Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Sirius Black
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| Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Character | |
| Sirius Black | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | black |
| Eye color | grey |
| Related Family | Descendent of former Hogwarts Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. Mother Walburga Black, father Orion Black, brother Regulus Black |
| Loyalty | follows spoiler warning |
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Sirius Black was accused of betraying James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort, and murdering their friend, Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles. He was sentenced without a trial to life imprisonment in Azkaban. In the early stages of Book 3, he has escaped and is apparently trying to kill Harry Potter.
[edit] Role in the Books
[edit] Philosopher's Stone
Sirius is only briefly mentioned in the opening chapter – Rubeus Hagrid has borrowed his flying motorcycle to bring baby Harry Potter to his new home, Number 4, Privet Drive.
[edit] Prisoner of Azkaban
While staying at the Dursleys, Harry hears on the Muggle news reports that convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped, although he later reads in the Daily Prophet that Black is actually a wizard who escaped from Azkaban Prison. Black is apparently so dangerous that even Muggles are at risk. When Harry leaves the Dursley house following an argument, he notices an ominous-looking large black dog watching him in the street. In Diagon Alley, Harry overhears Arthur and Molly Weasley discussing Sirius Black, a suspected Voldemort supporter who escaped to find and murder Harry. Taking him aside on the Hogwarts Express platform Mr. Weasley asks a bemused Harry to promise not to look for Black, although Harry departs before promising.
Black breaks into Hogwarts on Hallowe'en, but when the Fat Lady bars him from entering the Gryffindor common room (he does not know the password), he slashes her portrait and escapes. When the Fat Lady refuses to return to guard duty, Sir Cadogan replaces her. Shortly after, in Potions class, Draco Malfoy taunts Harry about never seeking revenge on Sirius Black, although Harry has no idea what he means.
Just before Christmas, Harry sneaks into Hogsmeade village where he overhears a conversation in Three Broomsticks between Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid, and Madam Rosmerta. Fudge says Black betrayed James and Lily Potter to Voldemort, and afterward murdered their friend, Peter Pettigrew, along with twelve Muggles. Enraged, Harry vows to avenge his parents' deaths.
Black slips into Hogwarts again and enters the common room using Neville Longbottom's lost password list. Black shreds Ron's bed curtains with a knife, causing Ron to wake up screaming as Black flees. Sir Cadogan is sacked and the Fat Lady returns, guarded by security trolls. It is unclear why Black attempted to attack Ron rather than Harry.
During the climactic Shrieking Shack scene, Black's innocence is uncovered; it is the very alive Peter Pettigrew who committed the crimes. The relationship between Sirius Black, Professor Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Harry's father, James Potter, is explained: they are the four Marauders who created the "Marauder's Map." When Black is revealed as Harry's godfather and legal guardian, Harry realizes that the large black dog stalking him was actually Sirius Black in his Animagus form (the ability to transform into an animal at will); Black was watching over Harry. Pettigrew is also an Animagus, disguised for the past twelve years as Ron's pet rat, Scabbers. It was "Scabbers" who Black was attemtping to kill the night he broke into Harry's dorm. When Pettigrew escapes and Black is captured, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge insists Black is guilty and orders a Dementor, an Azkaban guard, to immediately suck out Black's soul. Using a Time Turner, Harry and Hermione retrace that night's events to free Black. Later, Black sends an owl letter letting Harry know he is safe—for now. Harry also learns it was Black who sent the Firebolt broomstick at Christmas. Black also gives written permission for Harry to visit Hogsmeade on school outings, and, as compensation for losing his "pet" rat, he donates the little messenger owl to Ron. Ginny Weasley names it Pigwidgeon.
[edit] Goblet of Fire
Harry's troubling dream about Voldemort's encounter with Frank Bryce and his throbbing scar prompts him to send Hedwig with a message to Sirius Black. Sirius' reply is a long time in coming and disconcerting: Sirius believes there is enough justification to return to England to be near Harry. Worried he has unintentionally lured Sirius into a situation where he could be recaptured, Harry quickly sends another message dismissing his own earlier worries, but Sirius ignores it and writes that he is already in England.
