Nicknames: No.
Birthdate: 11th November, 1847
Current Age: 46 years
Gender: Male
Occupation: Hogwarts Headmaster
Reputation: 10. He would not settle for less.
Residence: Hogwarts, most of the year | 12 Grimmauld Place, London | Rigel Hall, Cumbria
Hogwarts House: Slytherin
Wand: Hornbeam and thestral hair, 9 1/2”, rigid.
Blood Status: Pureblood
Social Class: Upper
Family:
Cygnus Black | Father | 1829 - 1857
Ella Black nee Max | Mother | 1826Sirius Black I | Brother | 1845 - 1853
Elladora Black | Sister | 1850
Iola Hitchens née Black | Disowned sister | 1857
-- and family
Ursula Black née Flint | Wife | 1857
-- Sirius Black II | Son | 1877
-- Phineas Black II | Son, as far as he knows | 1883
-- Arcturus Black | Son | 1884
-- Belvina Black | Daughter, as far as he knows | 1886
-- Cygnus Black | Son | 1889
Appearance:
5’9” and vain and fastidious in his appearance, Phineas always considered himself a handsome man, until his wife began belittling and scorning him in varying ways. Since then, he has done his share of second-guessing, but never found a true cause for complaint. He has shrewd hazel eyes, and dark hair in a neat wave; he has a rather narrow nose and pointed features; and a top lip that curls easily in a sneer or a scowl. He devotes a great deal of time to his facial hair. He dresses well – and always formally – and has no patience for the slightest speck or stain; he is particularly fond of neckties, and has a large collection in subdued shades of dark green, grey, navy and black. He is a man of proud bearing and rigid posture, and does not like to witness slouching. His wand hand is his right, and he abhors dirty fingernails.
History:
1847 | Phineas Nigellus Black is born. He remembers little of his youth now – but how much of that is because he does not like to think back on his elder brother now, given the loss of him, is anyone’s guess.
1850 | A sister, Elladora, is born. To this day, Elladora has never done anything wrong in her life.
1853 | The Blacks’ firstborn son, Sirius, is lost to an illness. Thus Phineas learns about the cruel hand of fate, as well as the newfound pressures that come of being a first son. But at six years old, he swiftly learns not to complain of unfairness, and has never been able to tolerate anyone else whinging of it since.
1857 | His father dies; another sister, Iola, is born. It is oddly in balance, and oddly off-kilter; at ten, Phineas struggles to make sense of his emotions, and finds it easier to neglect them entirely, besides the new sombre outlook he has gained, and a new protectiveness of his sisters, too.
1858 | He cannot go to Hogwarts this year, as his birthday is after September – but Phineas fears he might not be able to go regardless, as to his memory he has not shown a sign of magic. His mother has lied to anyone who asks, of course, and has anecdotes from his childhood nursery to illustrate them – but behind closed doors, Phineas is worried that he might be worse off than a muggle, if such a thing is possible. He frets about his lack of magic constantly; there is little room left for any boyhood enjoyment.
1859 | A visible first sign of magic, when it comes, is rather a damp squib – but of course Phineas is delighted, as it proves he is not one. He leaves behind his sisters in the nursery and sets off for Hogwarts where he is sorted swiftly into Slytherin. Here he makes attempts at popularity – and he does associate with all the right sorts, of course, and disdains anyone else, though his peers seem to find him either pompous, obsequious, or a bore.
1861 | Well. He is happy to prove his superiority in the classroom – particularly in Potions and Astronomy, in both of which he has an exceedingly strong aptitude. In third year, Phineas adds Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, and Elladora joins him in Slytherin, as he was sure she would. She is a better friend and ally to him than most of his so-called friends, anyway.
1863 | Phineas is made a Prefect. Which makes sense: he has been tattling on anyone who crosses him for years without the impetus of a badge. He’s a natural.
1864 | For his NEWTs, he keeps Astronomy, Arithmancy, DADA, Transfiguration and Potions, and adds Alchemy to challenge himself.
1865 | He is dismayed to find some popular, foolish twat has been made Head Boy in his place. As he does not complain about unfairness, Phineas instead begrudges the staff politics that allowed this miscarriage of justice, and never forgives it.
1866 | He graduates in May, and sets off on a Grand Tour, although – perhaps unsurprisingly – he does not much enjoy himself. It becomes a European tour of famous potioneering history, more than anything – an academic affair.
1869 | As a gentleman of leisure (Phineas does not enjoy his leisure, beyond reading and the occasional game of wizards’ chess), he has been expected to show his face in society, particularly as society now takes up much of Elladora’s calendar, and he would have Opinions were she to marry. Unfortunately, Phineas does not enjoy society either. Fortunately, as Elladora is not much inclined to marry – and Phineas cannot see that there is a man adequately fit for her out there – he finds himself a suitable escape (without becoming a known recluse). Instead he becomes an esteemed new professor of Potions, with some of the academic writings he had done on his tour of Europe and his unusual flair for the subject to recommend him.
1870 | He won’t admit it to anyone, but this may have been a mistake.
1871 | With the current Slytherin Head of House’s departure (did he have something to do with this? perhaps), Phineas takes on the additional burden of his role: it is at least an added power in the rungs of school standings, and so sates his stirrings of ambition for the moment. He has always favoured his Slytherin students anyway, though he does not much like teaching any of the children, generally. He was never as obnoxious or immature. Honestly.
