Harry Potter – Marauders / Characters

The Marauders

Back in their days as students of Hogwarts, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black were all part of a Badass Crew of Gryffindor trouble makers called The Marauders. They were the best of friends who would gladly have each other's backs and were evidently heroic despite their mischievous ways. That is, until one turned traitor…

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In General

Adaptation Explanation Extrication: The film version of Prisoner of Azkaban actually skips the reveal that they were the Marauders, though all the films after that act like it still happened and use the nicknames for them regularly.
Animorphism: To make Remus feel better about being a werewolf, the other three members learned how to turn into animals so they could accompany him during his transformations.
Badass Crew: During their time in school, James and Sirius were Brilliant, but Lazy prodigies, Remus was a model student who was nearly as adept as they were, and even Peter, universally regarded as the least talented of them, was able to perform complex magic when he applied himself.
Magnum Opus: The Marauder's Map was one by the map's namesake group. It was their most ambitious magic artifact by a landslide as it took the group nearly the whole time they were at Hogwarts to create it and had to constantly hide from staff while trying to perfect it in order to not be dissuaded from creating it. This definitely worked out in Harry and Lupin's favor as it helped them deduce and catch the real traitor of the Potters/Marauders red-handed, even though he escaped in the end.
Students' Secret Society: Four students conducting pranks and keeping secrets across Hogwarts, the mysteriousness surrounding them is amplified by the Marauder's Map.
True Companions: The group as a whole was this until Peter betrayed James and his family to Voldemort, resulting in his death, then framed Sirius for it while faking his own death, leaving Remus by himself for over a decade. After Sirius escapes from prison and proves his innocence to Remus, they reclaim their friendship.

James "Prongs" Potter

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_potter.jpg

Portrayed by: Adrian Rawlins (adult), Robbie Jarvis (teenager), Alfie McIlwain (child)
Voiced by: Jorge Ornelas (Latin American Spanish, Goblet of Fire), Carlos Hernández (Latin American Spanish, teenager, Order of the Phoenix), Roberto Molina (Latin American Spanish, Deathly Hallows)
Appears in: Philosopher's Stone | Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Deathly Hallows | Cursed Child

"Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

The son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, James Potter was a student at Hogwarts before the series began. With Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, he formed the Marauders. At Hogwarts, he met Lily Evans who he married. After graduating he joined the Order of the Phoenix and fought against Voldemort and Death Eaters, until his death at Voldemort's hands. He's the father of Harry Potter.

