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{{Individual infobox
  
{{Individual infobox
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|theme=dark-wizard
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|theme = dark-wizard
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|image=[[File:Walburga Black.jpg|250px]]
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|image = Walburga Black - Pottermore.jpg
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|name=Walburga Black
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|name = Walburga Black
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|born=[[1925]]<ref name="BFT">''[[House of Black|Black family tree]]'' {{see image|File:JKRBlackFamilyTree.jpg}} </ref> <br/>[[Great Britain]]
 +
|born = [[1925]]<ref name="BFT">''[[House of Black|Black family tree]]'' {{See image|File:JKRBlackFamilyTree.jpg}}</ref><br>[[Great Britain]]
−
|died=[[1985]]<ref name="BFT" /> (aged 59/60)
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|died = [[1985]]<ref name="BFT" /> (aged 59-60)
−
|blood=[[Pure-blood]]<ref name="BFT" />
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|blood = [[Pure-blood]]<ref name="BFT" />
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|marital=Widowed
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|marital = Widowed
  ⚫
|nationality = [[Great Britain|British]]
⚫
|species=[[Human]]<ref name="BFT" />
  
  +
|alias =
⚫
|gender=Female<ref name="BFT" />
  
−
|hair=
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|title =
  +
|signature =
−
|skin=Light
  
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|family=*[[Pollux Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (father) †
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|species = [[Human]]<ref name="BFT" />
−
*[[Irma Crabbe|Irma Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[Crabbe]]}} (mother)
 +
|gender = Female<ref name="BFT" />
  +
|height =
−
*[[Alphard Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (brother) †
  
  +
|weight =
⚫
*[[Cygnus Black III]]<ref name="BFT" /> (brother) †
  
  +
|hair = *Brown (naturally)
⚫
*[[Orion Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (husband/second cousin) †
  
  ⚫
*Grey<ref name="LEGOY2">{{LEGO|Y2}}</ref>
⚫
*[[Sirius Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (son/second cousin once removed) †
  
  +
|eyes = Brown
⚫
*[[Regulus Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (son/second cousin once removed) †
  
−
*[[Cygnus Black II]]<ref name="BFT" /> (paternal grandfather) †
 +
|skin = Light<ref name="BFT" />
  +
|family = *[[Pollux Black]] (father; first cousin once removed-in-law) †
⚫
*[[Violetta Bulstrode|Violetta Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[Bulstrode family|Bulstrode]]}} (paternal grandmother)
  
  +
*[[Irma Crabbe|Irma Black]] (née [[Crabbe family|Crabbe]]) (mother; first cousin once removed-in-law)
−
*[[Lucretia Black|Lucretia Prewett]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[House of Black|Black]]}} (sister-in-law/second cousin) †
  
−
*[[Ignatius Prewett]]<ref name="BFT" /> (brother-in-law/ second cousin-in-law)
 +
*[[Alphard Black]] (younger brother; second cousin-in-law) †
  ⚫
*[[Cygnus Black III]] (younger brother; second cousin-in-law) †
−
*[[Druella Rosier|Druella Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[Rosier]]}} (sister-in-law)
  
  ⚫
*[[Orion Black]] (husband; paternal second cousin)
−
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[House of Black|Black]]}} (niece) †
  
  ⚫
*[[Sirius Black]] (son; paternal second cousin once removed) †
−
*[[Andromeda Tonks]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[House of Black|Black]]}} (niece)
  
  ⚫
*[[Regulus Black]] (son; paternal second cousin once removed) †
−
*[[Narcissa Malfoy]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[House of Black|Black]]}} (niece)
  
−
*[[Cassiopeia Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (aunt) †
 +
*[[Arcturus Black III]] (father-in-law; paternal first cousin once removed) †
  ⚫
*[[Melania Macmillan|Melania Black]] (née [[Macmillan family|Macmillan]]) (mother-in-law; paternal first cousin once removed-in-law)
−
*[[Marius Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (uncle)
  
−
*[[Dorea Black|Dorea Potter]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[House of Black|Black]]}} (aunt) †
 +
*[[Lucretia Black|Lucretia Prewett]] (née [[House of Black|Black]]) (sister-in-law; paternal second cousin) †
  +
*[[Ignatius Prewett]] (brother-in-law by marriage; paternal second cousin-in-law)
−
*[[Charlus Potter]]<ref name="BFT" /> (uncle) †
  
  +
*[[Druella Black]] (née [[Rosier family|Rosier]]) (sister-in-law by marriage; second cousin-in-law)
−
*[[Araminta Meliflua Black|Araminta Meliflua]]<ref name="BFT" /> (cousin)
  
  +
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]] (niece; second cousin once removed-in-law) †
⚫
*[[Melania Macmillan|Melania Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> {{c|née [[Macmillan family|Macmillan]]}} (mother-in-law/first cousin-in-law once removed)
  
  +
*[[Andromeda Tonks]] (niece; second cousin once removed-in-law)
−
*[[Arcturus Black (disambiguation)|Arcturus Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (father-in-law/first-cousin-once-removed)
  
  +
*[[Narcissa Malfoy]] (niece; second cousin once removed-in-law)
⚫
*[[House of Black]]<ref name="BFT" /> (paternal family)
  
