Herculaneum Burke

Herculaneum Burke was a wizard and a member of the sinister Burke family, known for their association with the Dark Arts. He is believed to be one of the founders of Borgin and Burkes, the infamous Knockturn Alley shop specializing in dangerous and dark magical artifacts. Through his marriage to Belvina Black, he became an ancestor of the House of Black, linking two prominent pure-blood families with dark reputations.

Little is known about the life of Herculaneum Burke, as he is not directly mentioned in the primary narrative of the novels. His existence is confirmed through his inclusion on the Black Family Tapestry. He married Belvina Black (1886-1962), and together they had two sons and one daughter, whose names are not recorded. It is widely understood that Herculaneum, along with his relative Caractacus Burke, founded and operated the shop Borgin and Burkes. This establishment became notorious for trafficking in objects of dark and questionable magic. The shop played a pivotal role in the history of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes; it was Caractacus Burke who purchased Salazar Slytherin's Locket from a destitute Merope Gaunt for a mere ten Galleons and later employed a young Tom Riddle after he graduated from Hogwarts. Given the timeline of his wife's life, Herculaneum would have been active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, establishing the shop's dark reputation long before Voldemort's rise to power.

There is no canonical description of Herculaneum Burke's physical appearance. Based on his profession as a dealer in Dark Arts artifacts and the sinister nature of his family's business, it can be inferred that he was likely a shrewd, cunning, and morally ambiguous individual. He would have possessed a deep interest in profit and rare, powerful magical objects, regardless of the danger they posed.

While no specific magical feats performed by Herculaneum Burke are recorded, his role as a proprietor of Borgin and Burkes implies a profound and specialized knowledge of the Dark Arts. His skills would have included:

• Cursed Object Identification: The ability to recognize, handle, and appraise a wide variety of cursed and dangerous magical items.
• Dark Arts Expertise: A deep understanding of dark spells, curses, and counter-curses necessary for dealing with his shop's inventory.
• Appraisal: A keen eye for valuing rare and powerful magical artifacts.

• Borgin and Burkes: Herculaneum's primary known possession was his stake in the shop he co-founded. The establishment served as both his business and a vast collection of dark artifacts.

• Belvina Black (née Burke): His wife, who connected him to the prestigious and dark-inclined House of Black.
• Caractacus Burke: A presumed relative (possibly a brother or son) and business partner in founding and running Borgin and Burkes.
• House of Black: As Belvina's husband, he was the son-in-law of Phineas Nigellus Black and Ursula Flint, and brother-in-law to Sirius Black (II), Cygnus Black (II), Arcturus Black (II), and Lycoris Black.

• Herculaneum: The name of an ancient Roman city, which, along with Pompeii, was destroyed and buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The name evokes a sense of ancient, forgotten, and potentially dangerous things being unearthed, which is highly appropriate for a dealer in rare and dark artifacts.
• Burke: This surname has sinister connotations in British history, most famously through William Burke of the Burke and Hare murders. The verb “to burke” consequently came to mean smothering a victim or suppressing something quietly, which aligns perfectly with the secretive and malevolent nature of the family's business.

• The character of Herculaneum Burke is not mentioned in the seven-book Harry Potter series. His name and connection to the Black Family originate from the detailed Black Family Tapestry prop created for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. (film)
• In the books, the co-founder of Borgin and Burkes who interacts with Tom Riddle and Hepzibah Smith is named Caractacus Burke. The exact familial relationship between Herculaneum and Caractacus has never been officially confirmed.