Abhorrent Admirer: James was this to Lily in their fifth year at Hogwarts. Although James was a talented Quidditch player and well-liked by most, Lily considered him an arrogant bully and treated him with contempt. She didn't start going out with him until he became less abhorrent.
Adaptation Dye-Job: James in the movies appears to have brown hair, unlike the jet-black hair both him and Harry are said to have in the books.
Abled in the Adaptation: Downplayed. James still wears glasses in the movies like he does in the book, but the a flashback in the final movie shows a young James without them.
Academic Athlete: In addition to being an "exceptionally bright" student, inMcGonagall's words, he was also the star of Gryffindor's Quidditch team.
The Ace: Combined with Insufferable Genius. In Prisoner of Azkaban, he and Sirius are basically described as this. They are described as talented fighters, excellent students who succeeded effortlessly and, in James's case, a peerless Quidditch player.
Adaptational Nice Guy: In the Fifth Film, the famous "Snape's Worst Memory" sequence is highly edited to a brief glimpse without context and dramatic weight addressed, and the final film leaves out the early antagonism between the younger Lily and James, who seem to have had Love at First Sight.
Age Lift: James appears much older in the films (as is Lily) and has normal hair rather than the characteristic messy hair of his son.
Ancestral Weapon: Not a weapon. But The Invisibility Cloak is centuries old by the time James gets hold of it. He was seemingly unaware of the significance of the cloak but provoked Dumbledore's curiosity, who asked to borrow it a short while before he died.
Animal Motifs: His animagus form is a stag, befitting his noble and proud character.
Animorphism: He can turn into a stag.
Arch-Enemy: To Severus Snape during his teenage years, and even as an adult.
Badass Bookworm: A highly intelligent wizard who also fought against Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
Big Ego, Hidden Depths: Tried his best to convince Lily that this was the case with him during "Snape's Worst Memory" notably putting on a more mature voice and passing himself off as a good cop compared to Sirius, even if the whole thing was his idea. As per Sirius and Remus, it was only after he deflated himself that Lily saw his better qualities, which they had both known, such as his generosity and his empathy for outsiders like Remus.
Big Man on Campus: To the core — a bright student, very popular guy, skilled Quidditch player, comes from old money. Most of everyone liked him.
Blue Blood: The Potter family stretches back centuries, and since the marriage of Hardwin Potter to Iolanthe Peverell, included the line of Ignotus Peverell in its lineage. The only reason that the family isn't included in the list of oldest, purest pure-blood families called the "Sacred Twenty-Eight" is because the Potters were and are strongly pro-Muggle rights, though the list's writer claims that it's because Potter is such a common Muggle surname that "there has to be some Muggle blood in there somewhere". (In reality, "Potter" was a corruption of "Potterer", a nickname given to one of the family's ancestors by his Muggle neighbours due to his appearance as a doddering old man who cared about little other than working in his garden — though they respected the efficacy of his herbal remedies, not knowing that they were actually magical potions.) Though it should be noted that the Weasleys were also highly sympathetic to muggles and they were still put on the "Sacred Twenty-Eight". Plus, the House of Black had a nasty habit of disowning any family member who married into a family not up to the Blacks' very high standards, and Dorea Potter, nee Black was, according to a family tree Rowling herself made, was not disowned when she married Charlus Potter.
Bold Explorer: Along with his friends, he had this attitude towards Hogwarts, wishing to explore every nook and cranny and every secret passage on and off the grounds. Together they created The Marauder's Map as a legacy of their exploring.
Brilliant, but Lazy: Acknowledged to have been a bright student, though he was also a huge troublemaker. He also became an Animagus at the age of 15, along with Sirius and Wormtail, when there are only seven registered Animagi in the 20th century. Although he seems to have been more academically inclined than his son, being described as "exceptionally bright" by Professor McGonagall and certainly seems to have had little trouble or difficulty with his OWLs.
Broken Pedestal: For Harry, when he learns more about how James was as Snape was. Eventually, Harry comes to forgive this character flaw and respect that James did mature as he got older. It takes some time and a chat with Sirius and Lupin to do it, though. Harry gets distracted by loathing for Snape around this time anyway, as he blamed Snape for Sirius's death, and since Snape was the primary target of his father's bullying his anger at Snape trumps his anger at his father. Harry does come around to forgiving both, as evidenced by how he chose to name his children.
Character Development: He mellowed out and become more humble. He grew up just like everyone else.
The Charmer: James and Sirius are remembered as this by Madam Rosmerta.
Childhood Friend Romance: He and Lily knew each other since first year, dated in their seventh, and became Happily Married with a son (Harry).
Create Your Own Villain:
- Played With. It's implied that Snape's interest and involvement with the Dark Arts was primarily a means to get back at James for the way he was treated by James and his friends, but Sirius says Snape already knew several dark spells by the time he came to Hogwarts, where he immediately fell in with a gang of fellow future Death Eaters. Snape might have dived in deeper hoping to one-up James, but he was already on the way there without him.
- In a milder example, teaching Peter how to become an Animagus gave him the perfect tool to stab him in the back and get away with it.
Curb-Stomp Battle: James vs Snape in their fifth year, while James was bullying him.
Death by Origin Story: He's killed in Harry's origin story.
Determinator: In regards to Lily, arguably more than Snape, since James at the very least did listen to Lily's criticism and (mostly) changed his attitude, which Snape never did even after her death.
Dogged Nice Guy: His determination to win Lily's heart was this, only thing coming close was his pranking streak and his issues with Snape.
Dysfunction Junction: As the leader of the Marauders, James was perhaps the most normal of the group, lacking family baggage (Sirius Black), a "furry little problem" (Remus Lupin) and feelings of insecurity (Peter Pettigrew).
Embarrassing Rescue: He saved Severus Snape's life when he discovered Sirius' prank. This changed nothing in their mutual antagonism, though it was more embarrassing for Snape than him.
Everyone Has Standards:
- Was appalled at Sirius's "prank" which could have potentially killed Snape, leading him to rescue him at great personal risk and an Embarrassing Rescue for Snape. Despite this, he continued to treat Snape in the same manner, before and after the incident. Then again, it's not like Snape changed.
- While he frequently jinxed and hexed people for fun in his younger years, he never did any Dark Magic. When young Snape defended his friend Mulciber performing Dark Magic on a classmate by claiming it wasn't so different from James's antics, even Lily, who detested James at this time, knew James would never do the same thing to a person and there was no comparison. Even in the Pensieve scene when Snape hit him with Sectumsempra and made him bleed, James retaliated with Levicorpus instead of a more dangerous spell.
- There's also that he never displays prejudice towards Muggle-Borns and treats them as equals, even being appalled when Snape calls Lily a "Mudblood".
Fatal Flaw: Ironically, his generosity and trust in his friends. Peter was the one case where it was absolutely not justified, and his family's betrayal probably would have been averted if James had actually been an Alpha Bitch who shunned and distrusted him. As per Pottermore, it was Remus Lupin (who James and Sirius had befriended) who brought Peter into the fold, and, as per Sirius, James would never have agreed to take Peter as his Secret-Keeper if he had not vouched for him. So maybe his real flaw was deferring to his good friends' Horrible Judge of Character.
Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: He and Severus Snape pretty much view the other as disturbances on the other's existence. The two set off one another in way no one else could.
Lily: What's [Snape] ever done to you?
James: Well, it's more the fact that he exists.
Former Teen Rebel: He eventually became a more mature Head Boy, though it seems he continued to break rules even after getting there.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Downplayed. James was more of a Jerk with a Heart of Gold but was a bully towards Severus Snape, at least. He got better.
Good Counterpart:
- The final three books reveal James shared several similarities to the likes of Draco Malfoy and Tom Riddle despite his lifelong alignment to Good and his progressive moral and political stances. Like Malfoy he was a prideful young man who was spoiled by his wealthy parents. Indeed, the first meeting between Snape and James is something of an Ironic Echo of the first meeting of Harry and Draco, only with the roles reversed.
- Like Tom Riddle, he's The Leader of a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits with a Secret Identity Nickname and moreover traded on his looks, charisma and academic standing to escape serious punishment for his actions (which would have gotten other students in Real Life and in the books, expelled). Moreover he indulged in illegal and dangerous activity becoming an animagus and was a ceaseless explorer of Hogwarts.
Good Is Not Nice: He's a brave wizard, a true friend, and a good husband and father, but to those he has a serious problem with, expect a very intense rivalry/hateship.
Good Parents: We briefly glimpse James playing with his son, on the night of his death, taking great joy in his son's reactions to flying bubbles. Harry's affection for his father and his Heroic Sacrifice is what drives his famous What the Hell, Hero? speech to Remus Lupin, his father's friend, telling him that his abandoning his wife and child and lack of responsibility towards them is something James would never allow, citing how his father stood by him and his mother at the night of the attack.
Green-Eyed Monster: It's implied in the books and confirmed by Rowling that his targeting of Snape had to do with his suspicions that the latter had feelings for Lily and was moreover best friends with her, despite Snape being naturally talented at the Dark Arts and being a grim character in general.
Grey-and-Grey Morality: With Snape in his school days. James was an arrogant bully, but also a staunch supporter and defender of the wizarding world's marginalized groups, including werewolves and Muggleborns. Meanwhile, while Snape mostly kept to himself, he was seduced by the Dark Arts and fell in with his fellow bigoted Slytherins who would go on to become Death Eaters. Ultimately, Lily chooses James over Snape because James was willing to better himself, something Snape was unable to do.
Guile Hero: James and his friends secretly became Animagi as students in Hogwarts, right under the noses of Albus Dumbledore, a powerful Legilimens. Dumbledore never discovered this until years after James' death. Likewise, James used his Invisibility Cloak to sneak around Hogwarts and kept this secret until a short time before his death from Dumbledore, to whom he showed the cloak.
Happily Married: To Lily.
Heroic Sacrifice: Willingly goes forth to a Bolivian Army Ending by charging at Voldemort without a wand, hoping that the mere seconds would be enough for Lily and Harry to escape. Unlike his wife, for whom Snape tried to invoke Spare Her My Liege, he never had a real choice and was going to be killed anyway.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Sirius. Also, with Remus. James supported him financially because, as a werewolf, the law prevented him from getting a job.
Historical Hero Upgrade: An in-series example of someone whose later career as an anti-Voldemort resister and his early death made him remembered as a hero in the minds of the wizarding world who constructed a monument of him, his wife and Harry in Godric's Hollow as a memory of their sacrifice. Aside from Snape, nobody remembers or holds his youthful misdeeds against him, even the likes of McGonagall and Hagrid.
Hoist by His Own Petard: He taught Peter Pettigrew how to become an Animagus, and it was this skill that allowed him to successfully betray the Potters, frame Sirius, and escape justice.
Honour Before Reason: According to Remus Lupin, James would never stoop to suspecting any of his friends of treachery. This is shown in his choice of Sirius Black as Secret-Keeper rather than Dumbledore himself. Although Sirius was loyal, this ultimately goes horribly wrong for everyone since no one suspected Pettigrew of being a traitor.
In-Series Nickname: Prongs to the other Marauders.
Informed Attribute: His Character Development is a justified example. Sirius and Remus assure Harry that he "deflated his head" before dating Lily, but there is little evidence to support this. "The Prince's Tale" establishes that James saved Snape's life before assaulting him in "Snape's Worst Memory", which completely Josses the interpretation that it was James' Heel–Face Turn. Both of them admit that he and Snape maintained their feud after James started dating Lily, with the only justification being that Snape struck first, but given that James was Head Boy at the time, he went to great lengths to conceal it from Lily, and Sirius and Remus have already proven themselves to be Unreliable Narrators, this is questionable support at best. According to Lily's letter, he used his Invisibility Cloak to sneak out while in hiding; in supplementary materials, and he and Sirius have no issue taunting Muggle policemen and engaging in reckless stunts. All of his positive actions post-schooling (supporting Sirius and Remus, sacrificing his life to try and protect Lily and Harry) have to do with his friends and family, and not with his behavior in general. The justification comes when one remembers that he's long dead by the start of the books and that Harry is never really given an opportunity to see how exactly his personality developed in the years between Snape's worst memory and James' murder.
Jacob Marley Apparel: When he appears to Harry via the Resurrection Stone, he is said to be wearing the clothes that he died in.
Jerkass to One: James was a hot-headed show-off in school who was a notorious prankster, even using hexes in his pranks. But as far as we know, the only person that actually hated him was Severus Snape, and that was a complicated and hate-filled rivalry. It's telling that when James matured and learned humility, he never stopped getting into fights with Snape. However, according to Sirius and Remus, James only did so out of a desire for retaliation.
