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{{Real world subject}}[[File:Orion and Walburga Black.jpg|250px|thumb|[[Orion Black|Orion]] and [[Walburga Black]] (parents of [[Sirius Black|Sirius]] and [[Regulus Black]]) were second cousins, thus very closely related]]
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{{Cleanup}}
  
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{{Quote|[[Marvolo Gaunt|Marvolo]], his son, [[Morfin Gaunt|Morfin]], and his daughter, [[Merope Riddle|Merope]], were the last of the Gaunts, a very ancient wizarding family noted for a vein of instability and violence that flourished through the generations due to their habit of marrying their own cousins.|[[Albus Dumbledore]] regarding inbreeding in the [[House of Gaunt]]|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
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{{Appearance}}
  
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'''Inbreeding''' is a practice in which someone marries and has children with someone who is in their own family. Inbreeding was a common practice for elite [[pure-blood]] [[Wizardkind|wizarding]] families wishing to uphold the tradition of marrying only wizards of respected ancestry. It was noted that wizarding families became more diverse as time passed, as wizards began to marry [[half-blood]]s, [[Muggle-born]]s, and [[Non-magic people|Muggles]]. Nevertheless, more conventional, elitist families tended to marry within their family, particularly cousins.<ref name="OOTP6">{{OOTP|B|6}}</ref><ref name="HBP10"/>
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[[File:Orion and Walburga Black.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Orion Black|Orion]] and [[Walburga Black]], the parents of [[Sirius Black|Sirius]] and [[Regulus Black]], were second cousins.]]
  
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{{Quote|Marvolo, his son, Morfin, and his daughter, Merope, were the last of the Gaunts, a very ancient Wizarding family noted for a vein of instability and violence that flourished through the generations due to their habit of marrying their own cousins.|[[Albus Dumbledore]].|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
  
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'''Inbreeding with pure-bloods''' is a common practice for elite wizarding families that uphold the tradition of marrying only pure-blood wizards of respected ancestry. It is noted that wizarding families are becoming more diverse as time passes as wizards begin to marry [[Half-blood]]s, [[Muggle-born]]s, and [[Muggle]]s. To keep with tradition in maintaining a purely wizard-blood family, families tend to marry within the family, particularly cousins. 
  
   
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==Wizarding views==
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==The Black family==
  
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{{Quote|The family has, however, eschewed the somewhat dangerous practice of inter-marrying within such a small pool of pure-bloods that they become enfeebled or unstable, unlike a small minority of fanatic families such as the Gaunts and Lestranges, and many a half-blood appears on the Malfoy family tree.|Description of the [[Malfoy family]]|Pottermore}}
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The [[House of Black]]'s family motto had always been "Toujours pur", which meant "Always Pure". Therefore, the family was strictly traditionalized to marry, if not extremely wealthy as their own family, respectable and noble families. The Black family took this motto to heart very seriously, and all family members who did not conform with the obsession to the pure-blood supremacy were disowned quickly. [[Squib]]s were also disowned.
  
  +
Due to the dangers of inbreeding, many wizarding families eschewed such practices, particularly the Muggle-admiring [[Weasley family|Weasleys]]. By [[Hermione Granger]]'s claim, there were not enough pure-bloods to compose the entire [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] organisation. Therefore, some of them were more likely [[half-blood]]s clinging onto their wizarding ancestries, pretending to be pure, furthering the rejection of inbreeding, even among the fanatics.<ref name="HBP12">{{HBP|B|12}}</ref> [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] was one of the most notorious examples.<ref name="COS17">{{COS|B|17}}</ref><ref name="OOTP35">{{OOTP|B|35}}</ref>
   
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The [[Malfoy family]] had been inclined to blood-purity since ancient times, though even they would not be willing to intermarry with cousins, believing the practice would endanger them, instead making them more willing to marry half-bloods. This differed them from the small minority families of the true fanatics such as the [[House of Gaunt|Gaunts]], [[House of Black|Blacks]], and [[Lestrange family|Lestranges]], but were still considered a "respectable" pure-blood family among said families.<ref name="Malfoy">{{WW|the-malfoy-family}}</ref>
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In desperation to keep with the tradition, some would go to extremes to keep the tradition. An example of this are [[Walburga Black]] and [[Orion Black]]. The two were second cousins, as both their grandparents were siblings, and had married to keep tradition and eventually had two children together. 
  
