Azkaban escapes | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia — Sirius Black muttering in his sleep [src] In 1993, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban after seeing Scabbers in a Daily Prophet article, of the paper Cornelius Fudge gave him, in July 1993, recognising him as his traitorous former friend Peter Pettigrew . By 1 August , Black took advantage of his extreme weight loss to slip through his cell door in his Animagus dog form (which was unregistered, thus the Ministry did not take preparations against) while the Dementors were bringing in his food and swam across the North Sea to find Pettigrew. [2] Black was able to maintain his sanity due to his knowledge of his innocence, a non-happy thought that the Dementors could not take. It was only this that allowed him to maintain his powers to transform, and what made the escape possible. This escape was the only known unaided escape, and officially the first one in Azkaban history (until Barty Crouch Jr 's escape was revealed).

Black was facing the Dementor's Kiss as punishment should he ever be recaptured, though he ultimately eluded the Ministry, and his name was cleared shortly after his death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange in the Department of Mysteries, in the year of 1996. 1996 mass breakout "We have confirmed that ten high-security prisoners, in the early hours of yesterday evening, did escape. And of course, the Muggle Prime Minister has been alerted to the danger. We strongly suspect that the breakout was engineered by a man with personal experience in escaping from Azkaban; notorious mass murderer Sirius Black, cousin of the escapee Bellatrix Lestrange." —Cornelius Fudge interview to the Daily Prophet about the Azkaban mass breakout [src] In January 1996, a mass breakout from Azkaban set ten long-imprisoned Death Eaters loose. Lord Voldemort had little trouble arranging this, as many of the Dementors were happy to oblige his dark whims. The Daily Prophet , probably with encouragement from the Ministry of Magic , reported that the escaped criminal Sirius Black was probably responsible for the incident.

These ten were considered to be some of the most dangerous and highly guarded convicts due to their crimes being legendary. The escapees were high security prisoners being held on the top most floors of the prison and were sentenced to life within the walls of the fortress. Most of the escapees, as well as a few other Death Eaters, would be returned to prison after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries . [3] With the expection of Bellatrix Lestrange who eluded capture, with the contiued aid of Lord Voldemort. Known escapees harry potter - How did Sirius escape from Azkaban? - Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange How did Sirius escape from Azkaban? up vote 13 down vote favorite It always amazed me to think that Sirius Black somehow (allegedly) became the first person (at the time of the third book) to escape from Azkaban. Now, I can't really remember exactly what happens in the books (read it years ago) but I have a vague feeling that it was not particularly explained. Did he get help? Did he pull a Shawshank Redemption? Am I just forgetting a major plot point, like OOTP breaking him out somehow without the ministry knowing about it?

Is there any canon explanation of exactly how Sirius managed to escape from Azkaban Prison? Which is a high security, magical, dementor infested prison; not to mention a prison filled with Death Eaters who probably despise him and would definitely try to stop his escape. 6 I'm pretty sure Sirius explains it himself. Change into his dog form, charge the door at feeding time, swim to shore... Make for Privet Drive. – Jesan Fafon Jun 19 '14 at 15:38 1 Being that this world is magical filled with many Animagus, you'd think the only (magic) prison in the country would have that covered. – Edward G-Jones Jun 19 '14 at 15:39 5 @Noodlemanny Not that many (I think Hermione said there had only been a few that century, but could be misremembering), and they're supposed to be registered. It's possible that there are provisions taken for prisoners who are known Animagi, but nobody knew that Sirius was one.

– Anthony Grist Jun 19 '14 at 15:40 3 Having now done a quick Google search (sorry should have done this before, no excuse) I found this harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Azkaban_escapes Basically it seems that he changed to his dog form then slipped through the bars when he was thin enough. Because he was an unregistered Animagus there were no precautions against this. It does say that he only escapes after he saw reference to Peter Petigrue as a rat. Seems odd to only try when given a particular reason. Why didn't he try to escape before? – Edward G-Jones Jun 19 '14 at 15:47 2 Once again I must recommend the fanfic "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality" . The description of Azkaban is terrifying; in particular, if a new prisoner is an Animagus (registered or not, they test), they remove the Animagus form before turning the key. They've also anticipated the use of time-turners, phoenixes, and damn near everything else. The escape (or breakout), is quite intricate and logical.

– Beta Jun 20 '14 at 0:58 up vote 15 down vote accepted Sirius explains in the third or fourth book that the thought of his innocence and revenge kept him from being affected by the Dementors. He later says that he got a Daily Prophet and saw Peterpettigrew after that he knew he had to escape so he did. Quoted from the Harry Potter answer wikia: His knowledge of his innocence allowed him to retain his powers and sanity. 'One night, when (the Dementors) opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog. It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused ... I was thin enough to slip through the bars. I swam as a dog back to the mainland. I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog.

I've been living in the Forest ever since.' Prisoner of Azkaban; chapter 'The Servant of Lord Voldemort' This Quote is from the Harry Potter wikia, but its sort of conjectural(at least the article said that), it matches the other answers though In 1993, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban after seeing Scabbers in a Daily Prophet article, of the paper Cornelius Fudge gave him, in July 1993, recognising him as his traitorous former friend Peter Pettigrew. By 1 August, Black took advantage of his extreme weight loss to slip through his cell door in his Animagus dog form (which was unregistered, thus the Ministry did not take preparations against) while the Dementors were bringing in his food and swam across the North Sea to find Pettigrew.[2]Black was able to maintain his sanity due to his knowledge of his innocence, a non-happy thought that the Dementors could not take. It was only this that allowed him to maintain his powers to transform, and what made the escape possible.

This escape was the only known unaided escape, and officially the first one in Azkaban history (until Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape was revealed). Black was facing the Dementor's Kiss as punishment should he ever be recaptured, though he ultimately eluded the Ministry, and his name was cleared shortly after his death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange in the Department of Mysteries. And this link is to a question from the movies stack exchange- It explains the mechanics to escape. up vote 16 down vote Sirius explains the mechanics of his escape himself in Prisoner of Azkaban (emphasis mine): “It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the dementors couldn’t destroy it. … It wasn’t a happy feeling … it was an obsession … but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog. … It’s so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused. … I was thin, very thin … thin enough to slip through the bars. … I swam as a dog back to the mainland.