Jerk Jock: Being a guy from a rich family, along with his reputation as a very good Quidditch player and a prankster who had a tendency to go too far in his pranks, certainly points a bit in this direction. But as far as we know, the only person that had a real beef with him was Snape, and that was a complicated and hate-filled rivalry.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: How his former teachers and Hagrid described him, a general troublemaker who was otherwise exceedingly loyal to his friends and a great wizard. His support and loyalty to his friends, even after finding out that Remus Lupin was a werewolf shows his great generosity. That said, Severus Snape for a variety of personal reasons brought out the worst in him and vice versa.
- On the "Jerk" side, in And the Prisoner of Azkaban Lupin and Sirius both admit that if he and Harry had gone to school together, and he had learned there was a psychotic killer loose in the area looking for Harry, James would have lured Harry out of the castle and into the open because he would have thought it would be funny.
- On the "Heart of Gold" side, it's made clear that he nearly shit his pants when he found out that Sirius had tricked Snape into going to the Shrieking Shack when Sirius knew Lupin was there and transformed into his werewolf form, and wasted no time intercepting Snape and preventing him from going to the shack.
Jumped at the Call: Sirius told Harry that this was his father's general attitude when confronted with pulling off a risky, rule-breaking action. "The risk would have been fun for James". This also serves as subtle foreshadowing in the 5th Book, since that is definitely not his son's attitude.
Knight In Shining Armour: He's described as this by those who knew him as an adult.
Knight Templar: Had this attitude towards the Dark Arts and Slytherin House in general. May or may not be justified considering that Voldemort was on the rise and many prominent Slytherians presented their desires to join up with him.
Like Father, Like Son: Like his father, Harry's a great Quidditch Player, a tireless fighter against the Dark Arts and a true friend, as well as a determined rule breaker who loves to explore the school grounds. However, unlike his father, Harry was subjected to mistreatment as a kid and didn't approve of some of the stuff his dad did to Snape.
Like Father, Unlike Son: However, despite all the aforementioned similarities, school-age James and Harry are practically opposites; James grew up to be spoiled by his loving parents while Harry grew up being treated as vermin and barely provided with the bare necessities. Additionally, James was a very extroverted, popular kid, while Harry, although certainly not disliked, is quite introverted and somewhat isolated from his schoolmates. The two similarly had an intense rivalry with a Slytherin, but were quite different, with James being the aggressor, and Harry primarily being the victim of their respective rivalries.
Lovable Jock: Was a talented and popular Quidditch player and had a great personality. That is, as long as you weren't Snape.
Lovable Rogue: He's described as this by those who knew him as a boy, sans Snape and, for a time, Lily.
Love Triangle: Between him and Snape for Lily. Lily chooses James because, while both Snape and James were complicated people, James was willing to better himself for her, something Snape was never able to do.
Loving Bully: Other than bullying and pranking students of Hogwarts for fun, James used to argue a lot with Lily in their times at Hogwarts.
Messy Hair: Like father, like son, which makes it ironic that their family invented the Sleekeazy Hair Potion.
Mundane Utility: During his Hogwarts years, he used the Invisibility Cloak to steal food from the kitchens.
Non-Idle Rich: Another way his and Snape's rivalry is a Grey-and-Grey Morality version of Harry and Draco's. He's rich, well-taken care of, and spoiled by his parents (the Draco to Snape's Harry) but he's also sweet and has genuine compassion for Remus Lupin and hates the Dark Arts and Voldemort despite being Pureblood. Word of God says he never worked after graduating, using his inheritance to support his family, Remus, while working full time as part of the Order. Granted, given the situation of the time and how he had to go into hiding so soon, it's justified why he couldn't find a place to work.
Not Me This Time: The infamous prank that nearly resulted in Snape meeting and dying at the hands of a werewolf was entirely Sirius's idea. James was appalled and risked his own life to save him, but Snape refused to believe the gesture was out of goodwill and was convinced that James was in on it and only saved him because he got cold feet.
Official Couple: With Lily.
Old Money: The Potter family were never among the most influential of the Pureblood families, but as a result of innovations in Healing potions over the years, they earned a fortune in patents made from making Skele-Gro and Sleekeazy's Hair potion. By the time James was born, his parents had sold off the company for a high price with James having plenty of cash to work full-time with the Order and support himself, Lily and Remus, while also leaving Harry a sizable inheritance. In fact, part of the reason he and Vernon Dursley got off on the wrong foot involved him telling Vernon he owned a sizable fortune and did not need to work.
Papa Wolf: Fended off Voldemort to give a better chance for Lily and Harry to escape.
Pet the Dog: James was not as perfect as readers were initially led to believe but he had several moments proving he was good at heart.
- James gave Sirius a home when he had nowhere else to go.
- He became an Animagus to support Lupin.
- He saved Snape's life at great personal risk to himself.
- In the backstory on Pottermore, James was remorseful after his first meeting with Vernon and Petunia went south, partly as a result of his own Innocently Insensitive attitude. He wanted to make amends, but he never got the chance before his death due to the couple's shunning of him and Lily.
Posthumous Character: Perhaps the most rounded one in terms of overall evolution of character, Warts and All. Though the Character Focus shifts from him to his wife in the final three books. However, we still know relatively little about him.
Privileged Rival: James came from a rich family with loving parents, was popular and well-liked at school, and was a Quidditch star. His favorite punching bag, Snape, came from a poor family with an abusive father, was a Bully Magnet, and his specialty was the Dark Arts, which didn't endear him to many.
Young Snape: He fancies you [Lily], James Potter fancies you! And he's not...everyone thinks...big Quidditch hero —
Rebuilt Pedestal: Harry obviously regained enough respect for his father that he was one of the four spirits that emerged from the Resurrection Stone and he later named his first son after him. In the fifth book, after hearing Sirius and Remus laugh nostalgically about his father's antics and not understanding how they can take it lightly, he sees Ron behaving in the same way after his Quidditch triumph while resting beneath the same beech tree that James and his friends did. Harry's reaction is to smile in recognition.
Refuge in Audacity: This was pretty much how the Marauders made themselves be the height of cool. James uses this to endear himself to Lily, despite subjecting her best friend to a Humiliation Conga in broad daylight in front of a group of onlookers and promising to stop if she goes out with him. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for her, Lily didn't take that crap.
Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense: This is how the Dursleys saw him, not knowing that he and his wife were part of La Résistance in a Wizard War. He used his wealth to support his family as well as his friend Remus Lupin, leaving behind a considerable amount of wealth, after his death, to support his son's education. Despite being rich, he was also a Teen Genius and if he wanted to (and if the situation was not so dire that would soon force him and his family into hiding), he could've risen high in the Ministry.
The Rival: To Snape, for their differing opinions on the Dark Arts and Lily's affections.
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Like his son, he held this belief proudly. Unlike his son, he'd take it to level of breaking actual laws by becoming an unregistered Animagus as a teenager, all just to help his werewolf friend. His attitude as a teenager could also veer into Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What I Want, according to Severus, Sirius and Remus. Along with his friends, he unearthed almost all of Hogwarts's secret passages and according to Remus, routinely sneaked out of school boundaries. Snape, who was admittedly biased, felt that James believed that the rules did not apply to him, while Remus admits affectionately, that James would have been most disappointed had his son not snuck out of Hogwarts once.
Single-Target Sexuality: He never showed interest in any girl but Lily that we know of, though this is by no means certain.
Smug Smiler: He certainly was confident in his abilities to say the least. Snape certainly thought this of him and hated him for it (despite being the same).
So Proud of You: Expresses this sentiment to Harry in the final book, when his shade comes out of the Resurrection Stone, and in fact provides the current page quote.
Spoiled Brat: James's parents were a wealthy elderly couple, said to have been extremely doting, which made James quite spoiled and arrogant in his youth.
Strong Family Resemblance: James and Harry are said to be virtually identical, aside from their eyes, Harry's scar, and James having a slightly longer nose.
Team Dad: Served as this to the rest of the Marauders. Inspiring Sirius to become a Gryffindor in their first meeting and becoming an Animagus to help Remus Lupin with his transformation. For Sirius, James was a brother and provided him the family support, first with his parents and then with Lily and Harry, that he didn't have in his life. After graduating from Hogwarts, he also supported Remus financially, since because of his condition he could not find work. It's implied that he was also something of a Big Brother Mentor to Peter.
Teen Genius: Was regarded as a gifted and brilliant Wizard by his teachers and Remus Lupin, who notes that the animagus transformations would not have been possible if it had not been for his and Sirius' brilliance, and Ollivander remembered him as having a gift for Transfiguration. This is also shown in The Marauder's Map.
Those Two Guys: Was this with Sirius Black back in his youth. While reminiscing of their schooldays, Madame Rosmerta commented that you never saw one without the other.
Thou Shalt Not Kill: Was apparently a believer in this and the main virtue he and his son share. Dumbledore and Remus affirm that James would not want Peter Pettigrew killed even if he was a Dirty Coward traitor. Despite his hatred of Severus Snape, he risked his life to save his.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Described as this, along with his wife, by Hagrid.
Took a Level in Kindness:
- In Lily's eyes, he did in the 6th year. To his friends he was always warm and generous, if occasionally over-the-top.
- Subverted in the case of Snape, towards whom he never truly changed. Even after he stopped hexing others, Sirius and Remus admitted that he remained, for James, a "special case". However, both pointed out that James only did so out of retaliation.
Troll: Ensured that the Marauder's Map would have a special in-built nasty insult in case Snape ever tried to read it. This endured even years after his death. Not to mention that he and Sirius were their generation's Weasley twins in terms of pranking.
True Companions: The Marauders.
Villain with Good Publicity: How Snape and Lily saw him during their friendship. Despite being obnoxious, he was remarkably popular and according to Remus, seen as "the height of cool" rather than a bully even if he enjoyed hexing targets (such as Bertram Aubrey whose head was made double his size). During the Snape's Worst Memory scene, the crowd immediately drops what it was doing to gather around him and cheer him on as he attacks Snape.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: Like Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, he is an Animagus whose animal form is a stag. He only ever turns into his stag form when Lupin is undergoing his werewolf transformation to comfort him.
Warts and All: After spending many books with a very idealized view of his parents, Harry's shocked to find out that James Potter was a showoff and could be kind of a jerk so much so that he gets a lot of angst about whether or not everything he'd thought about his father was a lie. Eventually, though, he realizes the truth: James Potter was overall a good man and a good husband who had his faults and flaws and made some poor decisions when he was younger. When he asks Sirius and Lupin they fondly remember how much of a jackass he was until he matured up a bit. They were under no pretense of how much the Marauders could be attention seeking idiots at time.
We Hardly Knew Ye: To a mildly lesser extent than Lily, but still present. Despite being heard about him from those closest to him and one not, we don't know how people saw him outside of his circle of friends and Snape (heck, we only got one glimpse of him and Lily and that was before they became friends, and given how we know even less about her, her perspective is potentially quite biased). We know he was a very talented wizard in a variety of subjects and was the previous generations' Weasley twins with Sirius, but we don't know how others with more nuanced views saw him or even his own thoughts. The latter is much more prevalant since it's clear he knows more than most expect and seems to have kept more than a little to himself, or at least not this friends.
Worthy Opponent: Voldemort briefly expresses this sentiment to Harry in the graveyard scene at the end of Goblet of Fire, noting that James Potter died "straight-backed and proud" and wishes Harry to aspire to the same ideal. The glimpse of his death in Deathly Hollows confirms this. Although it's more a Hopeless Boss Fight since James didn't have his wand and merely charged forward blindly in the hope he could give his wife whatever little time he could.

Sirius "Padfoot" Black

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sirus_black.jpg

"The ones that love us never really leave us."

Portrayed by: Gary Oldman (adult), James Walters (teenager)

Voiced by: Damián Alcázar (Latin American Spanish, Prisoner of Azkaban), Alejandro Mayen, (Latin American Spanish, Goblet of Fire), Salvador Delgado (Latin American Spanish, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows Part II)

Appears in: Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Deathly Hallows

"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. 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."

The White Sheep (sorry, we couldn't resist the pun!) of the elitist House of Black, James and Lily Potter's best man, and one of the finest members of the Order of the Phoenix. Sirius was falsely convicted and sent to Azkaban for leaking information to Voldemort and murdering Peter Pettigrew. Acts as Harry's godfather and is the most consistent father-figure for the Boy Who Lived despite being on the run from the Ministry of Magic.