When Harry is mysteriously selected as a Triwizard Tournament champion, Hermione urges him to write to his godfather. Sirius has more than can be said by Owl Post, and wants to meet Harry at the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room at 1:00 a.m. on 22 November. Meanwhile, Harry becomes terrified when he sees the dragons to be used in the Tournament's First Task. Using the Floo network, Sirius' floating head appears in the Gryffindor fireplace. He warns Harry that there are more pressing concerns than dragons. Karkaroff, Durmstrang school's headmaster, was a Death Eater. Sirius also believes that an earlier attack on Professor Moody may have been intended to prevent Moody from taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, as it was Moody who arrested Karkaroff. Sirius and Dumbledore believe this may herald Voldemort's return to power. Sirius also advises Harry about dragons, but before he can name a spell, Harry hears someone approaching and Sirius vanishes.
Following the First Task, Sirius sends his congratulations by owl post, and writes that he would have suggested the Conjunctivitus curse, which was what Viktor Krum had used. He again warns Harry about Karkaroff.
When Harry is nearly caught by Filch, Professor Moody, and Professor Snape after sneaking into the Prefect's bathroom to decode the Second Task riddle, Harry writes Sirius. His reply is dishearteningly brief, asking only when the next Hogsmeade weekend is.
Following the Second Task, Sirius sends another brief letter telling Harry to be at a particular stile outside Hogsmeade, and to bring food. Ron is surprised that Sirius dares to enter Hogsmeade, but Harry points out that it is no longer swarming with Dementors. Harry, Ron, and Hermione meet Sirius in his dog form at the stile. He leads them to a nearby cave where he and Buckbeak are hiding. Famished, Sirius, who has mostly been surviving on rats, tears into the food the Trio has brought. Harry's letters have made events sound increasingly suspicious, especially when combined with reports in occasionally scrounged copies of the Daily Prophet. Crouch being sick also seems unusual to Sirius, and Harry mentions how bad he looked when the Triwizard Champions were selected. When Hermione says he got his just desserts for firing his house-elf, Winky, Harry updates Sirius about the Quidditch World Cup, Winky's dismissal, and his wand being stolen. Sirius asks if Harry checked for his wand when leaving the top box, but Harry responds he checked only when he was in the woods. Sirius suggests that someone in the top box could have lifted it; Ron suspects Lucius Malfoy, although Hermione reminds them Ludo Bagman was also there. Sirius knows little about Bagman and wonders why he would offer to help Harry win the Tournament.
According to Sirius, Crouch taking days off is uncharacteristic. It was Crouch who sentenced him to Azkaban without a trial. Pressed for more information, Sirius explains how desperate times resulted in desperate measures, including using deadly force against suspected Death Eaters. Crouch, who headed the Aurors, championed these measures, achieving some results. He was tapped as the next Minister for Magic until his son, Barty Crouch, Jr., was found with the Death Eaters who tortured Frank Longbottom and his wife Alice to learn what the Aurors had done with Voldemort. Crouch presided over his own son's trial and convicted him. Mr. and Mrs. Crouch visited their dying son in Azkaban, and Sirius saw Dementors burying his body. Crouch lost his son, his wife (who died shortly after), and his shot at the Ministry, eventually getting shunted aside to the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
Sirius suspects Crouch wants to capture one last Dark Wizard to revive his career. Even so, it is unlikely Crouch would make a special trip to Hogwarts just to search Snape's office when he already had the opportunity to do that while judging the Triwizard Tournament. When Ron and Hermione start squabbling over whether or not Snape is a Dark Wizard, Sirius says Snape certainly associated with Slytherins who became Death Eaters: Rosier and Wilkes; Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband; Avery, but Snape was never accused. Harry mentions Snape and Karkaroff knowing each other and how Karkaroff showed Snape something on his arm. Sirius does not know what that could be.
