Blasted off the Tapestry

[Eileen Rebstock]

There's been a lot of questions as to why certain people are still on
the tapestry, Dorea Black and Charlus Potter mostly, who took in Sirius,
while Alphard Black got blasted for giving Sirius money.

It strikes me that Mrs. Black was going a bit overboard in the tapestry
blasting department than was traditionally the case, anyway. Blasting
blood traitors off the tapestry to strike off their defiled lines is one
thing. Blasting off family members you're fighting with... In this
society, who would be left after a few years of that strategy? 

The normal pureblood witch would have waited to see if Sirius repented
and married into a proper pureblood family one day. He hadn't done
anything irrevocable, just ticked off his Mum. But Mrs. Black was in a
rage and off the tapestry he went. Then off went Uncle Alphard, for
taking another side in the family dispute.

Well, then she was left with a problem, now she'd changed the standard
for blasting. Outside of Regulus and his cousins, who was left on the
living branches of the tree that she *wasn't* at odds with? I'll suggest
she had to stop somewhere. Probably she did some further 'pruning,'
blasted off James Potter of course. Harry as a half-blood would never
qualify for the tree. I really wonder if Neville's on there, or if Frank
got blasted off. 

Sirius not pointing out the relationship to Harry seems rather FLINTish,
given his eagerness to play beloved uncle/cousin. But oh well, that
isn't the first time Sirius would be acting weirdly.

Obviously, the tapestry is rather difficult to view. There are a lot of
people on there and magic must manage it, but I wouldn't be surprised if
it shifted around a bit as you followed lines with your eyes. Which
would explain why Harry doesn't notice some familiar names on it.

NM 

PS - Although Alec and I have an amusing never-to-be-actually-written
fanfic imagined where Chesterton's Father Brown is actually a Black
blasted off the tapestry, my guess for Phineas's blasted sibling is a
sister who married a Weasley. We do know that the Blacks kept the
Weasleys off the tree rather vigorously, as they didn't apparently with
other families. One wonders exactly what the Weasleys did to ignite this
feud. Not have enough money, or something more unforgivable? Is it
really Lucius and Arthur's feud? Or did Lucius adopt his wife's family's
age-old feud with the Weasleys?