In the Harry Potter series, Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black were allies. Both were part of the Order of the Phoenix and dedicated their lives to getting rid of Lord Voldemort — even if many thought Sirius was his most loyal follower for a number of years. Although they had a common cause and it often seemed in the series as if they were on the same wavelength when it came to the greater goals, they weren’t truly friends on a personal level though — and there are a number of reasons for the fact that they weren’t truly compatible.
At least in terms of a real friendship.
Dumbledore Didn’t Have Real Friends
Dumbledore didn’t have any friends. Even the people who knew him for a long time didn’t seem to be very aware of his family or his background. He was so ashamed of what happened to his sister and his infatuation with Grindelwald and power that he had a tendency to keep everything to himself.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting a quiet life and being unwilling to share your history with anyone who asks, but Dumbledore took this to such an extreme that no one even knew he was, let alone Sirius. Can you have a true friendship with someone that you don’t actually know?
And It Seems Sirius Didn’t Either
That’s not to pin all of the blame on Dumbledore. Sirius wasn’t secretive about his life, but as the books and movies went on, it became abundantly clear that Sirius wasn’t particularly capable of a healthy relationship with anyone except perhaps Remus Lupin. Even Harry, who he loved, didn’t seem to have a functional relationship with Sirius, who kept mistaking him for his father.
That’s not to say it makes Sirius a bad person for being unable to forge healthy relationships. He spent twelve years in isolation in Azkaban with dementors flying around him — it’d be enough to make anyone a loner, whether they wanted to be or not.
Sirius Would Never Have Been On Board With Dumbledore’s Plan For Harry
Dumbledore always intended for Harry to die. It’s implied he knew that Harry would be capable of coming back to life, but that slow death march into the forest that broke the hearts of readers and viewers everywhere was always Dumbledore’s endgame.
Sirius is much more of an emotion-driven person than one who considers the logic. Therefore, it’s safe to say that he would never have been on board with putting Harry in that position (which is presumably why Dumbledore never let him on the plan, or anyone else). He would have surely hated Dumbledore had he known what Lily and James’ son was going to endure, regardless of the outcome.
Dumbledore Didn’t Let Sirius In On Anything At All
It’s not just that plan, though — Dumbledore simply didn’t let Sirius in on anything at all. He suspected a lot during the Triwizard Tournament and yet, his contact with Sirius seems to have been minimal. He refused to discuss many of the great players in the war with him and in general, hid secrets from Sirius as much as he hid them from everyone else.
Not really the basis of a blooming friendship now, is it?
Dumbledore Would Have Sacrificed Sirius For The Greater Good
Like with anyone else in his life, Dumbledore would ultimately have sent Sirius on a mission that would kill him if it would have benefitted them in the ongoing war against Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore seemed to have very little personal affection for Sirius and although he showed some grief after his death, it was mostly because he felt guilty and sympathy for Harry. That’s not to say Dumbledore was in the wrong for being so eager to win the war by any means possible, but it is to say that they weren’t really good friends if Dumbledore would have been willing to throw him to the wolves.
Dumbledore Cooped Sirius Up With His Worst Memories For Months
Perhaps the most telling sign that these two just weren’t friends? Dumbledore forcing Sirius to stay in Grimmauld Place.
This shows a disturbing lack of empathy. We don’t know much about Sirius’ past, but it’s very much implied that he grew up in an abusive home that he was forced to run away from at a very young age. Dumbledore could have found him another place, placed another Fidelius charm, but he forced him to exist with his own worst memories (aside from perhaps Azkaban itself).
They Weren’t On The Same Level In The Order Hierarchy
Can a superior be friends with their charge?
Sirius and Dumbledore have always been on different levels, going from student and teacher, to leader of the Order of the Phoenix and devotee. Some might argue that it’s perfectly possible for someone to be friends with their student or devotee, but it just seems like there was always a level of authority there that made a personal friendship quite impossible.
Snape Must Have Been A Constant Source Of Tension
Dumbledore trusted Snape for reasons he wouldn’t share with anyone — not even Sirius. Sirius despised Snape to the point of having tried to kill him in their later years at Hogwarts, so it’s safe to say that he probably wasn’t happy with Dumbledore’s determination to keep the ex-Death Eater around — especially as he spent many classes being abusive towards Harry. Sirius had many faults, but he truly loved and cared about Harry.
They Didn’t Spend Much Time Around Each Other
They also simply never had the chance to spend much time around each other. Dumbledore was always busy with the Order when Sirius was younger, and then the man spent twelve years in Azkaban. In the later years, Sirius escaped Azkaban but died only two years later. Is it possible to be true friends with someone who doesn’t make time for you?
Their Personalities Were Simply Not Compatible
All in all, it seems that they were just polar opposites. Although both were Gryffindors in school and both oppose blood prejudice and dark magic, Sirius was rash, hot-headed, bad-tempered, and purely fuelled by emotions. Dumbledore made a conscience effort to repress his emotions and be logical, and was mostly a very calm presence.
Calm? Sirius has never heard of her.