1874 | Ruthless in his pursuit of power in this institution (i.e. he is great at sucking up to his superiors, and excels in disparaging his rivals), Phineas, now having the current Headmaster’s ear and good opinion, is appointed Deputy Headmaster. If anyone in his classes is throwing him impertinent glances, for he knows not what reason, Phineas resolves to ignore it.
1875 | Iola graduates and debuts, which forces him to pay some attention in society this year – and debuting at the same time as Iola is one Miss Ursula Flint. She continues to be impertinent, paying him attentions and batting her eyelashes – but she is also, he notes, extremely attractive. And, weak to her charms, he succumbs eventually, and asks her to court him.
1876 | She accepts his hand, and they marry on 7th June. A wife was all he has needed to accomplish from society; if his sisters have doubts about the former Miss Flint’s flighty personality, Phineas is blind to it and more than a little infatuated with her. Not that he shows it, particularly, but he feels quite content with life. Particularly when he is promoted to Headmaster at such an early age. This saves him from having to actually teach the children of cretins and considerably inflates the size of his ego – and also, as fortune would have it, the size of his office.
1877 | Everything seems to be falling into place. Ursula gives birth to a son – Phineas names him after his dead brother. They move to Hogsmeade when the muggles riot – and then, supposing his wife has the household in good order, Phineas turns his attention to getting the school in shape.
1881 | More fool him. He ought never have trusted a pretty face to have any morals behind it. Her suspicious behaviour at home reduces him to putting Veritaserum in her drink, and Ursula’s confession of infidelity and a bastard child on the way brings their marriage to a new low. Is this what he deserved? No, but the world is full of injustices without reason: and he does not see how he will ever forgive his wife for breaking the sanctity of their marriage vows and making a fool of him for loving her.
1882 | Of course there is nothing to do for it but carry on, because if his marriage is in shambles, society certainly must not see it. Phineas, deeply wounded, pulls back even further from his wife, and finds Hogwarts his safest retreat. He also finds his temper shortened, and his actions more bitter than ever. When his sister Iola has the gall to elope with a muggle, Phineas does not hesitate to cut her out of their lives entirely. He won’t be made a fool of again.
1883 | Even a son named after him, Phineas II, cannot soften him to the state of his home life. He daren’t mention the unfortunate ears.
1884 | Another son, Arcturus, is born, and after a summer of fire and plague they return to Grimmauld Place in London. Their marriage has been as bumpy as ever, but Phineas does his duty to his untrustworthy wife and otherwise does his best to keep his distance to spare being hurt or humiliated again. With any luck, Elladora will continue to keep Ursula in line.
1886 | A daughter, Belvina, is born. Ursula has the project of a country house to keep her occupied and out of trouble, or so Phineas hopes.
1888 | Finally, some good news. Sirius goes to Hogwarts and is sorted into Slytherin, as is only appropriate for a Black.
1889 - 1890 | Ursula gives birth to another son, Cygnus, and nearly dies. Apparently it was not merely her usual hysterics. If she thinks he will pity her enough to agree to a separation in the wake of this, she is clearly delusional. Has he not been disappointed enough? Can’t she just pull herself together and endure it, like he does?
1894 | Phineas II begins Hogwarts, which means Phineas is subjected to everyone he knows seeing, and presumably mocking, his son’s horrific ears. He’s also in Ravenclaw, which is – not the worst, but hardly the ideal for the most noble house of Black. Meanwhile Sirius, who is still thriving (besides the unfortunate interest in quidditch), is the perfect candidate for Head Boy. (This is a pleasing vengeance for being overlooked himself, all those years ago.)
Presently | Phineas is still undergoing the day-to-day battles of running Hogwarts, in spite of an incompetent, muggle-loving staff, primitive hellion children, and a board of governors who blow any-which-way in the wind. But at least he wields the power here, and has a little peace locked away in his office, where he can brew hair tonics and moustache ointments, and fuss over the creation of a perfect Headmaster’s portrait for himself. He’s at sixteen attempts and counting, and not yet satisfied it has been properly imbued with his full legacy. Or his true looks.
Personality: Birth is a curse and existence is a prison, et cetera. Phineas has repressed his emotions and retreated so far into a brittle, defensive shell of himself over the years that only the armour ever really shows: snide expressions and sarcastic comments, and an indefatigable sense of superiority – that he is right and the world is wrong. He will respect his superiors or peers as far as he is required to get what he wants from them, and no further. He is ambitious and extremely stubborn, and fears being humiliated in any fashion (but naturally is happy to speak ill of others behind their backs). He does not like to acknowledge his emotions openly, in case they are ridiculed; and he cares intently for outward appearances (of himself, and the rest of his life), because a facade to cling onto is far better than being honest and having nothing to show for it. If he has been disappointed or betrayed once, his respect is hard to build back up again: he is a pessimist at heart. He would rather pretend he never wanted something in the first place than admit to failing – and nowadays he is fuelled as much by spite as by any real desire.
Other:
— Has an embarrassingly low tolerance for alcohol.
Sample Roleplay Post:
Age: 29
Aldous Crouch, Basil Foxwood, Henry Berkwood, Philomena Sprout, Rosalie Hunniford, Ursula Black
![[Image: HqS2LdO.png]](https://i.imgur.com/HqS2LdO.png)