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What We KnowSirius Canon Sirius Black, a.k.a. The Prisoner of Azkaban, is the only other
character besides Harry who is featured in a book's title. He is also
the ill-fated character whose death JKR foretold in the years leading up
to the release of Order of the Phoenix. Sirius's thematic relevance
to the series includes issues such as freedom vs. imprisonment, bravery vs.
rashness, injustice in the Wizarding World, forgiveness (and the lack thereof),
wizard/house-elf relations, blood vs. choice, doubles (with James and Harry),
trust vs. betrayal, death and bereavement, and parenting.
Have You Discussed This Yet? Chronology Pre-Hogwarts
[OoP 113] Sirius's great-great-grandfather, Phineas
Nigellus, is headmaster of Hogwarts. Sirius says he's "the least popular." [OoP 116] Sirius's grandfather is awarded the
Order of Merlin First Class for giving the Ministry "a load of gold." Sirius is born (ca. 1960) and raised in his ancestral
home at Number Twelve, Grimmalud Place, in London. He has one younger
brother, Regulus. The Black family is predominately Slytherin.
[PoA 204] According to Rosmerta, McGonagall, Hagrid, Flitwick, and Fudge:
[PoA 354] Sirius learns to become an animagus after three years of figuring out the spell with James and Peter. He turns into a bear-like, shaggy black dog. [PoA 355] Sirius is one of the creators of the Maurader's Map. His nickname is Padfoot. [OoP 170] Sirius and James were never prefects; Lupin was. [OoP 642] Sirius takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL
and probably aces it. He's extremely good looking, dark hair falling into
his eyes with a sort of casual elegance… <squee!> [OoP 645] After the DADA OWL, Sirius and James accost Snape,
jinx him six ways 'til Tuesday, and humiliate him by turning him upside
down to reveal his graying underware. [OoP 111] Sirius runs away from home at the age of 16 and goes to live with the Potters. [PoA 357] Also at 16, when Remus is in the Shrieking Shack in his werewolf form, Sirius suggests to Snape that if he is so anxious to see where Remus goes every month, he can prod the knot on the Whomping Willow and go down the tunnel after him. Snape goes. Hearing what Sirius has done, James goes down after Snape and stops him before he gets into the Shack, but not before he gets a glimpse of the wolf. [OoP 112] Sirius's younger brother, Regulus, joins the Death
Eaters; upon seeing what he would be required to do, he gets scruples and
tries to leave. He's killed either by Voldemort or on Voldemort's
orders. [PoA 204] Sirius is James's best man at his wedding. [PoA 204] James and Lily name Sirius as Harry's godfather. [SS 14, PoA 206] Sirius owns a flying motorcycle. [OoP 174] Sirius has short hair when he is in the Order during
VWI. [PoA 205] When Dumbledore learns that Voldemort has targeted the Potters, he suggests that they perform a Fidelius Charm to hide their location. Sirius is to be their Secret-Keeper. [PoA 365, 369] Sirius persuades James at the last minute to use Peter as the Secret-Keeper, hoping Voldemort will go after him and ignore Peter. [PoA 365] He arranges to look in on Peter a week after the spell has been cast. He finds Peter gone, suspects the worst, and flies on his motorcycle to the Potters' house. He arrives after they have been killed. [PoA 206] When Sirius arrives at the Potters', Hagrid is there to collect Harry. Sirius means to take over Harry's care, but Hagrid, acting on Dumbledore's orders, takes him to an undisclosed location before taking him to Surrey the next evening. Sirius gives him his motorcycle, saying he won't need it anymore. [PoA 363] Sirius tracks down Peter with the intention of killing him. When he catches up to him the next day, Peter cuts off his own finger, [PoA 208] yells "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?" [PoA 363] and blows up the street with the wand behind his back. He then transforms into a rat and scurries down the sewer, effectively framing Sirius for the murder of 13 people. [PoA 39, 208] When he is arrested, he is laughing. [GoF 526] He is not given a trial and sent summarily to Azkaban
for the rest of his life; Barty Crouch Sr. is responsible. Sirius spends 12 years in Azkaban, from November 1981 through
July 1993. [PoA 209, 371] He isn't affected by the dementors as badly as other prisoners; he believes it is because he knew he was innocent—an unhappy thought that the dementors couldn't suck away from him. He also can still turn into Padfoot, whose emotions are simpler than a human's, and the dementors think he is losing his mind like everyone else, so they leave him alone. Relatively speaking. [GoF 595, OoP 114] Rodolphus and Rastaban Lestrange are convicted with Bellatrix and Barty Crouch Jr. for torturing the Longbottoms. [GoF 528] Sirius sees them when they are taken to Azkaban. [PoA 209, 362] Cornelius Fudge visits Azkaban during the summer of 1993. Sirius asks Fudge for the Daily Prophet he is carrying, saying he misses doing the crosswords. Sirius sees the photo of the Weasleys with Scabbers sitting on Ron's shoulder. He recognizes Scabbers as Peter. The paper says Ron will be going to Hogwarts in the fall. [PoA 371] He decides he has to do something to protect Harry from Peter. [PoA 66] In his sleep he begins to say, "He's at Hogwarts, he's at Hogwarts." [PoA 372] He turns into Padfoot, slips past the dementors, and swims ashore, probably on July 30th, 1993.
