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"Sirius and Phineas rarely send me an owl. Although when they do, they never mention you. I'm certain they're proud of you and all that you're doing for Hogwarts. Having one's father as Headmaster is a tremendous honour."
Ursula Flint to Phineas Nigellus Black[src]

Phineas Black was a pure-blood wizard, the second eldest son of Phineas Nigellus Black and his wife Ursula Flint, and brother of Sirius, Arcturus, Belvina and Cygnus Black.

Biography[]

He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during his father's tenure as Headmaster, alongside his older brother Sirius.[1]

He was disowned for supporting Muggle rights and removed from the Black family tree.[3]

Etymology[]

The name Phineas has roots in the biblical name Phinehas. This is the given name of the grandson of Aaron (first high priest of the Israelites), who stops a plague from God. The other known Phinehas was the son of Eli, and was killed in battle against the Philistines. The name Phineas is a variant of the name found in the Old Testemant.

Behind the scenes[]

  • It is unknown whether Phineas ever sired children, but if he did, his patrilineal descendants must have died out by 1996 because his great-great-nephew Sirius was the last of the Blacks.
  • Based on a statement by Horace Slughorn, Phineas may have been a member of the Slytherin House. However, Phineas would have attended in the 1880s or the 1890s, when Slughorn was not Potions teacher.
  • Phineas was named after his father, but ironically, this son became Phineas Nigellus's greatest shame.
  • On the Black family tree tapestry from the film Phineas is depicted as a red hat with a black hole. His name is misspelled Phineus on the tapestry, and so is the name of his father. This may be because the names are also incorrectly spelled on a tree drawn by J. K. Rowling. The hand drawn family tree was given to Book Aid International.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Hogwarts Legacy – A letter from Ursula Black to Phineas Nigellus Black says that Phineas was going to school at the same time as Sirius in the 1890–1891 school year. (see this video)
  2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 37 (The Lost Prophecy)
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Black family tree
  4. "World Exclusive Interview with J K Rowling," South West News Service, 8 July 2000 - "Hogwarts just serves Britain and Ireland."
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