Sirius Orion Black

"Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor."

- Sirius Black, The Marauder's Map

Sirius Orion Black (3 November, 1959 – 18 June, 1996), also known as Padfoot or Snuffles, was an English pure-blood wizard. Sirius was the heir of the House of Black, but disagreed with his family's blood purity obsession and was therefore blasted off the family tree. He was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which he attended from 1971-1978. Sirius had a younger brother named Regulus Black whom he didn't get along with. Sirius died thinking his brother was a traitor, when in fact he defied the Dark Lord all while serving as a Death Eater. All the long line of Blacks had been Slytherins, so he was very much the black sheep of the family.

As Sirius didn't have a healthy relationship with his family, he sought out friendship and solace at Hogwarts. He became close friends with James Potter (Prongs), Remus Lupin (Moony) and Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail). The first two he gained a lifelong friendship with. He hated Pettigrew since he faked his death, blaming Sirius for killing him, James, Lily Potter (neé Evans) and 12 surrounding Muggles. This sent Sirius to Azkaban for 12 years of his life.