a few fun facts about pureblood wizarding families (while i try to finish the next chapter of valkyrie)
the lore for these aren't fully fleshed out yet but whatever let's just have fun, shall we?
firstly, the sacred twenty-eight aren't the only pureblood wizarding families. cantankereus nott was just a bitch and left many families off because they didn't meet his "standards" of how they conducted affairs in pureblood circles and the notts often profited off the turmoil within other powerful households.
the notts have long held a grudge against the potters going back centuries
the averys and the potters practiced blood magic and necromancy during the renaissance, and held ancient texts which were heavily guarded and kept secret even up until present day (including secrets of the dark arts, useful in the creation of horcruxes). the averys were proud of this history, the potters were not
the prince family are descendants of arielle slytherin (salazar slytherin's youngest child and only daughter) and merlin (of the round table). merlin's myth was deliberately narrated as centuries older than he actually was to preserve the secrecy of the wizarding world. prince comes from merlin's title, "the prince of enchanters", with his and arielle's only child being named arthur for merlin's friend, king arthur
as a result the prince family holds in high esteem their connection with "wizarding royalty"
the lupins emerged out of a british colony in north america, hunting wolves and using their pelts for wizarding robes. eventually they returned to britain but due to a lack of wolf packs in the area, they pivoted to other materials (like snakeskin). eventually, the once-wealthy family fell into poverty and became farmers in wales. the lupins continue to hold a hatred for werewolves, blaming them for the downfall of the lupin family
there's still a north american branch of the lupins, known now as the lovetts (which means young wolf)
the gaunts invented the cruciatus curse, as well as other spells in the dark arts
the blacks partially orchestrated the downfall of the gaunts in pureblood society, seizing on the gaunts dysfunction (as a result of abuse and inbreeding across generations) to position themselves as the new royalty of the wizarding world
the lestrange family was divided once a branch moved to the uk, as both sides believed that either france or britain was the future centre of the wizarding world and despised the other
at the age of ten, lestrange children are led in a ritual to slaughter an animal and burn its bones in a bonfire surrounded by family, as to signify their coming of age in the magical world without reservations or fears
the malfoys have long been associated with veela, leading to their pale and softer features down the line
the malfoys were philanthropists, and considered less extreme on blood status (willing to marry half-bloods, associated with the british monarchy and using those connections to profit behind closed doors. were very involved in high class muggle society until 1692 with the passing of the statute of secrecy, which they initially opposed but later switched and cut ties publicly with muggles)
the mulciber family originated in zimbabwe and were notably proficient in the expelliarmus and imperius curses
the weasleys and the malfoys are inextricably linked, having come to britain around the same time (the invasion of william the conqueror) and have long been enemies, particularly in politics
every eligible heir (ie not disowned, pureblood, mentally "sound") in the black family is arranged to be married, with plans beginning in childhood or even infancy but generally being more or less set by the child's entry into hogwarts. the marriage occured directly after graduation, and was used to strengthen ties with other pureblood families
however, flaws in this system led to inbreeding (organized marriages between cousins), large age gaps (up to ten years), forced rape/pregnancies (even when the parents were still at hogwarts), and female babies being deprioritized in the pursuit of the continuation of the black name. despite this, infertility runs in the family and many children die young (leading to the desire for big families)
at thirteen, the black children are honoured in an initiation ceremony, where they receive a knife carved with the black family insignia. children as young as six begin training with knives to allow them to fight even if magic cannot be used, and all black family members carry their knives with them up until their deaths
there is a class system in pureblood politics. families such as the blacks, the malfoys, the gaunts, the rosiers, and the lestranges are considered "wizarding royalty" and hold the most sway in society and politics, due in part to a) historical connections, b) wide-ranging bloodlines, c) considerable wealth, or d) magical prowess. other families, such as the mulcibers, the pettigrews, the vanitys, and the weasleys were considered flip votes and could often be manipulated easily. typically, the allies in pureblood politics against the wizarding elite are the potters, the longbottoms, the moodys, the abbotts, and the fawleys
let me know if this was fun! i'll definitely do more as i flesh out different families (there are a bunch on the sacred twenty-eight that i have yet to explore) so stay tuned! also, let me know your headcanons for the families!! :)