… I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I’ve been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry. …” Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban - April 1, 2004 - PNN.com Manage alerts | What is this? AZKABAN PRISON (PNN) -- Sirius Black, convicted 12 years ago for the murder of 13 people with a single curse on a busy Muggle street, has escaped from Azkaban prison, PNN has learned. Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge has notified Muggle governments around the world of Black's breakout, to the chagrin of the International Federation of Warlocks. Fudge insists that Black's inherently dangerous nature warranted the notice. "Look, it's supposed to be impossible for anybody to escape from Azkaban prison," said Fudge. "I mean, we've got Dementors guarding the place, and they've been very trustworthy up until now!" Sightings have already been reported globally by nervous witches and wizards. None have been officially confirmed so far.

"Personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban," said a worried mother at popular wizard pub The Leaky Cauldron, who wished to remain anonymous. MORE NEWS Sirius Black | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia —Sirius Black giving Harry Potter advice Sirius Black ( 3 November , [9] 1959 [10] – 18 June , 1996 [4] ), also known as Padfoot or Snuffles (in his Animagus form) was a pure-blood wizard , the older son of Orion and Walburga Black , and the brother of Regulus Black. 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 - 1978 . As the rest of his family had been in Slytherin, he was the odd one out. As Sirius's relationship with his relatives deteriorated, he gained lifelong friendship in James Potter and Remus Lupin .

Peter Pettigrew was a friend as well for ten years. 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 exact revenge on Pettigrew. However, Pettigrew was able to frame Sirius for his betrayal of the Potters, the murder of twelve Muggles, and the staged murder of Pettigrew before Sirius could accomplish this. Sirius was sent to Azkaban , and after twelve years became the only known person to escape the prison unassisted by transforming into his Animagus form of a massive black dog confused with a "Grim", an omen said to cause death. Sirius exposed Pettigrew's treachery to his old friend Remus and his godson. After Lord Voldemort returned in 1995 , Sirius rejoined the Order.

He was murdered by his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and subsequently cleared of all charges by the Ministry of Magic, though he was too late to enjoy his freedom. 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. Contents [ show ] Biography "Sirius was a brave, clever, and energetic man, and such men are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe others to be in danger." — Albus Dumbledore 's opinion of Sirius [src] Early life (1959-1971) Harry Potter: "Were — were your parents Death Eaters as well?" Sirius: "No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge." — Sirius regarding his family's beliefs [src] Sirius was the last remaining heir of the House of Black , a once-notable pure-blood wizarding family.

His parents, Orion and Walburga , were both Blacks by birth and second cousins. Sirius had a younger brother, Regulus , who died after turning against Lord Voldemort in 1979 by attempting to destroy his Horcruxes . He was killed by the Inferi guarding one of his Horcruxes (although Sirius did not know this). Sirius did not share a close relationship with his brother, calling him "a better son" than himself. [11] "Sirius" is a traditional Black family name, recurring in at least three generations and following a family tradition of naming children after stars, constellations, and galaxies. The names Cygnus, Arcturus, and Regulus have also occurred at least twice each. Notably, however, only one Sirius (the subject's great-grandfather ) left a line of descent, which ended with the youngest Sirius, as he did not have children. [12] The Blacks in the early 1970s The Black family believed strongly in pure-blood elitism.

They refused to consort with Muggles or Muggle-borns , Squibs and blood traitors and even disowned Squib family members, such as Sirius's great-uncle Marius Black , and insisted that their family members only marry within respectable pure-blood classes; because of these beliefs, they were forced to marry their own cousins. They also held the Dark Arts in reverence. Sirius rejected these values, leading to conflict with his family. He even put permanent-sticking charms on Gryffindor banners, as well as pictures of Muggle girls in bikinis, and motorcycles, and a picture of himself and his Gryffindor friends on the walls of his room to emphasise his differences from the family and annoy his parents. [13] 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.

However, in his later life, Sirius established friendships with his first cousin once removed, Nymphadora Tonks , as well as his godson Harry Potter (whom he loved as a son), Harry's best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley , (his third cousin) and his distant cousins in the Weasley family . He was distantly related to Arthur. [11] Hogwarts years (1971-1978) "It's beautiful, isn't it? I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again as a free man." —Sirius reminiscing on his days at Hogwarts [src] Sirius during his Sorting sitting next to Lily Evans Sirius had an unhappy childhood; by adolescence he had come to hate most of his relatives, in particular his mother, Walburga and his cousin Bellatrix Black . Whereas all other members of the Black family were Sorted into Slytherin , Sirius was placed in Gryffindor during his Sorting in 1971, showing that his views had already diverged from those of the rest of the family before he came to school.

Sirius also took great care in hanging Gryffindor banners all over his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place to show his difference from the rest of the family. Aside from the shrine to Godric Gryffindor, Sirius did the rest of his room akin to a Muggle boy of his age. He put up pictures of motorcycles and fighter jets, as well as posters of bathing beauties. Honouring Muggle accomplishments annoyed his family, but none so much as angering his mother that Sirius considered Muggle women attractive, even though muggles aren't a different species. The Marauders in their Animagus forms. Sirius is the black dog. By contrast, he greatly enjoyed life at Hogwarts, where he was inseparable from his best friends James Potter , Remus Lupin , and Peter Pettigrew . Remus, they later discovered, was a werewolf. To support him, Sirius, James and Peter secretly — and illegally — became Animagi , which allowed them to safely accompany Remus during his transformations and keep him under control.

Sirius'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 after their three Animagus forms and Moony after his lycanthropic condition. They would, during their time at Hogwarts, create the Marauders 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. They were very bright wizards, and in Harry's third year, he gained whole of this map by Fred and George, who took it from Filch. 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, but his especially rebellious attitude made him ignore them, therefore making the girls fawn over his bad boy attitude.

Many teachers regarded him and James as troublemakers or practical jokers; Hagrid once compared them to the mischievous twins Fred and George Weasley , saying that the Weasleys could "give them a run for their money". Harry witnessing Sirius and James bullying Snape in their fifth year Sirius's popularity was not universal, however. Early on, a mutual hatred sprang up between James Potter and Severus Snape. Sirius actively supported James, leading to Snape bestowing an equal and life-long grudge upon Sirius, which resulted in Snape's happiness after Sirius's death. Sirius later claimed Snape was "this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts " from Snape's first moments at Hogwarts, though there is no evidence of this during their first meeting. It could be that Sirius was exaggerating this to demonise Snape. He was one of the many people who hated Snape. Sirius and James often went out of their way to bully Snape; while watching one of Snape’s memories in the Pensieve , Harry saw Sirius and James physically bully him simply out of boredom.

