The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was one of the largest, oldest, and wealthiest pure-blooded wizarding families in Britain, and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Many wizarding families in Britain are distantly related to the House of Black. Like the Malfoy and Lestrange families, the House of Black is synonymous with elevated status and wealth.
The Black family tree is displayed in the drawing room of the family home at 12 Grimmauld Place in London, England on an intricate tapestry, as an ornate mural. It starts in the Middle Ages and shows the dominant line of the family up to the present day.
By the late twentieth century, the House of Black had become extinct in the male line with the deaths of Sirius, Regulus, and Altair Black, neither of whom had children, and the last living member of the male line was Orion Black's daughter Aquila. The female line continued through the descendants of Narcissa Malfoy (née Black), the descendants of Andromeda Tonks (née Black), and through Delphini Black, who was Bellatrix Lestrange's illegitimate daughter.
Family history
The Black family traces its origin back to the Middle Ages. They claim to have entirely magical ancestry, but as Sirius Black informed his godson Harry Potter, no true pure-blood families existed by the twentieth century. The pure-blood families like the Blacks simply removed Muggles and Squibs from their family trees.
The Blacks place a great importance on blood purity, considering themselves akin to royalty in the wizarding world and disdaining Muggles, Squibs, blood traitors, and Muggle-borns. The family motto, which can be found on the family crest, is Toujours Pur, which means "Always Pure" in French. Many members took this phrase very seriously.
Recent history
Because of their views, a large number of the Black family members practised the Dark Arts and supported Lord Voldemort during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. A few Blacks even became Death Eaters, while many others never took the Dark Mark but believed in the "purification" of the wizarding world nevertheless.
A few members of the family, however, disagreed with the traditional views of their family; Sirius Black, for example, joined the Order of the Phoenix, as did Andromeda Tonks, who married a Muggle-born, and Nymphadora Tonks, Andromeda's daughter.
Supportive of Voldemort at first, the family loyalists who did not become Death Eaters got cold feet when they saw the levels he would go to achieve his goals. Their hatred towards Muggles is such that some members who are not outright Death Eaters would go to lengths to persecute them, such as Araminta Meliflua who tried to pass a Ministry Bill to make Muggle-hunting legal. However, even those who originally supported Voldemort's actions to purge the Muggles got cold feet when they saw what he was willing to do for power.
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Family members
Family lords
| Name | D.O.B. | D.O.D. | Ruled | Relation to the House of Black |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ducere Black | 8 Nov 1213 | 19 Jul 1257 | 1235-1257 (22 years) | Son of Cadmus Black |
| Ignotus Black | 14 May 1245 | 18 Sep 1307 | 1257-1307 (46 years) | Son of Ducere Black |
| Pius Black | 11 Oct 1280 | 28 Jan 1343 | 1307-1343 (36 years) | Son of Ignotus Black |
| Cetus Black I | 17 Dec 1318 | 14 Oct 1385 | 1343-1385 (42 years) | Son of Pius Black |
| Apus Black I | 7 Oct 1346 | 19 Feb 1414 | 1385-1414 (29 years) | Son of Cetus Black I |
| Hydrus Black I | 10 Jan 1389 | 14 Aug 1427 | 1414-1427 (13 years) | Son of Apus Black I |
| Cetus Black II | 4 Nov 1416 | 7 Jan 1474 | 1427-1474 (47 years) | Son of Hydrus Black I |
| Apus Black II | 15 Oct 1453 | 10 Jan 1477 | 1474-1477 (3 years) | Son of Cetus Black II |
| Hydrus Black II | 2 Nov 1472 | 12 Jun 1535 | 1477-1535 (58 years) | Son of Apus Black II |
| Equuleus Black | 12 Jul 1505 | 14 Dec 1549 | 1535-1549 (14 years) | Son of Hydrus Black II |
| Apus Black III | 12 Apr 1527 | 3 Jun 1567 | 1549-1567 (18 years) | Son of Equuleus Black |
| Aquilinus Black I | 1 May 1555 | 28 Sep 1632 | 1567-1632 (65 years) | Son of Apus Black III |
