Sirius Black’s Best Harry Potter Quotes (2024)

One of the biggest franchises of all time, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is well known for its relatable and vibrant characters who have managed to capture the hearts of millions of fans all over the world. The series is full of amazing quotes, but few of them are as impactful as those uttered by Sirius Black.

After reuniting with his godson, Sirius becomes an important parental figure in Harry's life until his heartbreaking death in Order of the Phoenix. A dynamic and compelling character, Sirius became a fan favorite for his wise words, sassy one-liners, and unrelenting spirit. Sirius Black is without a doubt one of the best adult characters in the Harry Potter series and the fans love most of his quotes.

Updated on July 1, 2024, by Andrea Sandoval: As a member of the Marauders and Harry's beloved godfather, Sirius is one of the most iconic characters in the Harry Potter series. He has many hilarious moments, but he also imparts pieces of wisdom to his grandson. We updated this list to add even more funny and heartwarming Sirius Black quotes.

20 "Only Innocent Lives, Peter!"

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Sirius Black wanted to kill Peter Pettigrew, but Harry stopped him because his father wouldn't have wanted to see his best friend turned into a murderer.

After spending 12 years in Azkaban for a crime he never committed, Sirius finally faced Peter Pettigrew at the end of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Peter audaciously tried to defend himself, but all of his excuses only served to make Sirius angry, and rightfully so.

Peter asked Sirius what there was to be gained by refusing Voldemort during the First Wizarding War. Of course, this was selfish, petty, cowardly reasoning, and Sirius saw it for what it was. Sirius wouldn't comfortably live in a world where innocent people might get hurt. This answer shows Sirius's true character. It isn't one of the most iconic quotes from Sirius Black, but his outrage shows his heroic nature.

19 "Nice One, James!"

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• James and Harry were very similar physically. They had the same build, hair, and face structure. Harry had, of course, his mother's eyes. However, Harry was calmer and less mischievous than his father, something that Sirius occasionally found annoying.

In the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book, when Harry and Sirius are fighting Death Eaters in the Battle of the Ministry of Magic, Harry manages to petrify Antonin Dolohov. Sirius is impressed and praises him, before returning to battle. This is already touching, as it was minutes before Sirius's death, but the movie took it one step further.

It is a theme in the Harry Potter series that Sirius tends to see James, his best friend, mirrored in Harry. Since Harry wants to be like his father, this is a great honor for him. In the movie adaptation, when Harry disarms Lucius Malfoy, Sirius doesn't just say "Nice one!" but he exclaims "Nice one, James!" which makes Harry truly proud. It's a harrowing moment that briefly sums up their relationship and the heartbreaks amid the war.

18 "You Don't Understand — There Are Things Worth Dying For!"

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Since Harry was Lord Voldemort's Horcrux, he was able to see things from Voldemort's point of view when the latter was feeling intense emotions.

Arthur's attack is one of the most harrowing events in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Harry sees it happening from Nagini's head as Lord Voldemort possesses her, and this is the only reason Mr. Weasley received quick medical attention and survived. Fred and George were understandably rattled and in desperate need to see that their father was okay. However, visiting him in St. Mungo's so soon after the event would have been very suspicious, so Sirius didn't allow them.

This started a fight between Black and the Weasleys. Fred argued that it wasn't Sirius's father on the line, so he didn't know what he was feeling. Sirius replied that the members of the Order of the Phoenix understood the risks of the job and that Mr. Weasley was prepared to die fighting Lord Voldemort. The whole scene was painful, especially in light of the later events, when Sirius actually dies protecting Harry. What's worse, Fred also dies in the middle of the war. This quote anticipates many heartbreaking events in the saga. However, the quote embraces some of the main themes in the Harry Potter series: courage and heroism.

17 "This Heart Is Where You Truly Live."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• During their school years, the Marauders would accompany Remus during his transformations. They turned into animagi to go into the Shrieking Shack with him in animal form, which made it easier to control the werewolf.

In the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, Remus turns into a werewolf at the worst possible time. He forgets about taking his potion during the full moon, and after getting out of the Shrieking Shack, his transformation begins. This gives Peter enough time to transform into a rat and escape.

In the meantime, Sirius tries to contain his friend. He's accompanied by Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and he's afraid the werewolf will attack the young Hogwarts students. He uses this word to try to keep Remus human. This moment is a beautiful expression of Remus and Sirius's friendship. It didn't work, but the words remain true nonetheless. Remus always thought of himself as a monster, but Sirius saw him as he truly was.

16 "Brilliant, Snape."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Sirius and Snape have disliked each other since Hogwarts. Sirius bullied Snape for years, even tricking him into going to the Shrieking Shack during one of Remus's transformations. This rivalry continued until their adult years, creating issues for the Order of the Phoenix.

