Manuscripts
Artwork Blood status and prejudice Notable Witches and Wizards

Black Family Tree

 

“The Noble and Most Ancient House of BLACK,” a hand-drawn tree that Rowling donated to Book Aid International in January of 2006 and auctioned February 22, 2006.

The Lexicon’s image was made in 2006, based off of two partial pictures, and a description by Aberforth the Marauder, (which was based on observation of the original during the auction.)

The original image has since been published in Harry Potter Film Wizardry and can be seen here.

Interesting facts and notes

  • If our dates are correct (and we're reasonably sure they are), the Black family had unusually short lifespans for wizards.
  • Kreacher says that it has been in the Black family for seven centuries (OP6), so the portion that JKR drew is just a part of the whole.
  • Sirius sees Araminta Melliflua on the tapestry, but she is not listed in the one Jo drew.
  • Probably the most unusual fact found on chart is that Cygnus Black was only 13 years old when his oldest daughter, Bellatrix, was born (and only 15 when Andromeda was born and 17 when Narcissa was born). Not to be too judgmental, but one could easily guess that theirs was not a solid, mature family unit, which could account for how badly Bellatrix, and to some extent Narcissa) turned out.

Other Canon Notes

Excerpts from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6, regarding the tapestry:

'Kreacher would never move anything from its proper place in Master's house,' said the elf, then muttered very fast, 'Mistress would never forgive Kreacher if the tapestry was thrown out, seven centuries it's been in the family, Kreacher must save it, Kreacher will not let Master and the blood traitors and the brats destroy it -'

[....]

The tapestry looked immensely old; it was faded and looked as though Doxys had gnawed it in places. Nevertheless, the golden thread with which it was embroidered still glinted brightly enough to show them a sprawling family tree dating back (as far as Harry could tell) to the Middle Ages. Large words at the very top of the tapestry read:
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
'Toujours pur'

[....]

'I haven't looked at this for years. There's Phineas Nigellus… my great-great-grandfather, see?… least popular Headmaster Hogwarts ever had… and Araminta Meliflua… cousin of my mothers… tried to force through a Ministry Bill to make Muggle-hunting legal… and dear Aunt Elladora… she started the family tradition of beheading house-elves when they got too old to carry tea trays… of course, any time the family produced someone halfway decent they were disowned. I see Tonks isn't on here. Maybe that's why Kreacher won't take orders from her - he's supposed to do whatever anyone in the family asks him -'

'You and Tonks are related?' Harry asked, surprised.

'Oh, yeah, her mother Andromeda was my favourite cousin,' said Sirius, examining the tapestry closely. 'No, Andromeda's not on here either, look -'
He pointed to another small round burn mark between two names, Bellatrix and Narcissa.
'Andromeda's sisters are still here because they made lovely, respectable pure-blood marriages, but Andromeda married a Muggle-born, Ted Tonks, so -'
Sirius mimed blasting the tapestry with a wand and laughed sourly. Harry, however, did not laugh; he was too busy staring at the names to the right of Andromeda's burn mark. A double line of gold embroidery linked Narcissa Black with Lucius Malfoy and a single vertical gold line from their names led to the name Draco.

'You're related to the Malfoys!'

'The pure-blood families are all interrelated,' said Sirius. 'If you're only going to let your sons and daughters marry pure-bloods your choice is very limited; there are hardly any of us left. Molly and I are cousins by marriage and Arthur's something like my second cousin once removed. But there's no point looking for them on here - if ever a family was a bunch of blood traitors it's the Weasleys.'

But Harry was now looking at the name to the left of Andromeda's burn: Bellatrix Black, which was connected by a double line to Rodolphus Lestrange.

'Lestrange…' Harry said aloud. The name had stirred something in his memory; he knew it from somewhere, but for a moment he couldn't think where, though it gave him an odd, creeping sensation in the pit of his stomach.

'They're in Azkaban,' said Sirius shortly.

Harry looked at him curiously.

'Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus came in with Barty Crouch junior,' said Sirius, in the same brusque voice. 'Rodolphus’s brother Rabastan was with them, too.'

Characters Introduced

Commentary

Pensieve (Comments)

Tags: family genealogy relationships relatives

Editor:

The Harry Potter Canon