The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

Just because Mrs. Weasley makes Harry and his friends go to bed certainly does not mean that they won’t talk about what they heard. Even Fred and George Weasley appear in Harry’s room after they apparate.

The biggest subject of conversation is Voldemort’s new weapon. The friends are not able to figure out what that weapon could be.

The next day, Ron and Hermione enlist Harry to continue with the number twelve Grimmauld Place chore of decontaminating a room full of Doxies. It is tedious work, but at least Fred and George Weasley explain why they confiscate one of the Doxies to experiment with its poison: the twins are testing a new set of candies that will make one sick enough to get out of class but will cure the person a while later. The twins plan to sell these sweets (as well as many other similar items) in the new joke shop they want to start using the money Harry gave them from his Triwizard Tournament winnings.

Kreacher, the house elf of number twelve Grimmauld Place, begins walking around, muttering to himself insults against the house’s latest inhabitants, focusing his ire on witches and wizards who aren’t pure blooded. This is the same angst that Sirius’ mother (in the portrait) shares.

When Hermione tries to be nice to Kreacher, he simply calls her a Mudblood. Unlike Hermione, Sirius Black never tries to be nice to Kreacher. In fact, the only reason why Sirius makes Kreacher stay in the house is because he knows too much information about the Order of the Phoenix.

Sirius decides to show Harry an ancient tapestry hanging on the wall; it is the family lineage of “The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.” Sirius Black’s name has been taken off (as well as a few other noteable family members) because Sirius ran away when he was a teenager to escape his family’s use of dark magic.

When Sirius ran away, he lived with James Potter. The family tree reveals that Sirius is related to some notable people: Regulus Black (a Death Eater turned good), Andromeda Black (Tonk’s mother, disowned because she married a Muggle), Narcissa Black (now Draco Malfoy’s mother), and Bellatrix Black (now Bellatrix Lestrange in Azkaban). After hearing all about the family, Harry secretly hopes that Grimmauld Place might become his new home if he is expelled from school.

Harry is beside himself with worry about his upcoming hearing at the Ministry of Magic and his possible expulsion from Hogwarts. Sirius really wants to accompany Harry in the Animagus, his black dog form. Dumbledore, however, has demanded that Sirius stay in the house. In fact, Dumbledore visited number twelve Grimmauld Place the night before Harry’s hearing. The fact that Dumbledore came for a visit but didn’t see Harry makes Harry feel horrible.