Sirius attempted to justify this by pointing out that he and James were only 15 at the time (to which Harry hotly replied, "I'm 15!"), though he did admit that he and James were "arrogant little berks", and that he 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, whom James later married straight out Hogwarts. Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter as teenagers during their final years at Hogwarts Early on in his 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 family and took refuge with James Potter and his parents. The Potters generously adopted Sirius as a son. His outraged mother blasted his name off the family tree, as was tradition for those who did not support the family's supremacist ideology. Sirius's uncle Alphard , Walburga's brother, sympathised with his young nephew and left him a large inheritance, most likely causing Walburga to blast Alphard's name off, as well. Sirius was left financially independent by his uncle’s generous bequest, and eventually got a place of his own. First Wizarding War (1978-1981) Sirius: "What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard that ever existed? Only innocent lives, Peter!" Peter Pettigrew: "You don’t understand!

He would have killed me, Sirius!" Sirius: "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" — Sirius confronting Peter in regards to his betrayal [src] Sirius as an original Order member during the First Wizarding War After leaving school, Sirius fought against Lord Voldemort , eventually joining the Order of the Phoenix . Around 1977 , he and James were involved in a motorbike chase with two policemen. Although the chase started off as a bit of fun, it turned slightly more serious when the pair were attacked by three men on broomsticks. Sirius and James used their wands to raise the police car that had been chasing them, and their attackers crashed into it. It is unknown whether they got into trouble with the Ministry of Magic. [14] Sometime in 1979 , Sirius's father and brother both died. Orion's death was from an unknown cause, while Regulus's death was when he drank the Drink of Despair , and when he tried to get water to quench his thirst, he was dragged to his death by the 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. [13] 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. Peter Pettigrew killing twelve Muggles after being confronted by Sirius about the death of Lily and James Potter 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 a "weak, talentless thing" — Peter Pettigrew — as a less obvious choice. Keeping everyone else, including Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore, in the dark, Sirius and the Potters reassigned Pettigrew to be Secret-Keeper with Sirius as a decoy. [15] Between the wars (1981-1995) Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Sirius Black - Wikibooks, open books for an open world Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Sirius Black From Wikibooks, open books for an open world grey Related Family Descendent of former Hogwarts Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black .

Mother Walburga Black , father Orion Black , brother Regulus Black , godson Harry Potter Loyalty Overview[ edit ] Sirius Black was sentenced without a trial to life imprisonment in Azkaban for betraying James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort , and murdering their friend, Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles. In the early stages of Book 3, he has escaped and no one doubts he is trying to kill Harry Potter . Role in the Books[ edit ] Beginner warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level. Prisoner of Azkaban [ edit ] Sirius Black, a wizard and convicted murderer, has escaped Azkaban Prison . Black is believed to be so dangerous that even Muggle TV news reports are issuing warnings about a dangerous fugitive. When Harry storms out of the Dursleys' 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 solely to find and murder Harry. Later, Mr. Weasley asks a rather bemused Harry to promise not to look for Black.

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. Shortly after, in Potions class, Draco Malfoy taunts Harry about never seeking revenge on Sirius Black, though Harry is confused about what he means. Just before Christmas, Harry overhears a conversation in the Three Broomsticks pub that Black betrayed James and Lily Potter to Voldemort, and afterward murdered their friend, Peter Pettigrew , along with twelve Muggle bystanders. Harry is shocked to learn that Black is also his godfather. Enraged, Harry vows to avenge his parents' deaths. Soon after, Black slips into the Gryffindor common room using Neville Longbottom's lost password list. He shreds Ron 's bed curtains with a knife, but flees when Ron wakes up screaming. It is unclear why Black attempted to attack Ron rather than Harry. During the climactic Shrieking Shack scene, Black's innocence is revealed; 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 also explained: they are the four Marauders who attended school together and created the "Marauder's Map," a magical document that has come into Harry's possession showing Hogwarts Castle and its inhabitants. Harry realizes that the large black dog that has been stalking him is actually Black in his Animagus form (the ability to transform into an animal at will); Black has been watching over his godson, Harry. Pettigrew is also an Animagus, disguised for the past twelve years as Ron's pet rat, Scabbers . It was "Scabbers" who Black was attempting to kill the night he broke into Harry's dorm. When Pettigrew escapes and Black is captured, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge insists Black is guilty and orders a Dementor , an inhuman Azkaban guard, to immediately suck out Black's soul. Using a Time Turner, Harry and Hermione retrace that night's events and free Black. Later, Black sends Harry an owl message saying he is safe—for now. Harry also learns it was Black who gave him a Firebolt broomstick at Christmas as an anonymous gift.

Black also gives written permission for Harry to visit Hogsmeade Village on school outings, and, as compensation for losing his "pet" rat, he donates the tiny delivery owl to Ron. Ginny Weasley promptly names the owl Pigwidgeon . Goblet of Fire [ edit ] Sirius returns to England after Harry writes to him about his throbbing scar and a troubling dream involving Voldemort. Fearing his fugitive godfather may be captured, Harry wanted him to stay away, but Sirius is concerned about Harry's safety. Meanwhile, Harry has been mysteriously chosen to compete in the dangerous Triwizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts. Hermione urges Harry to write to his godfather again, and Sirius arranges to meet him in the Gryffindor common room. the Floo network carries Sirius' head into the fireplace, allowing him to warn Harry about Igor Karkaroff , the competing Durmstrang school's headmaster and a former Death Eater . It was Professor Moody , a retired Auror, who arrested Karkaroff. Sirius believes that an earlier attack on Moody could have been an attempt to scare Moody from taking the Defence Against the Dark Arts post. These events may herald Voldemort's return.

Following the Tournament's Second Task , Sirius meets Harry, Ron, and Hermione during the next Hogsmeade Village weekend . Sirius, half-starved and in his dog form, leads the Trio to a nearby cave where he and Buckbeak are hiding. Harry's letters, plus reports in the Daily Prophet , have made recent events sound suspicious to Sirius. Percy Weasley's boss, Bartemius Crouch , missing work sounds uncharacteristic to Sirius. It was Crouch who sentenced Sirius to Azkaban without a trial. When Crouch headed the Aurors Department, he championed using desperate measures against Death Eaters , 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 and Alice Longbottom , Neville's parents. Crouch presided over his son's trial, convicting him. Crouch lost his son, who died in prison, his wife, who passed away shortly after, and his chance to be the Minister of Magic, 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.

