The Black family tree shows the members of one of the oldest magical families, and their links with many other magical families in the Harry Potter fantasy books. The details of this extended family tree were revealed in January 2006 when author J.K. Rowling donated a version she had created to the International Book Aid charity auction. Blood purity is a central notion in the fictional Harry Potter cycle. ... Cover of the first book in J. K. Rowlings series: Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (British/Canadian/Australian/Irish/ Japanese/Taiwanese/African version) The Harry Potter books are a series of fantasy novels by British writer J. K. Rowling. ... Joanne Rowling OBE (born July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire), commonly known as J.K. Rowling (pronunciation: roll-ing; her former students used to joke with her name calling her the Rolling Stone), is a British fiction writer. ...

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

This is not a complete family tree — the Black family extends back to the Middle Ages. However this tree shows the last few generations before the line ended.

Orion Black was born in 1929 as the younger of two sons. ... Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ... Walburga Black is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. ... Regulus Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ... Bellatrix Bella Lestrange, née Black, is a fictional character in the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling. ... Phineas Nigellus Black (1847-1926), more commonly known as Phineas Nigellus, is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series, Great-great-grandfather of Sirius Black, and the least popular headmaster Hogwarts has ever had (although this title may have been forfeited to Dolores Umbridge). ... Rodolphus Lestrange is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. ... Andromeda Tonks is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. ... Nymphadora Tonks (born c. ... Narcissa Malfoy (née Black), also known as Cissy, (born 1955) is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series. ... Draco Malfoy (born 5 June 1980[1]) is an antagonist and villain in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter books and Harry Potters principal rival at Hogwarts. ... Lucius Malfoy is a fictional character in the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling. ... ...

Disowned Blacks

The names in bold are members of the family who have been disowned for bringing disgrace to the family name, usually by marrying Muggles, Muggle-borns or blood traitors. They were stricken from the tapestry chronicling their common bloodline.

• Isla Black of the first generation shown was disowned for marrying "Muggle Bob Hitchens".
• Phineas Black of the second generation shown was disowned for supporting Muggle rights.
• Marius Black, third generation son of Cygnus and Violetta Bulstrode Black, was disowned as he was a Squib.
• Cedrella Black, also third generation and cousin of Marius, was disowned for marrying blood traitor Septimus Weasley.
• Alphard Black of the fourth generation shown, was disowned for giving gold to his "runaway nephew", Sirius Black.
• Sirius Black of the fifth generation shown, ran away from home to the Potters' and was subsequently disowned.
• Andromeda Black, cousin of Sirius Black, was disowned for marrying "Muggle Ted Tonks" (who had in OotP been said by his daughter to be a muggle-born wizard).

Blood purity is a central notion in the fictional Harry Potter cycle. ... ... Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ... Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ... Andromeda Tonks is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. ... Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ...

Analysis

Although J.K. Rowling did include some birth and death years on the original tree, they have led to much controversy. For example, Pollux Black is listed as living from 1912–1990, however his eldest child, Walburga Black is listed as living from 1925–1985, making Pollux a father at the tender age of 13. The same issue applies to Cygnus Black (1938–1992) and his daughter Bellatrix Lestrange (née Black) (born 1951.) Coincidently, five Blacks die within months of one another: Pollux (1912–1990), Arcturus (1901–1991), Cassiopeia (1915–1992), Lucretia (1925–1992), and Cygnus (1938–1992). J.K. Rowling has always freely admitted that mathematics is not her best subject, and most errors in her writing are mathematical.

The Black family also appears to have something of a curse of short life, as many members, with a few exceptions, die in their 50s and 60s; Rowling has claimed that wizards have potential life-spans of around double that of muggles.

