Sirius Black from Harry Potter is definitely a fan favorite character even though he was only a character for three books. While he’s a character with many flaws, many fans were interested in his rather traumatic past as well as his time as one of the Marauders while at Hogwarts. There’s no denying that Sirius has made a lot of mistakes and that he can be hot-headed. At the same time, he also has many heroic moments throughout the series both before and after Harry met him.
Here are the ten most heroic things that Sirius Black did.
Standing up to Snape on Harry’s behalf
It’s no secret that Snape and Sirius hate each other because of their interactions while at Hogwarts. They both did some pretty bad things to each other when they were young, but this doesn’t excuse how Snape treated Harry over the years.
When Sirius stood up to Snape because of how he was treated Harry during Occlumnecy lessons, it was definitely a great moment.
Being an extremely loyal friend
Sirius Black might not always be nice enough to everyone around him, but he’s an extremely good friend. When he cares about someone, he takes loyalty to them very seriously and would go to the ends of the earth to keep them safe.
His loyalty to his friends at Hogwarts was intense, and this friendship would last even after death in many cases. His devotion to his friends is definitely one of his most heroic qualities.
Going to the Ministry to protect Harry
When Harry thinks that Voldemort has Sirius in the Department of Mysteries, Harry is quick to try to go rescue him. Similarly, Sirius goes to rescue Harry once he learns that Voldemort has tricked him into going to the Ministry.
It’s clear that keeping Harry safe and protecting him is one of his top priorities, and this is what makes him rather heroic as well as a devoted godfather. Unfortunately, this is what leads to his death.
Running away from home because his family was so awful
One of the most heroic things about Sirius is something that doesn’t get talked about a lot, and it’s the fact that Sirius stood up to his horrible family from a young age. The Black family were bigoted wizards who supported the dark arts, and Sirius always hated that. Once he was 16, he left home for good and went in a different direction with his life.
This definitely takes strength of character to do, and it’s something that shows what Sirius truly cares about.
Going after Pettigrew after he learned when he did to James and Lily
This point is somewhat complex because maybe going after Pettigrew on his own wasn't the smartest thing. However, when Sirius learns that Pettigrew betrayed the Potters, he is understandably furious.
He also feels guilty because he is the one that had Pettigrew be the Secret Keeper. His attempts to go after Pettigrew for what he did show just how much he loved the Potters and how devastated he was at their deaths.
Becoming an Animagus to help Lupin
During Sirius’ time at Hogwarts, he got up to a lot of trouble. He and the other Marauders were known for breaking rules and being rather arrogant about it. While these weren’t great traits, there is one thing they did that has a heroic side to it. When James and Sirius learned that Lupin was a werewolf, they supported him.
And, they even went so far as to learn to become animagi to help Lupin deal with the painful transformations. While they might have gotten to reckless, the original idea was heartwarming.
Trying his best to protect the Potters from Voldemort
Sirius Black was always one of James' most trusted friends. He trusted him so much that he was going to have Sirius be the Secret Keeper for the Fidelius Charm. Sirius took this responsibility so seriously that he wanted to ensure the Potters' safety no matter what.
He made the decision to have Pettigrew be the Secret Keep instead in an attempt to keep the Potters safe, and it’s clear that his intentions were always heroic even if they all got betrayed by Pettigrew in the end.
Staying close to Hogwarts to help Harry during the Triwizard Tournament
While Sirius wasn’t always the perfect godfather, he did care a lot about Harry. There were definitely times in the Harry Potter series where he took things too far, but when he stayed near Hogwarts to support Harry during the tournament he was being heroic.
He even had to live in caves and live off of rats, but he was willing to do it in order to try and protect Harry as much as he could.
Breaking out of Azkaban in part to protect Harry
One thing that clearly bothers Sirius deeply is that he was never really able to be the godfather to Harry That he wanted to be. When he learns that Pettigrew is still alive and at Hogwarts in his rat form, he escapes from Azkaban.
Part of his reason for doing so is to look out for his godson as well as to finally get revenge on Pettigrew for what he did to Lily and James.
Being a member of the Order of the Phoenix during both wizarding wars
There’s no denying that despite Serious' flaws that he wanted to try to do the right thing and protect people from Voldemort and his followers. While he wasn’t a perfect person, he was a brave one. He put his life on the line by becoming a member of the Order of the Phoenix when it was first formed and then again during the second wizarding war.