Harry believes Snape is a Death Eater, but Sirius says though Snape was associated with Slytherins who became Death Eaters, he was never accused. Sirius also has no idea what the object on Karkaroff's arm could be. Sirius tells Ron to ask Percy about Crouch's illness, and also about Bertha Jorkins' disappearance. Ludo Bagman was quoted in interviews as saying that Bertha has a bad memory, though Sirius recalls she had an excellent one in school, at least for gossip. Sirius also wonders why Bagman has been offering to help Harry win the Tournament. After Bartemius Crouch mysteriously appears and then disappears at Hogwarts, Harry writes Sirius, but his response only scolds Harry for straying out of bounds with another Triwizard Champion. Other Champions might do anything, including attacking Harry, to win. Hermione agrees with Sirius, saying that Harry is safe inside the school, though Harry is annoyed that his godfather orders him to stay put. As Harry prepares for the Third Task , Sirius sends messages filled with adjurations to ignore events outside Hogwarts; Harry's only priority should be safely navigating the Third Task maze.

Sirius continues sending messages almost entirely filled with tips and tricks for casting charms and jinxes. Following the Tournament's final event, Barty Crouch, Jr., who has been impersonating the real Professor Moody, is apprehended. After Barty's confession, Dumbledore takes Harry to his office where Sirius, ragged and worried, awaits. Sirius feels Harry should rest, but Dumbledore insists that Harry immediately face what happened. Harry recounts Cedric Diggory's murder and Voldemort's resurrection in the graveyard. Dumbledore then escorts Harry to the Hospital Wing, telling Sirius, back in his dog form, that he can stay with Harry. After Cornelius Fudge dismisses Dumbledore's and Harry's claims about Voldemort, Dumbledore requests that Snape and Sirius put aside their mutual animosity and maintain a cooperative truce. He assigns both missions; Snape's is unknown, but Sirius, still a fugitive, is to alert "the old crew", then hide out at Remus Lupin's place. Order of the Phoenix [ edit ] A haggard-looking Sirius greets Harry, who arrives at Number 12, Grimmauld Place , the Black family's ancient home and now the Order of the Phoenix headquarters.

Sirius is still a fugitive, and Peter Pettigrew has presumably informed Voldemort about Sirius' Animagus dog shape, effectively confining Sirius to his hated home. Harry and the Weasleys staying there have temporarily lifted Sirius' spirits. At Sirius' suggestion, and over Mrs. Weasley's objections, Harry is permitted to ask questions about Voldemort. Sirius lets slip that the Order is guarding something that Voldemort wants, but Mrs. Weasley abruptly ends the conversation. Sirius, Mrs. Weasley, and the younger crew work to make the dilapidated house habitable again. Kreacher , the Black family's old and apparently senile House-elf , who only took orders from Mrs. Black's mad, shrieking portrait, 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 after he rejected the family's pure-blood ethos and ran away. Sirius points out other relatives, including his brother Regulus , an apparent Death Eater who is rumored to have been killed by Voldemort. As the students' departure date near, Sirius grows despondent again.

Harry suspects Sirius' increased depression actually dates from Harry's Ministry hearing; if convicted, Harry would probably have stayed with Sirius at Grimmauld Place rather than return to Hogwarts. Sirius, in dog form, accompanies the party to King's Cross Station to see the students off. He is evidently recognized by Lucius Malfoy , because shortly after, the Daily Prophet reports Sirius was spotted in London. A story also appears in the Quibbler suggesting Sirius is innocent, though the Quibbler's journalistic standards are considered spurious. Harry writes to Sirius complaining about Professor Dolores Umbridge , who is also a Ministry spy. Sirius responds that the Order does not believe she is a Death Eater. Cornelius Fudge is paranoid that Dumbledore is building a secret wizard army to overthrow the Ministry, which is why Umbridge banned magic in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Both Harry and Hermione veto Sirius' suggestion to meet during the next Hogsmeade Village weekend, claiming it is too dangerous. Sirius chides Harry for being so cautious, unlike his father, James. Sirius warns Harry that Mrs.

Weasley knows about Harry's secret D.A classes, and she forbids Ron to join; she advises Harry and Hermione to forego it, though Sirius approves. While discussing possible meeting locations, Umbridge's hand suddenly appears in the fireplace, grabbing at where Sirius' floating head has just vanished. Just before Christmas, Harry reports dreamed that Mr. Weasley was attacked at the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore alerts the Order, and Mr. Weasley is found alive, but seriously injured. To prevent Professor Umbridge's interference, Dumbledore sends Harry, Ron, Ginny , and the Twins to Grimmauld Place. On arrival, Harry whiffs cooking sherry odors clinging to Sirius. Sirius vetoes Fred and George going to the hospital, saying the Order wants Harry's ability to "see" things from hundreds of miles away kept secret. Harry privately tells Sirius that he observed the attack from the snake's point-of-view, and felt intense rage toward Dumbledore when their gazes met. Sirius says he will inform Dumbledore, but Harry should not dwell on it. Mr. Weasley is expected to make a full recovery, and Sirius is overjoyed that everyone is staying for the holidays.

Sirius seems unconcerned when Hermione is unable to find Kreacher, saying a House-elf is prohibited from leaving his master's home without permission. When Kreacher reappears, Harry notices that he is watching him speculatively, making Harry uneasy. Depressed that Harry is soon returning to Hogwarts, Sirius gives him a charmed mirror, saying Harry can contact him anytime with it. Harry privately resolves never to use it, fearing it will risk Sirius being captured. Back at Hogwarts, a surprisingly (and suspiciously) friendly Professor Umbridge summons Harry to her office. She offers him a drink that Harry suspects contains Veritaserum , and quietly discards it. Umbridge asks about Dumbledore's and Sirius' whereabouts; when Harry responds he does not know, Umbridge mentions that all Hogwarts fireplaces except hers are being monitored. Harry peers into a Pensieve containing Snape's memories and observes the teen-aged Sirius and James mercilessly bullying Snape. Pettigrew eggs them on, while Remus Lupin, then a Gryffindor prefect , does nothing. Snape returns and discovers Harry viewing his memories; furious and embarrassed, he ejects Harry from his office, ending their Occlumency lessons.

