lost the closest thing to a parent he had ever known. Harry felt riddled with guilt over the incident but eventually managed to compartmentalise his grief, knowing that Sirius wouldn't have wanted him to shut himself up.

In 1998, Harry used the Resurrection Stone to summon the spirits of Sirius, Remus, and his parents, all four of whom gave him the emotional support he needed to sacrifice himself. Sirius assured his godson that dying was not painful at all and was actually quicker and easier than falling asleep.

Harry later named his first son after both James and Sirius.[19]

Ron Weasley

"Poor old Snuffles. He must really like you, Harry.... Imagine having to live off rats."
— Ron's sympathy towards Sirius[src]
Ron Weasley

Ron Weasley, his friend and his godson's best friend

Sirius first met Ron Weasley in 1994. Ron owned a rat named Scabbers, which, unbeknownst to him and the rest of his family, was actually Peter Pettigrew in disguise. With his mind and heart firmly set on murdering Pettigrew for his treacherous betrayal, Sirius snuck into Hogwarts and approached Ron's bed, knife in hand, with the intention of killing the disguised rat. However, Ron awoke, saw Sirius, and, frightened out of his wits, screamed, alerting the whole dormitory and forcing Sirius to flee for his life. At the end of his third year, however, Ron learned that Sirius was innocent and discovered the true identity of his pet. Feeling partly responsible for Ron's loss, Sirius gave him an owl to replace "Scabbers". A year later, Ron, along with Harry and Hermione, provided food for Sirius, who was hiding in a cave outside of Hogsmeade.

During the Second Wizarding War, Ron and Sirius grew closer, as they both lived at Sirius's house for several weeks and eventually became good friends. When Hermione voiced her theory that Sirius was attempting to "live through" her, Ron, and Harry, both boys snapped at her angrily in Sirius's defence. Sirius and Ron fought alongside one another during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and when Sirius was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, Ron grieved for him and grew to share Harry's intense hatred of Bellatrix.

Hermione Granger

"Er — Mr Black — Sirius? If you don't mind me asking, how — how did you get out of Azkaban if you didn't use Dark Magic?"
— Hermione Granger politely addressing Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack[src]
Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger, his friend and his godson's best friend

Sirius also met Hermione Granger during the 1993–1994 school year, following his escape from Azkaban. Hermione, like the rest of the wizarding world, initially believed that Sirius was the wizard who betrayed James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort. However, she learned the truth and even indirectly helped to clear any doubts of his innocence through her questions. Together with Harry and Ron, she brought him food when he was hiding in a cave near Hogsmeade during the 1994–1995 school year.

In 1995, she lived for a few weeks at Sirius's house, along with other members of the Order of the Phoenix. It was then, however, that she started to see "flaws" in Sirius's character. Firstly, she severely disapproved of his indifferent and occasionally cruel treatment of his house-elf Kreacher despite the fact that Kreacher initially appeared to be disgusted by her and addressed her as "the Mudblood" (which Hermione often attributed to Kreacher being senile due to his old age.)

Secondly, she grew to believe that Sirius could be very selfish when it came to Harry, even voicing her theory that a part of Sirius had actually been hoping for Harry's expulsion from Hogwarts so that Harry would stay with him at Grimmauld Place instead of going back to school for his fifth year. She also thought that Sirius was attempting to live vicariously through her, Harry, and Ron, but the two boys became angry and snapped at her when she expressed this belief. Nevertheless, she had a generally good relationship with Sirius, knowing him to be an ultimately good person, and was greatly saddened by his death at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and was one of the last people to duel his killer Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Albus Dumbledore

"I offered it to Dumbledore for Headquarters — about the only useful thing I've been able to do."
— Sirius trying to be useful[src]
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Albus Dumbledore, his former headmaster

Albus Dumbledore was Sirius's Headmaster at Hogwarts. Like the rest of the wizarding world, Dumbledore initially believed it was Sirius who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort, but he was quick to accept Sirius's innocence when he learned the Secret-Keeper had actually been Pettigrew, and he helped Hermione and Harry to save Sirius from the Dementor's Kiss and to escape from his Ministry captors by means of a Time-Turner and Buckbeak. The two resumed their friendship, and Sirius helped Dumbledore to recall the Order of the Phoenix an hour after Voldemort returned. However, their relationship was soon strained: Dumbledore forced Sirius to stay at 12 Grimmauld Place on account of his being a wanted convict and because he had a tendency to act rashly, which could lead him to put himself in great danger.