When Ron mentions that his brother is Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, Sirius wants him to ask Percy about Mr. Crouch's illness and also about Bertha Jorkins' disappearance. Bagman was quoted in an article as saying that Bertha's memory is very bad, but the Bertha Jorkins Sirius knew at school had an excellent memory, at least for gossip, which often got her into trouble. At 3:30 p.m., Sirius sends the Trio on their way, telling them he wants to be kept updated on any new information; he reminds them to address letters to him as "Snuffles" before he heads to the village to scrounge another newspaper.
When Bartemius Crouch appears and then disappears at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore orders Harry not to communicate with anyone until the next morning. Harry then writes Sirius, but Sirius' response, rather than clarifying matters, scolds Harry for straying out of bounds with another Triwizard Champion. Sirius suspects the other Champions might do anything to win, including attacking Harry. Hermione agrees that someone wants to attack Harry and that he is safe inside the school, although Harry is irritated by his godfather's strict orders to stay put.
Harry falls asleep in Divination class and dreams that the Dark Lord is punishing Peter Pettigrew. After he reports this to Professor Dumbledore, Dumbledore asks Harry if there was any other time, apart from early summer, when his scar hurt. Harry is taken aback, he has not mentioned that episode to Dumbledore, but Dumbledore says that Harry is not Sirius' only correspondent.
Harry begins practicing earnestly for the Third Task. Somewhat annoyingly, Sirius' messages are filled with adjurations to ignore events outside Hogwarts; Harry's only priority should only be safely navigating the Third Task maze, other matters can be addressed afterwards. Sirius continues sending messages almost entirely filled with tips and tricks for casting jinxes.
Just after Dumbledore stuns the fake Moody following the third task, he sends Professor McGonagall to fetch the "large black dog" in Hagrid's pumpkin patch. After Barty Crouch Jr.'s confession, Dumbledore takes Harry to his office where a haggard-looking Sirius awaits. Dumbledore wants Harry to recount what happened, but Sirius feels Harry should rest; Dumbledore, however, insists Harry immediately face what has happened. With Sirius and Fawkes comforting him, Harry relates what occurred in the graveyard. Dumbledore then takes him to the Hospital Wing, telling Sirius, back in his dog form, that he can stay with Harry. He reassures Madam Pomfrey that the dog is well trained.
After Cornelius Fudge dismisses Dumbledore's and Harry's claims about Voldemort and leaves, Dumbledore orders Sirius to reveal himself to Professor Snape. Dumbledore requests they maintain a truce and cooperate, to which they unwillingly shake hands. He assigns both missions; Snape's is unknown, but Sirius is to alert "the old crew", and then hide out at Remus Lupin's place.
[edit] Order of the Phoenix
As Harry arrives at Number 12, Grimmauld Place in London, a minor upset in the entry hall causes a portrait to start screaming. Sirius appears, slamming the portrait curtains shut to silence it. The portrait is Sirius' mother, and the Order of the Phoenix is now headquartered in the Blacks' ancient family home. Harry is happy to see Sirius but thinks he looks haggard. The Ministry of Magic refuting Sirius' innocence, as revealed in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, forces him to remain a fugitive. Presumably, Peter Pettigrew has informed Voldemort about Sirius' Animagus dog shape. Thus, Sirius is effectively confined to his hated home. Donating it to the Order is about all he can do to help.