  +
*[[Cassiopeia Black]] (paternal aunt; first cousin once removed-in-law) †
⚫
*[[Crabbe family]]<ref name="BFT" /> (maternal family)
  
  +
*[[Marius Black]] (paternal uncle; first cousin once removed-in-law) †
−
|hidem=y
  
  +
*[[Dorea Black|Dorea Potter]] (née [[House of Black|Black]]) (paternal aunt; first cousin once removed-in-law) †
⚫
|house=[[Slytherin]]<ref name="slytherin">In {{HBP|B|4}}, [[Horace Slughorn]] states: "The whole Black family had been in my house, but Sirius ended up in [[Gryffindor]]!" This implies that all Blacks except Sirius were sorted into [[Slytherin]] while Slughorn was teaching at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]. As revealed in ''[[Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies]]'', Chapter 3 (Horace Slughorn), Slughorn had "completed half a century of service" at the time of his retirement in [[1981]], meaning he started teaching there circa [[1931]]. If Walburga, born in [[1925]], presumably attended Hogwarts from [[1936]] to [[1943]] or [[1937]] to [[1944]], she likely would have been a student of Slughorn.</ref>
  
  +
*[[Charlus Potter]] (paternal uncle by marriage; first cousin once removed-in-law) †
⚫
|patronus=None<ref name="LHP5-7">{{LEGO|Y2}}</ref>
  
  +
*[[Charlus Potter's son|Potter]] (paternal first cousin; second cousin-in-law) †
−
|loyalty=*[[House of Black]]<ref name="BFT" />
  
  +
*[[Araminta Meliflua Black]] (paternal first cousin)<ref>Must be her paternal first cousin as her surname is Black.</ref> †
  +
*[[Cygnus Black II]] (paternal grandfather; granduncle-in-law) †
  ⚫
*[[Violetta Bulstrode|Violetta Black]] (née [[Bulstrode family|Bulstrode]]) (paternal grandmother; grandaunt-in-law)
  ⚫
*[[House of Black]] (paternal family/in-laws)
  ⚫
*[[Crabbe family]] (maternal family)
  +
|romances =[[Orion Black]] †
  +
|animagus =
  +
|boggart =
  +
|wand =
  ⚫
|patronus = None<ref name="LEGOY2"/>
  +
|job =
  ⚫
|house = [[Slytherin]]<ref name="slytherin">In {{HBP|B|4}}, [[Horace Slughorn]] states: "The whole Black family had been in my house, but Sirius ended up in [[Gryffindor]]!" This implies that all Blacks except Sirius were sorted into [[Slytherin]] while Slughorn was teaching at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]. As revealed in ''[[Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies]]'', Chapter 3 (Horace Slughorn), Slughorn had "completed half a century of service" at the time of his retirement in [[1981]], meaning he started teaching there circa [[1931]]. If Walburga, born in [[1925]], attended Hogwarts from [[1936]] to [[1943]] or [[1937]] to [[1944]], she likely would have been a student of Slughorn.</ref>
  ⚫
|loyalty = *[[House of Black]]<ref name="BFT" />
  +
*[[Crabbe family]]
 
*[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
  
*[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
  +
**[[Slytherin]]<ref name="slytherin"/>
−
**[[Slytherin]]<ref name="slytherin">In {{HBP|B|4}}, [[Horace Slughorn]] states: "The whole Black family had been in my house, but Sirius ended up in [[Gryffindor]]!" This implies that all Blacks except Sirius were sorted into [[Slytherin]] while Slughorn was teaching at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]. As revealed in ''[[Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies]]'', Chapter 3 (Horace Slughorn), Slughorn had "completed half a century of service" at the time of his retirement in [[1981]], meaning he started teaching there circa [[1931]]. Walburga, born in [[1925]], attended Hogwarts from [[1936]] to [[1943]] or [[1937]] to [[1944]], and thus would have been a student of Slughorn.</ref> <br/>
  
 
*[[Death Eaters]] (indirectly)
  
*[[Death Eaters]] (indirectly)
  +
**[[Voldemort]]
⚫
|nationality=[[Great Britain|British]]
  
 
}}
  
}}
 
{{Quote|My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher. She kept herself alive out of pure spite.|Walburga's unpleasant personality|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
  
{{Quote|My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher. She kept herself alive out of pure spite.|Walburga's unpleasant personality|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
  ⚫
'''Walburga Black''' ([[1925]] – [[1985]]) was a [[Great Britain|British]] [[pure-blood]] [[Dark wizard|Dark witch]] and a member of the noble [[House of Black]], an old [[Wizardkind|wizarding]] family and one of the [[Sacred Twenty-Eight]]. She was the eldest daughter of [[Pollux Black]] and [[Irma Crabbe]], the older sister of [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] and [[Cygnus Black III|Cygnus]], the wife and second cousin of [[Orion Black]], and the mother of [[Sirius Black|Sirius Black III]] and [[Regulus Black|Regulus Black II]].
   
