Sirius Black
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Harry Potter character | |
 Gary Oldman as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. | |
| Sirius Black | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Grey |
| House | Gryffindor |
| Parentage | Pure-blood |
| Allegiance | Order of the Phoenix |
| Actor | Gary Oldman, James Walters (teenager) |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) |
Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of novels. As an adult, he is played in the film adaptations by Gary Oldman, and as a teenager by James Walters.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Sirius Black ( c.1958-June 1996) was first mentioned briefly in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a wizard who lent Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter. His character becomes prominent in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he is the eponymous prisoner.
[edit] Family and friends
Sirius is the last scion of the House of Black. His parents, Orion Black and Walburga Black, were second cousins, and both were Blacks by birth. The name "Sirius" appears to be a traditional name in the Black family, recurring in at least three generations and following a family tradition of naming members after stars or constellations. 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.
Sirius has two maternal uncles, Alphard Black and Cygnus Black, and one paternal aunt, Lucretia (Black) Prewett. Cygnus' wife Druella (Rosier) Black is his aunt by marriage, and Lucretia's husband Ignatius Prewett is his uncle by marriage. His younger brother is Regulus Black, and he also has three older cousins, Bellatrix (Black) Lestrange (who later murders Sirius), Andromeda (Black) Tonks (his favourite cousin and the mother of Nymphadora Tonks), and Narcissa (Black) Malfoy. Narcissa and Bellatrix were praised by the Blacks for marrying into "respectable" pureblood families, while Andromeda was disowned for marrying Ted Tonks, a Muggle-born wizard. Sirius's younger brother, Regulus, was also praised for joining Lord Voldemort's organization, the Death Eaters. Sirius and Andromeda were anomalies in the Black clan, and—like their uncle Alphard—were removed from the official family tree for being "blood traitors". Sirius was considerably ashamed of his family, and knew nothing but unhappiness at home. It is unknown whether he was always rebellious against his family and their traditions or if he was changed by his experiences at Hogwarts.
Sirius was best friends with James Potter, Harry's father (who might have been related to Sirius through the marriage of Charlus Potter to Dorea Black, a great-aunt of Sirius's), and was also friends with Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. When the group discovered Lupin was a werewolf, they secretly studied to become Animagi in solidarity with Lupin and to keep him company during his transformations. (Lupin was not compelled to attack non-humans when transformed.) Sirius's Animagus form was a large black dog, earning him the nickname "Padfoot". Sirius is described as very handsome in his Hogwarts days, when James and Sirius were said to be inseparable and were very popular. Additionally, they had a reputation for being practical jokers. Sirius also shared James' intense dislike of Severus Snape - as Professor Quirrel said of Snape and James, "They loathed each other," - and in one of Snape's memories Sirius and James were shown bullying Snape . In defence of their apparent bullying, Sirius insisted that even as a teenager Snape had a mean streak and was not the "innocent victim" his memories would make him out to be, although what caused the intense rivalry is unknown. Their antagonism may have stemmed from James' (and also Sirius's) hatred of the Dark Arts and those who belived being "pure bloods" was superior to "half bloods" or muggle-born.
Despite their arrogance, Sirius and James never supported discriminating or persecuting anyone based on their "blood" origin, while Sirius' family sympathised with Lord Voldemort's desire to "cleanse" the Wizarding world of non-purebloods. Sirius' younger brother, Regulus, also joined the Death Eaters.
At age sixteen, Sirius ran away from home to live with the Potter family (who might have been relatives of the Blacks by marriage), disgracing his family and prompting the removal of his name from the Black family tree tapestry (a fate shared by any Black family member his parents didn't like). Alphard Black, Walburga's brother, sympathised with his young nephew and left him a great deal of money. Walburga then removed Alphard's name from the official family tree.
When James married Lily Evans, Sirius was his best man at the wedding and later became Harry's godfather.