Dorea Black

Dorea Black (1920–1977) married Charlus Potter and bore one son. Her age indicates a possibility that this son is James Potter, husband of Lily Evans and father of Harry Potter. James's marriage to Muggle-born Lily would have meant that he would not be acknowledged by the Blacks and thus remain unnamed in the family tree. In support of this possibility is the fact that Rowling has stated that James was an only child, and the indications in the story that James' parents must have died before 1981, as the Dursleys are Harry's ‘only’ (allowing for standard hyperbole) living relatives. The death date of 1977 fits in reasonably well in this regard. Also, JKR has also stated that the Potters were old by wizarding standards when James was born. Considering Harry was born when James and Lily were 22 in 1980, Draco was born when Narcissa and Lucius were 25, Molly and Arthur Weasley were in their early 20s when they started having children, etc... one could conclude that 40 would be old by wizarding standards for someone to bear a child. However, one could also conclude that "old" by Wizarding standards would be judged by Wizard lifespan, as 40 is often considered old by human standards. In this interpretation, known wizard ages of over 100 would have to be taken into account. Dorea Potter would have been 38 in 1958 when James was born. It must of course be noted that Charlus could have been considerably older than Dorea and thereby being the age of James' parents in Rowling's mind. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter, Adrian Rawlins as James Potter, and one of the Saunders triplets as one-year-old Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone In the Harry Potter series, James and Lily Potter are the late parents of Harry Potter. ...

As the grandson of Dorea’s brother, Pollux, Sirius is a female line descendant of the Bulstrode and Flint families (as well as the Crabbe family). If, then, Harry is the grandson of Dorea Black, he would be a female line descendant of those two families — as well, of course, as of the Evanses and the Blacks themselves.

Sirius is a first cousin once removed of the son of Dorea and Charlus Potter — thus, of James Potter if the two are indeed the same. If so, Harry would be a second cousin of Sirius.

Orion Black

Orion Black was born in 1929, to Arcturus Black and Melania Black née Macmillan as the younger of two children. His elder sister was Lucretia Prewett née Black, and he is, by blood, a member of the House of Black. His paternal aunt and uncle were Lycoris Black and Regulus Black (the elder). Later, he married Walburga Black, who was also his second cousin. He was the father of Sirius Black and Regulus Black (the younger), and brother-in-law of Ignatius Prewett, Alphard Black, and Cygnus Black. Walburga seems to have been the dominant personality in their marriage, as their house-elf Kreacher was always more devoted to her, and she was the one who blasted "blood traitors" off the family tapestry. Blood purity is a central notion in the fictional Harry Potter cycle. ... Walburga Black is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. ... The term cousin typically refers to the child of ones parents sibling. ... Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ... Regulus Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ... Kreacher is a fictional magical beast in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. ...

Orion's name has not appeared in the actual text of the series but was revealed on J.K. Rowling's drawing of the Black family tapestry in 2006. He is named after the constellation Orion (The Hunter). Blood purity is a central notion in the fictional Harry Potter cycle. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Orion (IPA: ), a constellation often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation, perhaps the best-known and most conspicuous in the sky. ...

Name etymologies

The name etymologies of Phineas Nigellus, Walburga, Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa, Sirius, and Regulus can be found in their articles. Phineas Nigellus Black (1847-1926), more commonly known as Phineas Nigellus, is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series, Great-great-grandfather of Sirius Black, and the least popular headmaster Hogwarts has ever had (although this title may have been forfeited to Dolores Umbridge). ... Walburga Black is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. ... Bellatrix Bella Lestrange, née Black, is a fictional character in the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling. ... Andromeda Tonks is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. ... Narcissa Malfoy, née Black is a fictional character of the Harry Potter series. ... Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ... Regulus Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ...

