Phineas Nigellus

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Template:HP Character Phineas Nigellus Black (1847-1926), more commonly known as Phineas Nigellus, is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series, the great-great-grandfather of Sirius Black, and said to be the least popular headmaster Hogwarts ever had.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Nigellus' portrait hangs in the headmaster's office along with the portraits of the other ex-headmasters and headmistresses. Like the other portraits in the headmaster's office, the painting of Nigellus helps the current headmaster. He does not seem to enjoy doing this. Albus Dumbledore addresses the portrait as if it were the living Nigellus himself.

He does not get along well with his great-great-grandson, young people or most people for that matter; however, he did seem somewhat upset to find out Sirius, the last male Black, was dead, for either purely dynastic or emotional reasons. He, along with Ginny Weasley, is unusual in being a character who openly criticises Harry Potter's often rash behaviour in Order of the Phoenix.

A second portrait of Phineas hangs in the Black family home at 12 Grimmauld Place, and like other characters in portraits in the wizarding world, Phineas can travel between his portraits. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry uses the bedroom where Phineas' portrait is hanging, and Phineas takes him messages from Albus Dumbledore. His voice can sometimes still be heard coming from the frame when he is not in it, making sarcastic comments.

1 Name etymology
2 Phineas Nigellus's family tree
3 See also
4 External links

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Name etymology

"Nigellus" means "little Black", in Latin.

J.K. Rowling's choice for his first name is also a meaningful one. In the Bible Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, is a high priest who kills two persons who have sex because they belong to different ethnic and religious groups. His example has been used to justify attacks on interracial couples over the centuries. This corresponds to the Black family motto.

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Phineas Nigellus's family tree

A version of the Black family tree showing its known members can be found here - The Black family tree.

Phineas Nigellus and his wife, Ursula Flint, are the oldest known ancestors of the "Ancient and Noble House of Black". This family is a very large one, having ties to many other prominent magic families in the Harry Potter series.

Characters that have appeared in the books who are known to be descended from Phineas Nigellus include: Sirius Black, Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and Nymphadora Tonks.

Additionally, the family tree suggests that Phineas may have descendants in the Potter, Weasley and Longbottom clans, as well as in the Crouch, Prewett and Burke families. Furthermore, many other familiar surnames occur in the tree among the Blacks' spouses, tying the family to other (likely pure-blooded) Wizarding families. For example, Sirius Black's female ancestors include an Ursula Flint, a Violetta Bulstrode, and an Irma Crabbe.

Hence, though Phineas's line might be extinct in name, he actually still has descendants whose family names just aren't "Black". It is possible that many, most or even all purebloods and many a halfblood is related to Phineas in one way or another.

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