hp research query the 78th: the blacks?

[lobelia321]

So, my question on Harry's untold riches threw up a number of subsidiary questions and the one I am most interested in at the moment, for various plotfic reasons, is:

What are the exact family relations within the Black family?

Both Sirius and Narcissa & co are called Black, so presumably they inherited the name through their fathers (given ye olde wizarding laws of prediluvian non-equality-in-marriage date). So we have two Messieurs Black marrying... whom? Who are Sirius' and Narcissa's mothers?

And which one of the two Black brothers (who are Sirius' and Narcissa's dads respectively) is the elder? saeva says that Sirius' line of the family is the 'main branch': how do we know that? Is Sirius' father the older brother?

Are the two Messieurs Black even known to be brothers in canon?

*stares at own sketchy pencil rendition of the family tree*

Note: I am not interested in interview canon. Book canon only!

Though, ahem, I am, of course, not interested in any canon whatsoever... *whistles innocently and runs away from lazlet and helenish*

Comments

[lazulus]

*points and laughs*

Sometimes you really are too adorable for words.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Grr.

*flaps hands*

[lazulus]

See? ADORABLE!!!

*pets you*

[calicokat.livejournal.com]

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/black-family-tree.html Here is a diagram of the Black Family tree as far as it is known. (The lexicon is a great source of information for any particular of the books. *g* Rowling herself has admitted to using it when writing in internet-enabled cafes. XD;;)

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I possibly should have mentioned that the HP Lexicon is my source for the aforementioned sketchy pencil diagram... Canon? Me?

[calicokat.livejournal.com]

Hmm... well, sadly, that is pretty much all the information we have on the Black family. As both an upside and downside, anything else will have to be whatever brand of BS you prefer. The only suggestion we have that Sirius' side is the "main line" is that they inherited Number 12 Grimmauld Place rather than anyone else in the family. We know Andromeda, Bellatrix, and Narcissa have one father because Andromeda's name is burned off from between Bellatrix and Narcissa's. We don't know, however, if they are Uncle Alphard's childeren, and Alphard is the only Black of the previous generation mentioned by name.

(Why am I so thorough? I'm not that into Harry Potter! I just fanfic with it a little... You should see how I am with stuff I'm really devoted to. *g*)

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Why am I so thorough?
It is completely absurd. I am ashamed of my own LJ. It has turned into geek haven.

But somehow, I cannot stop myself. *succumbs to HP canon research compulsive disorder*

[calicokat.livejournal.com]

*g* Hey, you don't have to be ashamed of geeks, or ashamed to be one. Geeks can do their geek things and go on having perfectly normal, healthy social lives. It's the nerds you have to watch out for. They don't understand how to have conversations about things other than their specific field of obsession and some of them don't bathe.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

It's all geek to me.

Ack! Bad pun attack!!

[ex-lonicera600.livejournal.com]

Sirius' (and Regulus') father was XYZ Black and Narcissa's (and Bellatrix and Andromeda's) father must have been his younger brother - as Sirius' father inherited the house. And they must have been brothers as it is said that Sirius and Narcissa are cousins. Sadly nothing is known about the ladies in the family history. We are shown the painting of Sirius' mother, but have no idea which family she stems from. Even less info about Narcissa's mother.

The thing I wondered was why she was portrayed as being so old? I mean Sirius was what, in his middle thirties? Given the fact that wizards seem to marry rather young she would only have been some twenty years older than him if she lived and the portrait must have been taken years before when she was still alive of course.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this!!! Just the sort of info I was hoping for.