• A very large number of the Black family are named after stars, constellations and other heavenly objects (for example, Sirius, Arcturus, Alphard, Regulus, Pollux and Bellatrix are stars, whilst Andromeda, Orion, Cassiopeia, and Cygnus are constellations (Andromeda is also a galaxy), and Ursula comes from the constellations Ursa Minor and Major).
• 'Phineas' is not of astronomical origin; however, in some versions of the Greek myth of Andromeda and Perseus, Andromeda's former lover is named 'Phineus'.
• 'Marius' is the name of a Roman populist general.
• 'Isla' is Spanish for "island" and also a girl's name in Scotland derived from the name of the isle of Islay.
• 'Ursula' is Latin for "small female bear".
• 'Belvina' means "beautiful wine" or "beautiful vine" in Latin.
• 'Hesper' is similar to the more common name "Hester". It perhaps derives from the Hesperides, or from Hesperus (the Evening Star).
• 'Violetta' may come from "violet" or "violent".
• 'Lycoris' is Greek for "twilight" and also a genus of flowers in the Amaryllidaceae family. Lycoris is also Welsh for "Licorice" — which is black in colour
• 'Callidora' means "gift of beauty" in Greek and is also the name of a parasite of moths.
• 'Charis' is Greek for "kindness" (hence, the word 'charity') and the name of one of the mythological Graces.
• 'Melania' is Greek for "darkness" or "blackness," which would be appropriate for a member of the Black family.
• 'Elladora' is a mixture of the Germanic element 'Ella' or 'Ali' (Foreign, Other), and the Greek element 'Dora' (Gift). It would therefore mean 'Foreign Gift', 'Other Gift(s)'.

For other uses, see Sirius (disambiguation). ... Arcturus (α Boo / α Boötis / Alpha Boötis) is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes, and the third brightest star in the night sky, with a visual magnitude of −0. ... Alphard (α Hya / α Hydrae / Alpha Hydrae) is the brightest star in the constellation Hydra. ... Regulus (α Leo / α Leonis / Alpha Leonis) is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Pollux (β Gem / β Geminorum / Beta Geminorum) is one of the brightest star in the constellation Gemini and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Bellatrix (γ Ori / γ Orionis / Gamma Orionis) is the third brightest star in the constellation Orion and the twenty-second brightest star in the nighttime sky. ... Andromeda (IPA: ) is a constellation named for the princess Andromeda (which is Greek for Ruler over men), a character in Greek mythology. ... Orion (IPA: ), a constellation often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation, perhaps the best-known and most conspicuous in the sky. ... Cassiopeia can refer to: Cassiopeia (or Casseipeia), a queen of Aethiopia in Greek mythology. ... Cygnus (Latin for swan) is a northern constellation. ... M31 in a small telescope The Andromeda Galaxy (IPA: , also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224; older texts often called it the Andromeda Nebula) is a spiral galaxy approximately 2. ... Saint Ursula on the coat-of-arms of British Virgin Islands Ursula (small female bear in Latin) is a Christian saint. ... Ursa Minor (IPA: ) is a constellation in the northern sky, the name of which means Small Bear in Latin. ... This article is about the Great Bear constellation. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and their own cult and ritual practices. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Perseus with the head of Medusa, by Antonio Canova, completed 1801 (Vatican Museums) Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas (Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας), the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits helped establish the hegemony of Zeus and the Twelve... Roman or Romans may refer to: A thing or person of or from the city of Rome. ... Landsat image of Islay Islay (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: , or ee-luh), a Scottish island, known as The Queen of the Hebrides, is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. ... For the ancient Greek city Hesperides see Benghazi. ... Henry Longfellow wrote an epic poem called The Wreck of the Hesperus. ... Genera Amaryllis Clivia Galanthus Hippeastrum Hymenocallis Leucojum Lycoris Narcissus Nerine Vallota For a complete list, see List of Amaryllidaceae genera The Amaryllidaceae are a family of flowering plants, with over 800 species in about 60 genera. ... The Three Graces, from Sandro Botticellis painting Primavera Uffizi Gallery In Greek mythology, the Charites were the graces. ...

External links

• Black Family Tree. Harry Potter Lexicon.
• Analysis of the family tree by redhen website.