[PoA 16] On the morning of July 31, 1993, Muggle television announces Sirius's escape. They say he's armed and dangerous. His photo shows him with a "gaunt face … surrounded by a matted, elbow-length tangle." [PoA 33] Sirius, as Padfoot, sees Harry in Magnolia Crescent after he runs away from floating Aunt Marge. Harry sees only a large hulking mass and two glowing eyes. [PoA 433] Sirius begins his journey north to Hogwarts. [PoA 37] Harry, aboard the Knight Bus, reads about Sirius in the Daily Prophet and Stan fills him in on the details, e.g., Sirius killed 13 people with one curse (including 12 muggles) when he was cornered by the authorities, he was a big supporter of "You-Know-'Oo," (thought he'd be second-in-command, in fact), he laughed as they hauled him away, he was the first to escape from Azkaban. [PoA 66] Harry overhears Molly and Arthur Weasley arguing. They say that Sirius wants to kill Harry to bring Voldemort back. The night he escaped, Fudge went to Azkaban and the guards told him Sirius had been saying "He's at Hogwarts, he's at Hogwarts" in his sleep. [PoA 126] A Muggle woman spots Sirius "not too far from" Hogwarts. She calls the hotline to the Muggle police, but by the time the MoM gets there, Sirius is gone. [PoA 372] Again, Sirius slips past the dementors as Padfoot and takes up residence in the Forbidden Forest. [PoA 364] At some point, Padfoot meets Crookshanks, who recognizes that Padfoot is not a real dog. Sirius plots with Crookshanks to get Scabbers out of the castle. [PoA 161] Having failed to get Scabbers out of the castle, Sirius decides to go in after him. During the Halloween feast, he goes to Gryffindor Tower and is thwarted by the Fat Lady. Sirius insists she let him in but she refuses. He takes a knife to her canvas and she flees to another painting. Peeves sees it all. Sirius is forced to flee when the students begin to return to the common room. [PoA 178] During the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff Quidditch match, Harry sees Padfoot watching him from the top row of the stands. He thinks it's The Grim. [PoA 202] Harry overhears the conversation between Rosmerta, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, Fudge, and Hagrid. He hears that Sirius was the Potters' Secret-Keeper and that he killed Peter. [PoA 212] Harry finds a photo of Sirius at his parents' wedding. His face is "handsome, full of laughter." [PoA 223] Sirius sends Crookshanks to the Owl Office in Hogsmeade with a letter to Gringotts saying (I assume) that Harry Potter wants X galleons taken from vault 711 (U.K. edition only) to purchase a Firebolt to be mailed to Hogwarts for Christmas. Hermione correctly guesses that Sirius sent it and promptly informs Professor McGonagall. [PoA 243] Lupin tells Harry that he knew Sirius, "or at least
I thought I did." [PoA 247] The Daily Prophet announces that the Ministry
has authorized the Dementor's Kiss for Sirius if he's caught. [PoA 256] Harry sees glowing eyes in the forest after Quidditch practice. He flushes Crookshanks out, but Padfoot might have been there, too. [PoA 266] Ron awakens to see Sirius poised above him with a knife. Ron's bedcurtains have been slashed. Sirius runs from the room when Ron screams. [PoA 303] Harry sees Padfoot and Crookshanks crossing the lawn at night. [PoA 334] The Shrieking Shack scene begins, with Padfoot first tackling Harry then grabbing Ron by the wrist and dragging him into the Whomping Willow's tunnel and on to the shack. He inadvertently breaks Ron's leg when Ron hooks his foot around a root. He turns back into Sirius in the Shack, and Harry and Hermione arrive alone. He and Harry tussle for awhile, then with the help of Hermione's swift kicks he finds himself at the business end of Harry's wand. Then Lupin arrives, asks where Peter is, figures out the truth, and embraces Sirius like a brother. Good grief, if you don't know what else happens in the Shrieking Shack, go read it right now. Chapters 17–19. I can't repeat it all here. [PoA 379] Sirius asks Harry if he'd like to stay with him during the summer. Harry says yes yes yes. [PoA 381] Padfoot saves the Trio and Pettigrew from Lupin when he transforms into a wolf. [PoA 382] Padfoot, cornered by the dementors, changes back into Sirius, who collapses and loses consciousness. After Harry's Patronus disperses the dementors, Snape binds and gags him, puts him on a stretcher, and delivers him up to the castle. [PoA 390] Dumbledore interviews Sirius in Professor Flitwick's office. Sirius tells him what happened in the Shrieking Shack and also the part about becoming animagi, the Secret-Keeper switch, the framing, and his escape from Azkaban. Dumbledore believes him. [PoA 391] Snape "reminds" Dumbledore that Sirius was "capable