  ⚫
Walburga lived in [[Grimmauld Place]] starting at an unknown point in her life, presumably after she married her second cousin Orion. She died in [[1985]], but [[Walburga Black's portrait|her portrait]] still remained at [[12 Grimmauld Place]]. Walburga's portrait made anyone not in the [[Pure-blood supremacy|pure-blood elite]] quite uncomfortable in her home, by constantly shouting insults and epithets at them.
⚫
'''Walburga Black''' ([[1925]] – [[1985]]) was a [[pure-blood]] [[Dark Wizard|Dark witch]], the daughter of [[Pollux Black]] and [[Irma Crabbe]], the sister of [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] and [[Cygnus Black III|Cygnus]], the wife and second cousin of [[Orion Black]], and the mother of [[Sirius Black|Sirius III]] and [[Regulus Black|Regulus II]]. She was also a member of the Black family, an old wizarding family and one of the [[Sacred Twenty-Eight]]''.''
  
−  
⚫
Walburga lived in [[Grimmauld Place]] starting at an unknown point in her life, presumably after she married her second cousin Orion. She died in [[1985]], but [[Walburga Black's portrait|her portrait]] still remains at [[12 Grimmauld Place]]. Walburga's portrait makes anyone not in the [[Pure-blood supremacy|pure-blood elite]] quite uncomfortable in her home, by constantly shouting insults and epithets at them.
  
   
 
==Biography==
  
==Biography==
 
===Early life===
  
===Early life===
−
{{Dialogue a-b|Harry Potter|Were — were your parents [[Death Eaters]] as well?|Sirius Black|No, no, but believe me, they thought [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of [[Muggle-born]]s and having [[pure-blood]]s in charge… I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first.|[[Sirius Black]] regarding his family's views|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 +
{{Dialogue a-b|Harry Potter|Were — were your parents Death Eaters as well?|Sirius Black|No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge... I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first.|[[Sirius Black]] regarding his family's views|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
  ⚫
Walburga was a member of the traditionalist [[pure-blood]] [[House of Black]], who looked down on any except other "respectable" pure-blood wizards and believed in [[pure-blood supremacy]]. She was the daughter of [[Pollux Black]] and [[Irma Crabbe]], and sister of [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] and [[Cygnus Black III|Cygnus]]. In her youth, she attended [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] where she was [[Sorting Ceremony|sorted]] into [[Slytherin]]. Shortly after graduating Hogwarts, Walburga waited for her second cousin [[Orion Black|Orion]] to finish his education, planning on continuing her pure bloodline by marrying him in a practice of [[inbreeding]] that was popular in her family. Walburga married him at some point in the [[1950s]].<ref name="OOTP6"/>
   
  ⚫
===Family life===
⚫
Walburga was a member of the traditionalist [[pure-blood]] [[House of Black]], who looked down on any except other "respectable" pure-blood wizards and believed in [[pure-blood supremacy]]. She was the daughter of [[Pollux Black]] and [[Irma Crabbe]], and sister of [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] and [[Cygnus Black III|Cygnus]]. Shortly after graduating Hogwarts, Walburga waited for her second cousin [[Orion Black|Orion]] to finish his education and married him at some point in the [[1950s]].
  
  +
[[File:Walburga and Orion Black on Black family tree OOTPF.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Walberga with her husband [[Orion Black|Orion]] on the tapestry]]
  ⚫
Walburga gave birth to a son, [[Sirius Black|Sirius]], on [[3 November]] [[1959]]. However, Sirius was a severe disappointment to her because he did not agree with the ideology of [[Blood status|blood purity]] and was sorted into [[Gryffindor|Gryffindor House]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], rather than the family's traditional house, [[Slytherin]].<ref name="slytherin" /> Growing up, Sirius constantly annoyed his parents, specifically Walburga, by decorating his room with posters from the [[Non-magic world|Muggle world]] depicting bikini-clad women and motorcycles, and had stuck those to the walls with [[Permanent Sticking Charm|irreversible sticking charms]] that particularly infuriated her.
   
  ⚫
Walburga gave birth to another son, [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], around [[1962|1961]]. He followed the family traditions and joined the Slytherin House, and eventually became his mother's favourite, as well as heir to the wealth, position, and traditions of the Black family. Regulus became a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] during the [[First Wizarding War]]; although neither Walburga nor Orion were followers of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] themselves, according to Sirius, they thought he "''had the right idea''",<ref name="OOTP6">{{OOTP|B|6}}</ref> until they saw that Voldemort was ruthless in his pursuit for power, at which point they got cold feet.
⚫
===Family life and death===
  
⚫
[[File:The Blacks - Pottermore.png|214x214px|thumb|left|The Blacks in the early [[1970s]]. From left to right: [[Orion Black|Orion]], [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], Walburga, and [[Sirius Black|Sirius]]]]
  
   
  ⚫
Sirius was disinherited and removed from the [[House of Black|Black family tree]] when he left home at the age of sixteen to live with the [[Potter family]]. Walburga personally blasted her son from the tapestry. She maintained a habit of blasting people from the [[House of Black|Black family tree]] which stood in the hall of the family home at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] if they displeased her; she did so to her brother [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] simply because he left gold to Sirius despite being disowned. According to [[Kreacher]], Walburga was actually heartbroken by having to blow her son and brother off the tapestry, but nonetheless disowned both of them to cleanse the tapestry.
⚫
Walburga gave birth to a son, [[Sirius Black|Sirius]], on [[3 November]], [[1959]]. However, Sirius was a severe disappointment to her because he did not agree with the ideology of [[Blood status|blood purity]] and was sorted into [[Gryffindor|Gryffindor House]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], rather than the family's traditional house, [[Slytherin]]<ref name="slytherin" />. Growing up, he ticked off his parents (particularly his mother) by decorating his room with posters from the muggle world depicting bikini-clad women and motorcycles, and had stuck those to the walls with irreversible sticking charms that infuriated her.
 