[edit] Imprisonment and escape
When the Potters went into hiding from Voldemort, they intended to make Sirius their Secret-Keeper. But Sirius convinced them to instead appoint Pettigrew, under the assumption no one would predict such a move. Instead, Pettigrew betrayed the Potters to Voldemort. When confronted by Sirius, Pettigrew produced an explosion to fake his own death, leaving behind his severed finger as "evidence" he was dead. The explosion also killed twelve Muggle bystanders, and Sirius was left framed for Pettigrew's and the bystanders' "murders" and also for betraying the Potters. With this overwhelming evidence, Sirius' guilt was completely assumed by the ruthless Barty Crouch, Sr., who sentenced him to Azkaban without a trial. He was imprisoned in solitary confinement for twelve years, under relentless mental torture at the hands of the Azkaban guards, the dementors.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius escapes from Azkaban after learning Pettigrew is still alive and at large. His escape results in the largest manhunt ever seen in the wizarding world; even Muggle news media carried stories about an escaped insane murderer. Sirius is the first person known to have escaped Azkaban up to that time. He accomplished this feat by simply transforming into his Animagus dog form. The dementors, only able to penetrate human minds, were unable to detect him as he escaped the Wizarding Prison. However, it is unclear why twelve years passed before he was able to perform this feat. Although several Death Eaters also later escape Azkaban, it appears they were aided by the Dementors, who have since been recruited by Voldemort.
After his escape, Sirius takes refuge in and around Hogsmeade, intent on capturing and exacting revenge upon Pettigrew, who is hiding as Ron Weasley's pet rat, Scabbers, but also to look after Harry. After some confusion, Harry realises Sirius never betrayed his parents and comes to consider his godfather as the father he never had. After Sirius is captured by the Dementors at Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione help him escape with Buckbeak, a hippogriff which had also been unfairly condemned.
[edit] Fugitive and redemption
After the events of Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius fled Europe. As a fugitive, he could communicate with Harry only occasionally by owl post. To protect Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione refer to him by his code name, "Snuffles", and pretend he is a friendly stray dog while he is in his animagus form. Harry continues to rely on Sirius as a father figure, and often turns to him during stressful times.
Sirius returns to England halfway through Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when he hears several disturbing rumors and feels Harry is in danger. After Lord Voldermort's resurrection, Dumbledore reactivates the Order of the Phoenix, which now includes Sirius. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius takes refuge in his ancient family home at Grimmauld Place in London. As all his immediate family are deceased, Sirius inherited the property and allows it to be used as the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, although it has fallen into disrepair. Magic is used to hide its location. Due to the ongoing manhunt, Sirius is effectively confined there, even though Order member Kingsley Shacklebolt, who is a Ministry Auror, knows Sirius is innocent. However, because of the anti-Dumbledore stance of the Ministry of Magic and because Peter Pettigrew has informed Voldemort of Sirius' dog disguise, it is too dangerous for him to be in public. His confinement causes depression, and he is frequently withdrawn and antagonistic. When he briefly leaves the house to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione off to Hogwarts, his Animagus form is recognised by Draco and Lucius Malfoy, resulting in more threats and warnings for him to always remain inside. Harry and Sirius stay in contact through owls and the Floo Network, a system to communicate through fireplaces. Sirius is nearly captured by Dolores Umbridge, a ministry official who was monitoring the Network and the owl mail in and out of Hogwarts. Despite his limited mobility, Sirius remains determined to help expose Voldemort and protect Harry, and he is ready to fight whenever needed.
