Sirius Black
Template:HP character Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Sirius Black was first mentioned briefly in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a wizard who lent Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter. His character becomes prominent in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he is the titular prisoner.
Gary Oldman portrayed Sirius in the film adaptations of Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. Sirius as a teenager also made a brief appearance in Order of the Phoenix, and was played by James Walters.
Character background
Early life
Sirius was the last heir of the House of Black, a once notable pure-blood wizarding family. His parents, Orion and Walburga Black, were both Blacks by birth and second cousins. Sirius had a younger brother, Regulus, and three older cousins: Bellatrix, Andromeda (his favourite cousin and mother of Nymphadora Tonks), and Narcissa Black (mother of Draco Malfoy, whom Sirius also disliked).[1] "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.
Sirius's early life proved unhappy; by adolescence, he had come to hate most of his relatives, in particular his mother and his cousin Bellatrix. He rejected his family's pure-blood elitism, reverence for the Dark Arts, and their insistence on so-called pure-blood marriages. Whereas all other members of the Black family were sorted into Slytherin house, Sirius was placed in Gryffindor.
By contrast, he greatly enjoyed life at Hogwarts, where he was inseparable from his best friend, James Potter. He, along with James, was immensely popular: students liked his biting humour, and teachers respected his intelligence, though not his behaviour. His popularity was not universal, however. Early on, a mutual hatred sprang up between James and Severus Snape. Sirius actively supported James, leading to Snape bestowing an equal and life-long loathing upon Sirius. Sirius and James often went out of their way to bully Snape (although Lupin claims Snape often gave as good as he got). Sirius and James also became friends with another student, Remus Lupin, whom they later discovered was a werewolf. To support Lupin, Sirius, James, and another friend, Peter Pettigrew, secretly (and illegally) became Animagi, which allowed them to safely accompany Remus during his transformations and keep him under control. After mastering animagery, Sirius's form took the shape of a huge black dog, from which his nickname Padfoot was derived.
At age 16, Sirius finally broke with his family and took refuge with James and his parents. His offended and outraged mother burned his name off the family tree. Sirius' Uncle Alphard left him a large inheritance, causing Walburga to also remove Alphard's name. Sirius was left financially independent by his Uncle’s generous bequest.
Imprisonment
After leaving school, Sirius fought against Lord Voldemort, eventually joining the The Order of the Phoenix. He remained friends with James, eventually attending James and Lily's wedding as Best Man. When their son, Harry, was born, James and Lily named Sirius godfather.
In 1981, the Potters were aware that their son was Voldemort's specific target. Albus Dumbledore advised the Potters to go into hiding using the Fidelius Charm, a highly complex spell allowing a Secret to be concealed within another person (the “Secret Keeper”). James and Lily wanted Sirius to be their Secret Keeper. However, believing Voldemort would suspect him but not a “weak, talentless thing” like Pettigrew, Sirius and the Potters reassigned Pettigrew to this role. No one, not even Lupin or Dumbledore, knew this.
On Halloween night 1981, the Potters were betrayed by Pettigrew and killed by Voldemort, thus Sirius tracked down Pettigrew, determined to kill him in vengeance. However, Pettigrew outwitted Black: confronted by Sirius on a city street, he created an explosion, faking his own death (leaving a severed finger behind as evidence) and killing twelve Muggles in the process. Sirius was arrested, accused of murdering his former friend and the Muggles, and serving Lord Voldemort. He was sentenced without trial to life imprisonment in Azkaban. He spent the next 12 years in the prison, brooding over his friends' deaths, and Pettigrew's betrayal became an obsession.
Appearances
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius states that unlike most other Azkaban prisoners (who often went insane during their terms of imprisonment), he was able to keep his sanity and his mind because he knew he was innocent.