   
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==Side effects==
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Due to the Black family tree tapestry large family tree of the Blacks, it is possible that related people marry or interact, not knowing of their relationship.
  
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{{Quote|The man standing before them had thick hair so matted with dirt it could have been any colour. Several of his teeth were missing. His eyes were small and dark and stared in opposite directions.|Morfin Gaunt demonstrates the physical ramifications of inbreeding|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
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In Muggle genetics studies, it was proven that inbreeding could lead to serious problems. Notable effects that were seen in families are infertility (both in litter size and sperm viability), increased congenital defects (both mental and physical), fluctuating facial symmetry, decreased birth rate, increased offspring mortality, small adult size, loss of functioning immune systems and higher risks of cardiovascular diseases.<ref name="wiki">{{Wikilink|Inbreeding}}</ref> It was evident in many wizarding families (e.g. the Gaunts, Blacks and Lestranges) that practise incest often display a high rate of [[Insanity|mental instability]].<ref name="HBP10"/>
   
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Inbreeding also had a negative effect on a person's physical appearance. [[Marvolo Gaunt]] was short, and oddly proportioned, and his eyes, like those of his son and daughter, stared in opposite directions.<ref name="HBP10" /> Furthermore, [[Morfin Gaunt]] had an odd rolling gait. [[Merope Gaunt]] was likewise described as having a "''plain, pale, rather heavy face''". According to [[Mrs Cole]], "''she was no beauty''".
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==Inbreeding relationships==
 
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===Known Relationships===
 
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*[[Victoire Weasley]] and boyfriend [[Teddy Lupin]] are fourth cousins once removed.
  
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*[[Orion Black]] married his second cousin [[Walburga Black]]. The two are the parents of [[Sirius Black]] and [[Regulus Black]].
 
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*The [[House of Gaunt]] was known for marrying there cousins to maintain blood purity.
  
   
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Because of the implications of inbreeding, the families claiming to be pure were declining in the [[20th century]].
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===Possible Relationships===
 
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*[[Harry Potter]] and wife [[Ginny Weasley]] are possibly third cousins.
  
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*[[Arthur Weasley]] and wife [[Molly Prewett]] are possibly second cousins by marriage once removed.
  
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*[[Molly Prewett]] is the supposed niece of [[Ignatius Prewett]] (since being his niece justifies Sirius' statement that she is his cousin by marriage and not by blood, since being [[Lucretia Black]]'s daughter would have made her cousins of blood) and is technically a distant relative of the Weasleys even before marriage.
  
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==Side effects of inbreeding==
  
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In Muggle genetics studies, it is proven that inbreeding can lead to serious problems, even for [[Wizardkind|wizards]]. Notable effects that are seen in families are infertility (which would explain the extinction of the Black family) and disorders, both mental and physical.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inbreeding Inbreeding]</ref> It is evident in many families (e.g. the [[House of Gaunt]] and notably insane [[Death Eater]]s of the Black family) that [[insanity]] is a common resultant.
  
   
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==References==
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==Inbred families==
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{{reflist}}
  
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===House of Black===
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[[Category:Pure-blood supremacism]]
  