of murder at the age of sixteen." [PoA 414] Harry and Hermione rescue Sirius from Flitwick's office with Buckbeak's help. They send Sirius away on the hippogriff. Sirius presumably heads south. [PoA 431] Sirius sends Harry a letter via Pigwidgeon. He tells Harry that he's where the dementors won't find him, that he sent the Firebolt, and that he's sorry for startling him on Magnolia Crescent. He also includes a permission slip for Hogsmeade and gives Pig to Ron. [GoF 24] During the summer between Harry's third and fourth year, Sirius sends him two letters via colorful tropical birds; both letters tell Harry to call on him if he needs anything. [GoF 28] Sirius sends Harry a birthday cake. [GoF 22] Harry decides to tell Sirius that his scar hurt that morning. [GoF 226] Sirius's response finally arrives. He says the scar hurting is the latest of a number of strange things he's been hearing, and he's headed up north toward Hogwarts. [GoF 228] Harry writes Sirius, trying to play down the scar thing, hoping to dissuade Sirius from putting himself at risk of capture. [GoF 240] Sirius writes back and says nice try, but I'm coming anyway. [GoF 291] Harry writes Sirius about how the Goblet spat his name out. [GoF 312] Sirius writes and arranges to see him in the Gryffindor common room on Nov. 22 at 1 am. [GoF 331] Sirius's head appears in the Griffindor common room fireplace, as arranged. He looks better than he did in PoA (funny thing). "When they had said good-bye, Sirius's face had been gaunt and sunken, surrounded by a quantity of long, black, matted hair—but the hair was short and clean now, Sirius's face was fuller, and he looked younger…." He listens to Harry spill his guts about how everyone including Ron hates him, and that he knows his first task is dragons. "He had let Harry talk himself into silence without interruption…" eyes full of concern. Then Sirius says he needs to warn Harry about Karkaroff because he was a Death Eater. He says he's been hearing some strange things, like the Dark Mark at the World Quidditch Cup, the ruckus at Mad Eye Moody's, and the disappearance of Bertha Jorkins. He says Bertha was at Hogwarts when he was, and that she was an idiot: "very nosy, but no brains, none at all." He tells Harry to be careful because someone, maybe Karkaroff, could be using the Tournament to kill Harry. He's just about to tell Harry how to deal with the dragon when Harry hears Ron coming down the stairs and Sirius has to beat it. [GoF 406] Sirius writes to congratulate Harry for getting past the Horntail, reminds him to be careful when Karkaroff is around, and to let him know if anything unusual happens. [GoF 410] For Christmas, Sirius gives Harry a handy penknife to unlock any lock and undo any knot. [GoF 481] Harry writes to Sirius and tells him about Crouch breaking into Snape's office and the whole Egg and the Eye scene. [GoF 483] Sirius sends a one-sentence message asking when the next Hogsmeade weekend is. [GoF 510] Sirius writes back and says to meet him at the stile outside Hogsmeade and to bring as much food as possible. [GoF 520] The Trio meet Padfoot at the stile and follow him to a cave. [GoF 521] Sirius reverts back to his human form and tears into the chicken Harry brought. He confesses to living off rats while in the cave. The cave is full of Daily Prophets. Sirius has been reading up on events, and somehow he's been finding out details about what happened right after Voldemort's fall. The Trio tell him about Crouch Sr.'s behavior at the World Cup; he tells them how Crouch Jr. was caught and "died" in Azkaban. He observes that Hermione has the measure of Crouch because of how he treats his inferiors, says that Crouch Sr. is the one who denied him a trial, etc. He provides A Great Deal Of Backstory about Aurors and Death Eaters and Snape knowing tons of curses when he arrived at Hogwarts. He paces the floor trying to figure things out, putting two and two together as only HE can. [GoF 532] Sirius