Though his intentions were noble, Sirius could not bring himself to appreciate Dumbledore's actions, as he utterly despised the home which brought him many bitter, unhappy memories, and the fact that he was to be alone in the house most of the time with only his house-elf for company made it all the more intolerable. Nevertheless, he still trusted Dumbledore enough to confide in him about how Harry felt Voldemort awaking inside him the night that Arthur Weasley was attacked. Dumbledore was devastated when Sirius was killed by Bellatrix, believing that it was mostly his fault, and he later expressed to Harry his belief that Sirius was a brave, clever, and energetic man who would never be content with sitting at home in hiding while his loved ones were in danger. Sirius's death was also a factor that led to Dumbledore finally revealing to Harry things that had been kept secret from him, mainly about the true power of his mother's sacrificial protection and the prophecy about him and Voldemort.

The Weasley family

Weasley Wizarding Vacation in Egypt

The Weasley family

Sirius had a good relationship with most of the Weasley family and was so thrilled to have their company during the Christmas of 1995 that he was heard singing "God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs" at the top of his lungs. When Sirius was going over the Black Family Tree with Harry, he mentioned that he was distantly related to both Molly and Arthur, although they were not on the tapestry due to being known as "blood traitors".

Sirius disapproved of Molly's overprotective behaviour towards Harry, who had proven time after time that, despite his age, he was brave and matured far beyond his years. Molly, in turn, thought Sirius was wrong to treat Harry like an adult and that he treated Harry as though he were James. However, they still had a relatively good relationship, and it was Molly who ultimately avenged Sirius's death by killing Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of Hogwarts.

He was also a good friend of Arthur, who was given Sirius's motorbike after the latter's death, and Ginny, at one point, stated that she cared about Sirius as much as Harry did. Fred and George Weasley liked Sirius, and they all joked together; Rubeus Hagrid once compared Sirius and James to Fred and George. A rare bump in Sirius's relationship with the twins occurred shortly after Arthur was wounded by Nagini, and Sirius forbade the Weasley children from visiting their father before it was safe to do so. At this, Fred and George argued, forcing Sirius to remind them of the importance of maintaining the Order's security, at which point Fred yelled back that Sirius, trapped in Grimmauld Place by his fugitive status, was doing virtually nothing for the Order himself.

Although Sirius was angered by Fred's words (he even seemed to Harry like he would have liked to strike Fred), Sirius let the slight go, and their relationship recovered shortly after. It is unknown whether Sirius learnt that the Marauders Map was once in Fred's and George's possession, and it is unknown whether Fred and George learnt that Sirius was one of the map's creators (although it is possible they did learn it considering Sirius mentioned Pettigrew's nickname "Wormtail" in front of them while explaining Voldemort's plans to them).

Sirius's relationship with Bill, Charlie, and Percy is unknown; Sirius met Bill during the time of the Second War when the Weasley family were often at Grimmauld Place with the rest of the Order, but whether he met Percy or Charlie was unknown. Given that Charlie was on his family's side and Percy on the Ministry's, however, it's likely that Sirius would have been friends with Charlie if he met him but not with Percy; though, considering Percy was practically Sirius's polar opposite, he arguably wouldn't have been particularly close to him in any case. Despite this, Sirius assured Molly that Percy would eventually reconcile with them after he fell out with his family, something which ultimately did happen at the Battle of Hogwarts.