Disturbed by what he witnessed, Harry contacts Sirius, who admits that he and James were uncaring, foolish, and reckless youths, but claims Snape was far from innocent. That James matured into a kind and compassionate man, does little to soothe Harry, who could never behave as his father. Both Sirius and Lupin are alarmed that Harry's Occlumency classes with Snape ended, and urge him to restart. When Harry experiences a vision that Voldemort is torturing Sirius, he, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna Lovegood ride Thestrals to the Ministry in London. But the students have been lured into an ambush—a dozen Death Eaters, led by Lucius Malfoy , are lying in wait. They need Harry to retrieve a Prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort. Sirius, Tonks , Shacklebolt , Lupin , and Moody arrive in time to subdue the Death Eaters. Dumbledore has also arrived and confronts Voldemort. As Sirius duels his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, her spell stuns him, sending his rigid body through a veiled stone archway. Harry rushes after him, but Lupin restrains him, saying it is too late. Sirius is gone.

Dumbledore explains later that when Harry attempted to reach Sirius using the Floo Network, Kreacher lied about his godfather's whereabouts. At Christmas, when Sirius dismissed Kreacher, he manipulated that into permission to leave the house, going 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. This allowed Voldemort to fabricate the false dream that led Harry to the Ministry. Harry hopes that Sirius has become a ghost, but Nearly Headless Nick dispels that, saying Sirius, not fearing death, would have gone on. Luna Lovegood later tells Harry that the dead are not really gone, just waiting. She asks if Harry heard their whispering voices on the other side of the veiled archway. Harry surprisingly feels better after this conversation. Half-Blood Prince [ edit ] In the opening chapters, Former Minister For Magic 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 mourns Sirius' death but gradually is coming to terms with it.

Sirius' will leaves all his property to Harry, including the house at Grimmauld Place and its contents, including Kreacher. Deathly Hallows [ edit ] Sirius' flying motorcycle makes a reappearance in the Escape from Privet Drive . Arthur Weasley has attached a side-car for Harry to ride to safety; however, a weapon added to the motorcycle, a dragon -fire thrower that acts like a rocket booster, weakens the link and the sidecar breaks off. Harry safely climbs aboard the motorcycle behind Hagrid, and the dragon-fire hastens their escape to the safe house. In their final descent, Hagrid leaps off the seat to attack a Death Eater, and despite Harry's best efforts, the motorcycle crashes and is largely destroyed. Arthur Weasley later collects the pieces and hides them in the chicken coop at The Burrow , hoping to reassemble them and, if possible, learn how brakes work. In an after-publication interview, the author states 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 mess 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 while heading 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 Remus Lupin, who keep the Dementors at bay, and encourage Harry to be brave in facing his death. Both Lupin and Sirius' spirits appear to be younger and Sirius seems happy. When Harry reaches the clearing where Voldemort is waiting, he releases the Stone, and the spirits vanish. Strengths[ edit ] Born into a wealthy and influential Wizarding family, Sirius was intelligent, handsome, charming, and witty. He was also a powerful and talented wizard who apparently acquired considerable magical knowledge. While at Hogwarts, when he and James Potter discovered that Remus Lupin was a Werewolf, they did not shun him as others would. Instead, they supported him by secretly learning to become Animagi, an extremely difficult feat, even with proper training. (They had to coach Peter Pettigrew on how to do this.) Also while at Hogwarts, Sirius helped create the Marauder's Map, a powerful magical document that shows every person within the school and their specific location. Sirius had rejected his family's pure-blood supremacy beliefs, despite being raised under this ethos. As a consequence, he was stricken from the Black family tree and banished.

He sought refuge with the Potter family and later joined the Order of the Phoenix, along with Lily and James Potter. This eventually pitted him against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, which included close relatives, such as his cousins, Bellatrix Black Lestrange and Narcissa Black Malfoy. Sirius was a loyal, close friend to James and Lily Potter, Remus Lupin, and also Peter Pettigrew, who later betrayed him. After escaping Azkaban prison (where he was incarcerated for crimes he never committed), his first act is to make sure his orphaned godson, Harry, is safe and well. He had great affection for Harry and took his role as godfather seriously, becoming a strong father figure to his godson in the short time they were together. Although Sirius' stunted maturity occasionally resulted in poor parental judgment and made him lax regarding discipline, when he suspected Harry was in danger during the Triwizard Tournament, he firmly ordered him to remain safely inside Hogwarts, much to Harry's displeasure and resentment. Weaknesses[ edit ] At Hogwarts, Sirius was a handsome and popular student, but he, along with James Potter, was rather arrogant and sometimes bullied weaker classmates—Severus Snape in particular.

As an innocent fugitive who many still believed served Voldemdort and betrayed James and Lily Potter, Sirius had difficulty coping with confinement in his own house to elude the authorities. His inability to actively help the Order of the Phoenix battle Voldemort deeply frustrated him. Sirius was barely a grown man when he was sentenced to Azkaban, and it appears that the long years there stunted his emotional development and maturity, resulting in his occasionally acting more like Harry's peer than mentor. Throughout Order of the Phoenix, Sirius increasingly grew mentally unstable, resulting in rash decisions and reckless behavior. His impaired mental condition, that was partially due to his harsh incarceration, was further exacerbated while he was being hunted, and later by his in-house confinement. And though safe and comfortable inside Grimmauld Place, Sirius, often lonely and isolated, numbed his anguish with alcohol. His few pleasures were brief visits with Harry and a few other close friends, and in doing what little he could to assist the Order. It should be noted that insanity and mental instability apparently ran throughout the Black family; Sirius may have been exhibiting symptoms somewhat similar to Bellatrix Lestrange. By the book's conclusion, he had psychologically deteriorated to where his faulty judgment may have contributed to his death.

Sirius, an unregistered Animagus, escaped Azkaban prison by transforming into his dog form, slipping past the Dementors that were unable to detect his canine guise. Though clever, it was twelve years before Sirius utilized this method to escape. Why he was unable to do this earlier is unknown, though his deteriorated physical and mental condition may have been a factor. Relationships with Other Characters[ edit ] Due to his early and long incarceration and premature death a few years after his escape, Sirius never had an opportunity to marry or have children, though his handsome features no doubt attracted many female admirers during his youth. Though he was raised with the Black family's deeply-entrenched, pure-blood superiority beliefs, he rejected these views, so much so that he requested that the Sorting Hat place him in Gryffindor House rather than Slytherin, his family's traditional House. This estranged Sirius from his disapproving relatives, except for his cousin, Andromeda Black Tonks, who the family also banished for marrying Muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks. Sirius is also close to their daughter, Nymphadora Tonks.