With his growing power, Voldemort influences Harry's mind and implants a false vision that Sirius is captive at the Department of Mysteries. Convinced Sirius is being tortured by Voldemort, Harry, along with Ron, Hermione and several other students, flies to London on Thestrals. They enter the deserted Ministry of Magic and gain access to the Department of Mysteries. When they're ambushed by Death Eaters, Harry realises Voldermort lured him into a trap. As their situation becomes desperate, Order members, including Sirius, arrive and battle the Death Eaters. Sirius is involved in a furious duel with his Cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. She casts a spell, and the force blasts his body through a mysterious veiled arch called the "Death Room". Harry tries to rescue Sirius, but Remus Lupin grabs Harry, telling him Sirius is dead. Bellatrix runs into the atrium chased by Harry. Voldermort apparates and quickly overpowers Harry. As he is about to kill him, Dumbledore appears and saves Harry. Voldemort vanishes, taking Bellatrix with him, but not before Ministry officials arrive in time to see the Dark Lord; proving what Prime Minister Fudge has always denied—Voldemort has returned. Tragically, Sirius is only declared innocent after his death.
As stated by JK Rowling during the BBC Paxman interview, 2003, Sirius Black is "definitely dead" [1], although some readers wonder about this because of a mirror Sirius left his godchild with a note saying that if Harry ever needed him he was to use the mirror. JK Rowling has further created intrigue by stating that, "The mirror might not have helped as much as you think, but on the other hand, will help more than you think. You’ll have to read the final book to understand that!" [2].
[edit] Inheritance
Sirius left all his property, the hippogriff Buckbeak, his house elf Kreacher, and the remains of the Black Fortune, to Harry in his will. Independently wealthy and having no great love for the place that held so many painful memories, Harry gave 12 Grimmauld Place to the Order of the Phoenix, stating in the sixth book that he did not want it, for Order's continued use as Headquarters. Kreacher the house-elf was now forced to serve him, which did nothing to help the elf's disposition, and the bad-tempered house servant was sent to help in the Hogwarts kitchens. Buckbeak passed back into Rubeus Hagrid's care under the assumed name Witherwings.
The whereabouts of the motorbike are unknown. In point-of-fact, it has only appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone thus far, although it was briefly mentioned again by Hagrid in Prisoner of Azkaban and by Kingsley Shacklebolt in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Hagrid was lent the motorbike at Godric's Hollow after Sirius went to check on the hiding place of Peter Pettigrew, realised the danger the Potters were in and went to Godric's Hollow. After begging Hagrid to let him have baby Harry, Hagrid refused because of orders issued by Albus Dumbledore to take young Harry to the Dursleys. Sirius then lent him the motorbike citing that he wouldn't need it anymore and then went off searching for Peter (Wormtail). J.K. Rowling as of Book 6, has not revealed the motorbike's whereabouts, but has hinted that "the real sleuths" will be able to guess what happened to it. It is possible that Hagrid, like he did to some of his pets, left it to roam the Forbidden Forest; another possibility is that it fell into the possession of Arthur Weasley who has an obsession with enchanting Muggle artifacts and once owned a similarly capable car.
It should be noted that, had Sirius died without having made a will, his possessions would have passed to his murderer, Bellatrix Lestrange (née Black), his cousin and next-of-kin (which suggests that the British laws preventing material gain through murder do not apply to the Wizarding world: because Bellatrix murdered Sirius, his heir should not under Common Law have been Bellatrix but one of her younger sisters). Sirius's property would have been passed to his brother Regulus, but the younger Black died before him, and neither Sirius nor Regulus had children in possession of the Black family name (indeed, neither appear to have had any children at all). Despite Harry's legal ownership of the house, to determine if the Blacks had used some means of magic to prevent a non-Black from gaining custody, Dumbledore had Harry give Kreacher an order; Kreacher obeyed, showing that Sirius' will was able to break any Black family enchantments on the property.
[edit] Mental state
Sirius is a rather tragic figure in the series. His life was not the happiest and never gave him time to properly mature emotionally, making him somewhat of a loose cannon.