Ginny eventually named her eldest son after her father-in-law and Sirius.

Hogwarts staff

"Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course — exceptionally bright, in fact — but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers —"
— Minerva McGonagall regarding James and Sirius[src]
Minerva McGonagall POAF promo

Minerva McGonagall, his Head of House

When Sirius attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the professors were very fond of him, knowing him to be a witty and charming wizard with a good heart. Their affection, however, did not blind them to the fact that he was also a mischievous troublemaker and prankster, and it did not prevent them from punishing him or his best friend James when they went too far with their pranks or caused too much trouble.

Minerva McGonagall was Sirius's Head of House during his years at Hogwarts. She described him as a powerful wizard, but she believed it was he who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. She learned the truth in 1995, and it's possible that she and Sirius had a good relationship until his death. It is unknown how she reacted when she learned about his death.

Horace Slughorn, the Head of Slytherin House, mentioned that he would have liked to have Sirius in his house, having had all of his family.

Order of the Phoenix

Order of the Phoenix

The original Order of the Phoenix

Sirius had a good relationship with most members of the Order of the Phoenix, and it was he who set out to alert them all when Dumbledore reinstated the Order upon Voldemort's return in 1995. Several of the Order members fought alongside Sirius at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and when Sirius was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, Kingsley Shacklebolt continued his duel with Bellatrix.

Sirius had been fairly close with Rubeus Hagrid prior to the Death of the Potters, both having been members of the First Order, and most likely having fought together in several battles of the First Wizarding War. Although Hagrid initially believed that Sirius was a traitor, he understood the real situation after it was explained to him, and it is likely that they resumed their friendship.

Though Sirius also appeared to be friendly with Mundungus Fletcher, that did not stop Fletcher from stealing Sirius's possessions after his death.

Barty Crouch Snr

"Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while ... gotten to know his own son."
— Sirius's contempt for Bartemius Crouch Senior[src]
Barty Crouch Senior GOFF promo

Bartemius Crouch Senior, the man who had him imprisoned in Azkaban

Sirius had a strong grudge and hatred against Barty Crouch Snr. This was mostly because Crouch was the one responsible for sentencing him to life imprisonment in Azkaban without a trial, denying him the opportunity to appeal his frame-up, and because of his disgust about Barty Crouch Jnr. However, his hatred of Crouch didn't stop Sirius from taking Crouch seriously, for when Harry told him about Crouch's ramblings and him vanishing afterwards, he instantly realised that Crouch was trying to warn Dumbledore, and that the reason he vanished is because someone wanted to stop him from seeing Dumbledore. He also was knowledgeable of Crouch's tactics to catch Death Eaters and other enemies while he was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including using the Unforgivable Curses against them. Sirius stated that despite his disdain towards him, Crouch's principles may have been right to start off with, as they were fellow opponents against Voldemort at the time, although he also said that Crouch became just as cruel and ruthless as the forces he was fighting against. Sirius also knew Crouch's demeanour well enough to be suspicious over Crouch's disappearance and the rumours of Crouch's illness, knowing that Crouch would never miss a day of work for any simple reason such as sickness. Even after Crouch's death, Sirius was still resentful of Crouch's decision to sentence him in Azkaban without a trial, commenting that he was unsure he would accept an apology from the Ministry of Magic even if they acknowledged Voldemort's return.

Etymology

The name "Sirius Black" is a play on his Animagus form of a black dog since the star Sirius is known as the Dog Star and is the brightest star in Canis Major, the Great Dog constellation. Sirius is derived from the Ancient Greek Σείριος, Seirios, meaning "glowing" or "scorcher." In Greek mythology, it is Orion's dog. In Arabic, the star is known as al-shira, "the leader," and in Scandinavia, it has been referred to as Lokabrenna, meaning "Loki's torch." Loki was a trickster god in Norse mythology, a possible allusion to Sirius's days of mischief-making as one of the Marauders. His full name is an oxymoron of sorts, as his first name, "Sirius", is referring to the brightest star in the night sky, and his last name, "Black", is referring to the darkest colour, which is the result of the absence of light.