Sirius is glad Harry and the Weasleys will be spending time with him before school starts. After dinner, Sirius suggests that Harry ask questions about Voldemort, but Mrs. Weasley objects, feeling Harry is still too young to be involved, and, despite their similarity, Harry is not James. She is overridden, however, and Harry is permitted to ask his questions, and perforce allowing Ron, Hermione, and the Twins to listen in, although a protesting Ginny is sent to bed. Sirius explains that Voldemort is now undercover while secretly rebuilding his organization. Harry performed a great service by announcing Voldemort's return to Dumbledore, that being the last person Voldemort would want to know, and the Order was recalled within hours. The Order also must remain undercover, as it is considered as opposing the Ministry. Dumbledore has been removed from many important Wizarding posts after reporting Voldemort's return amid the Ministry's fervent denials. The Order is actively recruiting, especially in the Aurors division of the Ministry; but Order members must be circumspect, because the Ministry distrusts the Order. Sirius also lets slip that the Order is guarding a weapon that Voldemort wants, but Mrs. Weasley interrupts, saying that is quite enough.
Sirius assists Mrs. Weasley and the younger crew in making the house habitable again. While there is a House elf, Kreacher, in residence, he is old, apparently senile, and only took orders from Mrs. Black's mad, shrieking portrait until Sirius returned. Sirius and Kreacher mutually dislike one another, and Kreacher only grudgingly obeys Sirius' commands. Sirius shows Harry a tapestry embroidered with the Ancient and Honorable House of Black. A scorch mark shows where his name was blasted off when he rejected the family's pure-blood ethos. Sirius points out other relatives: his cousins Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Andromeda, and Andromeda's daughter Tonks; and also his brother Regulus, who apparently joined the Death Eaters, tried to leave and had been, it is rumoured, killed personally by Voldemort.
As time nears for Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the Twins to leave for school, Sirius grows more depressed, fretting at his enforced inactivity. Harry suspects Sirius' increased depression dates from Harry's Ministry hearing; exonerated, Harry could return to Hogwarts, leaving Sirius alone with Kreacher, but if convicted, he would probably have had to stay with Sirius.
Over Molly Weasley's protests, Sirius, in dog form, accompanies the party to King's Street Station. While bidding Harry farewell, Sirius is evidently recognized by Lucius Malfoy. Draco alludes to this on the train. Shortly after, the Daily Prophet reports Sirius was spotted in London. A story also appears in the Quibbler suggesting that Sirius is innocent, claiming that he and Stubby Boardman, a popular singer, are the same person. Sirisu could not have committed the crime for which he went to Azkaban because he was with a witness, a housewife, at the time. This, with the evidence of other stories in the same issue, leads us to believe that the Quibbler's journalistic standards are not particularly rigorous.
After his experience with Professor Umbridge, and the resulting detention, Harry updates Sirius by owl letter. Sirius' head shortly appears in the Gryffindor fireplace. According to Sirius, Harry's scar hurting when Umbridge touched his hand was almost certainly coincidence; bad as she is, the Order does not believe she is a Death Eater. To Harry's complaints that Umbridge prohibits using magic in Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Sirius replies that Cornelius Fudge is paranoid that Dumbledore is building a secret wizard army to take over the Ministry. Sirius also warns Harry against drawing attention to Hagrid's continued absence. When he suggests meeting the Trio at the next Hogsmeade weekend, both Harry and Hermione veto it, saying it is too dangerous. Apparently dismayed at Harry's caution, Sirius laments that James would have enjoyed the risk, then departs.
Harry and Hermione, fed up with Professor Umbridge's nonsense teaching, start their own Defence Against the Dark Arts study group. During Harry's History of Magic class, an injured Hedwig appears at the window, carrying a message signed with a paw print that says only, "Same place, same time." That night, Sirius' head appears in the Gryffindor fireplace to deliver a message from Mrs. Weasley, forbidding Ron to join the group and pleading with Harry and Hermione to also avoid it. The the Hog's Head was not very secure; Mundungus Fletcher was there, disguised as a witch to guard Harry, overhead their first meeting. Although Mrs. Weasley objects, Sirius thinks the group is a great idea. While discussing meeting locations, Sirius glances to his side and vanishes. Umbridge's hand appears in the fireplace, grabbing at where Sirius' head just was.
