1. Never judge a person by what you have heard or what others tell you
The whole book is Harry and everyone else judging Sirius on what they have only heard from others. "All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down - but it was the other way around." pg. 364-365
2. Good friends can be just as important as a family
through out the whole book friendship is a very big theme, especially when Sirius tells Harry about what really happened to his parents. "THAN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" pg. 375
3. Animals can be smarter than humans
Since Sirius is an animagus he can transform into a dog. "They could tell that my feelings were less - less human, less complex when I was a dog... but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everybody else in there, so it didn't trouble them." pg. 371
4. you can make your future what u want it to be
Professor Trelawney "read" Harry's future and told him he had the grim and that he was gonna die soon, later professor Mcgonagall tells him his future is not what she says. "There is no need to say anymore, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"
5. always focus on the good not the bad
Dumbledore talks about always finding happiness even in dark times. "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."
6. its OK to ask for help
After running away from the Dursley house Harry needs help to find somewhere to go, this is where the knight bus comes into the story. "Welcome to the knight bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard." pg. 33
7. true love will always win
Not true love like soulmates, but as in Harry's family still loving him by helping in a time of need at the lake where the dementors are attacking harry and Sirius. "Something was driving the dementors back... someone who looked strangely familiar... but it couldn't be..." pg. 385. It reveals later that Harry sees what he thinks is his father casting the petronus.
8. face your fears
Lupin begins class with a demonstration where he has everyone think of what they are most afraid of. "His first thought was lord Voldemort - a Voldemort returned to full strength." Harry then faces his fear as he turns his fear into something funny(like a clown) pg. 136
9. good will always conquer evil
Sirius says he may have been innocent but he says he inevitably led to their death. "Harry... i as good as killed them," he croaked... i realized what peter must have done... what i'd done..."pg. 365
10. the importance of loyalty
Sirius Black talks about how loyal he was to the Potters and how Peter Pettigrew should have been. "I would have died rather than betray my friends." pg. 375