   
  +
Regulus was killed in [[1979]] after trying to destroy Voldemort's [[Horcrux]], and died childless without an heir. As Regulus forbade Kreacher from telling this to anyone, Walburga thought Regulus died trying to leave the organisation.<ref name="DH10">{{DH|B|10}}</ref> Walburga's husband [[Orion Black|Orion]] also died in the same year from an unknown cause. Walburga was obviously devastated when her husband and son died.
⚫
Sirius was disinherited and removed from the [[House of Black|Black Family tree]] when he left home at the age of sixteen to live with the [[Potter family]]. Walburga personally blasted her son from the tapestry. She maintained a habit of blasting people from the [[House of Black|Black family tree]] which stood in the hall of the family home at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] if they displeased her; she did so to her brother [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] simply because he left gold to Sirius despite being disowned. According to [[Kreacher]], Walburga was heartbroken by this abandonment, but nonetheless disowned both of them to cleanse the tapestry.
  
   
  +
===Son's imprisonment===
⚫
Luckily for her, Walburga gave birth to another son, [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], around [[1962|1961]]. He followed the family traditions and joined the Slytherin House, and eventually became his mother's favourite, as well as heir to the wealth, position, and traditions of the Black family. Regulus became a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] during the [[First Wizarding War]]; although neither Walburga nor Orion were followers of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] themselves, according to Sirius, they thought he "''had the right idea''"<ref name="OTP">{{OOTP|B|6}}</ref>, until they saw that Voldemort was ruthless in his pursuit for power, at which point they got cold feet. Regulus was killed in [[1979]] after trying to destroy Voldemort's [[Horcrux]], and died childless without an heir. As Regulus forbade Kreacher from telling this to anyone, Walburga thought Regulus died trying to leave the organisation. Walburga's husband [[Orion Black|Orion]] also died in the same year from an unknown cause. Walburga was obviously devastated when her husband and son died.
  
  ⚫
In [[1981]], Walburga's disowned son, Sirius was framed for the murder of his friend, [[Peter Pettigrew]] and [[Peter Pettigrew's unidentified victims|12 Muggles]] and was thus captured and imprisoned in [[Azkaban]].<ref name="POA10">{{POA|B|10}}</ref> It is possible that if Walburga heard of this, she would have been pleased, given that despite regretting having to disown Sirius, she was constantly made irate by his choices.
   
  +
===Death===
⚫
In [[1981]], Walburga's disowned son, Sirius was framed for the murder of his friend, [[Peter Pettigrew]] and [[Peter Pettigrew's unidentified victims|12 Muggles]] and was thus sent to [[Azkaban]].<ref>{{POA|B|10}}}</ref> It is possible that if Walburga heard of this, she would have been pleased.
  
  ⚫
She [[Death|died]] in [[1985]], leaving her house-elf [[Kreacher]] in [[12 Grimmauld Place|her now abandoned house]].<ref name="BFT" />
−  
⚫
She died in 1985, leaving her house-elf [[Kreacher]] in [[12 Grimmauld Place|her now abandoned house]].<ref name="BFT" />
  
   
 
===Post-mortem===
  
===Post-mortem===
 
{{Main|Portrait of Walburga Black at 12 Grimmauld Place}}
  
{{Main|Portrait of Walburga Black at 12 Grimmauld Place}}
−  
 
{{Dialogue|Walburga Black|Freaks.|Kreacher|There, there, mistress.|Portrait of Walburga on the people staying in her house|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)}}
  
{{Dialogue|Walburga Black|Freaks.|Kreacher|There, there, mistress.|Portrait of Walburga on the people staying in her house|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)}}
  +
[[File:Walburgaportraitlego.png|250px|thumb|right|Walburga's portrait]]
−  
−
[[Portrait of Walburga Black at 12 Grimmauld Place|Walburga's portrait]] remained magically fixed to the wall in the hallway of her family home, using a [[Permanent Sticking Charm]].<ref>{{OOTP|B|5}}</ref> The picture, which was covered in canvas when inactive, showed an insane old woman, prone to screaming insults at anyone who disturbed the portrait, particularly that of non-pure-bloods. This happened several times when the [[Order of the Phoenix]] used Grimmauld Place as their headquarters after her death, and they tried unsuccessfully to remove the portrait for quite sometime.
+
[[Portrait of Walburga Black at 12 Grimmauld Place|Walburga's portrait]] remained magically fixed to the wall in the hallway of her family home, using a [[Permanent Sticking Charm]].<ref name="OOTP5">{{OOTP|B|5}}</ref> The picture, which was covered in canvas when inactive, showed a more negative version of Walburga who was prone to screaming insults at anyone who disturbed the portrait, particularly that of non-pure-bloods. This happened several times when the [[Order of the Phoenix]] used Grimmauld Place as their headquarters after her death, and they tried unsuccessfully to remove the portrait for quite some time.
   