Sirius is one of people's favorite characters in Harry Potter and one of the main reasons is this character's hilarious sarcastic remarks. When Snape finds Remus and Sirius in the Shrieking Shack, he obviously comes to the wrong conclusion. He believes Remus was working to get Sirius into Hogwarts, likely to kill Harry. As fans know, he couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Sirius replies with this hilarious comment. The scene gets even better when Remus asks Severus to not be a fool, and Sirius replies "He can't help it. It's a habit by now." Sirius had a mischievous mind and great comebacks. He wasn't always the best person, but fans can't help but laugh at his clever sense of humor.

15 "No One Would Ever Have Me A Prefect."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Although Remus Lupin, James and Sirius's closest friend and a member of the Marauders, was also a troublemaker, he did become a Prefect together with Lily Evans, Harry's mother.

During his time at Hogwarts in the 1970s, Sirius was known as one of the Marauders' two ringleaders for his endless mischievousness. He and his best friend James Potter, Harry's father, often organized pranks and got into all sorts of trouble while still managing to excel in most of their school subjects.

Despite being academically gifted, neither Sirius nor James ever became prefects, mostly due to their history as Hogwarts' cleverest jokesters. The honor was eventually bestowed upon their fellow Marauder, Remus Lupin, in hopes that he would keep them in check from then on. According to Lupin, he still failed to rein them in. This became one of Sirius's best quotes because it shows his passion for adventure and his unapologetic disregard for rules.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Sirius was nicknamed Padfoot by his friends because of his animagus form, a black dog.

In their fourth year at Hogwarts, the Marauders began a difficult project that would take them years to perfect: creating the Marauder's Map. Using extremely advanced magic, the foursome were able to create a detailed map of their school, complete with live-tracking of every single human on the property.

As it was intended for their personal use, the Marauder's Map was charmed to insult whoever tried to use it without uttering the password. When Snape tried revealing its contents, a message under Sirius' nickname, Padfoot, expressed the wizard's shock at finding out that "an idiot" like Snape was now a Hogwarts teacher. Even when he's speaking through a magical artifact, Sirius is as cunning and sarcastic as ever.

13 "I Did My Waiting! Twelve Years Of It!"

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Sirius Black is the second wizard to escape ever from Azkaban, one of the most fortified places in the Wizarding World. The first was Barty Crouch Jr. in 1982.

The First Wizarding War left Sirius completely friendless and trapped in Azkaban for a crime he never committed. Constantly tormented by the Dementors, he managed to keep himself sane by transforming into his dog animagus form and constantly reminding himself that he was innocent despite his circ*mstances.

When he found out Wormtail was still alive, Sirius gained enough determination to escape his prison and go after the man who betrayed him and the Potters twelve years prior. After dragging Pettigrew to the Shrieking Shack, he finally conveyed all his hatred and anger, shouting that he'd already done his waiting and was ready for revenge. This striking quote shows Sirius's desperation and harrowing situation throughout his time in prison.

12 "Personally, I'd Have Welcomed A Dementor Attack."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Dementors are dark magical creatures who feed themselves on people's happiness. Dementors can suck a person's soul, which is called a Dementor's Kiss. Fortunately, witches and wizards can defend themselves from Dementors with the Patronus Charm.

After escaping Azkaban and wandering the world for a year, Sirius returns to Britain to stay closer to Harry and reform the Order of the Phoenix, which had disbanded sometime after Voldemort's disappearance in 1981. Now in London, it seemed Sirius had only managed to replace one prison with another, as he hid in his parents' decrepit old house at 12 Grimmauld Place.

Staying in a place that was full of bad memories was difficult for Sirius, who struggled throughout his entire stay. He hated it so much that when Harry was attacked by Dementors, he said he would've welcomed the adventure for a change of pace. While Sirius's histrionics are a part of why he's so beloved by the fandom, sometimes he takes it a bit far; still, the quote is hilarious.

11 "Times Like That Bring The Best In Some People..."

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• The First Wizarding War is a period of conflict between Lord Voldemort and the rest of the magical society between 1970 and 1981, when Voldemort disappeared after trying to kill Harry as a baby.

As one of the most important and strongest members of the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius saw many deaths and Death Eater attacks during the First Wizarding War. It was, as he described to Harry, a time when people were forced to show their best and worst traits in the face of imminent danger.

This quote shows Sirius's insight during the war. During a visit to the Golden Trio in Goblet Of Fire, he explained how Barty Crouch, who had been Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the time, had caved under pressure and sent Sirius and his own son to Azkaban without a trial. Thanks to Crouch's unlawful actions, Sirius spent twelve years paying for a crime he didn't commit.