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[[File:The Blacks - Pottermore.png|245px|thumb|Second cousins [[Orion Black|Orion]] and [[Walburga Black]] with their two sons|left]]
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  ⚫
The [[House of Black]]'s family motto was "''Toujours pur''" (English: ''always pure''). Therefore, the family was strictly traditionalised to marry other families (failing this, extremely rich families). The Black family took their motto seriously, and all family members who did not conform with the Black views of pure-blood supremacy or happened to be [[Squib]]s were disowned quickly and removed from the Black family tapestry.<ref name="OOTP6"/>
  +
  +
In desperation to keep with the tradition, the Blacks, at one known point, resorted to extremes. [[Orion Black|Orion]] and [[Walburga Black]] were second cousins (their grandfathers [[Sirius Black II|Sirius]] and [[Cygnus Black II|Cygnus]] were brothers) who married and had two children together.<ref name="OOTPF">{{OOTP|F}}</ref>
  +
  +
Due to the Black family tree tapestry being so large, it was possible that many related people married without knowing about their relationship. For instance, [[Victoire Weasley]] and [[Edward Lupin|Teddy Lupin]] became romantically involved without anyone mentioning or realising that they were fourth cousins once removed through the Blacks.
  +
  +
===House of Gaunt===
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[[File:Gaunt pm.jpg|thumb|250px|The Gaunt family's consequences of inbreeding for many generations]]
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The [[House of Gaunt]] had a fanatical belief in blood-purity, stemming from their esteemed ancestors [[Salazar Slytherin]] and [[Cadmus Peverell]]. To maintain their heritage's purity, they tended to marry their own cousins, which also allowed them to pass down Slytherin's [[Parseltongue]] ability.<ref name="HBP10">{{HBP|B|10}}</ref>
  +
  +
This led many members of the family to deteriorate mentally and physiologically, and they squandered much of their family [[gold]] long before the [[1920s]]. As such, [[Marvolo Gaunt]] and his [[Morfin Gaunt|son]] suffered much [[Insanity|mental instability]], accompanied with violence, and disproportionate bodily appearances.<ref name="HBP10"/> By the [[20th century]] the family was living in poverty, in a [[Gaunt Shack|small destitute shack]].
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===Lestrange family===
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[[File:Lestrange family tree.png|thumb|175px|right|The Lestrange family tree]]
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The bloodline of [[Corvus Lestrange (I)|Corvus Lestrange I]] also practised inbreeding, as his youngest grandson [[Corvus Lestrange III|Corvus]] married his cousin [[Eglantine Lestrange]], and their son (another [[Corvus Lestrange (IV)|Corvus]]) married his cousin [[Clarisse Tremblay]]. Separately, [[Fulcran Lestrange (III)|Fulcran Lestrange III]] was also married to his second cousin once removed, [[Quintilla Lestrange]].<ref>{{COG}}</ref>
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==Known incestuous relationships==
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{{Quote|The pure-blood families are all interrelated. If you’re only going to let your sons and daughters marry purebloods your choice is very limited, there are hardly any of us left.|[[Sirius Black]] to [[Harry Potter]] about the inbreeding practised by pure-blood families|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
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{| class="wikitable" border="1" width="95%"
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|-
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! scope="col" |Wizard(s)
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! scope="col" |Notes
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|-
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|[[Orion Black]]
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| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Orion and his wife Walburga were second cousins through their mutual great-grandparents [[Phineas Nigellus Black]] and [[Ursula Flint]]. They were the parents of [[Sirius Black|Sirius]] and [[Regulus Black]].
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|-
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|[[Walburga Black]]
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|-
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|[[House of Gaunt]]
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|Various members of the [[House of Gaunt]] married their cousins to maintain blood purity.<ref name="HBP10"/>
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|-
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|[[Corvus Lestrange (III)|Corvus Lestrange III]]
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| rowspan="2" |Corvus and his wife Eglantine were first cousins. Their fathers [[Corvus Lestrange (II)|Corvus]] and [[Falco Lestrange|Falco]] were brothers.
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|-
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|[[Eglantine Lestrange]]
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|-
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|[[Corvus Lestrange (IV)|Corvus Lestrange IV]]
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| rowspan="2" |Corvus and his wife Clarisse were first cousins. Their mothers [[Eglantine Lestrange|Eglantine]] and [[Leonie Lestrange|Leonie]] were sisters. They were also related by Corvus' paternal grandfather and Clarisse's maternal grandfather, who were brothers.<ref name="COGS">{{COG|S}}</ref>
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|-
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|[[Clarisse Tremblay]]
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|-
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|[[Fulcran Lestrange (III)|Fulcran Lestrange]]
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| rowspan="2" |Fulcran and his wife Quintilla were second cousins once removed. Quintilla's paternal great-great grandparents were also Fulcran's paternal great-grandparents.
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|-
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|[[Quintilla Lestrange]]
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|}
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==Behind the scenes==
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*In the Epilogue of {{DH}}, [[Victoire Weasley]] and [[Edward Lupin]] are in a relationship. Both individuals are distantly fourth cousins once removed through the [[House of Black]], which is generally not considered incestuous.
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==Appearances==
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*{{OOTP}} {{1st Mention}}
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*{{OOTP|F}} {{C|Seen on the [[Black Family Tapestry]]}}
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*{{HBP}} {{Mention}}
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*{{PM}} {{Mention}}
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*{{WW}} {{Mention}}
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*{{COG}} {{c|Seen on the [[Lestrange family|Lestrange family tree]]}}
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==Notes and references==
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{{Reflist}}
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[[zh:近亲结婚]]
 
