Magical Genealogy

Magical Genealogy is the study and documentation of family lineages within the wizarding world, with a primary focus on ancestry and blood status. This field is of paramount importance in wizarding society, as a witch or wizard's parentage—specifically whether they are of pure-blood, half-blood, or Muggle-born descent—often dictates their social standing, opportunities, and the prejudice they may face. The concept of magical ancestry is a central theme in the *Harry Potter* series, underpinning the core conflict between the forces of Lord Voldemort, who espouse pure-blood supremacy, and those who believe that magical ability is not determined by lineage.

• Blood Status: The most critical component of magical genealogy, used to classify individuals based on their immediate ancestry.
  • Pure-blood: A witch or wizard with no known Muggle or Muggle-born ancestors. Families like the Malfoys, Blacks, and Lestranges take immense pride in this status. Some extremist families practice inbreeding to maintain it, as seen with the Gaunt family.
  • Half-blood: A witch or wizard with both magical and Muggle or Muggle-born ancestry. This is the most common blood status among wizards, and includes prominent figures such as Harry Potter, Severus Snape, and Lord Voldemort.
  • Muggle-born: A witch or wizard born to two non-magical parents (Muggles). Their magical ability appears spontaneously. Hermione Granger and Lily Potter are notable examples. They often face severe prejudice from pure-blood supremacists, who use the derogatory slur `Mudblood`.
  • Squib: A non-magical individual born to at least one magical parent. They are the opposite of a Muggle-born and are often looked down upon in the wizarding world. Argus Filch and Arabella Figg are Squibs.
• Family Trees: Wizarding families, particularly ancient and pure-blood ones, often maintain detailed family trees to prove their lineage. The most prominent example is the Black Family Tapestry located at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. This enchanted tapestry documents the Black family line and magically “blasts off” the names of members who are disowned for betraying the family's pure-blood ideals, such as Sirius Black and Andromeda Tonks.
• Inheritance of Traits: Beyond social status, genealogy determines the inheritance of magical abilities and physical characteristics.
  • Special Abilities: Certain rare magical skills are known to run in families. The ability of Parseltongue was passed down through the line of Salazar Slytherin to his descendants, the Gaunts. The trait of being a Metamorphmagus was inherited by Nymphadora Tonks from her mother.
  • Physical Traits: Distinctive family features, such as the Weasley family's red hair or the Gaunts' tendency to be “odd-looking” due to generations of inbreeding, are recorded through genealogy.
  • Heirlooms and Wealth: Lineage dictates the inheritance of family fortunes, such as vaults at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and significant magical artifacts, like the Potter family's inheritance of the Cloak of Invisibility from their ancestor, Ignotus Peverell.

• The Gaunt Family: The last known descendants of Salazar Slytherin, the Gaunts were obsessed with their pure-blood heritage and ability to speak Parseltongue. Their fanaticism led them to inbreed, resulting in poverty, instability, and their eventual demise. Lord Voldemort was the last of this line through his mother, Merope Gaunt.
• The Black Family: An ancient and wealthy pure-blood family whose motto was “Toujours Pur” (Always Pure). They were notorious for their obsession with blood purity and their practice of disowning any relative who associated with Muggles or Muggle-borns, labelling them `Blood traitors`.
• The Malfoy Family: A wealthy pure-blood family who historically wielded significant influence at the Ministry of Magic. They are staunch believers in pure-blood supremacy and were loyal supporters of Lord Voldemort during both Wizarding Wars.
• The Potter Family: An old and respected pure-blood family, though not as fanatical as others. They are direct descendants of Ignotus Peverell, the original owner of one of the Deathly Hallows. Their consistent defence of Muggles and Muggle-borns often put them at odds with supremacist families.
• The Weasley Family: One of the oldest pure-blood families, but considered `Blood traitors` by many due to their pro-Muggle stance and acceptance of all members of the magical community, regardless of lineage.

Magical genealogy is not merely an academic pursuit; it is the foundation of the wizarding world's social and political structure. The prejudice rooted in blood status is the primary motivation for Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, whose goal is to eradicate Muggle-borns and establish pure-blood dominance. This ideology infiltrated the Ministry of Magic during the Second Wizarding War, leading to the establishment of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, which persecuted witches and wizards of non-magical descent. Throughout the series, the narrative challenges the validity of blood purity. The most powerful dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, is a half-blood. The most brilliant witch of her age, Hermione Granger, is Muggle-born. Ultimately, the story demonstrates that a person's choices, courage, and character are far more important than their ancestry.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that the Death Eaters' obsession with blood purity and the terms `Pure-blood`, `Half-blood`, and `Muggle-born` were directly inspired by the racial ideology of the Nazis, serving as a magical allegory for racism. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• On the Pottermore website, an article on pure-bloods introduced the “Sacred Twenty-Eight,” a list of 28 British families believed to be truly pure-blood by the 1930s. The anonymous author of the Pure-Blood Directory that contained the list noted that the Potter family was excluded for their pro-Muggle sentiments and common surname, while the Weasleys were included but denounced their inclusion, affirming their association with Muggles. (Pottermore)