10 "Normally, I Have A Very Sweet Disposition As A Dog."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Because Sirius became an animagus in his school years, he could turn into a big black dog. James Potter could turn into a stag and Peter Pettigrew into a rat. The Marauders learned to become animagi to accompany their friend Remus during his werewolf transformations.

After learning of Lupin's lycanthropy, his three Marauder friends threw themselves into research trying to find a way to help. James, Sirius, and Peter trained to become illegal animagi and managed to become animals at will. After a long process, Sirius was successful in turning into a large black dog.

For most of Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius appeared in his dog form, as he was hiding from the magical authorities in his quest for Wormtail. Though his animal form seemed vicious at first, Sirius later revealed that he had a much sweeter disposition as a dog and joked that he'd stay a canine if it weren't for the fleas.

9 "My Mother Didn't Have A Heart, Kreacher."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Despite the Blacks' obsession with blood purity, the Black family had many "blood-traitors" among their ranks. Sirius, Regulus, Andromeda, Tonks, and Narcissa are a few of them.

Sirius was born into one of the most powerful Wizarding families in Britain: the noble and most ancient House of Black. As one of the oldest and richest magical clans, the Blacks valued their status as purebloods above everything else, reflecting this ambition in their house motto, "Toujours Pur," or "always pure."

Despite growing up in this environment, Sirius detested his family's way of thinking and sought to rebel in any way he could. He had a particularly rocky relationship with his mother, Walburga Black, whose portrait had been permanently stuck to a wall in Grimmauld Place. In Order of the Phoenix, she was often heard screaming obscenities at passersby. Sirius would never fail to make a sarcastic remark about his dear mother. Sirius's capacity to use humor in the darkest of circ*mstances is part of the reason he's s one of the best Harry Potter characters.

8 "The World Isn't Split Into Good People And Death Eaters."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Dolores Umbridge is a witch born from a witch mother and a muggle father. Umbridge grew up to despise her father and all human hybrids. She became an influential figure in the Ministry of Magic, tried to control Hogwarts, and eventually became the leader of the persecution of Muggle-borns in the Wizarding World under Lord Voldemort's reign. After the Battle of Hogwarts, Umbridge was imprisoned in Azkaban for the rest of her life for her terrible crimes.

Order Of The Phoenix introduced one of the most hated characters in the Harry Potter series in the form of Dolores Umbridge, a high-ranking Ministry official who managed to snake her way into Hogwarts as the latest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Her awful teaching methods and condescending attitude immediately turned her into the school's number one enemy (except Filch, who loved her sad*st tendencies).

Given her terrible personality and liaising with the corrupted Ministry, Harry concluded that Umbridge could be a Death Eater. Sirius quickly dismissed the idea, reminding him that the world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters, even if Umbridge fits the bill to a T. While the quote is about Umbridge, it shows to Harry that the world is more complicated than he could see when he was only fifteen years old.

7 "I Can Hardly Stroll Up The Street And Start Handing Out Leaflets, Can I?"

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• After Lord Voldemort returned to life and killed Cedric Diggory in front of Harry, the Boy Who Lived had to spend the entire summer without news of the Dark Lord. Finally, Harry was taken to the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters: 12 Grimmauld Place.

Being stuck in an old, grimy house like Grimmauld Place made Sirius irritable and restless, especially when other members of the Order were out there doing their part for the cause. The Ministry of Magic was still looking for him, and they couldn't risk anyone getting a glimpse of him out in the open.

When Harry first arrived at the Order's headquarters, he asked if the others were doing something to prove that Voldemort had returned despite the Ministry's denial. Feeling useless, Sirius replied with his usual dose of sarcasm that there was a 10,000 Galleon price on his head, so he couldn't go out there and spread the word himself. Sirius's dark humor is why he has some of the best quotes in Harry Potter.

6 "Then You Should Have Died!"

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Sirius Black would have murdered Peter Pettigrew for betraying Harry's parents if Harry hadn't stopped him. Harry didn't want his father's best friend to become a murderer. A few moments later, Harry also found out that Sirius was his godfather.

Two of Sirius' most defining traits are his unwavering loyalty and immense love for his friends, whom he considered family after being disowned by his own. When he learned that the Potters were in danger, he did his best to protect them in any way he could, even setting himself up as a decoy in case Voldemort went looking for their Secret Keeper.

Wormtail's betrayal sent Sirius down a vengeful path that reached its peak when he confronted his former friend toward the end of Prisoner Of Azkaban. As Wormtail gave excuses, Sirius furiously shouted that he should've given up his life rather than betray the friends who would've given their lives to save him.