Padfoot refers to a spectral Hellhound (Most commonly known as Black Shuck) with glowing red eyes that haunts the moors around Leeds, in Northern England. Its presence is announced by soft, padding footfalls that may be accompanied by the rattle of chains or a fierce roaring as the beast draws closer to its intended victim. It's one of many "black dog" myths and is the likely source for Sirius's nickname.

Black hounds also appear on the Black family crest.

Behind the scenes

Siriusjjj

The LEGO mini-figure of Sirius (just after escaping Azkaban)

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Sirius as a LEGO minifigure (2nd edition)

Sirius Black - Young Marauders - PM

Sirius Black as a young Marauder

SiriusBlackWU

Sirius Black as he appears in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

YoungSiriusBlackWU

Young Sirius Black as he appears in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

SiriusBlackPOP

Sirius Black as a POP! Vinyl

SiriusAzkabanPOP

Sirius Black (as an Azkaban convict) as a POP! Vinyl

PadfootPOP

Sirius Black (as Padfoot) as a POP! Vinyl

  • Sirius is portrayed by British actor Gary Oldman in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
    • Sirius is 5'9.5" (176.5cm), as is Oldman. He is described in the book as "very tall", which is contradictory given that the average height of men in England was 174.4 cm in 1998.[29].
  • The fifteen-year-old Sirius in the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is portrayed by James Walters.
  • Young Sirius is portrayed by Rohan Gotobed in a flashback in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 film.
  • Like James Potter, Snape, Lupin and Pettigrew, Sirius is portrayed as being much older in the Harry Potter films. Gary Oldman was 46 when he first played Sirius in Prisoner of Azkaban and 53 when he last played him. Sirius died at age 36. However, in Sirius's case, it may have been done purposely to help represent how much the trauma he suffered in Azkaban greatly aged him well beyond his actual years.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Filius Flitwick's office is replaced by the Dark Tower as a temporary prison.
  • Due to the much bigger fourth book compared to its predecessors, Sirius's role in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is drastically cut. All of the scenes after his head appears in the fire are removed, and Molly Weasley does not meet him (incidentally, Molly herself is cut from the film).
  • Sirius and Snape only meet on screen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Their subsequent meeting in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire does not occur, and their meeting in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is only heard off-screen.
  • In the film versions of the series, Sirius has multiple tattoos, but it is never stated in the books if he has any. These are implied to be prison tattoos that he received while in Azkaban, although it would be almost impossible considering what is known about the conditions in Azkaban. It could be implied these brands were done to him as a form of a testament to his crimes.
  • In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it is notable that despite the fact that Snape and Lupin know that Sirius was aware of the passageway to the Shrieking Shack and, presumably, were convinced of his guilt, the passageway was not blocked off or guarded.
  • In the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Snape's memory shows James disarming Snape, and Sirius remarks, "Nice one, James!" In Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Sirius repeats this line when Harry disarms Lucius Malfoy, calling Harry "James" (these are his last words); a slip of the tongue that does not occur in the book, although it is consistent with comments made in the novel regarding him considering Harry a younger version of James.
  • In the Order of the Phoenix film, when Sirius arrives with the other members of the Order, he punches Lucius Malfoy exclaiming, "Get away from my godson". This unknowingly causes the destruction of The Prophecy Orb by causing Lucius Malfoy to drop it. Both actions are contrary to the book, in which Neville Longbottom breaks the orb and the punch does not occur.
  • Also, in the film version of the Department of Mysteries battle, Sirius is hit in the shoulder and arm with a Killing Curse by Bellatrix Lestrange. The curse stings him and causes him weakness before he falls back into the veil. This differs from the book, where he is killed as he was knocked through the veil by an unknown red spell that Bellatrix casted.
