Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In today’s video, we’re going
to be discussing Sirius Black- Esteemed wizard, Marauder, Godfather, and hero.
Sirius Black, who started at Hogwarts in 1971 alongside the other Marauders, hailed from
the ‘Black’ family- a powerful pure-blood wizarding family that placed an incredible
amount of emphasis on the importance of ‘blood purity’. Remarkably, however, Sirius was
able to pave his own way in life and form his own opinions- which ultimately led to
him being shunned from the family. With that said, however, Sirius went on to become a
better man than any of his ancestors. He vowed not to let his lineage determine the man he
would become, and once wisely said:
"We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to
act on. That's who we really are."
The goodness in Sirius’s heart eventually led to a friendship with James Potter, Harry’s
father- and well, the rest is history. Being friends with James meant that he would eventually
become our boy Harry’s godfather, which is part of the reason that Sirius ended up
being such an integral part of the story. However, with that said, there are actually
a lot of things pertaining to Sirius’s character that were entirely left out of the films.
If you’ve read the books, you’ll know him a little better, but if you’re a movie
only person- you’ve only seen a fraction of the man that Sirius Black truly is. Because
Sirius doesn’t make an appearance in that many films (being introduced late and dying
early), he doesn’t actually get a lot of screen time, which is why today I want to
discuss 7 pieces of information pertaining to Sirius Black that movie watcher’s won’t
know.
Let’s get started
7. He Gave Harry His First Broom
No, I’m not talking about the Firebolt that Sirius gave Harry at the end of Prisoner of
Azkaban- Harry already had brooms before that point, I’m talking about a broom that he
gave him MUCH earlier. The broom that Sirius gave Harry is mentioned in a letter from Lily
Potter to Sirius sometime around Harry’s first birthday:
“Dear Padfoot, Thank you, thank you, for Harry's birthday
present! It was his favourite by far. One year old and already zooming along on a toy
broomstick, he looked so pleased with himself, I'm enclosing a picture so you can see. You
know it only rises about two feet off the ground, but he nearly killed the cat and he
smashed a horrible vase Petunia sent me for Christmas (no complaints there). Of course,
James thought it was funny, says he's going to be a great Quidditch player, but we've
had to pack away all the ornaments and make sure we don't take our eyes off him when he
gets going.”
Of course, the broom Sirius gave Harry here is a ‘toy broom’ a broom marketed at young
children which can only lift about 2 feet off of the ground. High enough if you ask
me.
6. He was friends with Hermione’s cat, Crookshanks
Crookshanks was Hermione Granger's pet cat- a Half-Kneazle with a very regal lion-like
appearance. Being part Kneazle, he was particularly intelligent and was able to solve all sorts
of problems on his own. Crookshanks doesn’t make much of an appearance in the films, but
book readers will know that Sirius Black actually had a good relationship with Crookshanks.
This is partially because Sirius, while transfigured in to a dog, befriended Crookshanks and asked
him for help finding Scabbers AKA Peter Pettigrew. Crookshanks also helped Sirius out by pressing
the knot on the Whomping Willow – giving him safe access to the Shrieking Shack.
5. He was Secret Keeper before Peter Pettigrew
One of the reasons that the Potters died was because of their chosen secret keeper- their
‘good’ friend Peter Pettigrew. A secret keeper is a witch or wizard designated to
hide a secret, secured by the fidelius charm which conceals the secret inside of the secret
keeper’s soul. Initially Sirius Black was chosen by James and Lily to be Secret Keeper,
but- feeling that he would be an obvious target for Voldemort, Sirius instead recommended
Peter- who we know doesn’t do a particularly good job. The secret in question was the location
of the Potter cottage, a secret that was tied to Pettigrew’s soul- unable to be forcibly
removed. A dwelling protected by the Fidelius Charm (in conjunction with a secret keeper)
essentially becomes absolutely hidden, keeping the occupants safe.
4. He was only 22 when he was sent to Azkaban (+His Escape)
In 1981, after betraying the Potters, Pettigrew travelled to a nearby town and murdered 12
muggles using a dark and powerful blasting curse- simultaneously destroying hundreds
of feet of sewer system and leaving a 40 foot crater in the ground. Someway, somehow, Sirius
Black was blamed, and was promptly sent to Azkaban. However, what many fans may not know
is that Sirius was just a mere 22 years old when he was sent away- which, in a way, contradicts
the picture painted of the ‘mature’ versions of the Marauders.
Since we’re on the topic of Sirius and Azkaban- let’s dive in to another book fact. As we
know, Sirius eventually escape the island prison- but many of you (who have only seen
the movies that is) may not know HOW he did it. It’s all explained here:
“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.”
Essentially, Sirius got thin enough (by starving himself) to slip through the bars in his Animagus
form. Sounds ‘RUFF’!
3. He Gave Ron A Pet Owl
At the end of Prisoner of Azkaban, Ron Weasley no longer had a pet rat, as it was revealed
that Scabbers was in fact ex-marauder Peter Pettigrew. Without a pet, Ron was a bit glum,
which is what prompted Sirius Black to gift an owl to Ron named Pigwidgeon. Pigwidgeon,
also known as ‘Pig’, was a miniature scops owl resembling a ‘fluffy Snitch’ and became
responsible for handling Ron’s mail from 1994 onward. Here’s a funny passage referencing
Pigwidgeon:
"Harry stared at the word "Pig," and looked up at the tiny owl now fluttering around the
light fixture on the ceiling. He had never seen anything that looked less like a pig."
Pig is not mentioned in the movies AT ALL.
2. Sirius Did NOT Die from Avada Kedavra
The book clearly indicates that Sirius Black’s death was the result of him falling in to
the veil- and nothing else- falling backwards in to it after being struck by Bellatrix Lestranges
curse. However, the film adaptation paints a bit of a different picture, and suggests
that he MAY have died from the killing curse. In the film, in only an instant, the battle
turns from what seems like a flawless outcome for the order, to one of the worst outcomes
possible - the death of Sirius. After finishing off Lucius, Sirius leaves his guard down for
only an instant- and in that same instant- Bellatrix Lestrange appears. “Avada Kedavra”
she yells- shooting a jet of green light toward him- and just seconds later, Sirius Black
had a blank expression on his face- falling backward through the veil. This confuses things
a bit, because in the book it’s never mentioned that Bellatrix uses Avada Kedavra- aka the
killing curse.
1. He Takes a BIG Risk in the Goblet of Fire
In the Goblet of Fire, Sirius was still very much ‘on the run’ and wanted by the Ministry.
However- now a free man ‘sort of’, Sirius was able to travel around as he pleased- very
carefully I might add. Sirius doesn’t have a big role in the fourth book, but he does
make his presence known a little- travelling to Hogsmeade in order to interact with Harry.
It’s at Hogsmeade that Harry visits Sirius who is living in a cave, living primarily
off of rats.
And that concludes the list! There are certainly more than 7 facts available on Sirius which
are exclusive to the books, but I thought I’d end it here. If you want MORE book facts
on Sirius, I can always make another video.
Before we end the video, I thought I should mention that I’m going to be giving away
a HARRY POTTER BOXED SET to 1 lucky subscriber. Follow me on Instagram @hptheory and check
out the latest post there for details.
That’s it for today’s video! Until next time
Remember
What’s life without a little risk?