doesn't know why Snape grasped his left arm (doesn't know about the Dark Mark). [GoF 534] Sirius tells the Trio to refer to him as "Snuffles" if they ever talk about him. Ron observes that he must really like Harry if he lives off rats. [GoF 572] Sirius writes, berating Harry for going off into the forest with Krum. He tells Harry to swear by return owl that he won't go out of bounds again. [GoF 600] Dumbledore tells Harry that Harry hasn't been Sirius's only correspondent. [GoF 609] Sirius sends Harry daily owls, telling him that his safety is his first priority and not to worry about what's going on in or out of the walls of Hogwarts. [GoF 680] Dumbledore tells McGonagall to fetch a large black dog sitting in Hagrid's pumpkin patch and to escort him to Dumbledore's office. [GoF 694] When Harry enters Dumbledore's office after his ordeal with Voldemort, Sirius is pale and gaunt. He rushes to Harry, helps him into a chair. Dumbledore tells Sirius what Crouch Jr. said under the Veritaserum. Sirius insists they leave off questioning Harry until he's had some rest. Dumbledore says no. Sirius puts his hand on Harry's shoulder and keeps it there while Harry recounts the events of that night. [GoF 695] A few times Sirius tries to interrupt, perhaps to make the questioning stop, but Dumbledore waves him off. When Harry tells them that Wormtail cut his arm, Sirius "let out a vehement exclamation." [GoF 696] Sirius asks why Voldemort's and Harry's wands connected. He knows what Priori Incantatem means. [GoF 698] When Harry tells how his parents' shadows came out of the wand, Sirius's grip on Harry's shoulder becomes so tight it is painful. When Harry finishes his story, he sees that Sirius has his face in his hands. [GoF 699] Sirius agrees to stay with Harry in the infirmary as Padfoot. [GoF 704] Padfoot growls at Fudge when he doubts Harry's reliability. [GoF 712] Dumbledore asks Sirius to return to his true form. He and Snape stare daggers at each other. Dumbledore tells them to shake hands and make nice. They kind of sort of shake hands. [GoF 713] Dumbledore asks Sirius to alert "the old crowd"—Remus
Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher—and have them wait at Lupin's
place. Sirius turns back into Padfoot and heads off. [OoP 9] During the summer, Sirius writes Harry letters full of "caution and consolation" but no news. [OoP 35] Sirius sends Harry an owl, telling him not to leave the house. [OoP 42] Harry writes Sirius, saying "I've been attacked by dementors." [OoP 78] Harry sees Sirius for the first time that summer
as Sirius wrenches the curtains closed to quiet his mother's portrait. [OoP 82] Sirius laments his "uselessness" to the Order. [OoP 86] Sirius explains why Mundungus Fletcher is useful to the Order. [OoP 87] Sirius expresses surprise that Harry hasn't asked about Voldemort yet; Molly quarrels with him over whether Harry should be able to ask questions. They both assert parental rights over Harry. [OoP 89] Molly accuses Sirius of conflating Harry and James. [OoP 96] Sirius "leaks" that Voldemort is looking for a secret weapon. [OoP 109] Sirius confronts Kreacher; asks him what he's up to. Kreacher says he's "cleaning," but Sirius knows he's trying to hoard family artifacts. Sirius remarks that his mother didn't have a heart: "She kept herself alive out of pure spite." [OoP 111] Sirius explains his family tree tapestry and his family's pureblood philosophy. [OoP 113] Sirius identifies his relatives: great-great-grandfather Phineas Nigellus (Hogwarts' least popular headmaster), mother's cousin Araminta Meliflua (tried to legalize Muggle-hunting), aunt Elladora (started the tradition of beheading house-elves), Tonks (whose mother, Andromeda, was Sirius's favorite cousin). Harry sees that Andromeda's sister is Narcissa Black Malfoy. Sirius is also related to Molly and Arthur. [OoP 114] Sirius continues to explain the family tree: Bellatrix Black Lestrange is Andromeda's other sister. [OoP 115] Harry asks Sirius if he can live with him if he's expelled from Hogwarts. Sirius sadly says, "We'll see." [OoP 116] Sirius clears his hand of an encrustation of Wartcap
powder with "his wand," wherever that came from. [OoP 158] Sirius tries to be happy for Harry when he's not
expelled, but instead he becomes surly and sullen, spending hours at a