Acquitted Too Late: He is exonerated for the murders he went to prison for at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, after his death.
Adaptational Attractiveness: In the books, he did look good before he went to Azkaban and his health deteriorated. The movies, though, cast him as good-looking but much older Gary Oldman.
Age Lift: Sirius met Harry in his early 30s, and died at the age of 36. Gary Oldman was already 45 in the film version of Prisoner of Azkaban. However, Sirius is noted to look aged from the effects of the Dementors.
The Alcoholic: He is implied to be this, at least by the time of Book 5. It's probably at least partially caused by being cooped up in a house he hates, not even allowed to leave the building. 12 years in a hellish prison for a crime he didn’t commit could also be a factor.
Animal Motifs: Aside from being able to turn into a dog, he also has a lot of dog-like characteristics, most memorable being that his laugh sounds a lot like a bark. More subtly, Sirius is brazen and fun-loving but also reckless. He's devoted and loyal to the death with the people he trusts, and stand-offish and hostile to those he doesn't.
Animorphism: Sirius was able to become an Animagus at the early age of fifteen, assuming the shape of a large black dog, like the Grim. Since he was unregistered, he was able to take advantage of this ability to elude his Ministry captors.
Anti-Hero: Even though Sirius is a definite good guy, he's also Hot-Blooded and can be quite the hypocrite.
Badass Biker: Sirius owned his own motorcycle, a flying one with a sidecar, that was used by Hagrid after his imprisonment.
Big Bad: Presented as this for most of Prisoner of Azkaban due to Voldemort's absence, especially when Harry discovers that Sirius supposedly betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. Subverted when his frame-up by Pettigrew is discovered.
Big Brother Mentor: Despite actually being Harry's godfather.
- This is actually a problem since he looks at Harry as a Replacement Goldfish for his father whom Harry never knew and largely sends mixed signals, sometimes serving as a Parental Substitute and other times trying to pretend that he's still at Hogwarts with James.
- It's worth noting that this is a major difference in his portrayal in Book 4 and Book 5. In Book 4, he is still on the run and very sharp about potential danger, and acts mostly responsibly toward Harry. He constantly reminds him to lie low, stay out of trouble, and not take risks to see him. Harry on several occasions in GoF expresses relief that he is nearby. In Order of the Phoenix, Sirius begins to behave more recklessly, in part because he is stuck at his childhood home, subject to taunts about his lack of "usefulness," and there are several hints that he is not mentally stable. It is in Order of the Phoenix that Harry begins to worry about Sirius doing something risky to see him, that Molly accuses Sirius of being unable to tell Harry and James apart, and that Sirius becomes careless about his disguise.
Big Friendly Dog: When he's transformed. In the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, Sirius claims James pointed this out and joked that he should have made the change permanent.
Bored with Insanity: When the authorities caught him, he was Laughing Mad—which they thought was brought on by Voldemort's apparent death, but which turned out to be anguish over Peter Pettigrew's betrayal. But Cornelius Fudge, who visited Azkaban not long before Sirius's escape, later recalls that Sirius was unnervingly lucid and appeared merely bored by his surroundings and unaffected by all the Dementors outside his cell. Sirius ultimately turns out to have become Too Broken to Break, fueled by The Power of Hate (directed at Peter, who betrayed the Potters to Voldemort and framed him) instead of by any positive feelings that the Dementors could drain. Eventually, the realization that Peter was still alive and in a position to hurt Harry gave Sirius the motivation he needed to break out.
Brilliant, but Lazy: He was a bright student, but not very studious. When he complained about being bored after their last O.W.L. exam, Remus pointed out he could study for the next one with him. Sirius dismissed his offer because he "know[s] it all".
The Bully: During their school days, he and James would often hex and humiliate classmates they didn't like, at least once attacking Snape out of boredom. They also treated their friend Peter Pettigrew with a dismissive cruelty.
Byronic Hero: Sirius is very clever, still attractive (though not as attractive as he was before Azkaban), slightly mad, and a wee bit homicidal, with a melodramatic flair. He is also the last heir of a noble family from which he inherited a spooky old house.
Celibate Hero: He was noted to be a Chick Magnet during his school days, but when Harry sees Snape's Pensieve memories he is either oblivious to or ignoring the girl who is eyeing him hopefully. Even after Azkaban he seems to have little interest in love, though that might be from lack of opportunity.
Chekhov's Gunman: He is name-dropped in the first book as the guy who lent Hagrid the flying motorbike he needed to get baby Harry to Privet Drive. Then he becomes a major player in the third book.
Clear My Name: Averted at first. Upon his escape, he's single-mindedly focused on simply "committing the murder [he] was imprisoned for." The practical course of turning Pettigrew in alive didn't occur to him until after Harry insisted upon it. His innocence is proven at some point between his death and the beginning of the sixth book, probably because he died at the hands of one of his supposed allies.
Comedic Sociopathy: He and James lapse into a disturbing version of this in the "Snape's Worst Memory" chapter in the book. He considered it a joke to betray Remus's trust by telling Snape how to get past the Whomping Willow.
Creepy Good: He's described as waxen and skeletal when first introduced, and generally behaves in a very sinister manner, but then he turns out to be not so bad as all that. Also, his Animagus form keeps being mistaken for a death omen.
Cultural Rebel: Sirius was raised in a family of aristocratic pureblood wizards who loved the Dark Arts, but by the age of eleven, he expressed a desire to move away from that and got himself Sorted into Gryffindor. He spent his teenage years plastering his bedroom walls with photos of motorbikes and muggle girls before running away at the age of sixteen. Then he joined the Order of the Phoenix while his brother Regulus and cousin Bellatrix joined the Death Eaters. Ironically, it seems only the family he rejected believed Sirius was sincere in his beliefs since his mother continues hating him even after her death while everyone else came to think he had joined the Death Eaters as Voldemort's right-hand man after ten years of open rebellion.
Dark and Troubled Past: Sirius (let's count!) 1) lost his best friend and his family, 2) lost his brother, 3) was disowned by his parents, 4) was betrayed by former True Companion Peter Pettigrew, 5) spent twelve years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
Dark Is Not Evil: His animagus form is a dangerous looking dog, and he looks crazed and dishevelled, but he is a good and loyal man.
Despair Event Horizon: He hits it the night James and Lily die. He eventually snaps out of it when he sees Wormtail's picture in the paper and realizes that Harry's in danger.
Determinator: Even after crossing the Despair Event Horizon he manages to endure a wizarding prison where people go insane and lose the will to live under the watch of soul-sucking wraiths for thirteen years. He then escapes said prison and swims to the mainland (implied to be a very long swimming distance), and then travels to Hogwarts on foot (again, a very long journey) in pursuit of Peter Pettigrew before managing to penetrate Hogwarts' heightened security multiple times. Say what you will about Sirius, the man will not give up.
Didn't Think This Through: A very serious problem for him. This could partially be attributed to his Hot-Blooded nature but his time in Azkaban didn't do any favours for his mental state. In Prisoner of Azkaban as an escaped convict believed to be intent on killing Harry Potter, he breaks into Hogwarts and carries a knife into Harry's own dormitory to try and kill Peter Pettigrew. After being discovered this seemingly confirms his intent towards Harry until the finale.
Disability Immunity: The final step that allowed him to escape Azkaban, after invoking Hypnosis-Proof Dogs via animorphism and growing Bored with Insanity in the process of becoming Too Broken to Break. By the time he heard of Peter's survival and headed out on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge, Sirius was so starved that (at least when he was in dog form) the bars could no longer hold him.
Disc-One Final Boss: Sirius is initially set up to be the antagonist of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the titular Azkaban escapee who is suggested to have betrayed the Potter's to Voldemort. However, it turns out that the real traitor is Peter Pettigrew, AKA, Ron's rat Scabbers, and furthermore, that Sirius is chasing Pettigrew in order to prevent Pettigrew from having a chance to harm Harry, as well as to avenge James and Lily.
Disproportionate Retribution: Had a pretty bad moment of this. In response to Snape's nosy inquiries into Remus's condition and his constant attempts to get the Marauders expelled, he told Snape how to get into the Shrieking Shack where Snape would come face-to-face with a werewolf. This might, however, have been a case of Didn't Think This Through. Sirius knew Snape suspected Remus was a werewolf, and he might have intended to taunt Snape by giving him information that would let him prove it, but only if he would risk his life and status as a human. He didn't realise Snape hated them enough to do it, though James did and went to rescue Snape.
Distressed Dude: Near the end of Prisoner of Azkaban, he's locked up for the Dementors and Harry and Hermione have to rescue him with Buckbeak.
The Dreaded: He gains this reputation due to Peter Pettigrew's frame-up and his own behaviour being taken out of context. When he laughs madly after Pettigrew's betrayal and escape the wizarding world concluded that he was an Ax-Crazy psychopath who killed Muggles for fun and laughed about it after betraying Lily and James Potter to Voldemort. Even the Muggle world was told that he was a violent and dangerous albeit ordinary criminal. After his innocence is posthumously discovered this seems to be toned down.
Et Tu, Brute?: He was blamed for the murder of the Potters by Peter.
Expository Hairstyle Change: Sirius's long, unkempt hair in the later scenes of Goblet Of Fire and Order of the Phoenix is a sign that living in caves and his hated childhood home is incredibly depressing for him. Moody explicitly compares it to the shorter hairstyle he sported back before the Potters were killed.
Fatal Flaw: In general, his reckless, Hot-Blooded nature which leads him to act impulsively with Suicidal Overconfidence in situations where he's not in control. This leads him to be Out-Gambitted by the likes of Peter Pettigrew and his own house-elf Kreacher.
Freudian Slip: In the fifth film while fighting Death Eaters with Harry.
Sirius: [to Harry] Nice one, James!
Friend to All Children: The first clue that Sirius isn't the bad guy is his concern for Ron in the Shrieking Shack scene. Sirius might be the one who broke Ron's leg in the first place, but that's a minor injury in the magical world and Sirius twice allows his concern for Ron to interrupt his plans, first by ordering Ron to sit back down when it looks like he's going to injure his leg further and then when he stops in the middle of his escape to ask Harry and Hermione if Ron is going to be okay. He's also the only adult who takes Harry, Ron, and Hermione seriously when they discuss their latest problems with him while everyone else tells them to let the adults handle it.
Friend to All Living Things: The second clue that Sirius is a good guy is Crookshanks's loyalty to Sirius and Sirius's own attempt to dislodge Crookshanks when he tries to shield Sirius with his body. Sirius and Crookshanks remain fond of each other in Order of the Phoenix, and in that book, Dumbledore points out that in spite of Sirius's troubled relationship with Kreacher, he was otherwise kind to house-elves, something which few wizards and witches can claim. He also develops a friendship with the hippogriff Buckbeak.
Good All Along: Sirius is set up in Prisoner of Azkaban as Voldemort's Dragon, a mass-murderer who killed thirteen people with a single curse, later "revealed" to be a traitor to the Potter family after they made him Secret-Keeper. It turns out that Sirius was framed for these crimes by Peter Pettigrew, who is much less conspicuous and competent than Sirius was made out to be (Pettigrew is far from being Voldemort's Dragon, and was only secret-keeper for the Potters because Sirius suggested it), and that Sirius is in fact a Hero with Bad Publicity who ends up being a father figure of sorts to Harry.
Good Is Not Nice: During the books he seems to be on the path to becoming a much better person, but as a teenager, he was known for being very reckless and wild (to which he does eventually admit he isn't proud of). He noticeably didn't see anything wrong in potentially feeding a fellow student to his werewolf best friend, regarding it as a "joke" (although most likely, he simply didn't believe his prank would actually work).
Go Mad from the Revelation: His reaction of hysterical laughter to Pettigrew's betrayal and escape via display of hitherto unknown cunning and viciousness, leaving him unable to rationally defend himself against prosecution. The fact that he didn't get a trial couldn't have helped, either... nor could the fact that he may be a little unhinged—the Black family is noted to frequently intermarry with cousins and has been for at least seven hundred years, and there's his Dark and Troubled Past. Genetics would hardly be needed to make any rational person snap in the same circumstances.
Happily Adopted: Briefly, as a teenager. He ran away from his bigoted family when he was sixteen and moved in with the Potters, who treated him like a second son and made it clear even after he moved out that he was always welcome at Sunday dinner. He and Harry plan on doing this themselves; when Sirius suggests he take legal guardianship of Harry to take him away from his abusive household, it genuinely seems like one of the happiest moments in both their lives. Then he died before it could ever happen.
Heroic Self-Deprecation: He apologises to Remus for suspecting him of being the traitor, when in retrospect Peter was more psychologically consistent to do so and even admits that he and James used to be "the biggest bullies in the playground" in Book 3, before the revelations of the fifth book. He also acknowledges to Harry that he and James behaved, "like arrogant berks" and that they ought to have listened to Remus more often than they did.
Hero with Bad Publicity: Most of the wizarding community (and even the Muggle community) believes him to be a dangerous and violent mass murderer despite being the only one to reprimand the real person behind the murders.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Due to being unkind to his family's old House-Elf Kreacher, who takes an opportunity to pass information to Voldemort through Narcissa, leading Voldy to concoct a plan that gets Sirius killed. That's actually a part of it, since while it provided the context, Harry "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot by listening to Hermione, and Sirius himself made the decision to join the others despite Dumbledore's orders. His death happens because of Suicidal Overconfidence on his part in facing Hero Killer Bellatrix Lestrange, his own cousin, though he only died because of a magical gate and him passing through it. He probably would've won if it was not there.
Horrible Judge of Character: Unbeknownst to anyone else, he had James and Lily make Peter Pettigrew their Secret-Keeper — thinking no one would ever suspect it and that Peter would never betray them. In Sirius's defence, nobody else in the Order suspected Peter of being the traitor either. It's implied that Dumbledore himself suspected Sirius, while Sirius suspected Remus.
Hot-Blooded: As an adult, Sirius was shown to be capable of an explosive temper when angered, a trait shared by his mother, Walburga Black, and his mad cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. His years in Azkaban contributed dramatically, which was especially evident during 1993 and 1994: trying persistently to capture Peter Pettigrew, going to lengths that even Dumbledore commented as not those of an innocent right-thinking man. Later on, he occasionally demonstrated himself to be reckless, immature, and even downright irresponsible. In several instances, he risked getting caught by the Ministry because he felt stir-crazy in his house, and advised Harry to take rash actions. Much of this can likely be attributed to the vast amount of time spent in jail, which stunted his emotional development and made him especially eager to spend time with and protect his loved ones.
Hypocrite: Despite his axiom that the measure of a man is how he treats his inferiors, he behaves detestably towards Kreacher (since Kreacher reminds him of the house and the family he hated while growing up), though it should be noted that Kreacher hates him back. Indeed, this is one of his least admirable qualities. It also bites him in the arse. Hard.
Icy Grey Eyes: Sirius has grey eyes, which originally tied in with his good looks as a young man (grey eyes were once considered a highly beautiful attribute). Later on in his life, they symbolically tie into the stoicism and loneliness he exhibits due to his life on the run.
I Hate Past Me: He's not proud of some of the stuff he did back when he was younger, referring to himself as having been one of "the biggest bullies in the playground" as early as the third book.
I Have No Son!: His parents disowned him and burned his name off the family tree after he ran away. This was, admittedly, probably the reaction he was hoping for.
In-Series Nickname: Padfoot to the other Marauders.
In the Blood: Subverted. Sirius was disowned by his family for being a "dirty Muggle lover who has no respect for tradition" (read: a decent human being) and ended up in Gryffindor, whereas every member of his close family was in Slytherin. However, he still shows signs of the aristocratic arrogance and entitlement he shares with his cousins Bellatrix, Narcissa, and even fellow White Sheep Andromeda.
It's All My Fault: When Harry confronts him and accuses him of killing his parents, Sirius does not deny it. However, it's because he considers James and Lily's deaths his fault since he was the one who suggested making Wormtail the Secret-Keeper.
I Was Quite a Looker: Before he went to Azkaban, he was quite handsome, but after he escapes, he looks decrepit and emaciated. In the fourth book, he looks a little better after his health improves but later he stops caring for his appearance, presumably because of his house arrest in book 5. Remus Lupin's Pottermore profile includes a moment when Tonks comments on his remaining attractiveness, however.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As an adult, he mellows out somewhat. He still hates Snape and Kreacher but is otherwise a very nice person. There are a few moments that indicate him maturing greatly, such as when he points out he's not proud of how he and James treated Snape in school.
Kind Hearted Cat Lover: He is friendly with Crookshanks
Kirk Summation:
- Sirius shows considerable insight into the psychology of Barty Crouch Sr., showing fairness to the man who sent him to prison without trial as well as the general Death Eater and pureblood mentality and culture, to which he serves as Mr. Exposition in Books 4 and 5.
- Sirius corrects Harry's assumption that Umbridge is a Death Eater by pointing out she doesn't have to be in order to be a prejudiced, evil woman.
Knight Templar: Another way he's not that different from the people he criticizes. Like Crouch, Sirius expects absolute commitment and loyalty to friends and True Companions as well as absolute consistency in ideology, which makes it difficult for him to comprehend and tolerate the ambiguous situation of the likes of Severus Snape and Kreacher. On the other hand, this gives him significant insight into the character of Crouch Junior.
The Lancer: Served as this to The Marauders with James being the leader.
Last-Name Basis: Rowling does this with him for most of his first appearance. But when the truth about him is revealed, she suddenly switches to his first name, eventually permanently.
Luke, I Am Your Father: A variation. When Harry overheard McGonagall and Fudge talk about Sirius as well as that he was his godfather, he broke down and wanted to gain revenge on Sirius for betraying not only his parents but the parents whom Sirius was supposedly friends to. However, it's also technically subverted in that Sirius, although still Harry's godfather, was not only not that bad a person but also not even the one responsible for betraying his parents.
Madness Mantra: "He's at Hogwarts... he's at Hogwarts..." Subverted, in that it was the only thing that allowed him to become sane enough to escape the Dementors.
Manchild: Getting locked away in prison left him with a pretty nasty case of arrested development. He often acts more like Harry’s buddy than his guardian and fails to understand the consequences of his actions.
- It should be noted, though, that before Dumbledore insisted he hole up in Grimmauld Place, he acts relatively responsible and level-headed, warning Harry to be more cautious. It's misery at being essentially locked up again (in a place he despises) and desperation to do anything of any consequence that drives him to a more reckless, rebellious nature.
Meaningful Name:
- Sirius is a star commonly referred to as the "dog star." And, of course, he turns into a black dog.
