Happy Birthday to Sirius Black!

Sirius Black would have been celebrating his 58th birthday today had he not been killed by his evil, deranged cousin Bellatrix.  Sirius was certainly the ‘black sheep’ of the Black family, having rejected their bigoted pureblood ideology as well as their Hogwarts house.

For a character of whom we see so little, with only brief appearances in the series, he is one of the most complex and nuanced, and he raises many questions.  His behaviour and motivations are often criticised—he could have told the truth about Pettigrew instead of trying to kill him in violent, destructive fits of rage, and he could have been more of a father figure to Harry rather than lapsing into viewing him as something of a substitute James.  There are as many different opinions about Sirius as there are readers of the series, which is the sign of a well-drawn, interesting character.

Whatever your opinion, raise a glass to him on his birthday.