After his mother disowned him, Sirius fled to the Potter home, staying with James and his parents. Sirius never reconciled with his family, and was forever bitter over their cruel treatment. Sirius learned that his younger brother, Regulus, had become a Death Eater, but once entering the Dark Lord's service, he was unable to leave after realizing just what it entailed. Although Sirius believed Voldemort or his Death Eaters murdered him, Regulus actually died in the secret sea cave after replacing Voldemort's Locket Horcrux with a fake one. Sirius was one of the Marauders , along with Remus Lupin , Peter Pettigrew and James Potter . They created the Marauder's Map while in school together. Though James was his best friend (becoming godfather to James' son, Harry), Sirius was also quite close to Remus, though less so with Peter Pettigrew, who had ingratiated himself into the other three's inner circle. An illegal Animagus, Sirius' nickname (Padfoot) is derived from the large, black dog form he assumed when transformed. Both Sirius and James intensely disliked Severus Snape , and often bullied him when they were all students at Hogwarts.

Sirius once tricked Snape into going to the Shrieking Shack while Lupin was confined there during his werewolf transformation, though James intervened, saving Snape's life. Snape never forgave Sirius (or James) for his dangerous prank, and the two remained particularly antagonistic with one another, always at daggers points; once, Harry witnessed a heated encounter between the two at Grimmauld Place that could have erupted into wizard's duel, prevented only by the Weasley family's timely arrival. Sirius' second closest relationship was with his godson, Harry. Being imprisoned almost immediately after James and Lily Potter were murdered, it was twelve years before Sirius was able to fulfill his godfather role after escaping Azkaban prison. Sirius' then-anonymous gift of the Firebolt was quite obviously an attempt to reclaim this role, though we don't understand it as such until the end of the third book. Initially, Harry, like others, believed Sirius caused his parents' deaths and sought revenge. After Sirius' innocence is proved in Prisoner of Azkaban, godfather and godson instantly bonded.

Although Sirius deeply loved and protected Harry, his stunted maturity and mental deterioration sometimes impaired his parenting abilities, causing him to sometimes act as Harry's pal rather than his guardian. Harry deeply grieved beloved godfather's death and later christens his first-born son, "James Sirius", to honour his lost father and godfather. Analysis[ edit ] 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 evolves 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, and he 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 Sirius betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort, then, when confronted by their friend Peter Pettigrew, killed Pettigrew and twelve incidental Muggles.

Not only does Black apparently want to kill Harry, but Harry also discovers that Black is also his godfather, the man who is supposed to be his protector. 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 Sirius is innocent and it is actually Peter Pettigrew who supported Voldemort; Pettigrew was made the Potters' Secret Keeper and then betrayed them to Voldemort. When Voldemort fell, Pettigrew faked his own murder, framing Sirius, then went into hiding, disguised as the Weasley family's pet rat, Scabbers. When the truth is revealed, proving Sirius' innocence, he assumes a surrogate-father role to Harry. Soon, though, Pettigrew, and the truth, escape, and Sirius becomes a hunted man again. This revelation is why we choose to withhold Sirius' true fidelity in the information box above. 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.

Sirius is initially portrayed as Voldemort's faithful follower, and despite his upbringing in a hotbed of pureblood wizards and anti-Muggle beliefs, Sirius is actually always loyal to Dumbledore's cause. Revealing this information too early would ruin readers' 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 appearing. While Sirius advises Harry about the Triwizard Tournament, that advice sometimes seems rather 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. During the cave episode, 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, though 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 situation. 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 for long periods with only his mad mother's portrait and the irritable and apparently senile House-elf, Kreacher for company. When Harry arrives for Christmas, he smells sherry clinging to Sirius, so we can assume 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 his twelve-year incarceration 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 and providing regular companionship could have helped stabilize his condition. It should be noted that the House of Black provided many ardent Voldemort supporters, both during 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 extended 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. Questions[ edit ] Study questions are meant to be left for each student to answer; please don't answer them here. 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? What does Harry smell on Sirius? What might this indicate? 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? Sirius Black III | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Loyalty Harry Potter (Godson) Sirius Black first appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as a murderer escaped from Azkaban. He was first ever person to escape from the heavily guarded prison. Usually the people who are locked in the dreadful prison go mad because the place is swarming with Dementors. Dementors are big creatures in black hooded cloaks with skinny scabbed hands and have the power to devour one’s soul. But Dementors couldn’t affect animals. Sirius Black was an Animagus so he could change into his dog form any time he wanted to. That was one of the reasons he escaped insanity.

The other reason was that he knew he was innocent and it was Peter Pettigrew who was guilty and it was he that should have been locked up in the prison. Contents Edit Sirius first met Harry Potter in the Shrieking Shack, after dragging his friend, Ronald Weasley into the secret passageway in the roots of the Whomping Willow by the leg. Harry, after overhearing that Sirius was his godfather and had betrayed his parents, Lily and James Potter, was furious. He had been about to do a curse of Sirius when Remus Lupin came to his rescue. Remus, an old friend of Sirius, had seen Sirius’s dot on the Marauder’s Map and come to the Whomping Willow to investigate. He had disarmed Harry, helped Sirius to his feet and asked where Peter Pettigrew was. Hermione Granger, seeing Sirius and Remus embrace, had announced that she knew that Remus was in fact a werewolf and had been helping Sirius into Hogwarts castle all along. Sirius and Remus then told the true story of how Sirius had been locked up in Azkaban and revealed Scabbers’s real identity.