- The constellation it's in is in mythology a hound fated to always catch his prey... and Sirius, for better or worse, has the same determination when looking for his in his debut book Prisoner of Azkaban.
Mentor Occupational Hazard: He was killed by Bellatrix during their duel.
Metaphorically True: His convincing James and Lily to make Peter the Secret Keeper was a betrayal in his eyes.
Mirror Character: Severus. Both are Byronic heroes, and despite both being ultimately good people and regardless of how excusable it may be, both of them can still sort of be dicks and are presented as a Red Herring for a true villain (Quirrell for Snape, Pettigrew for Sirius) in their first appearance. He also serves as a foil to Snape when you take their backgrounds into account. Sirius was a member of a pureblood wizarding family known for their penchants for the dark arts, but Sirius turned out to not only be a pretty good guy but also opposed Voldemort during the First Wizarding War. Snape is a half-blood wizard who ultimately chooses to side with the supremacists. Though Lily's death eventually makes him realize how wrong he was. They both played an unintentional role in the deaths of the Potters and dedicated their lives to protecting Harry out of loyalty to one of his parents, with said parent being the person Sirius and Snape loved most in the world (James for Sirius, Lily for Snape). That being said, both men are guilty of confusing Harry with his father and treat him as they would treat James, which occasionally caused problems for all three of them.
Miscarriage of Justice: Victimized hard by this, having been held in Azkaban without a trial for 12 years for a crime he didn't even commit.
Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: Sirius is initially presented as a suspicious character, who supposedly betrayed the Potters to Lord Voldemort and killed Peter Pettigrew, and supposedly planned on coming to Hogwarts to kill Harry Potter; not helping his case is the fact that he takes the form of a black dog. However, it turns out that not only was Sirius doggedly loyal to James and Lily, he had actually come to Hogwarts to avenge their blood, as the real traitor, Pettigrew, had framed Sirius both as a traitor, and as Pettigrew's murderer, and had been taking the form of a rat. Sirius also turns out to be a better adult figure than the Dursleys, taking care not to hide information from Harry.
Mommy Issues: Considering his mother in portrait form is verbally abusive and bigoted, it's no surprise at all that Sirius has issues with matriarchal figures like Mrs Weasley.
Mr. Fanservice: Before he went to Azkaban, his good looks are frequently mentioned. A Pottermore profile of Remus Lupin by Rowling has Lupin noting that he was the ladies' man of the group.
No Body Left Behind: It is heavily implied that when Bellatrix knocked him through the Veil, he was transported directly to the afterlife. As such, his physical body most likely doesn't exist anymore.
- Outright stated in a later book that they didn't have a funeral for him because there was no body to bury.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Sirius's story arc and backstory is inspired by Jessica Mitford, the daughter of an aristocratic family of Nazi sympathizers who ran away from home and became a Cultural Rebel and leftist. Jessica Mitford is also one of Rowling's heroes. In terms of appearance, especially in the movies, he bears a resemblance to this photo of Charles Manson◊ (except in Mary GrandPre's illustrations, where he is drawn as clean-shaven).
Noodle Incident: "Usually, I have a very sweet disposition as a dog. In fact, more than once, James suggested that I made the change permanent. The tail I could live with - but the fleas, they're murder." Sirius's tone of voice implies that he has, indeed, on at least one occasion, given himself a tail while he's in human.
Not Helping Your Case:
- Because of his hot-blooded nature and his impulsive behaviour, he is a major example of this. Despite the Miscarriage of Justice in not getting a trial, he is surrounded by an Orgy of Evidence and is Laughing Mad and doesn't put up a fight when the Aurors arrest him, all situations he could have avoided had he understood the situation. Then again, finding out one of your best friends sold you and your friends out to have them killed, especially one you trusted to keep their location secret would cause a severe mental breakdown in anyone.
- In Prisoner of Azkaban, he doesn't stop either, sneaking around and infiltrating Hogwarts, carrying a knife all just to kill a rat - albeit a rat who happens to be a deceptively intelligent and powerful wizard, and in prime position to threaten his godson should he choose to do so. Either way, subtlety is not a strong suit. Dumbledore flat out states that, even if he believes Sirius innocent, he's done himself no favours.
- It doesn't help matters when said godson and his friends' first impression of him is thinking he might kill them, and throws the line "No, only one will die tonight" and when Lupin saves him, he explicitly says "Let's kill him", making Harry and his friends think they want to kill Harry until they tell them otherwise. Then again to be fair, he was insane with grief after hearing his best friends died, and he was blamed for it. He considerably calms down once they expose the real traitor.
Old Shame: In-Universe example. His reaction to Harry when confronted about his past actions in Snape's Worst Memory, admitting that he's not proud of his actions and that he and James behaved like "arrogant young berks".
One of the Kids: Although he often gives Harry good advice, there are moments when he seems irresponsible in comparison to Harry and his friends. Getting chucked in a prison that tends to drive people mad for twelve years (after losing his best friends due to his own mistakes) didn't do wonders for his maturity.
Only Sane Man: He feels he was this to his incredibly narrow-minded family.
Papa Wolf:
- Malfoy threatens Sirius's godson in exchange for information, only for Sirius to bust into the room, skip magic entirely, and deck Malfoy before duelling with Malfoy's goons.
"Get away from my godson!"
- There's also the events in Prisoner of Azkaban where he protected Harry multiple times, especially from Lupin, his own best friend, when he transformed into a werewolf and was attacking Harry and his friends. Not to mention the outraged response he gave Peter Pettigrew when he approached Harry while talking about James.
Parental Substitute: To Harry. Although as Dumbledore says, Harry regards Sirius as a combination of both father and older brother.
Parents as People: Sirius isn't Harry's parent, but as his guardian, his good intentions are often muddled by his own issues—he gives into his desire for vengeance after the Potters are murdered and allows Hagrid to take Harry to the Dursleys' (though he only did so because Hagrid insisted, invoking Dumbledore's orders), and his mental and emotional development is all over the place due to his years imprisoned or on the run. Consequently, while he gives decent advice in GOF, he struggles to provide support and guidance for Harry during OOTP as he suffers from untreated trauma and implied alcoholism and as Harry's problems outgrow anybody's ability to deal with, and he is so desperate to escape the home where he was abused that he lashes out when Harry tries to keep him there, even though Harry only wants to keep him safe. No one doubts how much he loves Harry, but it is hard for him to express himself in a healthy manner.
Pet the Dog: In Goblet of Fire, despite loathing Snape and knowing that most of the people he associated with at school wound up becoming Death Eaters, he admits he has no evidence to confirm Snape was one too and cannot condemn him as such.
Poster-Gallery Bedroom: His childhood bedroom at 12 Grimmauld Place is covered in Gryffindor banners, photographs of Muggle motorcycles, and posters of bikini-clad Muggle girls, complete with Permanent Sticking Charms so his family couldn't take them down after he left.
Pragmatic Hero: Despite firmly having heroic motivations, he has no problems with murder and other unscrupulous methods.
Price on Their Head: In the fifth book, Sirius mentions he has a 10,000 galleon price on his head.
Prophetic Name: Sirius is named after the Dog Star, whose name in the original Greek means "scorching". Only later in his life would he discover that his Animagus form was a big black dog.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Despite doubts about his competence by Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, Sirius serves as this to Harry in spite of considerable emotional strain and psychological stress. Immediately understanding Harry's needs and opposed to keeping him Locked Out of the Loop. Dumbledore admits that Sirius was right in that regard, and Dumbledore's fatal insistence on it led to Sirius's death.
Red Herring: For most of Book 3, the reader is led to believe that he is a mass murderer, a loyal Death Eater, and that he betrayed Harry's parents. It's actually Wormtail.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Seems to have been Red to James's Blue while both are more Red than Lupin's Blue. To his disappointment in Order of the Phoenix, Harry is Blue to his Red as well, unwilling to take risks that would have been fun for his old man - though this is likely an artefact of his own frustration, as in Goblet of Fire, if anything he was more Blue than Harry, warning him to be careful.
Revenge: Part of his reason for breaking out of Azkaban is to get revenge on Wormtail, that and avenge Harry's parents. He's also on the receiving end in Azkaban as far as Snape is concerned, not only for their bullying but because Snape believed that Sirius betrayed Lily to Voldemort.
Revenge Before Reason: He intends to break out of Azkaban to stop Peter and protect Harry and then kill him in revenge, "to commit the crime he was imprisoned for." Rather than capturing said rat, exposing him to the authorities and clear his name. Harry is the one who takes control of the situation, though it ultimately Goes Horribly Wrong anyway.
Sacrificial Lion: His death in Book 5 was a major shock since he was an important character that people expected would last longer and a Father Figure for Harry. It signalled the Anyone Can Die aspect of the series more than Cedric's death.
Sanity Strengthening: Already driven mad with grief and rage after the murders of James and Lily, poor Sirius mentally snaps after his encounter with Peter Pettigrew on the streets of London. After being sentenced to Azkaban he's able to cling to sanity by focusing on his innocence. As this was "more an obsession than a happy thought", it could not be detected by the Dementors but still allowed him to maintain a sense of self and regain enough strength to transform into his Animagus form in his cell. Since Dementors have difficulty sensing the less complex emotions of animals, he was able to remain relatively unaffected as a dog. This and subsequently the discovery that Pettigrew was alive and at Hogwarts helped him reclaim enough mental clarity to escape from Azkaban. He’s still pretty messed up but having his name cleared in the eyes of Harry and his closest surviving friend is what really brings him the peace of mind he needs.
Sentenced Without Trial: During the First Wizarding War, Sirius was among those whom Barty Crouch sentenced to Azkaban without trial as part of the extremes he went to in order to take down Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Because of this, he was blamed for betraying the Potters to Voldemort and imprisoned in Azkaban for 12 years. The truth is only discovered by Harry years later: that Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters' location to Voldemort, then framed Sirius by blowing up a street full of Muggles and faking his own death by cutting off his finger and using his ability as an Animagus to shapeshift into a rat and hide.
Shoot the Shaggy Dog: No pun intended. After breaking out of prison, Sirius is instead placed under virtual house arrest in his horrible childhood home with most of his colleagues on field duty, and Harry in Hogwarts with only a bitter old House-Elf for regular company. He dies in battle before his name is cleared out of a mix of lack of field experience and Suicidal Overconfidence and does not play a major role in helping Harry achieve his destiny. His mistakes with Kreacher are cited by Hermione as a cautionary tale instead.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: When Peter Pettigrew tries to justify his treachery by way of Voldemort threatening his life, Sirius, quite bluntly, shouts that Peter should have died rather than betray his friends, as they would have done for him. In the film, when Peter tries using the same excuse, saying that Sirius should consider what the latter would have done, Sirius retorts, "I would have died! I would have died rather than betray my friends!"
Stellar Name: The Black family members are named after stars and constellations. Sirius's name refers to a star colloquially known as the Dog Star.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He is the tallest Marauder,^note black-haired, and so handsome his own godson comments on it repeatedly.
Tall, Dark, and Snarky: He's also a Deadpan Snarker.
Teen Genius: It does not come up often. But he (And the rest of the Marauders) are no less brilliant than Snape. Sirius became an Animagus at Fifteen, collaborated in the creation of the Marauder's Map, and aced all of his classes in school.
Those Two Guys: He and James Potter were a "double act" as noted by their former teachers, Flitwick and McGonagall. In the flashbacks we see in the Pensieve, they bond instantly on the Hogwarts Express and are inseparable.
Too Broken to Break: In the wake of Sirius's Trauma Conga Line, this trope—combined, via Animorphism, with Hypnosis-Proof Dogs—is why the joy-sucking Dementors had so little effect on Sirius.
Too Clever by Half: This is perhaps Sirius' real tragic flaw. Despite being fairly smart and insightful, he's led astray by Suicidal Overconfidence and underestimates his opponents and even Peter Pettigrew, who managed to manipulate his friend into a trap that left him framed for mass murder and in prison for 12 years. His dismissal of Hermione and Dumbledore's concerns for Kreacher plays a role in the circumstances leading to his death. In the end, his bravado and Trash Talk to Bellatrix Lestrange give her the advantage needed to kill him, albeit only by knocking him back into a gate whose magic kills him.
Too Dumb to Live: He taunts Bellatrix Lestrange in the middle of their duel in the Department of Mysteries, distracting himself and giving her the advantage to knock him back into the Veil whose magic kills him. Not that Bellatrix is any smarter; two years later, she would meet her own end when she taunts an already-enraged Molly Weasley^note in the middle of their duel..
Too Spicy for Yog-Sothoth: Azkaban is guarded by joy-eating Dementors that normally drive prisoners insane or drain their motivation to escape. Sirius was wrongly imprisoned there for alleged mass murder and for the alleged betrayal of his best friends (and Harry's parents), James and Lily Potter. But he still manages to get past the Dementors and escape. This is partly because he escapes in the form of a dog, meaning he's less intelligent and his simpler emotions are harder for Dementors to detect and consume. Also, Sirius is so unhappy already, over the deaths of Harry's parents and over his own wrongful imprisonment, that there isn't really much joy left for the Dementors to eat. He also says that he was able to cling to his sanity because his knowledge that he was innocent was not an emotion and therefore not something the Dementors could take from him, giving him a lifeline to cling to. His escape is motivated by a desire for revenge against Peter Pettigrew, who really betrayed Harry's parents and framed Sirius. Since his desire for revenge is fuelled by negative emotions, the Dementors can't drain his motivation to escape Azkaban.
Tragic Hero: Perhaps the purest example in the series in terms of the classical theme of escaping one's roots. He spent his entire life trying to escape his family's influence, only to be framed for murder as a dark wizard and Muggle killer, something his family is known for. After escaping, he ends up under virtual house arrest in his childhood home and ends up being killed by his cousin at the instigation of the family servant. Ironically, his tendency towards being a Cultural Rebel did him in.
Tragic Mistake: Two major ones:
- Trusting Peter Pettigrew implicitly, a mistake that led to the deaths of James and Lily and which would haunt him for the rest of his life.
- His biggest mistake is his mistreatment of Kreacher. This is the main reason why he was killed after Harry was lured into a trap by the Death Eaters.
Trauma Conga Line: He indirectly got James and Lily killed after they're all betrayed by their close friend Peter Pettigrew, realizes this, then realizes that his friend Remus (who Sirius had begun to think was Voldemort's spy) was the man he should have trusted and that his own complete blindness to the kind of person Peter really was allowed him to be outwitted by him and set up for the murders of three of his closest friends (including Peter himself.) His response to this is to go completely hysterical, which doesn't help his case any (or at least it wouldn't have, had he gotten a trial.) No one believes him, and he promptly spends the next twelve years or so in Azkaban (where you have the joy literally sucked out of you by dementors, not that Sirius at that point would have made for a very appetizing meal.) And then he is rather abruptly killed off before his name is cleared or he even actually gets to do much good. The woman who killed him was his cousin who, had Sirius not lost their duel via his suicidal overconfidence, maybe wouldn't have gone on to kill several other characters before she was finally stopped (including his first cousin once removed/ the wife of his closest living friend, leaving his first cousin twice removed an orphan who never knew either of his parents.) We will not even count him being ostracized by his family (even though his younger brother died after having a heel-face turn Sirius never found out about) since he considered this to be one of the best things that ever happened to him. And he never gets be a guardian to Harry like both of them wanted him to. Damn.
Troubled, but Cute: Definitely was this in his younger years.
Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: When Sirius was a teenager, he tried to trick Snape into meeting Lupin as a werewolf, who would likely have eaten Snape had James not drawn the line and saved his life, all because he didn't like Snape and thought it would be funny. It was a dangerously reckless and selfish prank at best since he never took how Lupin would feel about attacking someone into consideration, and outright attempted murder at worst.
Undying Loyalty: He would give his life in an instant for his friends — Peter's cowardice being his excuse for betraying the Potters enrages him. Even more awesome when you remember his animal form: dog.
The Un-Favourite: As opposed to Regulus, Sirius's rebelliousness and tolerance lead to him being disowned by his parents and wiped from the family tree.
Unstoppable Rage: At Peter. Painfully justified though since Peter betrayed two of their friends to Voldemort and framed Sirius for it. When he forces Peter to transform back into a man, he is prepared to kill Peter. He was so mad at Peter that him approaching Harry while talking about James set him off.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: How Madam Rosmerta remembers Sirius, who along with James always made her laugh. She finds his Face–Heel Turn almost impossible to believe, even years later. Needless to say, her instinct is vindicated.
- Actually inverted. Sirius may have gotten up to some cruel things in his youth, but, like James, has grown out of most of it.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: He is an Animagus, a wizard that can transform into an animal at will. His Animagus form is that of a black dog.
Walking Spoiler: It's impossible to talk about him without giving away spoilers about his true nature from the third book.
When He Smiles: When he first appears, has a frightening, corpse-like appearance due to 12 years of imprisonment in Azkaban taking a toll on his health. But when the truth is uncovered and Harry says he wants to live with Sirius, that's the first time we see him smile, and what a difference it makes.
Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask. For a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry's parents' wedding.
White Sheep: A good version of a Black Sheep, excusing the pun: He was one of the only members of his family who was not a staunch blood supremacist and a Gryffindor rather than a Slytherin though not the only White Sheep as his cousin Andromeda is a lesser extent - still a Slytherin but was disowned for marrying a muggleborn - and his uncle Alphard who got disowned for leaving gold in his will to Sirius.
Would Hit a Girl: He fights Bellatrix in the climax of the fifth book, which leads to him getting killed.
You Killed My Father: Subverted. It is initially believed that Sirius Black was the one who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort, but it turns out that not only was he in fact not responsible for betraying them, he was actually framed by the person who supposedly tried to avenge them and died, Peter Pettigrew.
Younger Than They Look: Typical for an Azkaban inmate, Sirius looks far older than thirty or so because of the despair he went through in prison. He looks a bit better by Goblet of Fire after he's spent some time taking care of himself but he still looks unnaturally gaunt.
You Are Not Alone: Because Lupin has his werewolf problems, he, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew would transform into their animal forms to comfort him whenever he turns into a werewolf.
You Should Have Died Instead: See Undying Loyalty. "Then you should have died! Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!"