During the summer before Harry's third year at Hogwarts, Sirius happened to see a picture of the Weasley family on the front cover of the Daily Prophet, in which a rat stood perched on the shoulder of Ron Weasley. This served as a turning point in the series and set the events of the third novel, as Sirius immediately recognized Pettigrew in his Animagus form; he realised that stationed at Hogwarts, Peter would easily be able to deliver Harry to Voldemort if he ever regained power. This resulting obsession cleared his mind and gave him the mental strength to escape Azkaban. He is the first person known to have escaped the wizard prison, accomplishing this feat by transforming into his Animagus dog form. The Dementors' inability to perceive unsophisticated canine minds, along with his severe weight loss from malnutrition, allowed him to slip through the cell's bars.
After his escape, Sirius takes refuge in and around Hogsmeade, intent on exacting revenge upon Pettigrew, but also to look after Harry. During this time as a dog, he also met Hermione Granger's cat Crookshanks, who recognised that Sirius was not actually a dog, and who also recognised Pettigrew for what he was. Half-crazed and desperate, he on one occasion slashes The Fat Lady's portrait with a knife; on another, he is able to enter the Gryffindor common room (with help from Crookshanks, who had obtained the passwords for him) and shreds Ron's bed curtains searching for Pettigrew. Although Sirius deeply cares about his godson, Harry believes Sirius betrayed his parents and vows to kill him.
Towards the end of the novel, however, it briefly appears Sirius will be exonerated. Although Harry nearly kills him, Lupin's timely intervention saves Sirius. Lupin, who now knows Sirius is innocent, is reunited with him. Pettigrew is unmasked, and, most importantly, Harry prevents Sirius and Lupin from murdering Pettigrew. Harry begins to view Sirius as a surrogate father, although events swiftly turn against him again – Pettigrew escapes, and Sirius is captured by the Dementors at Hogwarts and sentenced to "The Dementor's Kiss", a fate worse than death; the Kiss will suck out a person's soul, yet still leave them alive as an empty shell of living death. Harry and Hermione help him escape with Buckbeak, a hippogriff who has also been unjustly condemned. Sirius is once again a wanted man.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Following the events of Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius flees Europe – to somewhere tropical, Harry believes – beyond the Ministry of Magic's jurisdiction. There, he slowly recovers from his years in Azkaban. Although he can only communicate sparingly with Harry by owl post, he gives reasoned and sensible advice. Harry grows closer to Sirius and relies on his help. A worried Sirius returns to Britain during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when Harry's scar begins hurting him again (a signal of Voldemort's presence), coupled with reports of the Death Eater activities at the Quidditch World Cup. He sacrifices some of his regained health to help Harry: by the time he reaches Hogsmeade, he is once again gaunt and dishevelled, hiding in a cave and surviving mainly on rats (with occasional food gifts from Harry and his friends). He has little influence on Harry in this book – his presence cannot prevent the disaster at the Triwizard Tournament, and he mostly dispenses advice and comforts Harry following Voldemort's resurrection. He is later summoned to Hogwarts by Albus Dumbledore and listens to Harry's re-telling of Lord Voldemort's rebirth.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
With Voldemort restored, Dumbledore reactivates the Order of the Phoenix. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius takes refuge in his ancient family home at 12, Grimmauld Place. As the last Black, Sirius inherited the property and allows it to be used as the Order headquarters, although it has fallen into disrepair. Due to the ongoing manhunt, Sirius is effectively confined there, even though Order member Kingsley Shacklebolt, who is a Ministry Auror and is in charge of the hunt for Sirius, knows Sirius is innocent. However, due to the Ministry of Magic's anti-Dumbledore stance and because Pettigrew has informed Voldemort of Sirius's dog disguise, it is too dangerous for him to be in public.