When Harry reports a dream that Mr. Weasley was attacked at the Ministry of Magic, Professor Dumbledore sends Phineas Nigellus' portrait to inform Sirius to receive guests. Apparently to prevent any interference by Professor Umbridge, Dumbledore sends Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the Twins to Grimmauld Place to await news. On arrival, Harry notices that Sirius smells of cooking sherry. Kreacher insults the arriving students, and Sirius orders him out. Ron was present when Harry initially told Dumbledore about the attack, but the Twins and Ginny were not, so Harry, explaining what has happened, omits the fact that he actually was the snake who was attacking Mr. Weasley. Fred and George demand to go to the hospital, but Sirius vetoes it, saying the Order wants it kept secret that Harry can "see" things from hundreds of miles away.
Mrs. Weasley sends a Phoenix feather message saying that Mr. Weasley is still alive, although those present in the Grimmauld Place kitchen feel that makes it sound as if he was perilously close to death. At 5 AM, Mrs. Weasley arrives and reports Mr. Weasley is sleeping; Bill is with him. Harry privately tells Sirius that he observed the attack from the snake's point-of-view, as if it had been him attacking Mr. Weasley. Harry also reports feeling intense hatred toward Dumbledore, when Dumbledore actually looked at him directly for the first time since June, and had an urge to sink fangs into Dumbledore. Sirius says he will tells Dumbledore, but Harry should not dwell on it.
Sirius, pleased at having a full house for the holidays, is singing Christmas carols. His infectious joy causes everyone to pitch in to make it a good holiday. For Christmas, Sirius and Lupin give Harry a book on jinxes and counter-jinxes, useful for Harry's defensive arts classes. Hermione has made a comforter for Kreacher, but is unable to find him. Sirius seems unconcerned, saying a House-elf is prohibited from leaving his master's home without permission, dismissing Harry's comment that Dobby once visited him without permission. When Kreacher reappears shortly, he seems to be watching Harry speculatively, something that concerns Harry.
Sirius becomes depressed that everyone is leaving soon. When Snape arrives to tell Harry that Dumbledore wants Snape to teach Harry Occlumency, Snape and Sirius exchange insults, leaving them at wands drawn and Harry in-between trying to prevent a duel as the Weasleys enter the kitchen.
Sirius becomes more withdrawn and despondent as time draws near for the students' return to Hogwarts. As the students prepare to leave for Hogwarts, Sirius gives Harry a package, saying he can contact him with it. Harry privately resolves never to use it, fearing it will risk Sirius being captured.
Back at Hogwarts, a surprisingly friendly Professor Umbridge summons Harry to her office and offers him a drink. Harry, suspecting Veritaserum, quietly discards it. Umbridge asks where Dumbledore is; when Harry responds he does not know, she then asks where Sirius is. When Harry says he does not know that either, she says that she knows Harry has been talking to Sirius, and if she had proof, Harry would have been arrested. She also mentions that all the fireplaces in Hogwarts are now being monitored except hers.
Momentarily left alone in Snape's office, Harry is tempted by the Pensieve on Snape's desk. Snape extracted and stored memories in it just before their Occlumency lessons; is there something he was afraid Harry would see? Entering Snape's memories, Harry observes his father, Sirius, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew taking their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. exam. Following them and a younger Snape outside afterwards, Harry is dismayed when Sirius and James mercilessly bully Snape, suspending him upside down in mid-air, and filling his mouth with soap. Remus, then a prefect, does nothing to stop them, and Pettigrew eggs them on. They relent momentarily when Lily Evans intervenes, but Snape calls her a Mudblood, and Lily abandons him to his fate.
Presented with this new and unflattering portrait of his father, Harry urgently wants to discuss it with Sirius, but the fireplaces are being monitored. Ginny suggests that Fred and George can help, and they create a diversion while Harry breaks into Umbridge's office to contact Sirius via the Floo network. Harry tells Sirius and Lupin what he saw. Sirius admits that he and James were uncaring, foolish, and reckless youths, but claims Snape was far from innocent. Sirius saying James matured into a kind and compassionate man does little to appease Harry, who realizes that he could never behave as his father had at that age. Sirius and Lupin are alarmed that Harry has stopped Occlumency classes, and urge him to restart them. Harry, hearing someone approach, breaks the connection.