Remus John "Moony" Lupin

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/remus_lupin.jpg

"Now fear makes people do terrible things, Harry."

Portrayed by: David Thewlis
Voiced by: Miguel Zúñiga (European Spanish), Rodrigo Murray (Latin American Spanish, Prisoner of Azkaban), Martín Soto (Latin American Spanish, Order of the Phoenix-Deathly Hallows), Hamilton Ricardo (Brazilian Portuguese)
Appears in: Prisoner of Azkaban | Order of the Phoenix | Half-Blood Prince | Deathly Hallows

"Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them — gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."

Harry's Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher for his third year and one of James Potter and Sirius Black's best friends during his time at Hogwarts. He joined the Order of the Phoenix alongside the other Marauders. Remus was bitten by a werewolf in his youth, but his condition was kept secret from the public until the end of Harry's third year.

He and Nymphadora Tonks fall in love sometime between years 5 and 6, marry sometime between years 6 and 7, and have a child (Teddy) towards the end of year 7.

Adaptational Angst Downgrade: Downplayed. The books went into detail of Remus' insecurity of being a werewolf, shame of not standing up to his friends for their bullying, and initially refusing to be in a relationship with Tonks. The film adaptations does show him facing discrimination but didn't deal with any of the personal hardships of his book counterpart.
Adaptational Attractiveness: In the books, he is described having a pale face with premature lines, and light brown hair that is flecked with grey that both progress as his life continues. In the films, his hair is completely brown and does not look lined anywhere on his face.
Adaptational Nice Guy: Downplayed. Remus is still a Nice Guy in the books like he is in the films, but unlike the former, he didn't attempt to abandon his child and wife, although his reason for doing so in the books wasn't out of cruelty but fear of harming both of them.
Adaptational Ugliness: Despite the above, he does also have several facial scars in the films that he does not have in the books.
Age-Gap Romance: There is a twelve or thirteen year difference between him and Tonks^note, which is something that greatly bothers him.
AM/FM Characterization: In the films, he's shown to be a fan of jazz music and owns an antique record player.
Animal Motifs: Wolves, as indicated by his names, his status as a werewolf, and his Patronus—which according to JK is actually a normal wolf rather than a werewolf, implying it would be his Patronus either way. Lupin likely doesn't want to take any chances of his condition being identified by his Patronus, which explains why he uses a weaker, unformed version to repel a Dementor on the train in his first appearance. Still the animal fits him, as wolves are intelligent, loyal and very caring animals who unfortunately and often unfairly tend to have a bad reputation among humans.
Anti-Hero: He is very noble, but he is perfectly willing to dirty his hands, such as when he and Sirius were going to execute Pettigrew in cold blood at the end of book 3 without any remorse. He also shows a consistent trait of trying to ignore or failing to confront obvious, important issues or problems (like how he silently disapproved of James and Sirius' bullying habits in school, but never did anything to stop it, or his brief flirtation with fleeing from his responsibility as a father when Tonks falls pregnant with a potentially werewolf offspring).
Awesomeness by Analysis: His perceptiveness and his skill at reading people make him a great teacher.
Babies Ever After: In Deathly Hallows, Tonks is pregnant with her and Remus' child who she later gives birth to in the same book. Then, they both die in the final battle.
Badass Bookworm: While his friends James and Sirius were said to be naturals when it came to magic, Lupin seems to have gotten his tremendous skill through hard work and studying. It's notable that after the Ministry battle in the fifth book, he's one of two Order members who gets through unscathed, with the other being Dumbledore.
Badass Teacher: Regarded as the best self-defence teacher to teach Harry's year.
Bad Powers, Good People: Remus does not view his lycanthropy as a 'power', but as an incurable curse to be endured.
Beware the Nice Ones: At the climax of the third book, when asked "Shall we kill him together?" by Sirius, concerning Pettigrew, Remus simply answers "Yes, I think so." Remus then tells Pettigrew he should have known the two of them would kill him for betraying James.
Body Horror: His transformation in the movie is this, he's screaming and moaning in agony as his entire body reshapes itself. Even when the transformation is complete, his werewolf form isn't the typical wolf-man seen in most media, it's instead a freakish, oddly-proportioned mix of wolf and man.
Bound and Gagged: In the book, Professor Snape does this to him at the Shrieking Shack and falls over being unbalanced because of this.
But Now I Must Go: Out of pure spite, Snape decides to break the vow of silence and "accidentally let slip" that Lupin is a werewolf all because he failed to keep Sirius Black in custody, who escaped via Buckbeak and Harry's help, and thus, Snape lost his chance at an Order of Merlin. Naturally, given the cursed nature of a werewolf's bite, this would cause a great deal of alarm and outrage among the parents as well as the students who were unaware and it would no doubt be targeted towards Dumbledore (who could take the heat, but that is beside the point). Considering how much prejudice is aimed at werewolves thanks to Umbridge and her bigoted laws, despite the fact they cannot help their condition, and feeling horrible about the heat Dumbledore would get, Lupin decides to hand in his resignation at the end of Harry's third year. Not that he could stay longer than a year anyway because of a jinx on the DADA position. Harry tries, and fails, to convince Lupin to stay. The sad thing about it is Lupin has had to do this so many times before, going through job after job all because of what he is, that he's basically numb to it and the prejudice at this point.
Byronic Hero: Lupin has many characteristics of a Byronic hero, though that's not his role in Harry's story. He is world-weary and ostracized by society, well-read but cynical, and forced to live outside the normal order. He is a less extreme version than Sirius, and after the sixth book he seems to be moving beyond this status.
Contrasting Sequel Main Character: The first and only one of Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers to be completely likable and competent, contrasting the Evil All Along Quirell and the Fake Ultimate Hero Lockhart.
Cool Teacher: Everyone in Harry's year, aside from those with prejudice against werewolves, liked him so much that they wanted him to stay on as the DADA teacher even after he was outed. The fact that he doled out chocolate as medicine didn't hurt.
Disappointed in You: How he feels about Harry using the Marauder's Map to sneak out of Hogwarts and go to Hogsmeade, when everyone is trying so hard to keep him safe from a maniac who's escaped from Azkaban and wants him dead.
The Disease That Shall Not Be Named: Rowling claims that she based Lupin's condition and his ostracism for it as an analogy for AIDS (rather than homosexuality as many assume).^note Like AIDS, being a werewolf is a problematic but perfectly survivable condition as long as they have appropriate treatment. But victims nevertheless face ostracism and fear. Said treatment is also very expensive and difficult to produce, much like many medications for AIDS in real life, which further contributes to his ostracism.
Establishing Character Moment: The first we see of him he is shabbily dressed and napping on the train ride to Hogwarts. Not too long after that he shows up unexpectedly to save Harry and Ron's asses from a dementor that boarded the train and then gave everyone chocolate to counter the dementor's effects. He remains a Cool Teacher and a Reasonable Authority Figure for the rest of the series, as well as the polar opposite of the all-show-and-no-substance Lockhart.
Evil All Along: Subverted in Prisoner of Azkaban when he rescues Sirius from Harry and embraces him like an old friend, leading Harry and co. to the reasonable conclusion that he is a Death Eater who has been aiding Sirius in his attempts to kill Harry. In actuality, he had realized Sirius was Good All Along and was planning to kill the true villain, Peter Pettigrew.
Former Teen Rebel: He was one of the original Marauders. Not as bad as James and Sirius, but he did do time in detention.
Gentleman and a Scholar: Remus is a mild-mannered, pleasant, scholarly figure who genuinely cares about the children under his care and is generally well-liked.
Good Is Not Soft: He is generally nice and firmly on the good side, but he doesn't bat an eye about killing his former friend in revenge and admonishes Harry for being too kind on their enemies who are willing to kill.
Remus Lupin: Harry, the time for Disarming is past! These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least Stun if you aren't prepared to kill!
I Just Want to Have Friends: His major character flaw. In Rowling's own words, "Lupin's failing is he likes to be liked. That's where he slips up – he's been disliked so often he's always pleased to have friends so cuts them an awful lot of slack."
- Remus admits that he wishes he had taken a tougher stand with his friends' antics when they were at Hogwarts rather than serving as their enabler.
- His lack of backbone with his friends was a genuine character flaw that he rightly criticizes himself for later in life, but never was it a Fatal Flaw that led to some sort of fall from grace. Then again, if he objected to it, he might have gotten James and Sirus to stop, so he had a moral duty which he ignored. And this in fact informs his decision to abandon Tonks and his unborn child, his self-hatred and insecurity of wanting to be liked has left him unprepared in a situation where he has to be in charge and take responsibility as a parent and husband, lapsing almost into a need to be part of Harry's gang much like he was with James' group rather than be his own man. Harry chews him out by reminding him of his father's example.
- A scene set from when he, James, Sirius, Lily, Peter, and Snape were all still students at Hogwarts sums up things rather nicely. James and Sirius are bullying Snape, Peter is cheering them on, Lily is defending her friend, and Remus is trying (and failing) to pretend he is too busy reading a book to notice any of it, even though the frown clearly etched onto his face indicates otherwise.
Insecure Love Interest: Towards Tonks. Though he does care about her and ends up marrying her, he's still extremely insecure about their relationship since as a werewolf, he believes he's nowhere near good enough for her. It gets even worse when Tonks gets pregnant, since his fears that their child will either be a werewolf as well or be ostracized for having one as a parent nearly drive him to abandon her and try to join Harry, Ron and Hermione on their search for Horcruxes.
In-Series Nickname: Moony to the other Marauders.
Intergenerational Friendship: Unsurprisingly with Harry, the son of his old friend James. Harry eventually becomes godfather to Remus's son.
The Lancer: In Deathly Hallows, especially the second half of the film, he becomes one to Kingsley.
Meaningful Name:
- Remus is a legendary co-founder of Rome who was raised by wolves. His codename on Potterwatch was Romulus, referencing the same legend. Remus was also murdered by Romulus, making his name a possible Foreshadowing.
- His surname derives from the adjective "lupine", which means "wolf-like" (from the Latin word for "wolf" — "lupus"). It's another clue that he's a lycanthrope in Prisoner of Azkaban.
The Mind Is a Plaything of the Body: He goes Ax-Crazy at the climax of Prisoner of Azkaban due to this trope being a trait of lycanthropy. Usually he's able to take a Wolfsbane potion to prevent this.
Morality Pet: Sirius tells him that he was the only one who was able to make James and himself feel ashamed of their more dubious actions when they were teenagers. Remus is also certain that the reason he was picked by Dumbledore to be their year's Prefect was in the hopes that it would lead to James and Sirius easing up on their mischief making.
Neet: Rowling says that he lived off James because he couldn't find work due to his lycanthropy.
Nice Guy: He's unfailingly kind and considerate towards everyone. He even felt sympathy for the werewolf who bit him as a child, until he learned that it was Fenrir who attacked him. He's even nice to Snape, despite the Potions professor's open hatred of Lupin, to the point that Lupin has forgiven Snape within minutes of being fired based on Snape releasing his identity to the public.
Not So Above It All: In the movie of Prisoner of Azkaban, what does Lupin turn his moon!Boggart in to? A farting balloon zooming around the room. Yes, even to a thirty three year old man, farts are funny.
Only Sane Man: As a youth, among the Marauders, but also as an adult, since he's the sanest Hogwarts professor to appear in the series. He could also be thought to be this amongst his fellow werewolves. While many of Lupin's kind turn against humanity and join Voldemort, he stays firmly on the side of good.
Parental Substitute: One of Harry's first. He frequently acts as a source of advice and guidance, and after Sirius' death Harry comes to hope for letters from Lupin instead while at Hogwarts.
Peer-Pressured Bully: He remained close friends with the rest of the Marauders despite disagreeing with their treatment of Snape. He felt bad for him while his friends bullied him, but didn't stop them because he didn't want to lose them as friends.
Perpetual Poverty: A side-effect of being a werewolf. James and Lily supported him financially while they were still alive, but for most of his adult life Remus has been prevented from gaining any form of employment by the Ministry's anti-werewolf laws.
Playing with Fire: The first time we see him use magic, he conjures flames in the palm of his hand.
Power Limiter: He can produce a corporeal Patronus, but he prefers to use a weaker insubstantial one. His Patronus takes the form of, well, a wolf, and he doesn't want to blow his cover.
Prophetic Name: Remus, as in Remus and Romulus, the legendary twin founders of Rome who were raised by a wolf in their infancy.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Lupin arrives in Harry's third year and is a watershed character: while all the other adults, to varying extents, treat Harry as a kid they need to turn into an adult, Lupin treats Harry like he is an adult, and Remus's equal, already. This is part of why is more willing to brief Harry on what the Order is up to, giving him a general idea of what Voldemort is up to (and won't be paranoid about not knowing if he's in danger or not) while still withholding Classified Information that someone who isn't (officially) a member shouldn't know. This is also why he's so good at disciplining Harry: instead of pulling the "So Ashamed Of You" card, he points out why Harry, by Harry's own standards, should be ashamed of himself. Other adult characters gradually move to this style of relationship with Harry, especially as he gets older, but Remus is the start of the trend.
Resigned in Disgrace: Lupin resigns from his post as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher after being outed as a werewolf by Snape; though no complaints or demands are ever issued, he knows it's only a matter of time before parents protest a werewolf teaching their children, so he decides to bow out before the scandal gets going.
Save Our Students: After two useless Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers (and before two downright evil ones), he comes along and actually teaches them what they need to know.
Sins of Our Fathers: Fenrir Greyback bit him in retaliation for Lupin's father offending Greyback. Expanded material in Pottermore reveals that the offence was the elder Lupin saying when Greyback was on trial^note that werewolves were "soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death."
The Smart Guy: Of the Marauders; by smart, we mean "with common sense." Remus doesn't consider himself as much of a genius as James and Sirius, who were more Hard Work Hardly Works, coasting with high marks easily with little effort while Remus had to be more studious.
Team Dad: Remus Lupin fulfils a quite parental role towards his students, and it is especially obvious when he takes it upon himself to help Neville out with his confidence issues. He is also one of the first true father figures that Harry has ever had, and by far the most approachable teacher yet to work at Hogwarts.
Tempting Fate: Not him, but his dad, who described werewolves as subhuman scum when testifying at the trial of Fenrir Greyback (a werewolf who, it has to be said, conforms to all the worst stereotypes and then some, turning people intentionally). Greyback promptly escaped, tracked down the Lupin family, transformed and infected Remus.
Theme Naming: Remus coming from the story of Remus and Romulus, twins raised by a she-wolf.
Token Good Teammate: He was the nicest of all the Marauders, refusing to take part in the pranks and bullying James and Sirius were known for, even when it involved Snape. Sirius remarks that him being "the good boy" was the reason he was named the Prefect for their year.
Unable to Support a Wife: His poverty was one reason that he thought he should never marry. (Albeit not the major one.)
Unwitting Instigator of Doom:
- He was the one who brought Peter Pettigrew to the fold of the Marauders, encouraging James and Sirius, who he had befriended, to take in the Butt-Monkey and help him out. This did no one, including Peter, any good.
- More directly, his failure to take the wolfsbane potion the night he confronted Wormtail had disastrous consequences for the entire wizarding world — not only did it massively endanger the lives of his friends and companions that night, but it allowed Wormtail to escape custody, meaning that not only did Sirius remain a fugitive, but also that Wormtail was able to rejoin Voldemort and play a key role in his return to power, effectively making all of the tragedies of Books 4-7 possible. Maybe you should have been a little less hasty there, Remus.
Werewolf Theme Naming: Lupin, as in Lupine, as in "wolf-like". Remus as in one of the two legendary founders of Rome, who were raised by a wolf.
What Did You Expect When You Named It ____?: His surname, which is one letter away from a word meaning "wolf-like", could only fit on a werewolf. He's also named after Remus, the twin brother of Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. Both twins were raised by the she-wolf, Lupa.
What the Hell, Hero?: The prospect of having a child, who could potentially inherit his lycanthropy and would face discrimination either way for being a werewolf's son, sends him into such a fit of panic that he tries to follow Harry in the Horcrux hunt, arguing that Tonks and his child would be better off without him. Although his fears are justified, his response is certainly not, and unsurprisingly, Harry is very much not on board with the "Kids are better off without their parents" argument and calls him on it immediately.
Harry: If the new regime thinks Muggle-borns are bad, what will they do to a half-werewolf whose father's in the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid to go on an adventure with us? [...] I'd never have believed this. The man who taught me to fight dementors – a coward.
- Earlier in the third book, he gave one to Harry:
  "Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them — gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."
When He Smiles: The books describe Remus after the birth of his child. The happiness radiates off the page.
Wolf Man: In the film adaptations... although not the case in the books.
Wonderful Werewolf: Remus Lupin zig-zags the trope. He's one of the most kindhearted and levelheaded people in the series, but is decidedly vicious and very dangerous in his wolf form. Although, taking the wolfsbane potion turns him docile.
Younger Than They Look: He's in his mid- and late-thirties throughout the series. When he's first introduced, his hair is described as prematurely greying, and later descriptions mention his hair getting greyer and his face becoming more lined. Probably a consequence of being a werewolf or just his generally hard life. Played straight in the movie as well; David Thewlis was already 41 when he portrayed Remus Lupin.

Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wormtail.jpg

Portrayed by: Timothy Spall (adult), Charles Hughes (teenager), Dex (Scabbers)
Voiced by: Michel Papineschi (European French), Jesús Ochoa (Latin American Spanish, Prisoner of Azkaban), Carlos Del Campo (Latin American Spanish, Goblet of Fire-Deathly Hallows), Ricardo Telles (Brazilian Portuguese)
Appears in: Philosopher's Stone | Chamber of Secrets | Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire | Half-Blood Prince | Deathly Hallows

"Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed! Your dad... your dad would have spared me! He would have shown me mercy!"

A sycophantic and treacherous coward who will attach himself to the most powerful wizard available to him. In school, James Potter of the Marauders was that wizard; in adulthood, that wizard became Lord Voldemort, who Pettigrew follows for fear of terrible retribution.