His confinement causes depression, and he is frequently withdrawn and antagonistic – especially so by Snape's increasingly important role within the Order. The hostility between himself and Kreacher, his demented house-elf (who blames Sirius for the suffering he caused his mother, whom Kreacher revered) also affects him. When he briefly leaves the house to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione off to Hogwarts, his Animagus form is recognised by Draco and Lucius Malfoy, resulting in more threats and warnings. Harry and Sirius stay in touch through owls and the Floo Network, a system to communicate through fireplaces. Sirius is nearly captured by Dolores Umbridge, a Ministry official who was monitoring the Network and the owl mail in and out of Hogwarts. Despite his limited mobility, Sirius remains determined to help expose Voldemort and protect Harry, and he is ready to fight whenever needed.
Sirius acts as a father/older brother figure to Harry throughout the fifth book. Fun-loving, bold, and reckless, he encourages Harry to oppose Professor Umbridge and her reforms and strongly approves of Harry starting the secret Defensive tutorial group for students. He also demonstrates a high-level of trust in and respect for Harry, willingly answering the latter's questions about the Order and Voldemort. Lupin and Molly Weasley express disapproval for Sirius's behaviour around Harry, saying that Sirius behaves with Harry as he did with James, Harry's father, and that this is inappropriate.
With his growing power, Voldemort implants a false vision into Harry's mind that Sirius is captive at the Department of Mysteries. Convinced that Sirius is being tortured, Harry and his friends enter the deserted Ministry of Magic and gain access to the Department of Mysteries. When they are ambushed by Death Eaters, Harry realises Voldemort lured him into a trap, and he and his friends are plunged into a desperate fight for survival. It is Snape who saves them; he alerts the Order that the students are missing and have probably gone to "rescue" Sirius (whom Snape already knows is safe). The Order immediately sends a rescue team including Alastor Moody, Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley. Sirius, desperate for any time out of his confinement, comes along too. The Order battles the Death Eaters in “the Death Room”. During a frenzied duel with his hated cousin Bellatrix, he taunts her for failing to harm him. Bellatrix strikes Sirius with a curse, sending him backwards into the veil and to his death. Harry tries – and fails – to get revenge on Bellatrix, only to be interrupted by Voldemort's arrival.
After a short duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore, Voldemort flees, but not before being seen by the Minister for Magic and other ministry officials. As a result, the Ministry abandons its stance that Voldemort has not returned, and Dumbledore is trusted once more. He, in turn, persuades the Minister that Sirius is innocent. By the following book, Sirius is exonerated; unfortunately it is far too late. Harry is left to mourn Sirius, reflecting that, despite his flaws, he was a loving and protective godfather, and the closest thing he had to a real father. Harry inherits all of Sirius's possessions, including the house at Grimmauld Place and the house-elf Kreacher, and Buckbeak passes back into Rubeus Hagrid's care under the assumed name Witherwings. Hagrid had previously been given Sirius's motorbike at Godric's Hollow after Sirius discovered the Potters had been killed.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
As stated by J. K. Rowling during the BBC Paxman interview, 2003, Sirius is "definitely dead."[2] She has created further intrigue, however, by making a cryptic reference to the communication mirror Sirius gave to Harry before he died: "The mirror might not have helped as much as you think, but on the other hand, will help more than you think. You’ll have to read the final book to understand that!"[3] In the final book, Aberforth Dumbledore uses the two-way mirror - which he bought from Mundungus Fletcher a year prior - to see Harry in the Malfoy Manor cellars, which enables Aberforth to send Dobby to rescue Harry.
Sirius makes his final appearance in the final book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when Harry discovers the Resurrection Stone within the golden snitch. Appearing as a ghostlike figure alongside James, Lily, and Lupin, Sirius supports Harry's walk into death and assures him that dying is "quicker and easier than falling asleep". He also promises Harry that the four will remain a part of him.
Rowling revealed a family tree in the J. K. Rowling Documentary on ITV concerning all of the Grandchildren of the Weasley family. In this family tree, it is known that Harry named his first son James Sirius, after his (both late) father and godfather.[4]
Family
Most of the members of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black were advocates of blood purity, and many were involved with the Dark Arts. The Black family home at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, contains many artifacts of dubious origin and/or dangerous ability. The family motto is Toujours Pur, which is French for "Always/Still Pure," owing to the fact that the Black Family is one of the few remaining completely pure blood lineages.
