Why I Love Sirius Black

Why I Love Sirius Black

by Pam from An Unconventional Librarian

There is only one “person” to ever successfully escape from the Azkaban prison: Sirius Black. How could you not love a character whose name can evoke so many different feelings? At first it sounds like Serious, implying that he is a stolid individual devoid of personality and who perhaps doesn’t like to have fun. On closer inspection, the name Sirius makes one think of a very bright star in the nighttime sky. Coincidentally, according to Wikipedia, Sirius is also known as the Dog Star (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius) which cleverly (thanks Rowling!) corresponds to Sirius’ Animagus, a dog. Sirius is like an onion and the more you peel away at the layers of his persona the more you enjoy him. Let’s give a very brief history of Sirius, for those who are unfamiliar, shall we?

Sirius Black was a member of the pure blood elite wizarding Black family. Sirius, however, rejected the family’s ideas of pure blood dominance which naturally caused a rift in the family. Additionally, while at Hogwarts, he was sorted into Gryffindor and eventually ran away from home to live with his friend, James Potter. This outrage caused the family to remove his name permanently from the family tree. When James and his wife Lily gave birth to Harry, Sirius became the godfather. When the Potter’s are killed by Voldemort, Sirius is betrayed by another friend, Peter Pettigrew, framed for their murders and sent to Azkaban.

Sirius Black is a prominent character throughout many of the Harry Potter novels: Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows.

One of the reasons Sirius is a lovable sort is that even though he was subjected to countless injustices he was still able to keep his sanity and his caring personality. You would think that after his excommunication from his family, being framed for the murder of his best friends, arrested and sent to prison for many years, an attempted killing by his godson, numerous threats, depression and self imposed exile to Grimaud Place (his family home) Sirius would transform into a hateful, crusty, evil man. But he is the opposite.

Granted, the man is not perfect. He is often depressed but throughout his ordeals, however; he remains a loving, respectful, thoughtful, and compassionate figure to Harry. Even though his attempt at killing Peter Pettigrew (the traitor) failed, Black did not let it bother him and seemed to be able to “move on.” Many say that Sirius was more of a brother figure to Harry but I believe that given the age difference and the amount of help he offers Harry, he IS a father figure (I believe that is the meaning behind giving the title of godfather). Even after Sirius’ death (by his own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange) he still provides for Harry and in his will leaves the house at Grimaud Place and Kreacher, the house elf. Kreacher will prove to be extremely useful later, which makes you like Sirius all the more.

Although there are many more facets of Black’s character, I’ve only just touched on a few. Although initially portrayed as a criminal, Sirius is later revealed as a loyal friend, caring godfather, and an enemy of the Dark Arts and Voldemort. What’s not to love?

I could not have completed this piece without referencing the following resources: Order of the Phoenix (fictional organisation). (2010, September 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:02, September 15, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Order_of_the_Phoenix_(fictional_organisation)&oldid=385158821 and Sirius Black (2010 September 16) The Harry Potter Lexicon. Retrieved September 16, 2010 from http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/sirius.html