time with Buckbeak. [OoP 176] Sirius stares at the spot on the carpet where DeadHarry!Boggart had lain. [OoP 181] Against Dumbledore's orders, Sirius accompanies the group to King's Cross as Padfoot; the Malfoys recognize him. [OoP 190] The Quibbler carries the article "Sirius Black: Villian or Victim?" [OoP 280] Harry writes "Snuffles" to tell him that his scar hurt again. [OoP 301] Sirius appears in the fireplace of the Gryffindor common room; he had been checking every hour for a chance to catch Harry or the Trio alone. [OoP 302] Sirius points out that "The world is not split into good people and Death Eaters." [OoP 303] Sirius tells them that Fudge is afraid that Dumbledore is turning the students into his own private army. [OoP 305] Sirius proposes meeting Harry in Hogsmeade; Harry insists it's too risky. Sirius cooly tells Harry that he's less like his father than he thought. "The risk would've been what made it fun for James." [OoP 359] Sirius sends a note to Harry arranging to meet in the common room again; Hedwig is intercepted en route and injured. [OoP 369] Sirius reveals that he knows about DA. He thinks it's cool. He suggests the Shrieking Shack and a passageway on the 4th floor as meetingplaces, but to his disappointment it turns out that neither would work. He has to retreat suddenly when Umbridge's hand comes groping around for him. [OoP 475] Sirius shooes Kreacher from the kitchen by shouting "OUT!" [OoP 477] Sirius argues with the twins about going to see Arthur right away. He tells them that Arthur "won't thank [them] for messing things up for the Order" and that "there are things worth dying for." Fred goads him about not risking his neck. [OoP 480] Harry tells Sirius the details of the "dream" he had about attacking Arthur. [OoP 501] Sirius is delighted to have guests for Christmas. He gets fully into the spirit of it, singing carols and decorating like crazy. [OoP 501] For Christmas, Sirius and Lupin give Harry a set of books called Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts. [OoP 518] Snape tells Harry that he's to teach him Occlumency. he goads Sirius about not risking his neck; he and Sirius get into a row. [OoP 523] Sirius gives Harry the mirror, telling him to contact him if Snape gives him a hard time. Harry decides at once not to use it because he doesn't want to endanger Sirius. [OoP 631] Umbridge quizzes Harry about Sirius's whereabouts. [OoP 642] Harry sees Sirius, James, Snape, Peter, and Remus in the Pensieve. He watches Sirius and James bully Snape for no apparent reason. [OoP 669] Harry contacts Sirius from Umbridge's office, asking about the Pensieve scene. Sirius asserts that he's not proud of it and that Harry shouldn't judge his father by how he was at 15. [OoP 727] Harry sees Voldemort torturing Sirius in the Department of Mysteries. [OoP 741] Kreacher lies to Harry about Sirius's whereabouts. [OoP 778] Harry discovers that Sirius is not at the Department of Mysteries. [OoP 801] The Order, including Sirius, arrives at the Department of Mysteries and engages the Death Eaters. [OoP 805] While duelling with Bellatrix on the dais with the veiled arch, Sirius is hit by one of her spells and falls backwards through the arch. [OoP 806] Lupin, restraining a frantic Harry, tells him that
Sirius is gone. [OoP 816] In the excruciating clutches of Voldemort's possession, Harry prays for death to come quickly. When he realizes that he'll see Sirius again, the love for his godfather "exorcises" Voldemort. [OoP 825] Dumbledore tells Harry that it's his fault Sirius is dead, not Harry's. He identifies Sirius as 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." [OoP 832] Harry nearly attacks Dumbledore when he implies that Sirius's treatment of Kreacher led to his betrayal. [OoP 834] Dumbledore explains why he told Sirius to stay at Number Twelve. [OoP 855] Hagrid tells Harry that Sirius would've wanted to die in battle; Harry retorts that Sirius didn't want to die at all. [OoP 857] In the worst "It might have been" moment in the series thus far, Harry finds the mirror Sirius gave to him and attempts to contact him. He fails. [OoP 861] Nearly Headless Nick explains that Sirius won't return as a ghost because he has moved on. [OoP 863] Luna explains to Harry that the dead are "just lurking"
on the other side of the veil. Send errors to dicentra@xmission.com. |
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