Sirius Black III

> 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

**Sirius Black** **III** (***3 November*** ***1959***–***18 June*** ***1996***), 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.

## Biographical information

### Date of birth

***3 November*** ***1959***
Islington, London, England, Great Britain

## Physical description

### Eye color

Grey

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, and the staged murder of Pettigrew before Sirius could accomplish this.
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.

## Biography

### Early life Template:C

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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 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.
"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.

 File:The Entire Blacks.png  The Black family believed strongly in pure-blood elitism. They refused to consort with ***Muggles*** or ***Muggle-born***s, 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. 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 Template:C

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 File:1971 sorting.jpg  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.

 File:Marauders.jpg  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*".

 File:James tormenting Severus flashback.gif  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 bully 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 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 red-head who disapproved of such behaviour, whom James later married right after they left Hogwarts.

 File:The Marauders.png
In his fifth year 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 Template:C

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   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.

Sometime in 1979, ***Sirius's father*** and ***brother*** both died. Orion's death was from an unknown cause, while Regulus' 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.
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.
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. However, he 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.

### Between the wars Template:C

#### Imprisonment

> I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!
>
> Rubeus Hagrid recollecting his last meeting with Sirius, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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. 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 and Lily's death. 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.

## Physical description

> 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

 File:Siriusteen.PNG
Sirius was a tall, well-built, darkly handsome man with fair skin, medium, lustrous black hair, which sometimes appeared light in the sun, striking grey eyes, 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.

 File:Sirius Black Profile.JPG  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.
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, Accio Quote!

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 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 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, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

 File:Attack on the Fat Lady.png  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 making 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, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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, 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

> 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 his former teacher, McGonagall. Remus also once stated that he had been one of the cleverest Hogwarts students of his time.

> 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

 File:Padfoot to Sirius Black.gif
* **Transfiguration**: Sirius was incredibly talented in Transfiguration. In his fifth year, he was already skilled enough in Human Transfiguration to be 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.
* ***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.**
* **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 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 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, which is a highly advanced piece of protective magic, and further proof of his superior magical and overall charms ability.
* **Non-verbal 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.
 File:Sirius dueling.gif
* ***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., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

* **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.
* **Strong 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 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, their tradition of being sorted into Slytherin which resulted in him being sorted into Gryffindor, and even fight 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

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, flaunting his house affiliation and 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.
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.

### Marauders

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 File:The Marauders.png
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) everyday. 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

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 File:Severus Snape Profile.jpg
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. They loathed Snape as an "*oddball up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts.*" He also described him as a "*greasy, oily haired kid.*"
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. 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.

### Lily Evans

> Lots of love, Lily.
>
> Lily's friendship and affection toward Sirius, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 File:Lily DHP2.png
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, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

 File:Harry Potter movies hbp promostills 6.jpg
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. 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, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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***.

 File:Harry&Sirius1.gif
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. 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. 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.

### Ron Weasley

> 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 Weasley.jpg
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.

### 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, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

 File:Hermione Granger.jpg
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.

### 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, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

 File:Albus Dumbledore POA promo.jpg
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 was quick to accept Sirius's 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 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

 File:Weasley Wizarding Vacation in Egypt.png
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.
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 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, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

 File:Minerva McGonagall POAF promo.jpg
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 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.

### Order of the Phoenix

 File:Order of the Phoenix.png
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.
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.

## 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

* 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***.
* The fifteen-year-old Sirius in the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) is portrayed by ***James Walters***.
* Young Sirius is portrayed by ***Rohan Gotobed*** in a flashback in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (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 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film), ***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 (film), 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 (film), 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 (film), 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.
* 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.
	+ 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
### 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."*

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

## Appearances

Template:Imagecat

* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
* Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
* Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
* Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) Template:Mention
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 Template:Mention Template:Photograph
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 Template:Flashback Template:Ghost

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 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
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Template:PM - Writing by J.K Rowling: Sirius Black
4. ↑ In the F.A.Q. section of Template: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.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1  (See this image)
6. ↑ Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix (film)
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
8. ↑ Template:GOF
9. ↑ Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix (film)
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix (film) - "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."
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Immeritus" on J. K. Rowling's Official Site (available via Internet Archive)
13. ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) - "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."
14. ↑ 2004 World Book Day Chat
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix
16. ↑ Black family tree
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)
18. ↑ In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film), 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 (film), 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.
19. ↑ *Harry Potter Prequel*
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
21. ↑ Template:PS
22. ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `GOF`
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 16 July 2005 Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview with J.K. Rowling
25. ↑ http://www.accio-quote.org/themes/sirius.htm
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 J.K. Rowling's Official Website: FAQs