Marius Black

Marius Black was a wizard born into the ancient and noble House of Black who was disowned and blasted off the family tapestry for being a Squib. His existence is noted on the Black family tree tapestry located at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. As the son of Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe, he was the brother of Walburga Black and Alphard Black, and therefore the maternal uncle of Sirius Black and Regulus Arcturus Black. Marius's primary significance is to illustrate the House of Black's extreme prejudice and obsession with blood purity, as they were willing to completely renounce a family member for lacking magical ability.

Marius was born into the wealthy, pure-blood Black family. His parents were Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe. From birth, he was part of a lineage that prided itself on its magical prowess and pure-blood status. However, it was discovered that Marius possessed no magical talent, making him a Squib. Due to the family's deep-seated belief in magical superiority, Marius was considered a source of great shame. Consequently, he was disowned, and his image on the Black family tree tapestry was burned away, leaving a “small, round, charred hole” where his portrait would have been. This act signified his complete excommunication from the family. Because he was a Squib, he would not have attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or owned a wand. No further details about his life after being cast out by his family are provided in the novels.

There is no description of Marius Black's physical appearance or personality in the novels. The only visual representation of him mentioned is the charred hole on the Black family tree, indicating his removal from the family records.

Marius Black possessed no magical abilities. As a Squib, he was born to magical parents but was unable to perform magic himself. This lack of magical power was the sole reason for his disownment by the House of Black.

No possessions of Marius Black are mentioned in the original novels. It is unknown what, if anything, he was allowed to take with him upon being cast out of his family.

Marius's relationship with his immediate family was completely severed due to his status as a Squib.

• Parents: His parents, Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe, disowned him to uphold the family's pure-blood reputation.
• Siblings: He was the brother of Walburga Black and Alphard Black. Given Walburga's fanatical adherence to the family's pure-blood ideology, it is highly unlikely she maintained any contact with him. The nature of his relationship with his more tolerant brother, Alphard, is unknown.
• Nephews: He was the uncle of Sirius Black and Regulus Arcturus Black. It is unlikely they ever met him, as he was disowned long before they were born. Sirius notes his existence on the tapestry simply as another example of his family's cruelty.

• Marius: A traditional Roman name, possibly derived from Mars, the Roman god of war, or from the Latin mas (“male”). Unlike many other members of the House of Black whose names are derived from stars and constellations (e.g., Sirius, Regulus, Bellatrix), “Marius” has no such celestial connection. This may be symbolic of his status as an outcast who did not fit in with the rest of his family.
• Black: The family surname, often associated with darkness, death, and the Dark Arts, reflecting the family's sinister reputation and leanings.

• Marius Black is mentioned only once in the books, when Harry Potter and Sirius Black examine the Black family tree tapestry in *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*.
• The detailed version of the Black family tree was created as a prop for the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*. J.K. Rowling provided the information to create this prop, including names and dates not present in the books.
• According to this expanded material, later made available on Pottermore, Marius Black's lifespan was 1915–1991 (Pottermore).