  • The names Sirius and Regulus are also names of two main characters in the video game Bomberman 64. Interestingly enough, in Bomberman, Sirius is thought to be a hero when in actuality he is a villain, which is the exact reverse of Sirius Black.
  • In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the way Sirius describes his brother's death implies that Regulus was killed by the Killing Curse. But in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is established that Regulus was killed by the Inferi in Voldemort's Horcrux cave. However, Sirius states regarding his brother's death "from what I've found out since I got out (of Azkaban)", so it is likely Sirius received this information second hand, so his source may have been mistaken or Sirius may have assumed it was the Killing Curse.
  • There is also a suggestion that Sirius might have done under-age magic. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius states that he ran away from home at age 16. However, in Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Sirius put permanent sticking charms of the back of all his pictures and posters hanging on his bedroom wall. But, considering he ran away from home at 16 and did not return until about age 35, he would have been under-age at the time he performed the permanent sticking charm. However, since he was in the home of a witch and wizard at the time, this would not have registered.
  • The relationship between Sirius and Mrs Weasley is considerably more tense in the books than is depicted in the films. He is also depicted in the books as being somewhat less in control than he is shown to be in the Order of the Phoenix film.
  • In the films, after Sirius's death, it seems that Harry has picked up Sirius's fashion sense of occasionally wearing a blazer as regular wear, much like Sirius, who in the Order of the Phoenix film was always depicted as wearing a blazer.
  • Sirius was hysterical when the Aurors lead him to jail because James and Lily's death had unhinged him.[30]
  • Sirius's godson Harry honoured Sirius by naming his first-born James Sirius Potter.
  • Interestingly enough, the child that Harry named after James and Sirius often teases the child whose middle name is Severus, as in Severus Snape.
  • In the film versions, Sirius Black has brown hair instead of black and blue eyes instead of grey.
  • Sirius and his cousin, Bellatrix, met their deaths in a similar way because they were both taunting their killers before they died (and their taunts were their last words)
  • Despite being innocent of murdering Pettigrew and the Muggles, a crime for which he was sent to Azkaban, if he had been discovered as an unregistered Animagus, it carries a sentence in Azkaban.
  • In the books, Sirius gives Harry an enchanted mirror (by which they should be able to communicate with); however, in the films, this is not shown on-screen.
  • Sirius is described in the books as being able to transform into a dog about the size of a bear. In the films, however, he transforms into a fairly normal-sized dog.
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the only book in which the narrator calls Sirius by his surname, likely (but not confirmed to be) due to the fact that the novels are portrayed from Harry's perspective and throughout most of the novel, Harry views Sirius Black as a dangerous criminal and later not only this, but also a man who betrayed his parents. He is first referred to as "Sirius" in the narration about halfway through Chapter 20, at which point Harry has learned the truth about him, though at this point the narration is somewhat inconsistent in referring to him as either "Sirius" or "Black". By the final chapter, however, he is referred to consistently in the narration as "Sirius".
  • On the first episode of BBC's The Casual Vacancy miniseries, there's a comment by a "S. Black" to the announcement of Barry Fairbrother's death in Pagford's Parish Council Website. It reads: "The news came as a shock when I heard. Always so full of life, and I know the work he was doing at Sweetlove House was invaluable to the community. He'll be greatly missed".
  • Sirius was born at autumn, something that possibly relates to the Dog sign of the Chinese Zodiac being associated with that season.
  • Sirius Black's dog form, Padfoot, was portrayed by the dogs Fern and Cleod in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and by Quinn in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
  • Sirius' middle name is often said to be Orion; however, there is no canonical evidence for this. But it is worth mentioning that Regulus' received his middle name from his grandfather, Arcturus, so it is possible Sirius was named after his father.
    • SiriusBlack Pottermore