During his History of Magic OWL exam, Harry falls asleep and dreams that Voldemort is inside the Ministry torturing Sirius. Convinced it is really happening, Harry sneaks into Umbridge's office and uses the fireplace to contact Grimmauld Place. Kreacher says his master will never return from the Department of Mysteries. Harry, along with several other students, is caught by Umbridge. Hermione engineers her and Harry's escape, and, under Harry's urging, he, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna Lovegood, ride thestrals to the Ministry to rescue Sirius.
Once there, they realize Harry was tricked when they are trapped by a dozen Death Eaters, led by Lucius Malfoy, who seeks a Prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort. The students, save Harry, are disabled in an escape attempt, with Harry being cornered. As Bellatrix Lestrange tortures Neville to force Harry to hand over the prophecy, Sirius, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Lupin, and Moody arrive. Harry Stuns Macnair, but Neville is jinxed by Dolohov, who then makes two attempts at Harry before Sirius distracts him. Harry Petrifies him and attempts to flee with Neville. Dumbledore enters from the Brain Room, and quickly apprehends all the combatants except two: Sirius is dueling Bellatrix. As Sirius taunts her, Bellatrix blasts a stunning spell squarely at his chest. His rigid body floats through a veiled stone archway. Harry rushes after him, but Lupin restrains him before he reaches the portal, telling him it is too late. Sirius is gone.
Dumbledore later explains that Kreacher lied about Sirius' whereabouts. Sirius was actually tending to Buckbeak, who Kreacher injured. Dumbledore suggests that Sirius' harsh treatment towards Kreacher stemmed from the House Elf being a living symbol of everything Sirius had hated about his family. Harry angrily accuses Dumbledore of implying that Sirius deserved what he got for treating Kreacher badly, which Dumbledore denies. Dumbledore also says that when Sirius had dismissed Kreacher at Christmas, Kreacher manipulated that into being permission to leave the house, and he went to the only Black relative he felt still upheld the family's values: Narcissa Malfoy. Barred from revealing any Order of the Phoenix secrets, he could tell the Malfoys about Harry and Sirius' relationship, and that Harry would do almost anything for Sirius. This allowed Voldemort to fabricate the false dream that lured Harry to the Ministry.
Harry corners Nearly Headless Nick for information about ghosts, hoping Sirius has become one. Nick says that Sirius did not fear death; therefore he would have gone on. Harry later encounters Luna Lovegood, and they talk about Sirius. Luna says the dead are not really gone, just waiting, and asks if Harry heard them whispering on the other side of the veiled archway. Harry surprisingly feels better after this conversation.
[edit] Half-Blood Prince
In the opening chapters, Former Ministry of Magic minister Fudge tells the Muggle prime minister that an investigation into what happened in the Department of Mysteries is underway. Fudge seems to now agree that Sirius was probably innocent.
Harry comes to terms with Sirius' death.
[edit] Deathly Hallows
Sirius' flying motorcycle makes a reappearance in the Escape from Privet Drive. Arthur Weasley has attached a side-car, in which Harry is to ride to safety; however, a weapon added to the motorcycle, a dragon-fire thrower that seems to act like a rocket booster, weakens the link and the sidecar breaks off. Harry rejoins Hagrid on the motorcycle, and they use the dragon-fire to hasten their voyage to the safe house. In their final descent, Hagrid leaps out of the seat to attack a Death Eater, and despite Harry's best efforts, the motorcycle crashes into the ground and is largely destroyed.
Arthur Weasley tells Harry later that he had collected the pieces and hidden them in the chicken coop at The Burrow, in the hopes of reassembling them and, if possible, learning how brakes worked. In an after-publication interview, the author says that Mr. Weasley has reassembled the motorcycle.
