Harry Potter: 15 Of The Wisest & Most Inspiring Sirius Black Quotes

Sirius Black is definitely a fan-favorite character from the Harry Potter series. He’s not a character that got a lot of screentime in the movies, and he was only in three of the books. Yet, many fans loved the character for his complicated life story, his compelling personality, and his kinship with Harry. The fandom easily fell in love with the stories of the Marauders, and Sirius is arguably the most intriguing of the four of them.

Though he met his demise relatively early on, he was one of the most important figures in Harry’s life, acting in some ways as the father he never had. Without Sirius, it’s hard to say what may have come of The Boy Who Lived, as his unbreakable will and compulsion to do what was right in the face of impossible odds became defining features of Harry’s character.

Updated Dec. 28, 2021, by Tanner Fox: It’s been well over a decade since Gary Oldman last assumed the role of Sirius Black in a Harry Potter film, but loyal Potterheads aren’t likely to forget his performance any time soon. Of course, while the character says and does plenty of noteworthy things in the movies, he’s arguably even more influential in the novels. Still, no matter the source, many of Black’s best quotes are memorable pearls that can apply to readers’ lives far from the Wizarding World.

The Wolf I Feed

“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.”

There are many good Sirius quotes that come from both the books and the movies. This is a film quote that Sirius says in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Sirius understands more than anyone how darkness can impact a person’s life, but he was able to rise above the darkness he had to face and was still a good person to the last. His recognition of the inherent evils of all men also hints at his strength and latent optimism.

No One Ever Really Dies

“You Think The Dead We Loved Ever Truly Leave Us?”

Something that is clear with Harry Potter is that he does fear and worry about losing people, which obviously stems from losing his parents early in his life. However, Sirius Black is always there to try and help process those feelings and offer some insight.

This quote is a great example of that, as he tries to guide Harry and makes it very clear that those who die never truly leave. It’s also very reminiscent of a certain Jedi from Disney’s recent Star Wars sequels.

Bad Boys

“No One Would Ever Have Me A Prefect. I Spent Too Much Time In Detention With James. Jupin Was The Good Boy, He Got The Badge.”

One of the reasons that so many fans were drawn to the character is because he’s dynamic; he grew up in a family of dark wizard-sympathizers, but he was still inherently good. He was also blamed for a crime he didn’t commit and spent years in Azkaban as a result.

So, when fans got a chance to see Sirius interact with Lupin in Order of the Phoenix and tell stories about the past, they were excited to learn more about him. While Sirius was never a rule follower, that was part of his appeal and helped Harry relate to him.

The Opposite of the Dursleys

“What’s Life Without A Little Risk?”

This might not be an overtly deep comment from Sirius Black, but it doesn’t mean it’s not a wise one. He visits Harry Potter despite being a wanted man and knowing the risks of doing so. But, it’s through that he provides this lesson to the young wizard.

Harry is constantly having to take chances throughout his journey, and that proves that he clearly took this lesson to heart early on. It may come off as a simple cheeky comment at first, but it certainly suited the moment.

A Happy Family

“When All This Is Over, We’ll Be A Proper Family—You’ll See.”

This is another movie quote, but it’s similar in sentiment to what Sirius says in the novel version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He promises Harry that, once his name is cleared, Harry will be able to come and live with him.

Of course, this sadly doesn’t work out, but it’s clear that Sirius is invested in his role as a godfather and wants to make up for the years he was gone in Azkaban.

Keep Your Abnormally-Large Nose Out Of My Business

“Mr. Padfoot Would Like To Register His Astonishment That An Idiot Like That Ever Became A Professor.”

This might not exactly be an inspiring quote, but it definitely is a funny one. Sirius was a person who got up to a lot of trouble in his youth and had a rather biting sense of humor. This comes through in the Marauder’s Map.

It’s always fun for many fans to think about the dynamics between the Marauders during their time at Hogwarts. Sirius definitely had a lot of arrogance, but he was also invested in helping fight against Voldemort and dark wizards. It also speaks volumes of his feelings toward Severus Snape.

That’s Enough of Your Bile

“He Might Have Crawled Up Into The Airing Cupboard And Died, But I Musn’t Get My Hopes Up.”