      Sirius Black Pottermore

      Another speculation is that Sirius's middle name could be Licorus. The reasoning behind this is that the House of Black is a "Traditional" pureblood house. Thus the traditional difference between a Junior and II (the Second) is that a Junior is (typically) a son named after the father. Traditionally, a (typically) male child that is the Second (II) of their name is in honour of a family member who is not the father. Both Junior and the II of that name must be entirely the same (First, Middle, and Surname). So following that reasoning, we know Sirius I was the eldest son of (possibly) Cygnus Black I and Ella Max; and Cygnus is possibly the first-born son of Licorus Black and Magenta Tripe. We also know that he died young, and we can reason that Phineas Nigellus Black named his eldest son in honour of his lost brother and therefore kept his full name the same as his (Sirius II) deceased paternal uncle. It would also explain why Sirius II named his first-born daughter Lycoris, a variation of Licorus.
Azkabanhires7

Behind the Scenes of the Prisoner of Azkaban

Author's comments

J. K. Rowling has said that she likes Sirius as a character, but she does not think he is "wholly wonderful":

"Sirius is very good at spouting bits of excellent personal philosophy, but he does not always live up to them. For instance, he says in "Goblet of Fire" that if you want to know what a man is really like, 'look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.' But Sirius loathes Kreacher, the house-elf he has inherited and treats him with nothing but contempt. Similarly, Sirius claims that nobody is wholly good or wholly evil, and yet the way he acts towards Snape suggests that he cannot conceive of any latent good qualities there... Sirius's great redeeming quality is how much affection he is capable of feeling. He loved James like a brother and he went on to transfer that attachment to Harry."[31]

Rowling also described Sirius as a "bit of a loose cannon" and a "case of arrested development"[28] and once described Sirius as "brave, loyal, reckless, embittered and slightly unbalanced by his long stay in Azkaban."[31]

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 292 images related to Sirius Black.