Adaptational Jerkass: The film version of Wormtail, in general, seems nastier than in the novels, giving quite a few taunting Psychotic Smirks on his reveal, whereas the guy in the books was a pitiable disgusting obsequious man who was always afraid. It also cuts his Freudian Excuse of his less than ideal treatment by his friends and all the moments that showed that very deep down he had some shred of remorse/conflictedness for his treachery leaving him a purely unrepentant monster.
Affably Evil: In the novels at least, he has a a gentle and friendly demeanor, fitting of how no one knew he was a Death Eater because he looked to be a nice, fraidy guy.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: One of his most defining traits is how quickly he is to default to pathetic groveling the second he finds himself in the slightest bit of danger. He cries to Sirius and Remus about how he was tricked by Voldemort into betraying James and Lily then cries to Harry about how James wouldn't want him killed when they don't buy it. He's made into even more of a sniveling coward in the film version of Azkaban where he spends the entire time he's being taken to Hogwarts from the Shrieking Shack whimpering to everyone within earshot not to let the dementors have him, including pleading with Ron that he was a good friend to him while transfigured as Scabbers and attempting to prey on Hermonine's pride by referring to her as "clever" before Remus drags him away.
Alas, Poor Villain: In the end, Peter is so pathetic and spineless that Harry can't bring himself to truly hate him, and he dies during the one moment he shows any kind of regret for his acts, betrayed by the Dark Lord he'd done so much to bring back. Harry reflects later that Peter had so much potential for good as a member of the Order, but he chose to throw it away for power that he never even got. Averted in the films, however, where his fate is left ambiguous.
All for Nothing: After he dies, Harry muses how Peter's turn to villainy ruined his life. He had a pretty good thing going in the Order with friends who genuinely liked him even if they didn’t always treat him as well as they should have, and he threw all that away for the sake of power. And even then, he didn't get it, seeing as how the other villains treated him as basically worthless after Voldemort’s return.
All of the Other Reindeer:
- He was always the hanger-on of the Marauders — even the teachers occasionally got in on the act. McGonagall, during his Villain with Good Publicity phase, laments being harsh on him.
- Is treated this way as by the Death-Eaters, too. Even though he was essential in resurrecting Voldemort and bringing about his return to power, the other Death-Eaters know he doesn't have a shred of loyalty in him and would stab all of them in the back if it suited him. After Voldemort is brought back, Wormtail is only seen doing odd jobs for Death-Eaters like Malfoy, working as little more than a servant.
Ambition Is Evil: Part of the reason he betrayed the Potters was that he didn't just want to be safe, he wanted to be powerful as well. Dumbledore could offer him protection, but Voldemort offered him the opportunity to be a highly-placed member of his order, and Peter just couldn't resist the chance.
An Arm and a Leg: "Flesh of a servant willingly given," which leads him to chop his own arm off in Voldemort's resurrection ritual. Though it's unlikely Wormtail had a real choice if he wanted to live, and Voldemort himself gloated that Wormtail can look forward to a task that his other servants would give their right hand for.
Animal Motifs: Was weak, opportunistic, cowardly, and disloyal. Associating with him ruined the lives of his closest friends like some hideous disease. A rat through-and-through.
Animorphism: Like all the other Marauders, Peter is an Animagus. Specifically, he can turn into a rat.
Artificial Limbs: After cutting off his own hand during Voldemort's resurrection ritual, he is rewarded with a metallic hand courtesy of the Dark Lord himself with a magical anti-betrayal failsafe spell on it programmed to strangle him to death if his loyalty towards Voldemort ever faltered in the slightest again.
Bald of Evil: He's a Death Eater with a large bald patch on his head.
Being Evil Sucks: Peter was deeply loved by his three schoolmates, and, though he might've been domineering and egotistical toward him, James still cared about Peter enough that he trusted him with the safety of him, his wife, and his infant son. He was even fairly safe as an Order member, as he had Dumbledore to protect him. Peter threw all that away because he wanted to be powerful and famous as Voldemort's right hand. Instead, he wound up having to live as a rat for twelve years, and he was hated by the Death Eaters because it was his information that led to Voldemort going to his downfall. He only resurrected Voldemort because he'd burned his bridges so thoroughly that Voldemort was the only one he had left. Even then, Voldemort treated him badly and made it very clear he was only doing this because he had no choice either, and, once he was fully resurrected, demoted Peter to menial labour. Nobody on Voldemort's side respected or trusted Peter at all, considering him more The Igor than a full member of their ranks. Voldemort did give him a neat magic hand out of the deal — except the hand was charmed so that any sign of disloyalty (which Voldemort fully expected) would trigger it to turn on him and choke him to death. Harry eventually reflects how Peter's turn to evil basically wrecked his own life along with that of his friends.
Better Living Through Evil: Appears to have made this choice after escaping from Harry, Sirius and Remus at the end of the third book. From there on, he readily serves Voldemort's slightest whim, playing a role in his subsequent resurrection, although (as Voldemort lampshades) this is mostly because his betrayal has alienated basically everyone else he might turn to and Voldemort is the only person who would actually accept his help.
Bloodbath Villain Origin: First off, he betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. Then he blew up an entire street of Muggles when Sirius caught up to him.
Body Horror: In the second film, he gets turned into a furry goblet with a tail that squeaks.
Body Motifs: For Peter, it's hands. He cut off one of his fingers as part of his faked death, and he later had to sacrifice a hand to help Voldemort. His novel counterpart got a silver hand to replace it, and his film counterpart is prominently shown to keep his hands open to show off his dirty, claw-like fingernails after becoming human again.
Chekhov's Gunman: Who would have ever thought Scabbers was the one behind Lily and James' deaths?
The Chessmaster: It's often forgotten by fans that Sirius accused Pettigrew of passing information to Voldemort for an entire year and he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Which means that he didn't just fool Sirius and James, but also the likes of Dumbledore, Alastor Moody and several other talented witches and wizards. When suspicions of a mole entered the Order, Dumbledore is implied to have suspected Sirius while Sirius suspected Remus.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Sirius explicitly characterizes this as Wormtail's mentality. He would associate with whichever side seemed to be winning and/or was willing to give him power and respect, and he'd betray them the instant he felt he could get a better deal elsewhere. This was what led him to become a spy for Voldemort in the first place, and he hid and didn't rejoin him for twelve years because Voldemort had become a Dark Lord on Life Support (and would likely be somewhat peeved because it was Wormtail's information that led to his downfall). He only returned when he had no other choice, as his former friends found him out. Voldemort such treats Peter with absolutely no respect, and sneaks a fail-safe against further treachery in the form of the silver hand he gave Wormtail, which was programmed to strangle him the instant he showed signs of disloyalty.
Les Collaborateurs: He passed information to the Death Eaters from within the Order of the Phoenix for about a year. His betrayal is implied to have been particularly destructive, as there were no known deaths in the Order during the previous decade of war, while nine Order members (some alongside their families) were killed over the course of a single year after he became a spy. He is definitely responsible for causing at least two of those deaths by revealing the whereabouts of his friends James and Lily Potter to Voldemort.
Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Was the Loser to his cool Marauder friends, and it didn't work out well for either him or his friends in the end.
Cornered Rattlesnake: More like "Cornered Rat". Pun intended, but he seems to show exceptional magic, intelligence and initiative when he's backed into a corner.
The Corruptible: Not that his friends realized until it was too late. Sirius assumed the Death Eaters would target him first and the unassuming Peter would be a less obvious Secret-Keeper. Too bad Peter was easily tempted by the promise of power on the Dark Lord's side.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He's painted as a poorly-skilled wizard, much like Neville Longbottom, who needed to rely on his friends to scrape by in school. However, he becomes an Animagus with help from his friends and keeps the disguise for twelve years (as Scabbers, Ron's pet rat), he creates a blast strong enough to blow apart a busy street and kill twelve Muggles in the process, casts a fully-functional Killing Curse with Voldemort's wand, and brews at least two incredibly difficult Dark potions to keep Voldemort alive and help him regain his body, respectively. In general, he actually seems to be a pretty skilled wizard despite his reputation.
Demoted to Extra: To paraphrase Sirius, he had a far bigger role as "Scabbers" in Books 1-2 than as "Wormtail" in Books 5-7. He has major on-screen presence in Book 4 but he's absent in Book 5, reduced to a single scene appearance in Book 6 where he's Snape's servant, and then has two short scenes in Book 7. It's a fitting end for someone who always wanted attention, and despite playing a major role in the plot (betraying the Potters, and restoring Voldemort), he ended up a mere footnote.
Dirty Coward: He sold out Lily and James Potter, betrayed the Marauders, and allied with the Big Bad Lord Voldemort, all out of a sense of self-preservation, claiming that Voldemort was taking over everything and there was no use in fighting him (and because he wanted to be powerful). While it shown that Wormtail's friends weren't exactly the greatest, they still would have laid down their lives for him and trusted him. When a few characters learn of what happened to Wormtail, the concensus is that even if Wormtail did feel left out, that was no excuse to do what he did, Wormtail has burned all of his bridges, and he doesn't deserve to be forgiven for any of it.
Sirius: Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents. This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die, too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family.
The Ditz: Was a poor student at Hogwarts in comparison to his Teen Genius friends. But even then, he seems to struggle answering a basic question about a werewolf despite running around with a werewolf once a month. James even lampshades it.
The Dog Bites Back: It doesn't justify his betrayal one bit, but Peter was on the receiving end of James's and Sirius's condescension and their tendency to belittle his slow-wittedness, never making him truly feel like an equal. Rowling admitted that his subsequent triumph over Sirius has shades of Who's Laughing Now?, with Sirius realizing that Peter was smarter than they gave him credit for.
The Dog Was the Mastermind: Turns out Ron's pet rat was the traitor who gave up Lily and James to Voldemort.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: He seems rather resentful at the little respect Voldemort gives him. He is offended when Voldemort compares him unfavourably to Barty Crouch Jr. and later when he's forced to be Snape's servant. Given that he betrayed his former friends and assisted Voldemort in returning to power, this is understandable.
Dumbass Has a Point: In Book 4, Voldemort notes that Wormtail suggested that Voldemort could use the blood of any wizard who hated and opposed Voldemort (and there are many) to resurrect himself as the potion called for the blood of a foe; Voldemort overruled him because he wanted Harry's blood, he wanted the same protection that Lily had given to Harry. In retrospect Wormtail had the better idea because Harry's blood runs through both their veins and their wands are "brothers", Voldemort's wand confuses Harry for Voldemort and refuses to kill him.
Even Evil Has Standards: Not even close enough to repentance, mind you, but he seemed to have felt slightly uneasy in meetings with the Potters after arranging their deaths. As for Harry, he made a weak attempt to convince Voldemort to choose someone else, and it is mentioned that when giving Harry his wand for the duel, he avoided eye contact. And, of course, there was that life-debt that sealed his fate.
Evil Counterpart:
- To Neville. He was a friend of his generation's Power Trio, had a reputation as a poor student, and had more potential than anyone gave him credit for. Harry instinctively casts him as that generation's Neville just from hearing about him. What makes them different is that Neville has the courage to take a stand when it counts and even call the trio out when they are doing something dubious (as in Book 1), whereas Peter bottled his resentment and accepted being a sidekick and never called his friends out at all. Neville also proves to be a loyal friend to the bitter and bloody end while Peter threw his "friends" under the bus as soon as it served his own ends.
- He's specifically an ironic Shadow Archetype to Severus Snape. One of them unwittingly compromises the safety of his childhood friend, another one willingly betrays said friends to the Dark Lord. In their school days, Snape was a Slytherin and friends with future Death Eaters while Peter was a Gryffindor and friends with the most popular and anti-Dark Arts students. Rowling later also revealed that they both chose their house for its reputation despite having been well suited for the opposite one: just as Snape might have been, in Dumbledore's words, sorted too soon, Peter almost wound up in Slytherin but asked to be sorted in Gryffindor.
- He's also one to Ron, as the less-talented friend who was constantly Overshadowed by Awesome and resented it. Rowling has even said that Ron could have been the second coming of Wormtail, but, in keeping with the books' theme of choice, he chose to remain loyal to his friends while Pettigrew eventually let his desire for power and the spotlight overwhelm what loyalty he had.
Evil Former Friend: He was the one who sold out James and Lily Potter, but before that, he was a member of the Marauders, and Sirius mentions that any of the others would die for him.
Evil Makes You Ugly: It's particularly visible in the movies. A picture of Pettigrew before his betrayal shows that the worst you can say about his appearance is that he's rather plain. When he returns to human form at the end of Prisoner of Azkaban, twelve years living as a rat has reduced him to a filthy, hideous mess, and he retains this appearance throughout the rest of the series due to being Voldemort's human house-elf for all effective intents and purposes.
Extreme Doormat: How James treated him in the Pensieve flashback in the book, being a fawning fan of James's lame trick and taking his constant insults without reply. Years later, Sirius Black realizes, far too late, that this in fact made him perfect traitor material, willing to serve only the "biggest bullies in the playground".
- Unlike Ron, who also felt Overshadowed by Awesome like Peter, Wormtail never voiced out and worked through his resentment and insecurity. Instead, he chose to bottle it up and accept being the sidekick of the powerful, whether the powerful were the Marauders or Voldemort.
- Despite being responsible for Voldemort's eventual return to full strength, he promptly becomes this among the Death Eaters due to their dislike of him. During his time as Snape's "assistant", Snape treats him like a house-elf and openly insults him; in Snape's case, knowing that Peter was responsible for Lily's death likely didn't help. In Deathly Hallows, he seems relegated to menial tasks, namely being ordered by Voldemort to keep captives quiet.
Fair-Weather Friend: Peter was this to the Marauders. It's implied that he befriended them for their popularity and talent so he could live vicariously through their accomplishments as well as joining them in bullying other students. And while he was more of a hanger-on than an equal, and despite James and Sirius making fun of him as friends, all three of them considered Peter a true friend and would have willingly died for him. Peter proved that he lacked any similar conviction or sense of loyalty and willingly betrayed them to be powerful and famous as Voldemort's right hand.
Faking the Dead: Fearing retribution from Death Eaters and the Order for knowing the truth of his role in the Potters' death. But still he spent 12 years as a rat.
Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: In Book 6, he's shown to be, more or less, Snape's human house-elf in his Spinner's End home, this after being Voldemort's right-hand man. Wormtail likewise finds serving Severus Snape, who he tormented alongside James and Co. as a student, degrading. It continues in Book 7 where he's mostly relegated to being ordered around and doing the menial work of whichever Death Eater he's accompanying at the time.
Faux Affably Evil: In the novels, he is genuinely Affably Evil and actually regrets what he did; however, in the movies, despite betraying Harry’s parents and landing Sirius in jail for years, when he is revealed, he greets Harry like a long-lost son and greets Remus and Sirius like long-lost friends. When he is confronted, he acts remorseful and begs for forgiveness and doesn’t fight back when Remus and Sirius are about to kill him, When Remus is transforming, out of nowhere Pettigrew attempts to attack the trio when their backs are turned, then gives off a sly slasher smile as he escapes. Furthermore, what tips him from being genuinely affably evil to faux, is the fact he has zero loyalty to anyone, even Lord Voldemort. Beneath his weak, frail, and sympathetic façade, he is a ruthless, sadistic murderer. This is proven in Goblet of Fire, where he murders Cedric Diggory, tortures Harry, and brings back Voldemort, all with a slasher smile on his face.
Fingore: Cut off one of his fingers when he faked his death. The Ministry sent the finger (as the biggest piece they could find) to his mother.
Flipping the Bird: An unintentional example: since he cut off his index finger, Pettigrew uses his middle finger instead.
Formerly Fat: He's described as being plump in his younger years, but by the time we see him in the flesh, he's lost quite a bit of weight due to stress over hearing that Sirius is on the loose.