Harry explores Sirius' bedroom at Number 12, Grimmauld Place after the Trio take refuge there following their flight from Death Eaters. Apparently rebelling against his parents, Sirius had fixed many large Gryffindor House posters and students' photos on the wall with Permanent Sticking Charms. Harry finds the room ransacked, but searches the wreckage for information about his godfather. He finds a letter written by his mother and a torn-off photo of himself at about one-year-of-age riding a toy broom. He is unable to find either the letter's second page or the missing picture portion, which seems to have contained one of his parent's image.
In Severus Snape's memories, Harry relives bits of Snape's school career. Snape is bullied by James Potter and Sirius Black on the Hogwarts Express as they head to the school for their first year. Snape also sees Sirius being Sorted into Gryffindor, as he had wanted to be. Harry witnesses Lily trying to rescue Snape from being tormented by James and Sirius, and much later, Snape in Sirius' bedroom taking the letter's second page, and tearing Lily's image from the picture to take with him as well.
Harry, needing moral support as he goes to face Voldemort, uses the Resurrection Stone that is hidden inside the Golden Snitch. Sirius' spirit appears, along with James, Lily, and Lupin, who keep the Dementors at bay, and encourage Harry to be brave in facing his death. When Harry reaches the clearing where Voldemort is and releases the Stone, the spirits vanish.
[edit] Strengths
A loyal, close friend to James Potter and Remus Lupin. Sirius was intelligent, handsome, and witty. He was also a powerful and talented wizard who rejected his family's pure-blood supremacy beliefs, and for which he was stricken from the Black family tree. He showed great affection for Harry and took his role as godfather seriously, becoming a strong father figure to Harry. Although Sirius was occasionally lax where discipline was concerned, when he suspected Harry was in danger during the Triwizard Tournament, he strictly ordered him to remain safely inside Hogwarts, much to Harry's displeasure.
[edit] Weaknesses
At Hogwarts, Sirius was popular, but he, along with James Potter, was rather arrogant and sometimes bullied weaker students—Severus Snape in particular. As a fugitive, the innocent Sirius had difficulty coping with being confined to his own house while hiding from the authorities. He was also frustrated at being unable to actively help the Order of the Phoenix fight Voldemort. His years in Azkaban Prison stunted his emotional development, resulting in him sometimes acting more like Harry's peer rather than his mentor. Throughout Order of the Phoenix, Sirius increasingly became mentally unstable, causing him to make careless decisions and engage in rash behavior. His condition, that probably partially resulted from his years in Azkaban, was further exacerbated by his later in-house confinement. However, insanity and mental instability also ran in the Black family; Sirius was exhibiting symptoms somewhat similar to those seen in other family members, such as his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. By the book's conclusion, he had psychologically deteriorated to a point that may have contributed to his death.
[edit] Relationships with Other Characters
Sirius was one of the Marauders, along with Lupin, Pettigrew and James Potter. His nickname (Padfoot) is derived from his animagus form of a large, black dog. Sirius is Harry's Godfather and legal guardian.
Sirius and Severus Snape have always been at daggers points with each other; one time, Harry witnesses what seems to be the beginning of a wizarding duel between them, broken up only by the Weasley family's arrival.
[edit] Analysis
The first time the "young Sirius Black" is mentioned largely goes unnoticed, as we have no idea who he is. All we know is that he loaned his flying motorcycle to Hagrid. While Sirius himself changes little throughout the series, Harry's understanding about him, and thus ours, gradually changes as plot twists are revealed. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban it is learned that Sirius is an escaped murderer, then that he is a wizard. We discover that Sirius apparently intends to kill Harry. It is hinted that he has done something that would inspire Harry to seek revenge, but it is not until Christmas that Harry learns that it was Sirius who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort, then, when confronted by their friend Peter Pettigrew, killed Pettigrew and twelve incidental Muggles. Sirius is believed to be in Voldemort's inner circle, and even his second-in-command.