At Hogwarts, he was an arrogant but apparently quite normal youth, extremely popular, clever and good looking, but also a bully. Sirius also despised his family for their interest in the Dark Arts and disdain for Muggles. At the age of 16 he ran away from home and was left craving the friendship and acceptance of his peers. This he found, which made him fiercely loyal to the Marauders, the closest people he had left. He even lived with one of them, James Potter, and his parents. At this point, he later admitted, he was "an idiot". He, along with James, was immensely popular at Hogwarts, as he was a brilliant student and extremely good looking. This popularity was by no means universal, as it was at Hogwarts that the life-long feud between Sirius and Severus Snape emerged. Sirius hated Snape for being an "oddball" and for being cruelly prejudiced against anyone not pureblood or Slytherin, although Snape himself wasn't a pureblood. Sirius also believed that Snape was obsessed with the Dark Arts (with good cause, it turned out). The dispute came to a head when Sirius told Snape how to enter the tunnel approaching the Shrieking Shack, a trick which could have resulted in Snape's death had he not been rescued by James Potter. Sirius, however, clearly stated that Snape wanted to know where the tunnel lead to, so he was simply giving him what he wanted whilst neglecting to mention what lay at the end (Remus Lupin in his transformed werewolf state). It seems that while at school Sirius had something of a "bad boy" image as a result of his dark good looks coupled with a reputation for being (along with James) a forerunner of the Weasley twins, i.e., a troublemaker. Sirius also had a sarcastic and biting sense of humour which often amused his friends - he shares this trait with Harry's best friend Ron Weasley.
After leaving school, Sirius joined the Order of the Phoenix to take up the fight against Voldemort, putting himself into a high-stress environment where trust was scarce. This proved manageable until fellow Marauder, Peter Pettigrew, betrayed James and Lily Potter, causing their deaths. Sirius had unwittingly put him in the perfect position to do so, fearing Voldemort would come after him and that the secret would be safer with Peter. When Pettigrew also framed Black for his own murder, it was entirely too much to bear, and the wound would last for life. Sirius is reported to have laughed maniacally upon being accused, and according to Rowling, "he was absolutely unhinged by James's death."
In his 12 years at Azkaban, Sirius tried to hold on to vestiges of his sanity. His dog-form gave him respite from the Dementors' presence, but his guilt over James and Lily gnawed at him, and his desire for revenge became an obsession. Sirius resolved to find a way to escape from prison when he discovered by chance that Peter Pettigrew was using his animagus form to pose as a pet rat belonging to Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley. On escape, he had been greatly tainted by the prison. For the following year, he was directed by the fixation to commit the crime he had been convicted of, wild, desperate, and alone.
It was only when he had his target at wandpoint that, for the first time in many years something good happened. He was reunited with his old friend Lupin, but more importantly also with his godson, Harry. It was Harry who stopped both Lupin and Sirius from committing murder. The two formed a strong bond quickly, but Harry, terrified for Sirius's safety, found a way for him to escape Britain on a hippogriff. Although he was still a fugitive, Sirius had at last met Harry, and could now begin to heal. Though clearly still scarred by his years in prison, he started to resemble his old self. Imprisoned at the age of 22, he never properly matured into adulthood, however, and retained some of his youthful recklessness.
The relationship between Harry and Sirius was somewhere between father-son and brothers. Sirius was funloving, bold and reckless, and sometimes egged Harry on to do things in school (by letter or Floo powder-talk) that would be considered risky. He and Harry shared a similar sense of humour and their conversation sometimes sounded like two brothers or close friends talking rather than an older guardian to his ward. Molly Weasley accused Sirius of being unable to distinguish Harry from James and she was unhappy with Sirius's willingness to answer Harry's questions about the Order of the Phoenix and Voldemort. On Sirius's death, however, Harry painfully recalls how, whenever he was in trouble, Sirius would undertake dangerous journeys back to Britain to be with him, risking his life to help Harry. Foolhardy Sirius might have been, but Harry notes that he was a responsible and protective godfather.
When Voldemort rose again, Sirius was forced into his family's home, which he hated, to avoid capture. Although he finally gained a social life, it made him bitter and morose, and increasingly frustrated as he felt he was being kept from doing his part in the war. He was unable to overcome his feud with Snape or his loathing for Kreacher, the demented house-elf of 12 Grimmauld Place.