Notes and references

  1. 1.0 1.1 WE WON!!!!!! And Sirius Black was born on the 3rd of November xxxxxxxx posted by JKR on Twitter on 10 October 2015
  2. In the F.A.Q. section of J. K. Rowling's official site, she stated that Sirius was "around twenty-two" when he was imprisoned shortly after 31 October 1981, and as he attended Hogwarts from 1971 to 1978, Sirius must have been born in 1959.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter Limited Edition (See this image)
  4. 4.0 4.1 Pottermore - Writing by J.K Rowling: Sirius Black
  5. 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 35 (Beyond the Veil)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 18 (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs)
  7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 27 (Padfoot Returns)
  8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 10 (Luna Lovegood)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 17 (Cat, Rat and Dog)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 4 (Number Twelve Grimmauld Place) - "Then a man with long black hair came charging out of a door facing Harry. [...] Panting slightly and sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes, Harry's godfather, Sirius, turned to face him."
  11. 11.0 11.1 "Immeritus" on J. K. Rowling's Official Site (available via Internet Archive)
  12. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 3 (The Knight Bus) - "Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one."
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
  14. 14.0 14.1 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
  15. 2004 World Book Day Chat
  16. In the F.A.Q. section of J. K. Rowling's official site, she stated that Sirius was "around twenty-two" when he was imprisoned in Azkaban. Given that he was imprisoned shortly after 31 October 1981 and attended Hogwarts from 1971 to 1978, Sirius would have been born between 1 September 1959 and November 1959
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  18. Black family tree
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  20. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 22 (Owl Post Again), Snape says he was nearly killed in a prank by Sirius who was sixteen when it happened. Sirius was born in Nov 1959. He turned sixteen in Nov 1975, when he was in the fifth year. According to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33 (The Prince's Tale), the prank happened before they took their O.W.L.s in June 1976, so the prank have to have happened between Nov 1975 and June 1976.
  21. Harry Potter Prequel
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  23. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 1 (The Boy Who Lived)
  24. 24.0 24.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 19 (The Servant of Lord Voldemort)
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  26. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
  27. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 6 (Draco's Detour)
  28. 28.0 28.1 16 July 2005 Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview with J.K. Rowling
  29. Height of Individuals by gender in England UK - Statista
  30. http://www.accio-quote.org/themes/sirius.htm
  31. 31.0 31.1 J.K. Rowling's Official Website: FAQs
Order of the Phoenix
Fawkes WB F2 FawkesIllustration V2 Illust
Founder:
Albus Dumbledore
Leaders:
Albus Dumbledore | Alastor Moody | Kingsley Shacklebolt
Original Order of of the Phoenix:
Aberforth Dumbledore | Alastor Moody | Alice Longbottom | Arabella Figg | Benjy Fenwick | Caradoc Dearborn | Dedalus Diggle | Dorcas Meadowes | Edgar Bones | Elphias Doge | Emmeline Vance | Fabian Prewett | Frank Longbottom | Gideon Prewett | James Potter | Lily Potter | Marlene McKinnon | Mundungus Fletcher | Peter Pettigrew (defected) | Remus Lupin | Rubeus Hagrid | Severus Snape | Sirius Black | Sturgis Podmore
Reconstituted Order of the Phoenix:
Aberforth Dumbledore | Alastor Moody | Arabella Figg | Arthur Weasley | Bill Weasley | Charlie Weasley | Dedalus Diggle | Elphias Doge | Emmeline Vance | Fleur Delacour | Fred Weasley | George Weasley | Harry Potter | Hermione Granger | Hestia Jones | Kingsley Shacklebolt | Minerva McGonagall | Molly Weasley | Mundungus Fletcher | Nymphadora Tonks | Remus Lupin | Ron Weasley | Rubeus Hagrid | Severus Snape | Sirius Black | Sturgis Podmore
Order of the Phoenix allies:
Andromeda Tonks | Augusta Longbottom | Buckbeak | Dobby | Fawkes | Filius Flitwick | Firenze | Garrick Ollivander | Ginny Weasley | Grawp | Helena Ravenclaw | Horace Slughorn | Karkus | Karkus's wife | Kreacher | Lee Jordan | Luna Lovegood | McKinnon family | Mr Westenberg | Mrs Westenberg | Muriel | Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington | Neville Longbottom | Oliver Wood | Olympe Maxime | Rita Skeeter | Patrick Delaney-Podmore | Peeves | Percy Weasley | Pomona Sprout | Poppy Pomfrey | Sybill Trelawney | Ted Tonks | The Fallen Fifty | Westenberg family | Winky | Xenophilius Lovegood
Other affiliations:
Dumbledore's Army | Forbidden Forest Centaur colony | Headless Hunt | Hogwarts Hippogriff herd | Hogwarts house-elves | Hogwarts Ghosts | Hogwarts Staff |
Hogwarts students | Hogwarts Thestral herd | British Ministry of Magic | Giant colony (Karkus's control)
Animagi
GF 37
Before registration system
Falco Aesalon (Falcon) · Cliodna (Sea Bird) · Morgan le Fay (Bird) · Morrigan (Crow) · Unidentified Native American Animagus (Eagle)
Registered
Minerva McGonagall (Tabby cat) · Adrian Tutley (Gerbil) · Talbott Winger's mother (White Swan) · Unidentified witch (Black cat) · Five unidentified individuals (Unknown)
Unregistered
Patricia McManners (Calico cat) · Olivier Kikkert (Frog) · Sirius Black (Black dog) · Peter Pettigrew (Rat) · James Potter (Stag) · Rita Skeeter (Beetle) · Talbott Winger (Eagle)
Unknown registry status
Mudiwa Onai (African fish eagle) · Natsai Onai's father (Giraffe) · Natsai Onai (Gazelle) · Poacher Animagus (Wolf) · Jacob's sibling (Brown dog, Black and white cat or Eagle) · Bly (Lemur) · Ambrose Turner (Butterfly)
Fictional Animagi
Babbitty Rabbity (Rabbit)