 
Walburga survived the deaths of her family, but the destruction of it may account for her final madness. After their deaths, she was alone in the house except for the family [[house-elf]], [[Kreacher]], who seemed equally deranged due to his parroting her beliefs, up until [[Harry Potter]] came to know and treat him better one year after inheriting him.<ref name="OTP">{{OOTP}}</ref>
  
Walburga survived the deaths of her family, but the destruction of it may account for her final madness. After their deaths, she was alone in the house except for the family [[house-elf]], [[Kreacher]], who seemed equally deranged due to his parroting her beliefs, up until [[Harry Potter]] came to know and treat him better one year after inheriting him.<ref name="OTP">{{OOTP}}</ref>
Line 80: Line 94:
 
==Personality and traits==
  
==Personality and traits==
 
{{Quote|Stains of dishonour, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth!|[[Walburga Black's portrait|Portrait of Walburga Black]] screaming at members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]]|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
  
{{Quote|Stains of dishonour, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth!|[[Walburga Black's portrait|Portrait of Walburga Black]] screaming at members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]]|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
  +
Walburga Black, like most members of her family, was obsessed with blood purity, and [[Walburga Black's portrait|her portrait]] would often scream insults at blood traitors, [[half-blood]]s or [[Muggle-born]] wizards. She had little affection for her son [[Sirius Black|Sirius]], as he was viewed as a [[blood traitor]] by the [[House of Black|Black family]] but appeared to have a fairly good relationship with Sirius' younger brother, [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], and was proud of him when he joined the [[Death Eaters]].
   
−
Walburga Black, like most members of her family, was obsessed with blood purity, and [[Walburga Black's portrait|her portrait]] would often scream insults at blood traitors, [[half-blood]]s or [[muggle-born]] wizards. She had little affection for her son [[Sirius Black|Sirius]], as he was viewed as a [[blood traitor]] by the [[House of Black|Black family]] but appeared to have a fairly good relationship with Sirius' younger brother, [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], and was proud of him when he joined the [[Death Eaters]]. Although she was not a Death Eater herself, she was convinced that [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] was doing the right thing by trying to eliminate [[Non-magic people|Muggle]]s and bringing [[Wizardkind|wizards and witches]] out of hiding for them to rule both the [[Wizarding world|Wizarding]] and [[Muggle world|Muggle]] worlds. Despite this she is known to have become disillusioned with the Death Eaters toward the end of the [[First Wizarding War]], showing that even she believed that they were going too far.
+
Although she was not a Death Eater herself, she was convinced that [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] was doing the right thing by trying to eliminate [[Non-magic people|Muggle]]s and bringing [[Wizardkind|wizards and witches]] out of hiding for them to rule both the [[Wizarding world|Wizarding]] and [[Muggle world|Muggle]] worlds. Despite this, she is known to have become disillusioned with the Death Eaters toward the end of the [[First Wizarding War]], showing that even she believed that they were going too far.
   
−
Walburga was kind to her house elf, [[Kreacher]], who shared her views on blood purity, and as such Kreacher was very loyal to her. Based on her portrait's tendencies of screaming uncontrollably, she seems to have had a very violent temper, similar to her elder son when angered. Sirius justified this by claiming that his mother was an intensely spiteful and heartless woman, though Kreacher did say Walburga was heartbroken by Sirius' defection.
 +
Walburga was kind to her house elf, [[Kreacher]], who shared her views on blood purity, and as such Kreacher was very loyal to her. Based on her portrait's tendencies of screaming uncontrollably, she seems to have had a very violent temper, similar to her elder son when angered. Sirius justified this by claiming that his mother was an intensely spiteful and heartless woman, though Kreacher did say Walburga was heartbroken by Sirius' defection and did not want to disown him or be angry with him, but did so because she had to for the family.
   
 
==Magical abilities and skills==
  
==Magical abilities and skills==
−
*'''[[Charm]]s:''' Whilst the true extent of her skill in this field is unknown Walburga Black was proficient enough to have placed a [[Permanent Sticking Charm]] on the back of [[Walburga Black's portrait|her portrait]] to prevent anyone from taking it off the wall. The charm held in place for more than a decade after her death. She could not, however, cast the [[Patronus Charm]], which was most likely due to her black-hearted and [[Dark Wizard|dark]] nature.<ref name="LHP5-7">{{LEGO|Y2}}</ref>
 +
*'''[[Charm]]s''': Whilst the true extent of her skill in this field is unknown Walburga Black was proficient enough to have placed a [[Permanent Sticking Charm]] on the back of [[Walburga Black's portrait|her portrait]] to prevent anyone from taking it off the wall. The charm held in place for more than a decade after her death.<ref name="OOTP5"/> She could not, however, cast the [[Patronus Charm]].<ref name="LHP5-7">{{LEGO|Y2}}</ref>
−
*'''[[Dark Arts]]:''' Walburga was proficient in dark magic, being able to cast both the [[Killing Curse]] and the [[Imperius Curse]] successfully and of handling [[curse]]d objects (her abilities clearly helped by her malevolent personality). Furthermore, it was highly likely she was skilled in the casting of various other dark spells and [[Dark charm|charms]].<ref name="LHP5-7" />  
 +
*'''[[Dark Arts]]''': Walburga was proficient with Dark Magic, being able to cast both the [[Killing Curse]] and the [[Imperius Curse]] successfully and was also skilled in the handling of [[curse]]d objects.<ref name="LHP5-7" />
   