After, when the story had been told, Sirius asked Harry to come and live with him. Before they could get much further into the conversation though, the moon rose. Remus, who Hermione had announced was a werewolf, had forgotten to take his Wolfsbane potion and transformed into a werewolf, forgetting who he was. As werewolf-Remus got closer to Harry, Ron and Hermione, Sirius transformed into a dog and drove him back. Sirius would have been killed by Remus if Hermione had not mimicked a werewolf call to save him and Harry. Sirius ran down to the lake in the forest and collapsed. The Dementors and Harry soon found him and the Dementors were about to do the kiss when Harry (on the other side of the lake having travelled back in time) produced a Patronus strong enough to send them away, saving himself, Hermione and his godfather. Later Harry and Hermione used the time-turner to save Buckbeak, Hagrid’s hippogriff that had been sentenced to death and Sirius. Sirius was able to escape from the astronomy tower and flew away on Buckbeak.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Edit Sirius Black returned briefly in the fireplace at the Gryffindor common room. He told Harry that he had broken into a Muggle house to use their fireplace and had to be quick. He explained to Harry about Igor Karkaroff , who was a Death Eater and that he could not be trusted. Sirius came back again when Harry, Ron and Hermione were in Hogsmeade. He had been living in a cave in the mountains not far from the village and had been living off of rats. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Edit In the fifth book, Sirius joins the Order of The Phoenix. However, he must remain indoors in the Headquarters, as his dog disguise is useless. He also keeps run-away Buckbeak in his mother's room. He is mainly bored and must put up with cleaning and Kreacher, a house-elf. Sirius greets his death due to a stupid mistake made by Harry. Harry is so convinced that all his dreams are real because of a dream that he had about Arthur Weasley that came true that he believes one. The dream was about Sirius being trapped by Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic (Sirius wasn't).

After a duel with some Death Eaters, members of the Order of the Pheonix, including Sirius, over take Neville, Luna, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry. A spell shot by Bellatrix Lestrange kills Sirus and he falls through the Veil. HPL: Azkaban - The Harry Potter Lexicon [LEGACY] HPL: Azkaban Explore Characters Locations Magic Canon Events Things Creatures Essays About • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 Azkaban Fortress "They don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheerful thought. Most go mad within weeks." Known Prisoners, Past & Present Introduction Far out in the icy waters of the North Sea lies a tiny island that is home to one of the most terrible places on earth: Azkaban, the wizarding prison ( PA3 , Sch1 ). Azkaban is a terrible place.

Prisoners were for years guarded by Dementors , horrible creatures who have been described as "sightless soul-sucking fiends." They feed on positive emotions, which means that after spending much time in the prison, the prisoners lose all hope and all good feelings and thoughts. They are forced to relive the darkest, most horrible memories of their lives. Some go mad, others simply despair and die ( GF27 ). During Voldemort 's return to power, however, the dementors allowed the escape of a number of Death Eaters ( OP25 ) and then eventually deserted Azkaban altogether to ally themselves with Voldemort ( HBP1 ). After Voldemort's defeat, new Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt saw to it that Dementors would no longer be involved in guarding Azkaban, which despite making the atmosphere more plesant on the island, likely prevents a number of problems as well (BLC).

Location " Sirius did not have to pass through Little Whinging to get from Azkaban to Hogwarts ; he just wanted to." -- J.K.Rowling ( Sch1 ) Because of a comment by Sirius Black describing his escape from Azkaban, some have conjectured that the island must really located farther south than the North Sea location Rowling has described. Sirius does state quite clearly that he swam to shore, then visited Privet Drive before heading north to Hogwarts ( PA22 ). Privet Drive is in Surrey, which is south of London . Since it is only logical to assume that Sirius would have swum to the nearest point on the mainland to Azkaban, that point must have been somewhere in the English Channel between England and France . Several fans have tried to come up with alternative locations which fit the bill. Rowling, however, is very clear on the subject. Azkaban is far to the north, and Sirius chose to travel to Hogwarts with a detour through Surrey . That seems odd to us Muggles, but wizard ideas of "shortest route" don't necessarily use the kind of geometry we Muggles take for granted. The Knight Bus , for example, seems to move between destinations almost in alphabetical order.

This odd logic is similar to that which makes Transfiguration simpler when the two items have similar names (guinea pigs and guinea fowl). Therefore we can't necessarily take Sirius ' offhand analysis of his trip and superimpose it over a Muggle map to figure out where Azkaban is ( Sch1 ) Break-Outs We know of at least four break-outs from Azkaban. We have been led to believe that these are the only times this has ever taken place, as Ron states clearly after Sirius Black 's break-out that "no one's ever done it before" ( PA5 ). While this isn't quite true, it does seem likely that the break-outs we've heard of are all that exist. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.

Error Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( 2004 ) PG | It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new "Defense Against the Dark Arts" teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped the Wizards' Prison and is coming after Harry. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

a list of 47 titles created 22 Dec 2013 a list of 48 titles created 14 Mar 2015 a list of 25 titles created 09 May 2015 a list of 29 titles created 24 Jun 2015 a list of 43 titles created 11 months ago Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) 7.8/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 42 nominations. See more awards » Videos Harry finds himself mysteriously selected as an under-aged competitor in a dangerous tournament between three schools of magic. Director: Mike Newell Harry ignores warnings not to return to Hogwarts, only to find the school plagued by a series of mysterious attacks and a strange voice haunting him. Director: Chris Columbus With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

Director: David Yates As Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, he discovers an old book marked as "the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past. Director: David Yates As Harry races against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, he uncovers the existence of three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows. Director: David Yates Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Director: Chris Columbus Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion. Director: Andrew Adamson A newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc. Director: Shawn Levy After his swamp is filled with magical creatures, Shrek agrees to rescue Princess Fiona for a villainous lord in order to get his land back.

Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker. Director: Tim Burton The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian. Director: Andrew Adamson Directors: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and 1 more credit » Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz Edit Storyline Harry Potter is having a tough time with his relatives (yet again). He runs away after using magic to inflate Uncle Vernon's sister Marge who was being offensive towards Harry's parents. Initially scared for using magic outside the school, he is pleasantly surprised that he won't be penalized after all. However, he soon learns that a dangerous criminal and Voldemort's trusted aide Sirius Black has escaped from the Azkaban prison and wants to kill Harry to avenge the Dark Lord.

To worsen the conditions for Harry, vile creatures called Dementors are appointed to guard the school gates and inexplicably happen to have the most horrible effect on him. Little does Harry know that by the end of this year, many holes in his past (whatever he knows of it) will be filled up and he will have a clearer vision of what the future has in store... Written by Soumitra Have you seen this wizard? See more » Genres: Rated PG for frightening moments, creature violence and mild language | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 4 June 2004 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The IMAX Experience See more » Filming Locations: £23,882,688 (UK) (4 June 2004) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia When Chris Columbus scripted Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), Watson believed Holmes obsessed over a case, even at Christmas because unlike other boys his age, he had no family to go home to, like Harry Potter or Kevin McCallister, and Columbus has ties to both the Harry Potter and Home Alone franchises.