| Regulus Black I | 14 May 1582 | 15 Nov 1654 | 1632-1654 (22 years) | Son of Aquilinus Black I |
| Cepheus Black I | 4 Nov 1605 | 9 Aug 1678 | 1654-1678 (24 years) | Son of Regulus Black I |
| Aquilinus Black II | 19 Apr 1630 | 11 Nov 1700 | 1678-1700 (22 years) | Son of Cepheus Black I |
| Cepheus Black II | 14 Sep 1657 | 11 Apr 1719 | 1700-1719 (19 years) | Son of Aquilinus Black |
| Ophiuchus Black | 9 Mar 1714 | 28 Feb 1775 | 1719-1775 (56 years) | Son of Viola Black and William Stuart* |
| Betelgeuse Black | 14 Nov 1740 | 19 Jun 1799 | 1775-1799 (24 years) | Son of Ophiuchus Black |
| Cygnus Black I | 3 Jun 1770 | 24 Dec 1853 | 1799-1853 (54 years) | Son of Betelgeuse Black |
| Cygnus Black II | 13 Jan 1810 | 7 Jul 1859 | 1853-1859 (6 years) | Son of Cygnus Black I |
| Phineas Black I | 18 Oct 1847 | 10 Jun 1925 | 1859-1925 (66 years) | Son of Cygnus Black II |
| Sirius Black II | 15 Nov 1877 | 30 Dec 1952 | 1925-1952 (27 years) | Son of Phineas Nigellus Black I |
| Arcturus Black III | 12 Dec 1901 | 27 Feb 1991 | 1952-1991 (39 years) | Son of Sirius Black II |
| Orion Black | 18 May 1925 | 24 Dec 1991 | 1991-1991 (8 months) | Son of Arcturus Black III |
| Sirius Black III* | 4 Nov 1959 | 18 Jun 1996 | 1991-1996 (5 years) | Son of Orion Black, disowned
but claimed by rite of magic* |
Main members
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Relatives by marriage
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Distant relatives
| Distant Relative | Relation to the House of Black |
|---|---|
| Leonard Weasley | Son of Cedrella Weasley (née Black). |
| Hugh Weasley | Son of Cedrella Weasley (née Black). |
| Arthur Weasley | Son of Cedrella Weasley (née Black). |
| Molly Weasley
(née Prewett) |
Wife of Arthur Weasley and niece of Lucretia Prewett (née Black). |
| Gideon Prewett | Nephew of Lucretia Prewett (née Black). |
| Fabian Prewett | |
| Bill Weasley | Paternal grandmother is Cedrella Weasley (née Black). Grand-nephews of Lucretia Prewett (née Black). |
| Charlie Weasley | |
| Percy Weasley | |
| Fred Weasley | |
| George Weasley | |
| Ron Weasley | |
| Ginny Weasley | Paternal grandmother is Cedrella Weasley (née Black). Grand-niece of Lucretia Prewett (née Black). |
| Nymphadora Tonks | Daughter of Andromeda Tonks (née Black). |
| Remus Lupin | Husband of Nymphadora Tonks, son-in-law of Andromeda Tonks (née Black). |
| Teddy Lupin | Maternal grandmother is Andromeda Tonks (née Black). |
| Draco Malfoy | Son of Narcissa Malfoy (née Black). |
| Charlus Potter | Husband of Dorea Potter (née Black). |
| James Potter | Son of Dorea Potter (neé Black). |
| Harry Potter | Grand-son of Dorea Potter (née Black). |
| Araminta Meliflua | Cousin of Walburga Black, niece of Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe. |
| Frank Longbottom | Great-grandson of Callidora Longbottom (née Black). |
| Alice Longbottom | Wife of Frank Longbottom. |
| Neville Longbottom | Great-great-grandson of Callidora Longbottom (née Black). |
| Barty Crouch Snr | Son of Charis Crouch (née Black). |
| Barty Crouch Jr | Grandson of Charis Crouch (née Black). |
| Delphini | Mother is Bellatrix Lestrange (née Black). |
| Tom Marvolo Riddle | Father of Delphini with Bellatrix Lestrange (née Black). |
Family tree
- "En stirps nobilis et gens antiquissima Black."
- —Latin inscription on the Black family tree tapestry
Blasted off the tapestry
The original tree described from Grimmauld Place was subject to some magical interference. According to Sirius Black, his mother Walburga blasted names of "blood traitors" off the tapestry without hesitation. The Black family motto of Toujours Pur ("always pure") was followed assiduously by family members; any who disagreed with the notion of blood purity or married Muggles or people of different blood statuses were disowned and blasted off the family tree, as were any Squibs. Thus, family members that remain on the tapestry can be assumed to have married fellow ("respectable") pure-bloods. Some even married their own cousins; Orion and Walburga Black, for instance, were second cousins. Generations of this practise resulted in inbreeding, which in turn has caused problems such as low fertility and emotional instability.
