Sirius Black

Biographical Facts of Sirius

Sirius Black was born to the pureblood family Black c. 1960, the elder of two sons (his brother was Regulus Black). Until he entered Hogwarts, he grew up in the Black family home, 12 Grimmauld Place, London. The Black sisters - Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Andromeda Black Tonks, and Narcissa Black Malfoy - are his cousins, and through them their children Nymphadora Tonks and Draco Malfoy. Sirius is also a second cousin once removed of Arthur Weasley, a cousin by marriage of Molly Weasley (OP6).

Sirius' parents were fiercely pure-blood and, while not Death Eaters themselves, were supportive of Voldemort's ideas of purity of the Wizarding race. They favored their younger son, Regulus, who shared their views; Sirius was something of a rebel from childhood, having been sorted into Gryffindor rather than his family's more traditional Slytherin. Even as an adult with a 10 000 Galleon price on his head, Sirius had a taste for mischief (OP); he spent much of his time at Hogwarts in detention with his best friend, James Potter, to whom he was far closer than Regulus (OP9). He also formed a tight bond of friendship with Remus Lupin, a friendship with Peter Pettigrew which the latter betrayed vilely in later years, and a hate/hate relationship with Severus Snape that lasted throughout their lives (PA, OP).

He, along with Remus J. Lupin, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew were a close knit group while at Hogwarts. To keep Remus company in his werewolf state, they illegally became unregistered Animagi during their fifth year, at the age of 15. At each full moon, the quartet explored the grounds (and the Forbidden Forest!), which led them to write the Marauder's Map (PA18). At the age of 16, Sirius ran away from home and was accepted almost as a second son by James' parents, at which point most of the Black family - particularly his mother - disowned him (OP6).
After the group of friends left Hogwarts c.1977, James Potter married Lily Evans, and Sirius stood as Best Man (PA10). Sirius appears in the wedding pictures as a happy, laughing young man. All five - the Potters, Lupin, Pettigrew, and Black - joined the Order of the Phoenix and were active in the first war against Voldemort.

Sirius was named the godfather of Harry when he was born in 1980 (PA10), and was designated as Harry's legal guardian in the event of anything happening to both James and Lily - something all too likely for members of the Order, outnumbered twenty to one in those terrible days (PA20, OP9). Sirius was supposed to be the Potter's Secret Keeper, but convinced the Potters at the last moment to use Peter Pettigrew. When Sirius realized that the Potters had been attacked that fateful October night, he raced to Godric's Hollow on his flying motorcycle, only to find the house in ruins. Hagrid met him there. Sirius suggested that, as Harry's godfather, he should take custody, but Hagrid insisted on following Dumbledore's instructions and taking the boy to Privet Drive. Sirius lent Hagrid his flying motorcycle for the journey. Sirius himself tracked down Peter and confronted the traitor in a Muggle street. Peter screamed that Sirius had killed James and Lily, then set off a huge explosion. Sirius was framed for the deaths of the Potters and sent off to Azkaban. There was no trial.

In 1993, after requesting a copy of the paper from Cornelius Fudge on the latter's inspection tour of the fortress, Sirius happened to see a Daily Prophet article about the Weasleys' trip to Egypt - and there was Peter Pettigrew in his Wormtail form on the front page, with the information that the boy on whose shoulder he rode would be returning to Hogwarts for the school year, where Harry was. Driven by the knowledge that he alone was aware of the deadly danger in which Harry lay while Wormtail was there - Harry, the only living link with his best friend - Sirius managed to shapeshift into dog form and slip past his guards one night to swim to the mainland. He travelled to Surrey to have his first look at his godson in 12 years, encountered Harry in Magnolia Crescent, then headed north to Hogwarts, where he knew Peter (as Scabbers) would be going.

Once in the vicinity of Hogwarts, he broke into the castle twice, once slashing the Fat Lady's picture and once slashing the hangings of Ron's bed with a knife. The trio, Remus, and Snape encountered him in the Shrieking Shack and heard the true story of what happened the night of 31 October - 1 November 1981. Throughout the book, Sirius' one determination is to find Pettigrew and protect Harry. Harry and Hermione used the time-turner to rescue him and Buckbeak, who made their escape together.
He returned to Britain when word of Harry's scar hurting reached him. Once again disguised as a gigantic black dog, he made his way to Hogwarts to protect Harry. He was at Harry's side after the third task, and accompanied him to the hospital wing. He was asked by Dumbledore to go to Remus's and contact the 'old crowd' for the coming battle with Voldemort.

As the last living member of the Black family, Sirius had by this time inherited the family home, 12 Grimmauld Place, and turned it over to the Order of the Phoenix as headquarters. He and Remus Lupin took up residence there (OP5, 6). Thanks to the 10 000 Galleon price on his head and the fact that Wormtail was certain to have betrayed his Animagus status to Voldemort, Sirius was virtually trapped in the house for months on end.

In June 1996, Sirius was part of a pitched, running battle in the Department of Mysteries, fighting against a band of Death Eaters. Sirius taunted his cousin Bellatrix near the end of the battle and subsequently was killed by her. His body fell through a mysterious arch and could not be recovered (OP). [NOTE: whether Bellatrix's attack killed Sirius or whether he died by passing through the arch is open to debate; the end effect is the same, however. He is really dead. -SVA]




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