[[Category:Procreation]]
  
[[Category:Procreation]]
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[[Category:Pure-blood supremacism]]

Latest revision as of 17:17, 22 January 2024

Mirror of Erised "Is this all real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"

The topic of this article is of a real-life subject that has been mentioned "in-universe" in a canon source. The Harry Potter Wiki is written from the perspective that all information presented in canon is true (e.g., Hogwarts really existed), and, as such, details contained in this article may differ from real world facts.

Orion and Walburga Black

Orion and Walburga Black (parents of Sirius and Regulus Black) were second cousins, thus very closely related

"Marvolo, his son, Morfin, and his daughter, Merope, were the last of the Gaunts, a very ancient wizarding family noted for a vein of instability and violence that flourished through the generations due to their habit of marrying their own cousins."
— Albus Dumbledore regarding inbreeding in the House of Gaunt[src]

Inbreeding is a practice in which someone marries and has children with someone who is in their own family. Inbreeding was a common practice for elite pure-blood wizarding families wishing to uphold the tradition of marrying only wizards of respected ancestry. It was noted that wizarding families became more diverse as time passed, as wizards began to marry half-bloods, Muggle-borns, and Muggles. Nevertheless, more conventional, elitist families tended to marry within their family, particularly cousins.[1][2]

Wizarding views

"The family has, however, eschewed the somewhat dangerous practice of inter-marrying within such a small pool of pure-bloods that they become enfeebled or unstable, unlike a small minority of fanatic families such as the Gaunts and Lestranges, and many a half-blood appears on the Malfoy family tree."
— Description of the Malfoy family[src]

Due to the dangers of inbreeding, many wizarding families eschewed such practices, particularly the Muggle-admiring Weasleys. By Hermione Granger's claim, there were not enough pure-bloods to compose the entire Death Eater organisation. Therefore, some of them were more likely half-bloods clinging onto their wizarding ancestries, pretending to be pure, furthering the rejection of inbreeding, even among the fanatics.[3] Lord Voldemort was one of the most notorious examples.[4][5]

The Malfoy family had been inclined to blood-purity since ancient times, though even they would not be willing to intermarry with cousins, believing the practice would endanger them, instead making them more willing to marry half-bloods. This differed them from the small minority families of the true fanatics such as the Gaunts, Blacks, and Lestranges, but were still considered a "respectable" pure-blood family among said families.[6]

Side effects

"The man standing before them had thick hair so matted with dirt it could have been any colour. Several of his teeth were missing. His eyes were small and dark and stared in opposite directions."
— Morfin Gaunt demonstrates the physical ramifications of inbreeding[src]

In Muggle genetics studies, it was proven that inbreeding could lead to serious problems. Notable effects that were seen in families are infertility (both in litter size and sperm viability), increased congenital defects (both mental and physical), fluctuating facial symmetry, decreased birth rate, increased offspring mortality, small adult size, loss of functioning immune systems and higher risks of cardiovascular diseases.[7] It was evident in many wizarding families (e.g. the Gaunts, Blacks and Lestranges) that practise incest often display a high rate of mental instability.[2]

Inbreeding also had a negative effect on a person's physical appearance. Marvolo Gaunt was short, and oddly proportioned, and his eyes, like those of his son and daughter, stared in opposite directions.[2] Furthermore, Morfin Gaunt had an odd rolling gait. Merope Gaunt was likewise described as having a "plain, pale, rather heavy face". According to Mrs Cole, "she was no beauty".