Once Sirius traps Harry in the Shrieking Shack, we learn that it is Peter Pettigrew who supported Voldemort; Pettigrew was made the Potters' Secret Keeper and then betrayed them to Voldemort. When Voldemort fell, Pettigrew engineered his own apparent death, framing Sirius, and went into hiding. When the truth is revealed, Sirius is seen as being all good, effectively becoming a replacement for Harry's dead father.
It is because of this revelation that we have chosen to not explicitly state Sirius' loyalty in the information box. In fact, Sirius is consistently loyal, first to his friends, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, and later to James' son Harry, and Albus Dumbledore. Despite our understanding throughout the early part of the third book, when Sirius is portrayed as Voldemort's man through and through, and despite his upbringing in what we later discover to be a hotbed of Pureblood wizards and anti-Muggle leanings, Sirius is always loyal to the cause espoused by Dumbledore. Yet, to have this revealed too early would ruin enjoyment of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the first cracks in Sirius' mental stability begin to appear. While Sirius is still advising Harry in the Triwizard Tournament, that advice sometimes seems a bit odd. In particular, the reader may wonder why Sirius feels that Harry must compete in the Triwizard, as it seems that some malign influence forced his entry. Would it not be better to have him somehow left behind in the Tournament, keeping him safe from the worst risks? Sirius counsels about what may be the most dangerous course, blithely assuming that Dumbledore will catch Harry should he fall. In the episode in the cave, Sirius seems slightly less than sane, possibly caused by his subsistence on rats and hiding in such harsh conditions. However, when Viktor Krum is attacked, Sirius shows just what a responsible and protective guardian he can be when he scolds Harry for straying outside Hogwarts' grounds with an opponent. He sternly orders Harry to stay inside Hogwarts' safe boundaries, although Harry feels Sirius is employing a double standard, forcing him to stay put when Sirius likely would have ignored the rules if he had been in the same situaiton.
It is in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that Sirius' character truly begins unraveling. Being a fugitive kept him confined to 12 Grimmauld Place with only his mad mother's portrait and the apparently senile House-elf, Kreacher for company for long periods. When Harry arrives for Christmas, he can smell sherry around Sirius, so we can assume that Sirius uses alcohol for solace. Sirius' extreme pleasure at having company over the holidays is sad and also pathetic. Molly having to remind Sirius that Harry is not James returned, early in that book, is dismissed by Sirius, but seems all too valid; Sirius does appear to treat Harry as he would James, as a compatriot rather than as his ward. It is likely that Sirius' emotional development was stalled during the 12 years he was incarcerated in Azkaban, and it has possibly even regressed. Although Sirius remained tragically flawed by his delayed emotional development, he was still a good influence and acted as a protector and father figure for Harry. It is debatable whether or not more could have been done to help Sirius. Leaving him confined in his house for long periods, isolated, and with little interaction or purpose in life, clearly added to his decline. Perhaps finding him a more active and substantial role within the Order of the Phoenix could have helped stabilize his condition.
It should be noted that the House of Black provided Voldemort with many ardent supporters, both in his original ascent to power and during his return. The Black family's blood purity ethic would have made Voldemort's beliefs attractive to them. It was probably generally assumed that this belief exteneded to Sirius and that he was also a Voldemort supporter, though he (like his cousin, Andromeda Black Tonks) had rejected his family and was now loyal only to Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix.
[edit] Questions
- The author has stated that the two-way mirror Harry received from Sirius will be useful in Book 7. What are some possible ways that it might be, even though it is broken?
- Why did Sirius treat Kreacher the way he did? What it justified?
- Why does Harry smell sherry on Sirius?
- What could have been done to help Sirius' mental condition? Was he beyond help?
- What does Luna Lovegood mean when she tells Harry that the dead are waiting?