Freudian Excuse: Wormtail's a coward and a bastard, with just about no redeeming moments or qualities in between, but it still has to be mentioned that it's heavily implied Remus was the only person who was ever consistently nice to him, even going so far as convincing James and Sirius to let him join their circle. Being constantly seen as the 'hanger on' and complete Butt-Monkey of the group, even by his teachers and classmates, both played no small part in his later betrayal. But of course, that doesn’t justify his treachery one bit.
The Friend Nobody Likes: Was this to the Mauraders, at least how it appeared to outsiders. However it's clear they genuinely loved him and trusted him with their lives, which made his betrayal of them all the worse. Despite being a fully fledged Death Eater, no one in Voldemort's organization seems to care for him either, since it was his action that (unwittingly) resulted in Voldemort's first downfall.
Genius Ditz: He's able to fool wizards like Dumbledore and Alastor Moody for over a year and is able to perform highly advanced magic and be a key part of extremely complex plans.
Gonk: In the films. He's filthy, overweight, dirty, and extremely ugly.
Hate Sink: Wormtail is a former classmate-turned-nemesis of the Marauders having betrayed the Potter family to Lord Voldemort when his life was threatened (at least, that’s what Wormtail used as his excuse). Initially presumed dead at Sirius Black's hands, Wormtail actually framed Black as Voldemort's informant before faking his own death, killing innocent people and removing a finger in the process before transforming into Ron Weasley's pet rat, Scabbers. When confronted by Lupin and Black, Wormtail blames Voldemort's threats for his treachery, before begging for his life. After escaping the encounter, Wormtail serves Lord Voldemort out of self-interest, eventually culminating in an attempt to kill Harry Potter despite the latter saving his life.
Hero Killer: Peter caused the deaths of James and Lily by betraying them to Voldermort and later personally murdered Cedric Diggory on Voldemort's orders.
Hoist by His Own Petard: His betrayal of the Order is ultimately the reason why, at the start of the series, he's an outcast despised by his allies forced to live as an animal. It's also probably why he died, as Voldemort had the sense to realize that if he could do it to his friends he'd do it to Voldemort, and took precautions against his sudden but inevitable hesitation in loyalty.
Humiliation Conga: His reward for being responsible for Voldemort's return to power is to be unceremoniously demoted to a house-elf role that lasts for the rest of the series, as he spends most of his time getting ordered around, yelled at and insulted. Snape in particular goes out of his way to humiliate Pettigrew and assign him the most degrading tasks possible. It finally ends when he unceremoniously dies in Deathly Hallows and is promptly forgotten about.
The Igor: His dynamic with Voldemort in Book 4 is filled with this, complete with obsequiousness, fawning obedience and submissiveness that even Voldemort starts disliking after a while.
Informed Attribute:
- Although placed in Gryffindor, known for its courage, Pettigrew displays, during the books and in Sirius's and Remus's flashbacks, attributes more suited to Slytherin: hiding his true abilities behind a mask of weakness (he is an Animagus and can successfully cast the Killing Curse, both of which are difficult tasks), seeking the protection of those stronger than he, and successfully deceiving his friends. (Dumbledore often thought "we sort too soon.") Not to mention that the Sorting Hat lets you choose, if you want. This can, possibly, be read as a case of a Neville-like character who had the potential to grow into courage, but who never fulfilled that potential, reinforcing Pettigrew's role as Neville's Evil Counterpart.
- Also, his incompetence. As has been repeatedly pointed out, Wormtail displays signs of being a very talented wizard, certainly not the best we see, but in this series, that's hardly a fair statement. He frequently performs nonverbal magic, once killed twelve people with a single curse, is able to cast the Killing Curse (which is very difficult to produce, and with a wand that was not his own, no less), and was able to become an Animagus as a young teenager (which, even with assistance, is a very impressive feat). It would seem that he is, in fact, an extremely capable Dark Wizard, but, given his general personality, it makes sense people wouldn't give him much credit for it.
In-Series Nickname: His Marauder nickname was Wormtail. Voldemort and the Death Eaters also call him that.
It's All About Me: He values his own life above the lives of others, and his own power above his friendships with the other Mauraders.
Karmic Death: He ultimately dies betrayed by the silver hand Voldemort gave him as a reward for helping out in the rebirth ritual, which Voldemort had programmed to kill Peter if he ever betrayed Voldemort like he'd done the Order. The few seconds of hesitation he had after Harry reminds Peter that he owes a life debt turn out to qualify, and the hand strangles Peter. "May your loyalty never waver again" indeed...
Laser-Guided Karma: Peter's act of betraying the Order ends up having the exact opposite effect that he wanted. He turned traitor because he didn't think that he was getting enough glory as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and thought he could be more valuable (and thus, famous, after Voldemort won) to Voldemort as a spy. His information led to his new master's downfall, he had to spend twelve years as a common pet rat, the Death Eaters hated him too because he ended up sending their master to his death, and even when he managed to revive Voldemort and resume service, he had nothing valuable to offer the Death Eaters and was lowered to menial labour and treated with contempt, a far cry from the respect and friendship he had as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. And he can't even leave because he's betrayed everyone else who might take him in. And after betraying almost every character in the story, he was betrayed by his magic hand for a tiny impulse of reluctance while attempting to kill Harry, to whom he has a life debt.
Manipulative Bastard: While on the lam, he runs into former classmate Bertha Jorkins who figures out his identity and that he's been Faking the Dead. Pettigrew is able to convince her to trust him and leads her into a trap, earning rare praise from Voldemort who was able to capitalize on Jorkins being an unexpected goldmine of valuable information.
Meaningful Name: Wormtail is quite good at worming his way out of trouble, isn't he?
- Additionally, a rat's long, thin, pink tail strongly resembles a worm.
- In the Bible, Peter was considered the most trustworthy of the Apostles, which is bitterly ironic in this case. However, he's also well-known for thrice denying that he was an Apostle during Jesus's trial, and thus in a way betraying Jesus (although unlike Pettigrew, the Apostle Peter regretted it when he realized what he'd just done).
- "Petti-grew" sounds like "petty" and "grew", signifying seemingly trivial choices growing into something catastrophic, or perhaps "little growth" ("petit" being the French word for "small") referring to his diminutive stature. Not to mention that he disguises himself as a pet.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: A microscopic little inkling of good it was, but Peter's momentary hesitation to kill Harry, upon being reminded that the boy saved his life, counted as an act of betrayal by Voldemort's standards and activated a curse on his silver hand that caused him to strangle himself to death.
Not Enough to Bury: The official story was that he tried to confront Sirius and got blown up for his troubles, along with half a street and several muggles, leaving behind a single index finger that was delivered to his mother in a box. In truth, this is subverted: it was Sirius who confronted him, and Peter was the one who blew up the street. He then cut off his finger in the ensuing chaos to frame Sirius for his murder, and snuck away in rat form.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: Considered to be a bit of a dunce, Wormtail not only managed to become an Animagus at the age of 15, an impressive feat even with help^note, but he was skilled enough to join the Order of the Phoenix, which included such powerful wizards as Moody and Dumbledore. He was cunning and sly enough to be a spy for the Death Eaters and discreet enough to deflect suspicion from everyone, even Dumbledore. After the fall of Voldemort, he accused Sirius of betraying James and Lily for all those around them to hear, created a massive explosion that killed 12 innocents and faked his death by slicing one of his fingers off and transforming into a rat, leaving Sirius behind to be framed while he spent 13 years hidden with a wizarding family. After being revealed as a traitor, he was cunning enough to gather information (from rats, no less) that Voldemort was hiding in Albania, journey there, find his master and lure Bertha Jorkins to him. He was skilled enough to cast the powerful Killing Curse with a wand that was not his, and he was capable of brewing several complicated potions that gave Voldemort his corporeal form again.
The Oath-Breaker: He was the Secret-Keeper magically charged with concealing the Potters' location when they went into hiding. His betrayal of them to Lord Voldemort resulted in James and Lily being murdered and Harry orphaned.
Odd Name Out: He's the only Marauder whose first name doesn't end with the letter "s". His name is also the only one which is alliterative.
Opportunistic Bastard: Wormtail is a humbler example as a Dirty Coward and chronic backstabber who just looks for the biggest shadow to crawl and live in. First he "befriended" the Marauders at Hogwarts because they were popular, then he betrayed them as an adult, becoming The Mole for the Death Eaters in the Order of the Phoenix because Voldemort was gaining more and more power. Wormtail sold out his "friends," the Potters, and their one-year-old son to their deaths, just to secure his position, then after that backfired, he went framed his other "friend" Sirius and went into hiding. It speaks volumes of Wormtail's level of cowardice and self-interest that he was willing to live as a rat for over a decade, just on the off chance Voldemort returned and he needed to offer Harry up as a sacrifice to get back in his good graces. It's only when he has literally no other option that he seeks out Voldemort and helps him return to full power, just to have the protection of someone powerful again.
Overshadowed by Awesome: Within the Marauders, Wormtail was the odd one out, the least talented and least interesting in terms of personality. This in a way led to his Start of Darkness. Likewise when he returns to Voldemort's circle, Voldemort barely acknowledges his presence, while praising and honouring Barty Crouch Jr., Bellatrix and Severus Snape. Notably when Voldemort conquers the Ministry, important positions are given to the Carrows, Yaxley, and even Fenrir Greyback while Wormtail is stuck being prison guard.
Pet the Dog:
- One of his very few acts of extremely relative honour leads directly to his death. When Harry reminds Wormtail he owes him a life debt, Peter briefly hesitates to kill him while he has the chance, realizing too late that, in doing so, he had just signed his own death warrant.
- The one moment when he plays the trope to full extent occurs in The Philosopher’s Stone. When Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle threaten Harry and Ron, insulting their families on the way, Peter-as-Scabbers bites Goyle and frightens the three Slytherins away at once.
Plug 'n' Play Prosthetics: After he sacrifices one of his hands for the ritual to revive Voldemort, Voldemort conjures up a fully functional silver hand for him. Justified since A Wizard Did It in the quite literal sense.
Red Right Hand: How Sirius figures out that Peter is still alive and has been hiding as Scabbers for years: Scabbers is missing the first toe on his right-front paw. The largest piece of Pettigrew found by the Ministry was his right index finger.
Revenge Before Reason: Subverted. It is believed that he attempted to avenge James and Lily by going after Sirius himself and got blown to pieces. Everyone who talks about it before the truth is revealed says it was a stupid, foolish move and that he should have left it to the Ministry. In actuality, this never happened, and it was really Sirius who tried to avenge the Potters with disastrous results.
Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: A good summary of his current state of being. His former allies loathe him, but so do his current allies-as noted above, he has no loyalty to the cause, only himself, and his current co-workers all know it. Voldemort never trusts him with any more than menial tasks after Goblet of Fire (when he had no one else) because he's very much aware that Peter's only still with him because this is his only unburned bridge left. Even his death is in line with the trope- Voldemort had a fit of savvyness when creating the silver hand for Wormtail and programmed it to turn on him and strangle him to death if he ever betrayed Voldemort. Turns out any hesitation in carrying out Voldemort's orders counts as betrayal.
Riddle for the Ages: It's never really explained how someone as cowardly, sychophantic, and self-serving as Peter wound up in Gryffindor.
Skewed Priorities: When Peter pathetically tries to drudge up sympathy at the end of Prisoner of Azkaban, he tries to remind Ron that he was a good pet. Sirius angrily pointed out that his defence of being a better rat than a human being is Not Helping Your Case.
Slimeball: Wormtail is a slimy, self-centred, morally repugnant sycophant, through and through, having sold out the Potters to Lord Voldemort, framed Sirius as the traitor, killing innocent people in the process, and then spent 12 years as a rat. Wormtail is also a snivelling coward, begging for mercy when his identity is revealed to Harry Potter. Ironically, his insult in the Marauder's Map remarks that "Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day and advises him to wash his hair, the slime-ball."
Spared by the Adaptation: Assumed in the films, thanks to his death being deemed too disturbing for a PG-13 movie. Of course, just because he didn't die the same way as in the books doesn't mean that he necessarily survived. He wasn't anywhere in the last movie. If he did survive, chances are he ended up in Azkaban. There's also the possibility that Dobby's attack may have actually killed him instead of stunned him. Alternatively, Voldemort may also killed him later off-screen for failing him, considering that Peter is the warden of protagonists' prison at the time.
Team Killer: To the Marauders as a whole, betraying The Leader (James), his wife, and their son to his master in exchange for his life and the chance to satisfy his ambitions and then framing Sirius, condemning him to 12 years in Azkaban.
They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: The young Wormtail we see in the flashbacks seems to be a normal albeit average wizard and Harry later finds a moving image of him alongside James, Sirius and Remus in happier times, with very little hint that he would turn out the way he did.
Tiny Schoolboy: He was more than a head shorter than Sirius as a teen.
Token Evil Teammate: Peter, despite showing absolutely none of the traits associated with it, was Sorted to Gryffindor. It can be assumed the Sorting Hat saw the potential of bravery and whatnot in Wormtail, but he clearly didn't live up to it. Another theory is that he became a Gryffindor because he certainly does value bravery... but only in other people, so he can hide behind his strong friends while they keep him safe.
Token Minority: Of a sort, as Peter is the only Death Eater educated at Hogwarts who was known to have been sorted into another house other than Slytherin.
True Companions: James, Sirius, and Remus loved Peter like a brother and would have done anything for him, even died for him. Peter did not reciprocate. Like, at all.
Ungrateful Bastard: He is this to the core. Despite James and Sirius making fun of him as friends, they did make him part of their adventures and helped him perform extraordinary feats of magic and as Sirius stated, would have died for him. He willingly chose to betray them to Voldemort, claiming to save his life, but actually because he wanted to be Voldemort's Number Two and part of his triumph.
- Likewise, Sirius shows extraordinary trust in Peter Pettigrew, making him the Secret-Keeper to the Potters, telling him that they wouldn't have accepted had Sirius not vouched for him. In spite of this love and trust, Peter frames Sirius for his crime, sending him to 12 years in prison for a crime which Wormtail committed.
- Likewise Harry saving Wormtail's life leads him to willingly seek out Voldemort and return him to power. Voldemort is very savvy, noting that Wormtail is already regretting finding Voldemort and returning him to health.
Villain with Good Publicity: Was "posthumously" awarded the Order of Merlin first class after he was "murdered" by Sirius Black, the man who supposedly betrayed the Potter's to Voldemort. Harry even favourably compares him to his friend Neville when hearing more about him (and pictures an older-looking version of Neville as Peter when he imagines Sirius blowing Peter to pieces). Too bad it wasn't actually Sirius who ended up betraying Harry's parents to the Dark Lord, after all...
Walking Spoiler: Like Sirius, it's nigh impossible to talk about him without spoiling the big twist of book 3.
Was It Really Worth It?: Peter doesn't profit at all from any of his crimes and Harry realizes that Wormtail probably regretted doing all the terrible things he did.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Pun aside, his book death (being strangled by his own silver hand) isn't adapted into the films, instead Dobby zaps him unconscious in Malfoy Manor and then he simply disappears from the story.
You Dirty Rat!: Animagus forms are chosen based on the wizard's personality; clearly the Animagus magic had this trope in mind when giving Peter his rat form.
Younger Than They Look: Described as having unkempt "thin, colourless" hair with a large bald patch. Later still, he's described as having greying hair. He's only in his early thirties, although twelve years as a rat (who normally only live for three years) can't have been that good for him.
You Remind Me of X: The first Harry hears of young Peter was that he was a talentless but determined young student always tagging along with his stronger schoolmates, leading him to think of Neville. Without having seen Peter, Harry even pictures him looking like Neville in his imagination.
You Should Have Died Instead: Peter is on the receiving end of this from Sirius in book 3, partly because if he hadn't betrayed the Potters to Voldemort out of fear for his own life (and to satisfy his ambitions), they wouldn't have died and partly because Sirius would have gladly sacrificed himself to save both the Potters and him had that been the situation.

Characters / Harry Potter – Marauders

Alternative Title(s): Harry Potter Sirius Black

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Characters / Harry Potter – Marauders

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Alternative Title(s): Harry Potter Sirius Black

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