—Sirius Black. Sirius Black (c. 1959 – 18 June, 1996), also known as Padfoot or Snuffles (in his Animagus form) was a pure-blood wizard, the older son of Orion and Walburga Black, and the brother of Regulus.tymology. The name Sirius Black is a pun on his Animagus form of a black dog since the star Sirius is known as the Dog Star and is the brightest star in Canis Major, the Great Dog constellation. Sirius is derived from the Ancient Greek σείριος, Seirios, meaning glowing or scorcher..