Blaise Zabini

Blaise Zabini was mentioned only in passing in the first book and making his first proper appearance in book 6. At first, the only things known about him are that he is a Slytherin of the same year as Harry Potter.

Blaise is a good-looking black boy with a famously beautiful mother who is a widow seven times (each time under suspicious circumstances, after which she acquired all her late husbands' possessions). It is not known which of the seven husbands, if any, was his biological father. Zabini is described as extremely vain, and like other Slytherins in his year, has strong prejudices against Muggle-borns and "blood traitors."

In volume six, Blaise is one of the students invited to lunch on the Hogwarts Express by Professor Slughorn, who is sizing up potential new members for his "Slug Club." Blaise apparently passes the litmus test, as he continues to receive invitations to Slughorn's parties once the school year begins. He does not seem to have a high opinion of his fellow "members," if his comments to Draco Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express are any indication, yet in spite of that he does continue to accept the invitations.

He is very difficult to please romantically, though he finds Ginny Weasley attractive. However, Blaise says he would never touch a filthy little blood-traitor like her no matter what.

Behind the Scenes
For many years Blaise's gender and nature were hotly debated in fan forums, and both male and female versions of the character were heavily featured in fanfiction. This was mostly due to Blaise's elusivity in canon and lack of further explanation on J. K. Rowling's part. However, it is now known that he is a male who has appeared in the sixth book and will appear seventh Harry Potter book.