 
==Relationships==
  
==Relationships==
 
===Black family===
  
===Black family===
  ⚫
[[File:The Blacks - Pottermore.png|200px|thumb|The Blacks in the early [[1970s]]. From left to right: [[Orion Black|Orion]], [[Regulus Black|Regulus]], Walburga, and [[Sirius Black|Sirius]]]]
−
Walburga and Orion had a happy marriage and relationship, especially since they shared blood purity ideology. Walburga was likely devastated when her husband died. Walburga's eldest son, Sirius was a huge disappointment to her and the rest of the family, since he disagreed with the Black family's beliefs in blood purity and was sorted into [[Gryffindor]] rather than [[Slytherin]]. When Sirius left home at the age of 16, she blasted his name off the tapestry. If she had heard about his being sent to Azkaban, she was likely pleased. Though she hated him, Kreacher did state Walburga was heartbroken by Sirius' departure.
 +
Walburga and Orion had a happy marriage and relationship, especially since they shared [[Pure-blood supremacy|blood purity ideology]]. Walburga was likely devastated when her husband died. Walburga's eldest son, Sirius was a huge disappointment to her and the rest of the family, since he disagreed with the Black family's beliefs in blood purity and was [[Sorting Ceremony|sorted]] into [[Gryffindor]] rather than [[Slytherin]]. When Sirius left home at the age of 16, she blasted his name off the [[Black Family Tapestry|tapestry]]. If she had heard about him being sent to [[Azkaban]], she was likely pleased. Though she seemingly hated him, Kreacher did state Walburga was heartbroken by Sirius's departure and his views, so it is likely she didn't really hate him and was simply very disappointed in him.
   
−
Walburga greatly admired and favoured her younger son, Regulus because he remained loyal to the Black family traditions and was sorted into Slytherin. Walburga was obviously devastated when her son died.
 +
Walburga greatly admired and favoured her younger son, Regulus because he remained loyal to the Black family traditions and was sorted into Slytherin. Walburga was obviously devastated when her son died. This event may have finally made her to begin doubting the cause of the [[Death Eaters]] and begin to think that they were taking things too far due to the death of her favoured son.
   
 
==Etymology==
  
==Etymology==
−
*Walburga is a variation of the name ''Walpurga'', who was a saint for whom {{wplink|Walpurgis Night}} is named. Historically, Walpurgis Night was considered to be a time when the barrier between the living and the dead was weak and when witches held celebrations. Also, the Knights of Walpurgis (later known as the [[Death Eaters]]) were named after Walpurgis Night.
 +
*Walburga is a variation of the name ''Walpurga'', who was a saint for whom {{W|Walpurgis Night}} is named. Historically, Walpurgis Night was considered to be a time when the barrier between the living and the dead was weak and when witches held celebrations. Also, the Knights of Walpurgis (later known as the [[Death Eaters]]) were named after Walpurgis Night.
−
*Walburga was also the given name of the mother of {{wplink|Josef Mengele}}, a Nazi doctor who conducted horrific experiments on prisoners in concentration camps. She was said to have been extremely cruel and a Nazi supporter, rather like Walburga Black's views on retaining blood purity.
 +
*Walburga was also the given name of the mother of {{W|Josef Mengele}}, a Nazi doctor who conducted horrific experiments on prisoners in concentration camps. She was said to have been extremely cruel and a Nazi supporter, rather like Walburga Black's views on retaining blood purity.
−
*{{wplink|256 Walpurga}} is a large Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by {{wplink|Johann Palisa}} on April 3, 1886 in {{wplink|Vienna}} and was named after {{wplink|Saint Walpurga}}. This loosely fits in with the Black family tradition of using celestial names for their children.
 +
*{{W|256 Walpurga}} is a large Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by {{W|Johann Palisa}} on April 3, 1886 in {{W|Vienna}} and was named after {{W|Saint Walpurga}}. This loosely fits in with the Black family tradition of using celestial names for their children.
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
  
==Behind the scenes==
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*In {{OOTP|FA}}, [[Portrait of Walburga Black at 12 Grimmauld Place|Walburga's portrait]] was not heard screaming, but she could be heard muttering behind her curtain, and [[Kreacher]] still talked about the "scum" in [[12 Grimmauld Place]], such as "[[Mudblood]]s" and "[[Blood traitor]]s".
  
*In {{OOTP|FA}}, [[Portrait of Walburga Black at 12 Grimmauld Place|Walburga's portrait]] was not heard screaming, but she could be heard muttering behind her curtain, and [[Kreacher]] still talked about the "scum" in [[12 Grimmauld Place]], such as "[[Mudblood]]s" and "[[Blood traitor]]s".
 
*Walburga's father was only thirteen when Walburga was born, although it is possible this is a mathematical error on Rowling's part (Rowling has admitted she lacks skills with mathematics).
  
