The House of Black - family tree musings

[kkersey_austin]

No: HPFGUIDX 148694

 
> Finwitch:
> 
> Well, IIRC, Sirius, upon finding the tapestry, after explaining 
> things to Harry, blasts off everyone in it.
 
Elisabet:

???????

Not in my book. Maybe you're thinking of this line: "Sirius mimed
blasting the tapestry with a wand and laughed sourly."

Finwitch:
> So if it's the case of 'being in the tapestry', maybe Sirius just 
> added Harry into it so he can inherit or something?
> 
Elisabet:
I'm suggesting that having one's name on the Tapestry *might* be
required to be considered a member of the House of Black. We really
don't know how or if Sirius could add a name (especially given that
his own name is already blasted off); more to the point, given his
attitude toward his family, the house, and to the Tapestry in
particular, I have a hard time imagining him using that method to
secure the estate for Harry. We do know that he left a will, but it
seems unlikely that he would have gone through a lot of trouble to
make sure that Harry inherited the Black Estate. It's not like Harry
isn't already provided for. I expect the will was something brief and
general along the lines of "I leave everything to Harry Potter". 

We really don't know where it would go from that point. Dumbledore
didn't know either, hence his calling upon Kreacher as a sort of
probate judge. The estate could have been entailed (e.g. as in
Austen's Pride and Prejudice), preventing Sirius from having any say
in who is next in line.

> In addition, since Sirius - although his mother blasted him off - 
> was her descendant, well...
> 

Elisabet:
But his mother probably never actually held the Estate herself (by the
information on the BFT); She could however have been Mistress of the
the House, although her sister-in-law Lucretia, who survived her, may
have had that honor. On the other hand, Arcturus could have turned the
house over to his son at some point. It's all pure speculation. 

Anyway, my point is that being Walpurga's descendant wasn't critical;
being Arcturus Black's decendent through the male line was. 



Finwitch:
> It may also be that Sirius' name, *Black*, counted more than 
> Bellatrix Lestrange & Narcissa Malfoy's precence in the Tapestry. As
> Phineas Nigellus said: 'Last of the Blacks'.

Elisabet:
That is a stong point - Phineas Nigellus, or his portrait at any rate
- never hesitates to claim kin with Sirius, in spite of his having
been disowned by his mother. Calls him worthless, yes, but still calls
him kin.


Finwitch:
> Or maybe inheritance required that you had black hair! Harry has 
> such, you know, as did Sirius... Don't recall the two sisters' hair
colour, though...

Elisabet:
LOL! Bellatrix has black hair too. Narcissa is blond. So is Draco - no
way can he inherit the estate!