Blaise Zabini

"Yeah, Zabini, because you're so talented... at posing..."

- Ginny Weasley.

Blaise Zabini was a student in Harry Potter's school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was sorted into Slytherin House and seemed to have been friendly with the fellow Slytherins, Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson.

Early years
Blaise Zabini was the son of a famously beautiful witch who had been widowed seven times over by 1996. Each husband's death occurred both under suspicious circumstances and left the already wealthy Ms. Zabini and her son richer. It is unknown if Blaise's biological father was one of the seven late husbands. Blaise is more than likely a pure-blood wizard, as he disliked "blood traitors" and people who associated with Muggle-borns. He was stuck-up and did not befriend Muggles or Muggle-borns.

In 1991, Blaise started his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into the House of Slytherin. Due to Blaise's reserved nature, he kept to himself most of the time and did not really make friends with other Slytherins, nor other students in his year—though this may have been because he was prejudiced against Muggle-borns and "blood traitors." To a small extent, Blaise seemed to get along with Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson—he was able to sit with them on the train journey to Hogwarts—but other than that, he was not mentioned to be hanging around that group.

Sixth year


Blaise was one of the students who received an invitation from Professor Horace Slughorn to join him for lunch on the Hogwarts Express journey, which might imply that none of Blaise's relatives were Death Eaters, as Slughorn wanted nothing to do with them (it was the reason why he chose not to invite Theodore Nott to join the Club). Slughorn was sizing up the student body for potential new members of his famous Slug Club, which he started when he last taught at Hogwarts. During the meeting Blaise seemed quiet as usual and did not join in the discussions; he did, however, give a little cough of "amused scepticism" when Slughorn told the group that he thought Harry Potter had powers beyond the ordinary. This caused him to provoke Ginny Weasley to snap at him, and Slughorn jokingly warned Blaise not to fire Ginny up again, remembering how well she could cast a Bat-Bogey Hex. When questioned on his family, Blaise talked about his mother and the line of husbands she had who had all left her pots of galleons in their wills after they died, all of which were suspicious deaths.

After the lunch meeting ended, Blaise retired to his compartment on the Hogwarts Express in which Draco Malfoy was lying down with his head on Pansy Parkinson's lap while she stroked his hair. Harry Potter followed Blaise back to this compartment under his Invisibility cloak in an attempt to hear Draco's conversation, and give him some perspective as to what Draco had been planning over the summer. Once they arrived at Hogwarts, Blaise apparently passed the litmus test that Slughorn had set, as he continued to receive invitations to Slughorn's parties after the school year began. He did not seem to have a high opinion of his fellow members, if his comments to Draco Malfoy on the train were any indication, but in spite of that, he continued to accept the invitations.

Seventh year


Blaise attended his seventh year at Hogwarts. Because he was a pure-blood Slytherin, his time there was more pleasant than most people's.

When evacuation started moments before the Battle of Hogwarts on 2 May, 1998, Blaise presumably left with the other Slytherins through the Room of Requirement.

Physical appearance
Blaise was a tall, dark-skinned young man with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes that sent a chill into the air. He was described as being vain about appearances.

Personality and traits
"Zabini gave a tiny little cough that was clearly supposed to indicate amused skepticism."

- Blaise regarding Harry Potter

Blaise seemed to be an arrogant person, who looked down on nearly everyone and everything, though he rarely expressed his disdainful opinions in a confrontational manner. He reacted with scornful amusement when Professor Slughorn praised Harry Potter's talents, and with contempt when Slughorn suggested that he should not anger Ginny Weasley, who insulted Blaise's vanity. He also insulted most of his fellow Slug Club members and the parties themselves to Draco Malfoy, though he continued to attend the meetings and also did not seem to respect Draco very much.

Pansy Parkinson claimed that Blaise was very difficult to please romantically; when she accused him of finding Ginny attractive, Blaise said he would never touch "a filthy blood traitor like her", which Pansy found very funny and which indicated that Blaise was prejudiced against Muggles, Muggle-borns, and those who were accepting of them. However, he also did not seem to hold a high opinion of followers of Voldemort, either; in the same conversation, he taunted Draco on his father being outed as a Death Eater. It seemed he was so arrogant that he was more or less indifferent and dismissive of everyone, regardless of status.

Magical abilities and skills
Potions: Blaise was proficient at potion-making, considering he was one of the few students that progressed to N.E.W.T.-level in 1996. He achieved either an 'Exceeds Expectations' or an 'Outstanding' on his O.W.L. exam.

Etymology

 * Blaise is a French name derived from the Latin blaesus, "lisping". In mythology Blaise was the tutor and, later, biographer, of Merlin - which makes this an appropriate name for a wizard. Another famous bearer was Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher. Also, Blaise Castle is an eighteenth-century mansion house and estate in Bristol, England called "the finest place in England" in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.
 * The surname Zabini is Italian, suggesting that Blaise may have part Italian descent. It bears similarity to the name of a custard-like Italian dessert, Zabaione.

Behind the scenes

 * Blaise is portrayed by Louis Cordice in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He appears in several scenes and has one line in the film.
 * 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 the indeterminate nature of Blaise's character in canon and lack of further explanation on J. K. Rowling's part until it was revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that he was male..
 * Based on the attitude Blaise expressed towards "blood traitors" and his association with elitist Draco Malfoy, the Zabini family likely claims to be pure-blood. It is interesting to note that despite their prejudice against Muggle-borns, the Slytherins do not seem to have any issues with accepting a wizard of a different skin colour, as long as he is pure-blooded.
 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Blaise plays as a Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team. Blaizezabiniquidditch.JPG for Slytherin.]]
 * In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Blaise is present in the fight in the Room of Requirement in place of Vincent Crabbe, whose actor was sentenced to 120 hours of community service. What happened to Goyle in the book happened to Zabini in the movie and what happened to Goyle in the movie happened to Crabbe in the book.
 * In a deleted scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, Blaise, and some other Slytherins, were locked up in a cell by Argus Filch.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
 * Harry Potter and Me
 * Pottermore

Notes and references
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