*Walburga's father was only thirteen when Walburga was born, although it is possible this is a mathematical error on Rowling's part (Rowling has admitted she lacks skills with mathematics).
−
*On the tapestry from the film, Walburga and [[Orion]] are depicted together, and their heads looking in different ways, although they are in marriage. This is likely because both Walburga and [[Orion]] were born into the House of Black, and their marriage may have been arranged.
 +
*On the tapestry from the film, Walburga and [[Orion Black|Orion]] are depicted together, and their heads looking in different ways, although they are in marriage. This is likely because both Walburga and [[Orion Black|Orion]] were born into the House of Black, and their marriage may have been arranged.
 
*Walburga was probably educated at Hogwarts as [[Horace Slughorn]] mentions that he has taught the whole Black Family.
  
*Walburga was probably educated at Hogwarts as [[Horace Slughorn]] mentions that he has taught the whole Black Family.
 
*Since Walburga and [[Lucretia Black]] were born in the same year, it is more likely that they were classmates at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]].
  
*Since Walburga and [[Lucretia Black]] were born in the same year, it is more likely that they were classmates at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]].
−
*Walburga may have known [[Tom Riddle]], as he was one or two years behind her, so she could have encountered him at Hogwarts.
 +
*Walburga may have known [[Tom Riddle]], as he was one or two years behind her, so she could have encountered him at Hogwarts.
 
*It's unknown why Walburga and Orion never joined the Death Eaters, though it's likely that they merely hoped to reap the benefits of their cause, especially because they, as Sirius claims, were very pleased when Regulus became a Death Eater.
  
*It's unknown why Walburga and Orion never joined the Death Eaters, though it's likely that they merely hoped to reap the benefits of their cause, especially because they, as Sirius claims, were very pleased when Regulus became a Death Eater.
   
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==Notes and references==
  
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
  
{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:Bulstrode family descendants]]
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[[Category:Flint family descendants]]
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[[Category:Widowed individuals]]

Latest revision as of 07:49, 1 April 2024

"My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher. She kept herself alive out of pure spite."
— Walburga's unpleasant personality[src]

Walburga Black (1925 – 1985) was a British pure-blood Dark witch and a member of the noble House of Black, an old wizarding family and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. She was the eldest daughter of Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe, the older sister of Alphard and Cygnus, the wife and second cousin of Orion Black, and the mother of Sirius Black III and Regulus Black II.

Walburga lived in Grimmauld Place starting at an unknown point in her life, presumably after she married her second cousin Orion. She died in 1985, but her portrait still remained at 12 Grimmauld Place. Walburga's portrait made anyone not in the pure-blood elite quite uncomfortable in her home, by constantly shouting insults and epithets at them.

Biography

Early life

Harry Potter: "Were — were your parents Death Eaters as well?"
Sirius Black: "No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge... I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first."
— Sirius Black regarding his family's views[src]

Walburga was a member of the traditionalist pure-blood House of Black, who looked down on any except other "respectable" pure-blood wizards and believed in pure-blood supremacy. She was the daughter of Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe, and sister of Alphard and Cygnus. In her youth, she attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where she was sorted into Slytherin. Shortly after graduating Hogwarts, Walburga waited for her second cousin Orion to finish his education, planning on continuing her pure bloodline by marrying him in a practice of inbreeding that was popular in her family. Walburga married him at some point in the 1950s.[5]

Family life

Walburga and Orion Black on Black family tree OOTPF

Walberga with her husband Orion on the tapestry

Walburga gave birth to a son, Sirius, on 3 November 1959. However, Sirius was a severe disappointment to her because he did not agree with the ideology of blood purity and was sorted into Gryffindor House at Hogwarts, rather than the family's traditional house, Slytherin.[4] Growing up, Sirius constantly annoyed his parents, specifically Walburga, by decorating his room with posters from the Muggle world depicting bikini-clad women and motorcycles, and had stuck those to the walls with irreversible sticking charms that particularly infuriated her.

Walburga gave birth to another son, Regulus, around 1961. He followed the family traditions and joined the Slytherin House, and eventually became his mother's favourite, as well as heir to the wealth, position, and traditions of the Black family. Regulus became a Death Eater during the First Wizarding War; although neither Walburga nor Orion were followers of Lord Voldemort themselves, according to Sirius, they thought he "had the right idea",[5] until they saw that Voldemort was ruthless in his pursuit for power, at which point they got cold feet.

Sirius was disinherited and removed from the Black family tree when he left home at the age of sixteen to live with the Potter family. Walburga personally blasted her son from the tapestry. She maintained a habit of blasting people from the Black family tree which stood in the hall of the family home at 12 Grimmauld Place if they displeased her; she did so to her brother Alphard simply because he left gold to Sirius despite being disowned. According to Kreacher, Walburga was actually heartbroken by having to blow her son and brother off the tapestry, but nonetheless disowned both of them to cleanse the tapestry.

Regulus was killed in 1979 after trying to destroy Voldemort's Horcrux, and died childless without an heir. As Regulus forbade Kreacher from telling this to anyone, Walburga thought Regulus died trying to leave the organisation.[6] Walburga's husband Orion also died in the same year from an unknown cause. Walburga was obviously devastated when her husband and son died.

Son's imprisonment

In 1981, Walburga's disowned son, Sirius was framed for the murder of his friend, Peter Pettigrew and 12 Muggles and was thus captured and imprisoned in Azkaban.[7] It is possible that if Walburga heard of this, she would have been pleased, given that despite regretting having to disown Sirius, she was constantly made irate by his choices.