The Blacks intermarried with several other pure-blood families, including the families of known Dark (or at least, malicious) wizards such as Flint, Bulstrode, Malfoy, Crabbe, Rosier, Yaxley, Lestrange, and Goyle, but also non-Dark families such as Potter, Crouch, Longbottom, Macmillan, Prewett, and Weasley. The last several generations of Blacks all trace their ancestry back to Phineas Nigellus Black and Ursula Flint. The Blacks believed in Voldemort's idea of "purifying the Wizarding race", but many, such as Sirius' parents, refrained from outwardly supporting him once they saw what he was willing to do for power. Sirius' brother, Regulus Black, was a Death Eater, but later reconsidered after Voldemort tried to kill the house elf Kreacher. Although there are several living Black family members throughout the series, all are either female, female-line distaff Black descendants, or descendants of disowned family members, and none of them has the name of Black. The last known surviving bearer of the family name, Sirius, is murdered by his cousin Bellatrix in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The family tree is described in the fifth book, but it came more directly to public attention in January 2006 when the author donated a version she had hand-drawn to a Book Aid International charity auction. The tree shows the members of one of the oldest magical families, and their links by marriage to a number of other families whose members also appear in the books. The tree described in the books extends back some 700 years, but the version drawn by Rowling only covers approximately 150 years. Exact details of the tree were kept secret during the charity auction by publishing only incomplete or partially blurred images of the item for sale. However, a number of people attending the auction made notes that were used to confirm the details upon it, and a compilation of the details was published. This was later amended by further information from another copy of the tree incorporated into the film set for Order of the Phoenix where the tree appears displayed in the Black family house, Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
The tree caused a considerable stir amongst fans as it provided new information about elements of the plot of the series in between publication of volumes six (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and seven (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). It was eventually purchased for £30,000 on behalf of British actor Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter in the film series.[5] Rowling made a similar donation before the book launch of Order of the Phoenix, when she gave a card with notes about the book to be auctioned for the same charity in 2002.[6]
The following is not a complete family tree—the Black family extends back to (as far as Harry can see) the Middle Ages. However, this tree shows the last few generations before the line ended. It shows the oldest generations on the left and the younger ones on the right.
The names in bold are members of the family have been stricken from the family tree tapestry chronicling their common blood for various reasons:
- Isla Black of the first generation shown was disowned for marrying Bob Hitchens, a Muggle.
- Phineas Black of the second generation shown was disowned for supporting Muggle rights.
- Marius Black, third generation son of Cygnus and Violetta Black, was disowned as he was a Squib.
- Cedrella Black, also third generation and cousin of Marius, was disowned for marrying a blood traitor, Septimus Weasley.
- Alphard Black of the fourth generation shown was posthumously disowned for leaving gold in his will to his "runaway nephew", Sirius Black.
- Sirius Black of the fifth generation shown, ran away from home and was subsequently removed.
- Andromeda Black, cousin of Sirius, was disowned for marrying "Muggle-Born Ted Tonks".
References
- ^ Rowling, J. K., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Black Family Tree
- ^ "news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk/newsid_3004000/3004878.stm". Retrieved 2007-02-02.
- ^ "www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=22". Retrieved 2007-02-02.
- ^ J.K.Rowling - A Year In The Life; James Runcie; Independent Television (ITV); 2007
- ^ "Potter star buys Rowling document". BBC news 24. 22 February 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
- ^ "Phoenix notes charity donation". The Daily Telegraph. 13 December 2002. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
External links
- Sirius Black on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki
- Sirius Black at the Harry Potter Lexicon
- Sirius Black at Harry Potter Fan Zone
- Rowling on Sirius Black