See more » Goofs When Harry, Ron, and Hermione first enter their train compartment with Lupin sleeping, the train appears to be shaking, but the liquid in Lupin's bottle does not move. See more » Quotes See more » Crazy Credits The credits appear as a version of the Marauder's Map, moving all over the surface, accompanied by little footprints which react and change appropriately. See more » Connections Conducted, Composed, and Produced by John Williams Performed by 'The London Oratory School Schola' (Melbourne, Australia) – See all my reviews This third Harry Potter film is the best one yet. Director Alphonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, A Little Princess) has taken over from Chris Columbus and has stuck less slavishly to the original JK Rowling Books. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are back as Harry, Ron and Hermoine, with Hermoine in particular getting to do a lot more. There are less Quidditch matches, and more menace, in keeping with the improved complexity of Rowling's third novel. Hogwarts is not safe, Draco Malfoy is no longer a menace, but just a pain in the ass.

And the new CGI-scripted character Buckbeak the Hippogriff (half eagle, half horse) looks fantastic and has personality.The kids are all supposed to be thirteen but look older - hey we'll forgive them. Neville Longbottom has lost so much weight he's almost unrecognisable. Great performances from Emma Thompson hamming it up as the ditsy professor of foretelling, Prof Trelawny, Michael Gambon as the new Professor Dumbledore (not as magical but good), David Thewliss as Prof Lupin, and Gary Oldman as the Prisoner of Azkhaban.Thrilling, complex, menacing, ****/***** stars. 159 of 233 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes harry potter - How did the Death Eaters physically escape from Azkaban? - Movies & TV Stack Exchange How did the Death Eaters physically escape from Azkaban? up vote 9 down vote favorite 1 Below we can see Bellatrix Lestrange stood on the edge of Azkaban prison.

Now, in the book, if I can remember, it's explicitly said that it was the Dementors that broke the Death Eaters out of Azkaban. However, in the film, its implied that it was the Dementors, but how is this possible? Did the Dementors blow the large hole in the side of Azkaban? How did they prisoners actually escape? Maybe the Prisoners pulled a Shawshanks Redemption on the Azkaban prison – KharoBangdo Jul 30 '13 at 10:31 See also a similar question on Science Fiction SE: scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/26970 How Were the Death Eaters Broken Out of Azkaban? – b_jonas May 2 '14 at 18:00 up vote 5 down vote How was Azkaban guarded? It was guarded by the Dementors, who would catch and punish anyone trying to escape. They might lose their soul to the Dementors too. Hence, the prison was actually dependent way too much on the Dementors. As we know, when Voldemort had been reborn, the Dementors sided with him.

It is impossible for anyone to "break" out of Azkaban without the Dementors knowing about it. Even Sirius could manage to escape only because of being an Animagus. The Dark Lord and his supporters could simply have had a deal with the Dementors for letting the Death Eaters escape. The Dementors would have ignored the escape. Once they had the Dementors on their side, freeing the death eaters was only a matter of "breaking them out" from the wall. Hence the hole in the wall - which was done by the Dark Lord or his supporters. Even though it is not mentioned explicitly that Dementors had sided with Voldemort, it was because of the Ministry cover-up. They had already started drifting towards Voldemort. Please also note that the Dementors themselves cannot do any magic such as blasting holes, etc. They are beings who feed on emotions, and can affect only emotions of people. That is the reason they cannot be defeated by mere magic - you require a Patronus, which is the physical form of an emotion - happiness, that can fight a Dementor. Hence, the belief that the break out was orchestrated by the Dark Lord and his supporters with help from the Dementors.

up vote 3 down vote Note: My answers are based primarily on the books themselves and do not use many details (or lack thereof) from the movie. Azkaban is/was the most feared prison in the London side of the wizarding world. This is because of the cold dark cells combined with the Dementor guards. During the time that Voldemort was left powerless, the Dementors had nowhere to go. So the Ministry employed them into Azkaban in order to keep them under control in a sense and to further discourage wizarding crimes. The main reason no-one escaped from Azkaban ever was because the power of the dementors left the prisoners in such a state of apathy that they felt escape was pointless and even that wouldn't bring happiness back into their minds. The ultimate punishment for an offending wizard was not to be sent to Azkaban as a prisoner, but to have performed upon them what became to be known as the Dementor's Kiss. This act would allow the Dementors to unveil their hood and suck out the soul of the offending wizard, leaving them as an emotionless husk for the rest of their days. A fate considered much worse than death or anything Voldemort could accomplish during his reign of terror.

In the 3rd book, the dementors didn't escape. They were merely allowed to hunt down the only escapee to ever come out of Azkaban: Sirius Black. This act was only performed by Siris because he was an unregistered Animagus someone who could turn into an animal at will, but did not register this ability of his with the Ministry of Magic. Without that information, the Ministry had no clue how he could escape and unleashed the Dementors on the world due to essentially panic on their part. Sirius figured out this trick due to noting the Dementors had no actual eyes to see with, they merely felt their way around using people's emotions. For whatever reason, they are unable to do this with animals so by turning into a dog, Siris was able to literally walk right out of Azkaban. Now, jump ahead to the 6th with people being broken out of Azkaban. The Dementors themselves are only magical creatures but they themselves are not capable of magic as humans are.

Therefore, it must have been Death Eaters themselves that either blew a hole into the prison using basic spells or even the Dementors decided to stop feeding on the imprisoned Death Eaters and allow them to simply leave the prison due to Voldemort's return and guarantee of fresh food. up vote 0 down vote I believe we can agree that with most wizards, if their wand is taken the fight is over. Prisoners aren't allowed wands, but what prevents wandless magic. Operating under the assumption that there is nothing blocking wantless magic (as Sirius was able to use his animagus form), what's to say they only use a simple locking charm and maybe a key on the cells? Dementors don't have wieldable-wizard magic, but they do have hands. It's possible that they simply handed the keys to someone and a prisoner managed to undo the magic locking charm. I'm also quite sure that, even though the prisoners would have had no contact with the outside world, they would be ready at a moments notice to escape Azkaban. In another scenario, how hard would it to be for a death eater or sympathizer on the outside to cast an Imperio on one of the aurors/ministry personnel?

Then they could just instruct that person to hand their own wand over to the prisoners in question. Of course, if that were the case, the Ministry would never make themselves look bad in front of the press, so would omit the specifics and chalk it up to escapee-extraordinaire Sirius Black. Assuming there's not 101 other ways to break out of Azkaban prison.

Question: What prison did Sirius Black escape from?
Answer: Azkaban