Euphemia Rowle

Euphemia Rowle was a pure-blood witch from the Rowle family who married into the notorious House of Black. While never mentioned by name in the seven original novels, her significance lies in her genealogical position as the matriarch of a key branch of the Black family. She was the wife of Pollux Black and the mother of Walburga Black, Alphard Black, and Cygnus Black. Through her children, she was the maternal grandmother of Sirius Black, Regulus Black, Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks, and Narcissa Malfoy. Her existence and familial connections are established through the Black Family Tree as depicted in supplementary materials.

Details of Euphemia's life are sparse and sourced from outside the primary novels. Born into the Rowle family, a pure-blood line listed among the Sacred Twenty-Eight (Pottermore), she would have been raised with a strong belief in pure-blood supremacy. At an unknown date, she married Pollux Black, linking the Rowle and Black families. Together, they had three children:

• Walburga Black, who would later marry her cousin Orion Black and become the mother of Sirius Black and Regulus Black.
• Alphard Black, who was disowned for giving gold to his nephew Sirius.
• Cygnus Black, who married Druella Rosier and fathered Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks, and Narcissa Malfoy.

Given the dark reputation of both the House of Black and the Rowle family, it is presumed that Euphemia shared their disdain for Muggle-borns and Muggles. Her dates of birth and death are unknown.

Euphemia Rowle's physical appearance and personality are entirely unknown. She is not described in any canonical text or supplementary material.

As a witch from a respected pure-blood family, Euphemia presumably attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and possessed competent magical abilities. However, no specific magical talents, skills, or achievements are recorded.

There are no known magical objects or significant possessions specifically attributed to Euphemia Rowle.

Euphemia's primary importance is defined by her family connections within the pure-blood elite.

• Pollux Black (Husband): She married Pollux, the head of a major branch of the House of Black. Their union solidified the family's pure-blood status.
• Walburga Black (Daughter): Her eldest child, Walburga, was a fanatical pure-blood supremacist and mother to Sirius and Regulus Black.
• Cygnus Black (Son): Her son Cygnus became the father of Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa, making Euphemia their grandmother.
• Rowle family: A notable member of her birth family was Thorfinn Rowle, a brutal Death Eater who fought for Lord Voldemort during the Second Wizarding War. This affiliation suggests the Rowle family's likely sympathies with the Dark Arts.

• Euphemia: The name is of Greek origin, derived from eu- (εὖ), meaning “good,” and phēmē (φήμη), meaning “speech” or “repute.” The full meaning is “well-spoken,” “of good renown,” or “auspicious.” This stands in ironic contrast to the dark and infamous nature of the House of Black into which she married.
• Rowle: An English surname, possibly a variant of “Rowley” or derived from the Old French roule, meaning “roll” or “scroll,” which could refer to an ancestor who was a clerk or scribe.

Euphemia Rowle's name does not appear in the text of the seven *Harry Potter* novels. Her character was created as part of the extended Black Family Tree developed by J.K. Rowling. Her name first appeared on the family tree tapestry prop created for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film). Her position and relationships within the family were later confirmed on the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website (Pottermore). It is important not to confuse Euphemia Rowle with Euphemia Potter, who was the mother of James Potter and Harry Potter's paternal grandmother. This character was also named by J.K. Rowling on Pottermore (Pottermore).