Sirius has a reference for life that most of his wicked family lacked, but that doesn’t necessarily apply to the Black family house-elf, Kreacher. A nasty piece of work who believed wholeheartedly in the Black Family’s pure-blooded superiority, Sirius never got along with him, and things hadn’t changed much in the years Sirius spent imprisoned.

As brutish as this quote sounds, it’s an excellent example of Sirius’ dry wit. Often able to make light of all but the most serious situations, he had a sense of humor that greatly helped to flesh out his character and made Harry even fonder of him.

Lycanthropy

“This Heart Is Where You Truly Live! This Heart Here!

Sirius had an incredible amount of compassion for his schoolmate Remus Lupin, going so far as to become an animagus in commiseration with his lycanthropy. Unfortunately, Harry didn’t realize that in time, believing the two were about to betray him.

Later on, Sirius risks his life to fend off Lupin after his transformation, and, while it’s terrifying in the moment, it’s both tragic and amazingly heroic on the part of Sirius. If only others could see past his shaggy exterior.

No One Is Ever Really Gone

“We Are Part of You, Invisible To Anyone Else.”

This quote is an extremely heartbreaking one with a lot of meaning. At the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry uses the resurrection stone to bring back his parents, Lupin, Sirius, and more. He asks them if they will stay with him as he goes to face Voldemort and James Potter tells him that they will.

Then, Harry asks if the others will be able to see them, which is when Sirius says this line. This quote is beautiful because it illustrates how the dead people who Harry lost are always with him, and it serves as a callback to one of his quotes from The Order of the Phoenix.

A True Rat

“Then You Should Have Died. Died, Rather Than Betray Your Friends.”

Sirius, in many ways, exemplifies a lot of Gryffindor traits; loyalty and bravery, as well as quite a bit of recklessness, are the traits that he values most. He was blamed for betraying his friends and leading to their murders, but he never would have done anything like that.

He is utterly disgusted when Peter Pettigrew tries to explain that he couldn’t resist Voldemort because he would have been killed. Sirius is definitely the type of person who would die for his friends—in fact, he does.

Death Is Not The End

“You Don’t Understand; There Are Things Worth Dying For.”

Sirius definitely is a character that has a passionate side, and he can be pretty intense. He says this line in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Harry says this to Fred after Arthur nearly dies protesting the item in the Department of Mysteries.

While Sirius might be harsh in how he delivers this line, there is a lot of wisdom in it. Sirius is definitely someone who understands that some things are worth putting your life on the line for, and he proves his commitment to this belief before the film ends.

Nice One, James

“You Are Truly Your Father’s Son, Harry.”

When Harry meets Sirius in Prisoner of Azkaban, it’s at a time in his life where he clearly needs parental figures. When he gets Sirius as a godfather, it’s a direct link to his parents that he never had before. It’s true that Dumbledore had previously filled that role to some degree, but he was far too distant to cultivate a true bond with The Boy Who Lived.

This is why when Sirius tells him this at the end of that book, it’s so important to Harry. Harry definitely needed that assurance and to feel close to his father.

Good Times, Bad Times

“Bad Times Like That Bring Out The Best In Some People And The Worst In Others.”

Another great quote that Sirius Black provides is this line from Goblet of Fire. It’s an excellent example of Sirius’ distinct brand of deep-seated truth, serving as a solid reminder to Harry that perseverance in bad times is of ultimate importance.

There’s no guarantee that people will react to them in the right way, but, generally speaking, those reactions are the most telling.

The Good, The Bad, and the Death Eaters

“The World Isn’t Split Into Good People And Death Eaters.”

This line might be one of the wisest that Sirius says in the entire series. He says this to Harry when Harry is talking to him about how intolerable Umbridge is. This is a very insightful line, as it explains that most people don’t fall into the category of complete evil.

Umbridge, nefarious as she was, was warped by her loyalty to an increasingly-corrupt Ministry of Magic, and seeing the world in binary terms prevented Harry from coming to this understanding.

The Measure of a Man

“If You Want To Know What A Man’s Like, Take A Good Look At How He Treats His Inferiors, Not His Equals.”

This quote is another wise and inspiring one that Sirius offers. He says this line to the trio in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when talking about how Barty Crouch treats his house-elf, Winky.

This line has a lot of overall applications. It’s very telling how someone treats people that have less privilege in them in society, as this says a lot more about their true characters. Yet, it could also reflect poorly on Sirius and his own treatment of the admittedly-terrible Black house elf, Kreacher.

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