5 "You're Not A Bad Person."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• The scar Harry left on Harry created a connection between the two characters. Harry could not only feel Voldemort's emotions, but he also sometimes experienced vivid dreams where he could see inside Voldemort's head. Because of this, he was able to save Arthur Weasley from being killed by Nagini. However, the experience was highly traumatic.

Voldemort's return brought several side effects that would make Harry's life even more difficult. Aside from getting glimpses into Voldemort's mind through dreams, he also began experiencing some of Voldemort's more intense emotions, like joy and anger. The latter, when combined with Harry's temper, became a huge problem for him.

During a conversation with his godfather, Harry allowed himself to be vulnerable and shared his fear that he might be turning evil now that he was angry all the time. Sirius reassured Harry, explaining that while many bad things had happened to Harry, he remained a good person and that he shouldn't let these things define him. Moments like this show that, despite his flaws, Sirius was an amazing father figure, who had the wisdom and emotional intelligence to offer guidance to his grandson.

4 "We've All Got Light And Dark Inside Us."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Harry lived most of his life with a piece of Voldemort's soul inside himself since he was Voldemort's eighth Horcrux. Because of this, he experienced unexplainable things, such as speaking Parseltongue, experiencing bouts of rage, and even dreaming about Voldemort from time to time. All of this made Harry question if he was good or evil on several occasions.

The Harry Potter series has always made it clear that every character has the potential to be good or bad. It's their specific choices and actions that make them who they truly are. Harry has dealt with this dichotomy from the moment he began his magical education at Hogwarts. Despite having many traits that would've made him an excellent Slytherin, Harry had chosen Gryffindor.

In Order Of The Phoenix, Sirius reminded Harry that, despite the conflicting emotions inside him, what matters is what side he chooses to act on. This quote from Sirius became especially relevant later on when Harry discovered he was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, and had to once again question his true nature.

3 "If You Want To Know What A Man's Like..."

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• Kreacher was the House-elf of the Black family. He was incredibly loyal to Sirius's mother, for which Sirius hated him. However, it turned out that Kreacher was even more loyal to Sirius's brother, Regulus. Kreacher later helped the Golden Trio find Slytherin's Locket in honor of his true master.

After meeting up with the Golden Trio in Hogsmeade, Sirius had a long conversation with them about Barty Crouch and his character, especially concerning his treatment of his House-elf, Winky. Wisely, Sirius told them that the measure of a man lies in how they treat their inferiors, not their equals.

Sirius' sensible words were challenged when he had to deal with his own servant, Kreacher, who ended up betraying him as he felt no fealty to his master. While Kreacher's case was a special one, it certainly showed that Sirius was right even if he failed to follow his own advice when it mattered the most.

2 "The Ones Who Love Us Never Really Leave Us."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Sirius Black died at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. He went through the Veil in the Ministry of Magic, a mysterious magical artifact that seemed to be a portal to the dead.

If there's anyone who's lost as many people as Harry has, it's Sirius. Two of Sirius' best friends died because he urged them to trust another friend who then betrayed them. He also lost his brother to Voldemort and the rest of his family to their toxic ideals. He spent twelve years reliving their loss while he was imprisoned, only finding some happiness once he reunited with Harry.

Before escaping with Buckbeak in Prisoner Of Azkaban, Sirius tells Harry that his loved ones will never truly leave him because they live within him. Two years later, Sirius' words would comfort his grieving godson after his own tragic death at the hands of his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.

1 "What's Life Without A Little Risk?"

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Sirius's last act of recklessness took him to the Ministry of Magic to try to save his godson. After the Minister for Magic saw Lord Voldemort, he learned Sirius of all these charges. Regrettably, it was too late by then, as Sirius was already dead.

As one of the Marauders, Sirius was a troublemaker with a taste for danger and reckless decisions. Years into his adulthood, he remained optimistic and energetic, wanting nothing more than to bring down the man who ruined so many lives, including his own and his friends'.

Never one to follow the rules, Sirius accompanied a surprised Harry to King's Cross in his animagus form, disregarding everyone's advice and enjoying the thrill that comes with risking his life after so long. Months later, he'd risk his life again, this time with devastating consequences. Sirius' death might've been harrowing for characters and fans, but at least he died protecting those he loved.

Harry Potter

The Harry Potter franchise follows the adventure of a young boy introduced a whole new world of magic, mayhem and darkness. Traversing the obstacles in his path, young Harry's rise to heroics pits him against Lord Voldemort, one of the most dangerous wizards in the world and all his minions.

Created by

J.K. Rowling

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

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Harry Potter

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Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , Emma Watson , Maggie Smith , Alan Rickman , Helena Bonham Carter , Ralph Fiennes , Michael Gambon

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Harry Potter , Voldemort

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