How Did Sirius Black Die In Harry Potter?

Harry Potter is full of unique characters with their own interconnected backstories and importance to the plot. One fan-favorite we meet during Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is Sirius Black.

Black is introduced in the series as a deranged killer who has escaped the notorious high-security prison Azkaban. He’s believed to be pursuing Harry Potter with the intention of murdering him. As the film progresses, we learn that there is much more behind Black’s past and relationship to Harry, ultimately positioning him as a close ally going forward in the series.

When Black makes his next big appearance, it’s during Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Unfortunately, this would be the last time we saw him in the series, as things didn’t end well for the former Azkaban inmate.

How did Sirius Black die?

Sirius Black met his fate at the hands of Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange within the Ministry of Magic’s Death Chamber during Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

While Harry and his friends battled the Death Eaters, Black took on Lestrange, and while it didn’t seem that her spell was solely responsible for his death, the effect of it sent Black backwards through a magical veil.

According to Harry Potter fans who have attempted to make sense of this death, the veil acts as a one-way door in which souls who enter aren’t able to return back to their live bodies. This theory is backed up by the dialogue in the book that solidifies Black won’t be coming back.

Regardless of what killed him, this was the moment when Black left Harry without a godfather. It marked a major turning point for both Harry and the Order and foreshadowed even more loss as the series entered its final two installments.