Because of the implications of inbreeding, the families claiming to be pure were declining in the 20th century.

Inbred families

House of Black

The Blacks - Pottermore

Second cousins Orion and Walburga Black with their two sons

The House of Black's family motto was "Toujours pur" (English: always pure). Therefore, the family was strictly traditionalised to marry other families (failing this, extremely rich families). The Black family took their motto seriously, and all family members who did not conform with the Black views of pure-blood supremacy or happened to be Squibs were disowned quickly and removed from the Black family tapestry.[1]

In desperation to keep with the tradition, the Blacks, at one known point, resorted to extremes. Orion and Walburga Black were second cousins (their grandfathers Sirius and Cygnus were brothers) who married and had two children together.[8]

Due to the Black family tree tapestry being so large, it was possible that many related people married without knowing about their relationship. For instance, Victoire Weasley and Teddy Lupin became romantically involved without anyone mentioning or realising that they were fourth cousins once removed through the Blacks.

House of Gaunt

Gaunt pm

The Gaunt family's consequences of inbreeding for many generations

The House of Gaunt had a fanatical belief in blood-purity, stemming from their esteemed ancestors Salazar Slytherin and Cadmus Peverell. To maintain their heritage's purity, they tended to marry their own cousins, which also allowed them to pass down Slytherin's Parseltongue ability.[2]

This led many members of the family to deteriorate mentally and physiologically, and they squandered much of their family gold long before the 1920s. As such, Marvolo Gaunt and his son suffered much mental instability, accompanied with violence, and disproportionate bodily appearances.[2] By the 20th century the family was living in poverty, in a small destitute shack.

Lestrange family

Lestrange family tree

The Lestrange family tree

The bloodline of Corvus Lestrange I also practised inbreeding, as his youngest grandson Corvus married his cousin Eglantine Lestrange, and their son (another Corvus) married his cousin Clarisse Tremblay. Separately, Fulcran Lestrange III was also married to his second cousin once removed, Quintilla Lestrange.[9]

Known incestuous relationships

"The pure-blood families are all interrelated. If you’re only going to let your sons and daughters marry purebloods your choice is very limited, there are hardly any of us left."
— Sirius Black to Harry Potter about the inbreeding practised by pure-blood families[src]
Wizard(s) Notes
Orion Black Orion and his wife Walburga were second cousins through their mutual great-grandparents Phineas Nigellus Black and Ursula Flint. They were the parents of Sirius and Regulus Black.
Walburga Black
House of Gaunt Various members of the House of Gaunt married their cousins to maintain blood purity.[2]
Corvus Lestrange III Corvus and his wife Eglantine were first cousins. Their fathers Corvus and Falco were brothers.
Eglantine Lestrange
Corvus Lestrange IV Corvus and his wife Clarisse were first cousins. Their mothers Eglantine and Leonie were sisters. They were also related by Corvus' paternal grandfather and Clarisse's maternal grandfather, who were brothers.[10]
Clarisse Tremblay
Fulcran Lestrange Fulcran and his wife Quintilla were second cousins once removed. Quintilla's paternal great-great grandparents were also Fulcran's paternal great-grandparents.
Quintilla Lestrange

Behind the scenes

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10 (The House of Gaunt)
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 12 (Silver and Opals)
  4. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 17 (The Heir of Slytherin)
  5. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 35 (Beyond the Veil)
  6. ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Malfoy Family" at Wizarding World
  7. ↑ WP favicon Inbreeding on Wikipedia
  8. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
  9. ↑ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
  10. ↑ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
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