It is not surprising that when the Order sent an emergency team to rescue Harry and the gang from the Department of Mysteries, Sirius jumped at the opportunity. The Death Eaters were faced with a man who fought with exuberance and courage, so fearless that he was laughing, up to the point that he was indirectly murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange in the Department of Mysteries during their duel.
Sirius died when a curse fired by Bellatrix hit him, knocking him backwards through an ancient veil that seperated the worlds of the living and the dead.
Sirius had no children to continue the family name; therefore, with his death, the Black family came to an end, as Phineas Nigellus, Sirius's dead relative in portrait form, stated.
[edit] Name etymology
As with many Rowling characters, Sirius's name reveals part of his nature. "Sirius Black" is a pun on his ability to turn into a giant black dog, but it also reflects his family's dark side; Sirius is the name of a star (the brightest one in the sky) which can be found in the constellation Canis Major (the big dog). The star Sirius was called "dog's star" by some ancient cultures such as the Egyptians. Traditionally, Sirius is also the star that a Basilisk egg must be incubated under.
In Greek mythology, Sirius was also the pet dog of the mythological hunter Orion. When Orion was killed, he was placed in the stars as a constellation. Sirius would not stop hunting for his master and so was placed as a star near the Orion constellation by the Greek goddess Artemis as if "Sirius is at his heel and follows (Orion)." [3][4] Ironically, Orion is also the name of Sirius Black's father.
Most (but not all) Black family members are likewise named after stars. (Bellatrix is in the constellation of Orion; Regulus is in the constellation Leo; Draco is a constellation in the northern hemisphere, and Andromeda is the name of both a constellation in the northern hemisphere and a galaxy). "Black" is an obvious reference to the colour of Sirius' canine alter ego, which is often confused with the Grim, a big bear-like black dog that brings death with its presence and is often thought to be the devil's disguise or the travel companions of an invisible she-demon of evil. Black hounds also appear on the Black family crest. "Black" may also refer to Sirius' tragic fate.
[edit] Family tree
Sirius is the son of Walburga Black and Orion Black. His younger brother is Regulus Black.
[edit] Book vs. film portrayal
- Sirius seems to have many tattoos in the film, though there's no evidence of this in the books.
- A photo of him was also taken of him screaming in the film; however in the books it stated that Sirius was calm in Azkaban. This photo may be referencing his apparent insanity after Pettigrew faked his murder and killed twelve Muggles in the street, leaving Sirius alone in the wreckage.
- According to Rowling, Snape is 36-37 years old at the end of the fourth book (1995). As a school contemporary, Sirius should be approximately the same age, but all the characters in that generation are depicted as being slightly older (in their 40/50s) in the films. Yet, Sirius had been in Azkaban which has drained him of his good looks making him seem older, and Lupin is said to continuously look older and shabbier with his old robes and gray hair.
[edit] Note on dates
Originally, the Harry Potter Lexicon used statements from JK Rowling to suggest the birth years of Severus Snape, James Potter and Lily Evans as being approximately 1960, a date which they clung to for quite some time. However, as Rowling revealed further information regarding major characters, 1959 came to be used as the proposed by most fans and theorists (although some fans appear to maintain belief in the 1960 date).
With the release of the Black Family Tree by Rowling, however, combined with a statement from Sirius Black in the Goblet of Fire regarding Severus Snape being briefly at school with Bellatrix Black (whom the Tree stated as being born in 1951), it became clear that the latest possible birthdate for Severus Snape is 1958, and accordingly those in his year group must have been born in the school year of 1957/58.
[edit] References
- Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. ISBN 0-439-35806-X
- Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. ISBN 0-7475-4629-0
- Sirius Black at the Harry Potter Lexicon.
- Sirius Black at Harry Potter Fan Zone
- The Black Family Tree at the Harry Potter Lexicon.
- Rowling on Sirius Black
- Immeritusar:سيرياس بلاك
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