The known disowned members are Eduardus Limette Black (for an unknown reason); Iola Black, for marrying Muggle Bob Hitchens; Phineas Black II, for supporting Muggle rights; Marius Black, for being a Squib; Cedrella Black, for marrying blood traitor Septimus Weasley; Alphard Black, for giving gold to his runaway nephew Sirius; Sirius Black III, for running away from home; Altair Black, for being a Squib; and Andromeda Black, for marrying Muggle-born Ted Tonks.
| Disowned Blacks | Reason |
|---|---|
| Eduardus Limette Black | Unknown |
| Iola Black | Marriage to Muggle Bob Hitchens |
| Phineas Black | Muggle rights supporter |
| Marius Black | Squib |
| Cedrella Black | Marriage to Blood traitor Septimus Weasley |
| Andromeda Black | Marriage to Muggle-born Ted Tonks |
| Sirius Black | Blood traitor, formally disinherited in 1993 |
| Alphard Black | Supported his disowned nephew |
| Altair Black | Squib |
Thus, the Blacks are related to the Max, Blishwick, Flint, Hitchens, Gamp, Bulstrode, Burke, Yaxley, Macmillan, Crabbe, Potter, Peverell, Gaunt, Longbottom, Fortescue, Weasley, Crouch, Prewett, Rosier, Lestrange, Meliflua, Tonks, Malfoy, and Lupin families (albeit most of them distantly) but are related to all wizarding families as all families were once pure-blood and all pure-blood families are related. Also, Muggle-born people are descendants of Squibs who are born into either a pure-blood family or a half-blood family (which is part pure-blood). Therefore, all wizarding families (and some Muggle ones) are related to the House of Black.
Family Traits
The Blacks were commonly described as having "great good looks" and a certain aristocratic elegance that reflected upon their personalities, for they considered themselves "practically royal".
The traditional look for the majority of the Black family is dark hair and dark eyes, though there were some exceptions: Sirius Black III and all of his siblings were grey-eyed, Andromeda Tonks née Black had light brown hair, and Narcissa Malfoy née Black was blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Despite these differences, each and every one of these cousins were still noted to be a beauty in their own right, being of tall and elegant stature, with attractive features. Besides this, even after Sirius and Bellatrix's incarceration in Azkaban and subsequent escape, both Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius were described to have retained vestiges of these "great good looks", despite losing much of it in the depression of the prison.
Wealth
The Black family, as with many other pure-blood wizarding families like the Malfoy family, is considered to be very wealthy. This may be one of the reasons why the members of this family acted somewhat arrogantly.
The Blacks owned several vaults deep within Gringotts Bank, including one extremely large family vault, on the bank's deepest level, where they kept their paintings, fine jewellery, and other luxury items. They were the richest family in Wizarding Britain, with millions of galleons to their name, as well as properties all over Europe.
After the death of Lord Orion Black in December 1991, his wife, Walburga Black, became the richest woman in Wizarding Britain. Two years later, their son, Sirius Black III, escaped from Azkaban. Walburga's reign was rather short-lived, however- due to her failing health, she passed away in the early winter of 1994, which left the couple's underaged daughter, Aquila Black, the richest heiress in Britain, as the family's will formally disinherited the eldest son, Sirius.
Sirius Black III was by no means a poor man by himself. In 1993, Sirius Black III used money from Vault 711 to pay for Harry Potter's Firebolt. This vault was made up of a separate trust vault given to Alphard Black, who bequeathed the money to his nephew after his death, as well as all the money Alphard made in his lifetime. Alphard Black himself was a rich man, having accrued monetary wealth in the muggle world.
Etymology
Black can be considered a colour, and is the result of the absence of, or complete absorption of, light. In Western culture, the colour black has typically been associated with evil, darkness, and witchcraft, but also with prestige and sophistication — appropriate for the rich and House of Black. Black has also been associated with life and prosperity by other cultures. In ancient China, black was the symbol of the element of water, which also corresponds to Slytherin, the Hogwarts house of almost all members of the Black family. In English heraldry, black represents darkness and ignorance; a possible allusion to the prejudice common to members of the House of Black.
However, the English word black is derived from either the Old English blœc, meaning "black", or blac, meaning "pale". Pallor is associated with sickness and the colour white, which is usually held to symbolise purity in Western and Indian culture, and death in East Asian cultures. This mirrors the typical colouring of members of the House of Black — dark hair and pale skin.