Alphard Black was born to Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe in London, Great Britain between the late 1930s and the early 1940s. He had two siblings, an elder sister and a younger brother. He was the younger brother of Walburga Black and the elder brother of Cygnus Black. Walburga was the mother of Sirius Black and Regulus Black and Cygnus was the father of Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange.
Alphard Black was disowned from the family and his name was burned off the Black family tree in the Black family tree tapestry by Sirius’ mother and his sister Walburga after he left all his inheritance consisting of a ‘decent bit of gold’ to his nephew Sirius Black who had previously left the house after defying the rules of the Black household.
Alphard’s inheritance being given to Sirius is similar to Sirius later handing over his legacy to his godson Harry Potter. Sirius claimed that it was Uncle Alphard’s fondness for him that cost him his place in the Black tapestry.
Early Life
Alphard Black was born in London and grew up in 12 Grimmauld Place. He was known to be kinder and more empathetic than his sister, brother, and other relatives. He probably was the least loved and taken care of among his siblings because his parents were blood purists and hated Muggle-borns and Muggles.
Alphard Black’s hatred for blood purity may have developed early in his life, and he may have faced a lot of problems because of this as all his family members, parents, and classmates would have detested him for his opinions.
Etymology
His name Alphard was an indication of his childhood as Alphard comes from the star of the same name which is derived from Al Fard which translates to “the solitary one” in Arabic. The star Alphard is the brightest in the constellation Hydra and is also called the heart of the serpent. The name Alphard, meaning “the solitary one,” may also be indicative that Alphard Black was the only one who supported his nephew Sirius Black with his act of charity, or that Alphard was the only one among his family to not be prejudiced.
Life at Hogwarts
Alphard studied in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into Slytherin House. He was sorted into the same house as his sister Walburga Black and his younger brother Cygnus. He was quite lonely in school because despite being sorted into Slytherin, he wasn’t very active in being an ideal member of the noble Black family and Slytherin.
Alphard was in Slytherin likely because, in a flashback scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Sirius Black claims that his entire family has been in Slytherin. Furthermore, Horace Slughorn claims that the whole Black family has been in Slytherin when he is speaking to Harry in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Despite being the middle child of Pollux Black, he wasn’t very popular among the Slytherins and would eventually be ostracized by the whole Black family for giving Sirius Black a decent amount of gold. He would have probably thrived better in Gryffindor House like his nephew, Sirius Black.
Alphard Black was likely a student of Slughorn, as was his younger brother Cygnus Black III. Phineas Nigellus Black, the famed headmaster of Hogwarts, was an ancestor of Alphard Black. Horace Slughorn had been teaching in Hogwarts since Tom Riddle studied there and continued until the time of his retirement. In the short stories Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies, it is revealed that Horace Slughorn had completed half a century of service during his retirement.
Legacy
He died of unknown causes in or before 1978. He was not the only member of the Black family to undergo disownment for defying their strict rules on blood status. Other members include Sirius Black himself who got disowned for running away from home, Sirius’ cousin Andromeda, for marrying the Muggle-born wizard Ted Tonks, and Cedrella Black for marrying into the Weasley family. Although Cedrella married a pure-blood wizard, the whole family and every Weasley were considered a blood traitor for supporting relationships and unions between Pure-bloods, Half-Bloods, and Muggle-borns.
Since Alphard Black was alive during the First Wizarding War, he may have been involved with it. It is not known if he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Alphard’s action of supporting Muggle-borns and his close relationship with Sirius Black may have caused Death Eaters to kill him. Sirius turned seventeen in November 1976 or 1977 and Alphard died between these two months. His entire family hated him for leaving behind gold for Sirius.
Similarities with Other Family Members
Alphard Black’s story was very similar to that of his distant relative Cedrella Black and niece Andromeda Tonks as all three of them were born in the Black family. They were all middle children and had two siblings each. They were banished from the Black family forever after they married a Muggle-born wizard, or in the case of Alphard, because he left his inheritance for Sirius. Since he was Sirius Black’s uncle, it was considered normal. However, since Sirius had defied his mother Walburga and run away from home, Alphard’s name and picture were posthumously removed from the Black tapestry.
Alphard’s date of death is unknown but his leaving behind gold for Sirius was defiant of the rules of the House of Black. The likely meaning of his actions was in strict defiance of everything the Black family stood for. Walburga’s portrait gave a decent picture of what it must have been like for Alphard as she constantly hated Muggle-borns and anyone who supported them with a passion.
The Burdens of Being a Blood Traitor
One of the types of people least spoken about are Blood-traitors in the wizarding world and in general, anyone who supports the ostracized and persecuted despite coming from privileged backgrounds. Having a brave bone in their body and opposing their people for persecuting minorities and other people who are ostracized takes a lot of effort and sacrifice.
Even in the Muggle world, there have been instances where humanity has been kept intact because of these brave souls. Despite having the privilege of simply turning a blind eye and not caring about these problems, these brave people fight back against the injustices caused by their people and prevent innocent bloodshed.
FAQs
Why was Alphard Black disowned?
The Black family disowned Alphard Black because he left all his gold to his nephew Sirius Black. The Black family had already disowned Sirius Black as he ran away from home at sixteen. Sirius was a supporter of Muggle-born witches and wizards and was also sorted into Gryffindor House, unlike almost every member of his family.
Which members of the Black family were disowned?
Several members of the Black family were disowned. The Black family disowned Cedrella Black after she married Septimus Weasley, who was considered a blood traitor by Pure-blooded families. The Black family disowned Andromeda Black after she married a Muggle-born wizard named Ted Tonks. Sirius Black left his house at sixteen after opposing their views on Pure-blood fanaticism and the Black family disowned him as well. Finally, the Black family disowned Alphard Black for leaving all his gold to Sirius Black.
Was Alphard Black Slytherin?
Yes, Alphard Black was sorted into Slytherin House on the day of the Sorting Ceremony by the Sorting Hat. Every other member of the Black family had been a member of Slytherin House. However, Alphard Black did not fit well in this house as he eventually loathed the ideology of blood purity propagated by most Slytherin students.
