======Walburga Black======
=====Introduction=====
Walburga Black (1925 – 1985) was a [[pure-blood]] witch and the formidable matriarch of the [[House of Black]] during the [[First Wizarding War]]. The wife of her cousin [[Orion Black]] and mother to [[Sirius Black]] and [[Regulus Black]], she was a fanatical believer in [[pure-blood]] supremacy. Though deceased before the events of the main series, her enduring presence is felt through her enchanted, life-sized portrait in the hallway of [[Number 12, Grimmauld Place]], which screeches insults at any who disturb it. Her portrait and the state of her home serve as a potent symbol of the decay and bigotry of the ancient [[House of Black]].
=====Biography=====
====Early Life and Family====
Walburga Black was born in 1925 to Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe, making her a scion of the main Black family line. She had two younger brothers, Alphard and Cygnus Black. In keeping with the family's tradition of marrying within [[pure-blood]] circles, she wed her second cousin, [[Orion Black]]. They resided in the Black family ancestral home at [[Number 12, Grimmauld Place]] in London and had two sons.
====Matriarch of Grimmauld Place====
As the mistress of [[Grimmauld Place]], Walburga upheld the family’s motto, //Toujours Pur// (//Always Pure//), with extreme prejudice. She instilled these values in her sons, finding great pride in her younger son, [[Regulus Black]], who was sorted into [[Slytherin]] and embraced the family's ideology.
Her relationship with her elder son, [[Sirius Black]], was deeply antagonistic. She reviled him for being sorted into [[Gryffindor]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], his friendships with "blood traitors" like [[James Potter]], and his open rejection of the [[Dark Arts]] and [[pure-blood]] dogma. When Sirius ran away from home at the age of sixteen, Walburga blasted his name and image from the [[Black Family]] tapestry, effectively disowning him.
During the [[First Wizarding War]], her favored son Regulus joined the [[Death Eaters]], a decision she likely supported. However, Regulus became disillusioned and was killed in 1979 while attempting to destroy one of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s [[Horcrux]]es. According to the [[house-elf]] [[Kreacher]], Walburga was heartbroken by his death, though she was unaware of the true, heroic nature of his demise.
====Later Life and Death====
Walburga lived out her remaining years alone in [[Grimmauld Place]] with only [[Kreacher]] for company. She died in 1985. Before her death, she ensured her portrait was permanently affixed to the wall of the entrance hall with a [[Permanent Sticking Charm]], allowing her to continue guarding the honor of her house even after her passing.
=====Physical Appearance and Personality=====
Walburga is only ever seen through her enchanted portrait. In it, she is depicted as a life-sized woman with a "mad, wild-eyed face," sallow skin that looked as if it were cracking, yellowing eyes, and wearing a black velvet cap.
Her personality was hateful, violent, and consumed by a fanatical belief in the superiority of [[pure-blood]] wizards. Her portrait screams hysterically whenever it is disturbed, spewing vicious insults and epithets at members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. Her vocabulary of slurs included "**scum**," "**filth**," "**mutants**," "**freaks**," and "**creatures of dirt**," reserved for [[Muggle-born]]s (whom she called [[Mudblood]]s), [[werewolf|werewolves]], and blood traitors. She was fiercely proud of her heritage and viewed the presence of anyone not aligned with her beliefs as a "stain" on her ancestral home.
=====Magical Abilities and Skills=====
While her specific abilities are not detailed, as a member of the powerful [[House of Black]], Walburga was undoubtedly a highly skilled witch.
  * **[[Charms]]**: Her most notable magical feat was the casting of a powerful [[Permanent Sticking Charm]] on her own portrait. This [[spell]] was so effective that it resisted all attempts at removal, even from powerful wizards like [[Albus Dumbledore]], demonstrating a high degree of magical proficiency.
  * **[[Dark Arts]]**: Given her family's notorious affinity for the [[Dark Arts]], it is almost certain she was knowledgeable and proficient in this branch of [[magic]].
=====Possessions=====
  * **[[Number 12, Grimmauld Place]]**: The ancestral home of the [[House of Black]], which she inherited and was the last to occupy before her death.
  * **Portrait of Walburga Black**: A life-sized, sentient portrait of herself, enchanted to shriek insults at those she deemed unworthy. It was hung in the main hallway and hidden behind moth-eaten curtains.
  * **[[Kreacher]]**: The Black family's loyal [[house-elf]]. [[Kreacher]] was devoted to his mistress and her [[pure-blood]] ideals, often muttering her sayings and insults.
  * **[[Black Family]] Heirlooms**: As matriarch, she was the keeper of the family's possessions, including the ornate Black family tapestry and, unknowingly, [[Salazar Slytherin]]'s Locket, which had been stolen by her son Regulus.
=====Relationships=====
  * **[[Sirius Black]] (Son)**: Walburga had a venomous relationship with her elder son. She detested him for betraying the family's values and ultimately disowned him. Sirius, in turn, despised her and everything she stood for.
  * **[[Regulus Arcturus Black]] (Son)**: He was her favored child. She was immensely proud of him for being a "proper" son who upheld the Black family name and traditions. His death caused her immense grief.
  * **[[Orion Black]] (Husband/Cousin)**: Walburga and Orion shared the same fanatical [[pure-blood]] ideology and co-managed their household with an iron fist. He supported the disownment of Sirius.
  * **[[Kreacher]]**: The [[house-elf]] revered Walburga as the last great matriarch of the house. He absorbed her prejudices and remained fanatically loyal to her memory, cherishing her portrait above all else.
  * **[[Order of the Phoenix]]**: After her death, her portrait became a major nuisance to the [[Order of the Phoenix]] when they used her home as their headquarters, acting as an unintended, and very loud, security system.
=====Etymology=====
  * **Walburga**: The name is likely derived from Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century English abbess. Her feast day, May 1st, coincides with //Walpurgisnacht// (Walpurgis Night), a German festival with strong associations with witches and pagan rituals, fitting the [[Dark Arts]] theme of the [[House of Black]].
  * **Black**: A surname that directly reflects the family's "dark" nature, their practice of the [[Dark Arts]], and their grim, morbid aesthetic.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * Walburga's birth and death years (1925-1985) and the names of her parents (Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe) were confirmed on the [[Black Family]] Tree drawing J.K. Rowling created for a charity auction. (Black Family Tree drawing)
  * In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]//, the portrait's screaming causes the wallpaper around it to peel back, revealing frantic, handwritten script underneath. (film)