Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Hogwarts Legacy. Spoilers will be present within the article. |
- "Merlin help me, Cygnus is now crawling and follows Arcturus about like an unwelcome shadow. Arcturus is begging for an Invisibility Potion and frankly I can't blame him. I'd be tempted to brew one if it weren't for the eternal snivelling that Cygnus would regale me with."
- — A letter by Ursula Flint to her husband, Phineas Nigellus Black[src]
Arcturus Black II (1884–1959) was a pure-blood wizard, the third son of Phineas Nigellus Black and Ursula Flint, and the brother of Sirius, Phineas, Belvina and Cygnus II. He married Lysandra Yaxley, and the couple had three children: Callidora, Cedrella, and Charis. Through his daughter Cedrella, who was disowned for marrying "blood traitor" Septimus Weasley, Arcturus is the maternal grandfather of Arthur Weasley.[1]
Biography[]
By the 1890s, his youngest brother, Cygnus was crawling and following him about like an unwelcome shadow. He begged his mother for an Invisibility Potion.[2]
Etymology[]
Arcturus is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Boötes. Its name derives from Ancient Greek Αρκτοῦρος, meaning "bear guard"; this refers to the story in Greek mythology that Zeus placed Arcturus in the sky to look after Arcas and Callisto, who were turned into bears and then into the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor to protect them from Hera's wrath.
Behind the scenes[]
- Based on a statement by Horace Slughorn, Arcturus may have been a member of the Slytherin House. However, he attended Hogwarts c. 1895 - 1902, when Slughorn wasn't Potions teacher.
- Arcturus was named after his great-uncle. After that, his nephew was named Arcturus.
- He may have been the grandfather of Bartemius Crouch Snr who owned an Axminster capable of seating twelve people before flying carpets were banned in Great Britain and Ireland, in the case that Bartemius Snr's mother was Arcturus' youngest daughter, Charis Black.
- It is likely that one of his grandchildren, Arthur Weasley, son of his disowned daughter Cedrella, was named after him, Arcturus being a Medieval spelling of the name Arthur.
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Appears on Black family tapestry)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Seen on Black family tree tapestry)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Seen on Black family tree tapestry)
- Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)