Sirius' Family Tree

An immensely old tapestry, faded and looking as though Doxys had gnawed it in places, was hung the length of the wall in the drawing room. Even then the golden thread with which it was embroidered still glinted brightly enough to show anyone a sprawling tree dating back to the Middle Ages.

Large words at the top of the tapestry read:

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

‘Toujours pur’

Obviously the tapestry bearing the tree was the Family Tree of Sirius Black.

Well we all know Sirius Black by now. Previously presumed to be a mass murderer and mad man, is now as innocent as you or I in the eyes of the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Thanks to the Marauders Map and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore, Sirius once convicted for Peter Petigrew’s murder and he is now the innocent Godfather of Harry Potter.

Don’t look too hard though, you will not find him on there. All you’d find would be a small, round charred hole in the tapestry, rather like a cigarette burn. His dear old Mother blasted him off it when he ran away from home.

Sirius ran away when he had had enough at the age of sixteen to James Potters’ place, whose parents were really good about it. They had sort of adopted him as their second son. Sirius used to camp out at James’ in the school holidays till he got his own place at the age of seventeen. His Uncle Alphard had left him a decent bit of gold. He too was blasted off from the tapestry and this may probably be the reason.

Sirius’ parents thought that Voldermort had the right idea of the purification of wizarding race, getting rid of muggle-borns and having purebloods in charge. Sirius hated his family, his parents with their pure-blood mania were convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal. This was why Sirius has left home.


At the Black's though you’d still find Sirius’ mother hung on the wall with a Permanent Sticking charm on the back of the canvas. You couldn’t miss her if you rang the doorbell or made a lot of noise or Mrs. Weasley started yelling. You couldn’t miss her yells and shrieks, "Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness!.........."


Sirius had a younger brother, Regulus Black. Sirius was constantly reminded that his younger brother was a much better son. Regulus joined the Death Eaters and for this his parents most probably thought him a little hero. Regulus was murdered by Voldemort (though Sirius reckons he could not have been so important to be murdered personally) or on his orders. Apparently he got in so far but then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. And well, you don’t just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It’s a lifetime service or death.


Phineas Nigellus was the least popular Headmaster of Hogwarts. He was Sirius’ Great Great Grandfather. Presently his portrait is hung in Dumbledore’s office as well as at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Headquatrters of the Order.


Araminta Meliflua was his mother’s cousin. She tried to force through a Ministry Bill legalize Muggle-hunting.


Elladora, Aunt to Sirius, I daresay dear Aunt Elladora started the family tradition of beheading house-elves when they were too old to carry the tea trays.


Sirius’ favourite cousin was Andromeda. She married a Muggle Ted Tonks and so she too was blasted off. Their daughter Nymphadora Tonks, an Auror and present member of the Order is so related to Sirius.


Andromeda’s two sisters are Bellatrix and Narcissa, they’re still on the tapestry because of their pure-blood marriages.

Bellatrix married Rodolphus Lestrange. The two of them are in Azkaban. They were brought in with Barty Crouch Junior. Rodolphus’ brother Rabastan was brought in with them as well.

Narcissa married Lucious Malfoy. Their son Draco Malfoy, presently a Slytherin student at Hogwarts, arch enemy of Harry and the Weasleys and for that matter all muggle-borns.


To the question of Sirius being related to the Malfoys.

The answer. The pure-blood families are all interrelated. Its bound to be this way, if you’re only going to let the sons and daughters marry pure-bloods; the choice is very limited as there are hardly any of them left.

In this way Molly Weasley and Sirius are cousins by marriage as Arthur is Sirius’ second cousin. But don’t bother looking for them on the tapestry - if ever a family was a bunch of blood traitors it the Weasleys.


So these are a few of Sirius’ family members. Of course there’s the present family house-elf, Kreacher but I daresay Sirius doesn't consider him family. He occasionally takes orders from the portrait of Sirius’ mother. He dislikes Sirius and the ‘scum’ permitted in the house by him. He keeps thinking on the lines of his poor old mistress. He hates Sirius more because his cleaning involves throwing out everything precious to the Blacks and he tries his best to smuggle and save whatever he can in his ‘den’. Kreacher always liked his mistress more than Sirius’ father.