Death

She died in 1985, leaving her house-elf Kreacher in her now abandoned house.[1]

Post-mortem

Main article: Portrait of Walburga Black at 12 Grimmauld Place
Walburga Black: "Freaks."
Kreacher: "There, there, mistress."
— Portrait of Walburga on the people staying in her house[src]
Walburgaportraitlego

Walburga's portrait

Walburga's portrait remained magically fixed to the wall in the hallway of her family home, using a Permanent Sticking Charm.[8] The picture, which was covered in canvas when inactive, showed a more negative version of Walburga who was prone to screaming insults at anyone who disturbed the portrait, particularly that of non-pure-bloods. This happened several times when the Order of the Phoenix used Grimmauld Place as their headquarters after her death, and they tried unsuccessfully to remove the portrait for quite some time.

Walburga survived the deaths of her family, but the destruction of it may account for her final madness. After their deaths, she was alone in the house except for the family house-elf, Kreacher, who seemed equally deranged due to his parroting her beliefs, up until Harry Potter came to know and treat him better one year after inheriting him.[9]

Personality and traits

"Stains of dishonour, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth!"
— Portrait of Walburga Black screaming at members of the Order of the Phoenix[src]

Walburga Black, like most members of her family, was obsessed with blood purity, and her portrait would often scream insults at blood traitors, half-bloods or Muggle-born wizards. She had little affection for her son Sirius, as he was viewed as a blood traitor by the Black family but appeared to have a fairly good relationship with Sirius' younger brother, Regulus, and was proud of him when he joined the Death Eaters.

Although she was not a Death Eater herself, she was convinced that Voldemort was doing the right thing by trying to eliminate Muggles and bringing wizards and witches out of hiding for them to rule both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. Despite this, she is known to have become disillusioned with the Death Eaters toward the end of the First Wizarding War, showing that even she believed that they were going too far.

Walburga was kind to her house elf, Kreacher, who shared her views on blood purity, and as such Kreacher was very loyal to her. Based on her portrait's tendencies of screaming uncontrollably, she seems to have had a very violent temper, similar to her elder son when angered. Sirius justified this by claiming that his mother was an intensely spiteful and heartless woman, though Kreacher did say Walburga was heartbroken by Sirius' defection and did not want to disown him or be angry with him, but did so because she had to for the family.

Magical abilities and skills

Relationships

Black family

The Blacks - Pottermore

The Blacks in the early 1970s. From left to right: Orion, Regulus, Walburga, and Sirius

Walburga and Orion had a happy marriage and relationship, especially since they shared blood purity ideology. Walburga was likely devastated when her husband died. Walburga's eldest son, Sirius was a huge disappointment to her and the rest of the family, since he disagreed with the Black family's beliefs in blood purity and was sorted into Gryffindor rather than Slytherin. When Sirius left home at the age of 16, she blasted his name off the tapestry. If she had heard about him being sent to Azkaban, she was likely pleased. Though she seemingly hated him, Kreacher did state Walburga was heartbroken by Sirius's departure and his views, so it is likely she didn't really hate him and was simply very disappointed in him.

Walburga greatly admired and favoured her younger son, Regulus because he remained loyal to the Black family traditions and was sorted into Slytherin. Walburga was obviously devastated when her son died. This event may have finally made her to begin doubting the cause of the Death Eaters and begin to think that they were taking things too far due to the death of her favoured son.

Etymology

  • Walburga is a variation of the name Walpurga, who was a saint for whom Walpurgis Night is named. Historically, Walpurgis Night was considered to be a time when the barrier between the living and the dead was weak and when witches held celebrations. Also, the Knights of Walpurgis (later known as the Death Eaters) were named after Walpurgis Night.
  • Walburga was also the given name of the mother of Josef Mengele, a Nazi doctor who conducted horrific experiments on prisoners in concentration camps. She was said to have been extremely cruel and a Nazi supporter, rather like Walburga Black's views on retaining blood purity.
  • 256 Walpurga is a large Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by Johann Palisa on April 3, 1886 in Vienna and was named after Saint Walpurga. This loosely fits in with the Black family tradition of using celestial names for their children.

Behind the scenes

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 12 images related to Walburga Black.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Black family tree (see this image)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
  3. ↑ Must be her paternal first cousin as her surname is Black.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 4 (Horace Slughorn), Horace Slughorn states: "The whole Black family had been in my house, but Sirius ended up in Gryffindor!" This implies that all Blacks except Sirius were sorted into Slytherin while Slughorn was teaching at Hogwarts. As revealed in Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies, Chapter 3 (Horace Slughorn), Slughorn had "completed half a century of service" at the time of his retirement in 1981, meaning he started teaching there circa 1931. If Walburga, born in 1925, attended Hogwarts from 1936 to 1943 or 1937 to 1944, she likely would have been a student of Slughorn.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
  6. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 10 (Kreacher's Tale)
  7. ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 10 (The Marauder's Map)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 5 (The Order of the Phoenix)
  9. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
Preceded by:
Irma and Pollux Black 		Owner of 12 Grimmauld Place
???-1985 		Succeeded by:
Sirius Black
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