Phineas Nigellus Black

Phineas Nigellus Black was a pure-blood wizard, a member of the esteemed House of Black, and a former Slytherin who served as the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Widely regarded as the least popular Headmaster Hogwarts ever had, his legacy is primarily preserved through his magical portrait, which hangs in the Headmaster's office. During the Second Wizarding War, his portrait became an unwilling but crucial means of communication and a source of vital information for Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, and the Order of the Phoenix.

Born into the ancient and wealthy Black family, Phineas Nigellus upheld his family's staunch belief in pure-blood supremacy. He attended Hogwarts as a member of Slytherin house and later returned to become its Headmaster. His tenure was characterized by a cynical and often contemptuous attitude towards his students, a sentiment that made him deeply unpopular, even among his own descendants like Sirius Black. His primary role in the narrative occurs long after his death, through his sentient magical portrait. One portrait hangs in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, while a duplicate resides at the Black family home, Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Phineas Nigellus could travel between these two frames, making him a unique messenger. During the Second Wizarding War, his portrait played a significant, if reluctant, part in the conflict:

• He was forced by Albus Dumbledore to carry messages from Hogwarts to Sirius Black at Grimmauld Place, the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, often complaining bitterly about the task.
• He was the one who alerted the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place that Arthur Weasley had been seriously injured by Nagini at the Ministry of Magic.
• After Sirius Black's death, Harry Potter inherited Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and Hermione Granger had the foresight to bring Phineas Nigellus's portrait with them on their hunt for Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, keeping it inside her magical beaded bag.
• He provided critical, though grudgingly given, information. He confirmed to Harry that Dumbledore had used the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy a Horcrux (Marvolo Gaunt's Ring), giving the trio hope that the sword could destroy the others.
• While hiding in the Forest of Dean, Hermione spoke the name of the location aloud. Phineas Nigellus overheard this from within the bag and reported it to Severus Snape, the current Headmaster. This act, though seemingly a betrayal, was instrumental, as it allowed Snape to locate the trio and deliver the real Sword of Gryffindor to Harry.
• Following the defeat of Lord Voldemort, his portrait was seen in the Headmaster's office weeping, not for the victory of good, but because the death of Sirius and the disownment of others meant the end of the ancient House of Black.

Phineas Nigellus's portrait depicts a man with a shrewd, irritable face, astute dark eyes, and a neat, pointed black beard and moustache. He carries himself with an air of arrogant superiority. His personality is defined by his cynicism, sarcasm, and deep-seated prejudice. As a pure-blood supremacist, he held Muggle-borns in utter contempt, frequently referring to Hermione Granger as “the Mudblood” and refusing to take orders from her. He often dismissed the concerns of young people as trivial and referred to students as “dunderheads.” Despite his unpleasant nature, he possessed a reluctant sense of duty to the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, obeying the commands of both Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. He also displayed a deep-seated loyalty to Slytherin house and a mournful pride for his family's now-extinct line.

As a former Headmaster of Hogwarts, Phineas Nigellus was undoubtedly a highly accomplished and powerful wizard, proficient in many areas of magic. However, no specific spells or unique magical talents from his lifetime are recorded in the novels. His most notable ability in the series stems from his magical portrait, which was enchanted to be sentient. This enchantment allowed him to hear and see his surroundings, speak with the living, and travel instantaneously to any other portrait of himself, making him an effective, albeit unwilling, spy and messenger.

• Magical Portraits: Phineas Nigellus's primary presence in the story is through his two magical portraits. One is part of the collection of former Headmasters and Headmistresses in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. The other was a family heirloom hung at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, which later came into Harry Potter's possession.

• The Black Family: Phineas Nigellus is the great-great-grandfather of Sirius Black and Regulus Arcturus Black, and the great-great-great-uncle of Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks, and Narcissa Malfoy. He embodied the pure-blood ideals of the House of Black. His descendant Sirius despised him and his prejudiced views.
• Albus Dumbledore: He served Dumbledore's orders with great reluctance, viewing Dumbledore's inclusive and pro-Muggle-born values with disdain. Despite his complaints, he ultimately deferred to Dumbledore's authority as Headmaster.
• Harry Potter: He initially treated Harry with contempt, seeing him as an arrogant and undeserving youth. Over the course of the Horcrux hunt, he became a grudging and invaluable ally, offering critical pieces of information that advanced Harry's quest.
• Hermione Granger: He held a particular animosity for Hermione due to her Muggle-born status, often making derogatory remarks and refusing to acknowledge her directly.
• Severus Snape: Phineas Nigellus showed considerably more respect for Snape than he did for Dumbledore, likely due to their shared Slytherin heritage and Snape's more traditionalist (apparent) demeanor. He obeyed Snape's commands without the theatrical protest he gave Dumbledore.

• Phineas: This name is of Hebrew origin and can mean “serpent's mouth” or “oracle,” which aptly describes his role as a messenger who speaks from a portrait and his affiliation with Slytherin house, whose symbol is a serpent.
• Nigellus: This is a Latinized form of the name Nigel, derived from the Latin word niger, meaning “black.” It is a direct reference to his family name.
• Black: His surname reflects the “dark” or morally ambiguous nature of his family, their association with the Dark Arts, and their ancestral home at Grimmauld Place.

• According to the Black Family Tree created by J.K. Rowling, Phineas Nigellus Black's lifespan was 1847–1925 (J.K. Rowling's Black Family Tree).
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, his portrait is voiced by John Atterbury.
• Phineas Nigellus Black appears in person as the unpopular and lazy Headmaster of Hogwarts in the video game Hogwarts Legacy, which is set in the late 1800s (Hogwarts Legacy).