Altair Black

## Altair Regulus Black

	+ Draco Malfoy (maternal first cousin once removed/paternal third cousin once removed)
* Alphard Black (maternal uncle/paternal second cousin once removed) †
* Sirius Black II (paternal great-grandfather) †
* Hesper Black (née Gamp) (paternal great-grandmother) †
* Ambrose Macmillan (paternal great-grandfather) †
* Blodwen Macmillan (née Carrow) (paternal great-grandmother) †
* Cygnus Black III (maternal great-grandfather) †
* Violetta Black (née Bulstrode) (maternal great-grandmother) †
* Joseph Crabbe (maternal great-grandfather) †
* Antoinette Crabbe (née Greengrass (maternal great-grandmother) †
* House of Black

## Affiliation

### Loyalty

House of Black

"*He was... he was my... stupid older brother, I guess. I was born second, and my parents, they liked him better than me. They had no real use for a girl... I was just the tag-along...*"
—Aquila remembering her brother
**Altair Regulus Black** (7 January, 1980 - 30 August, 1991) also known as **Tarry**, was an English pure-blood Squib, born to Orion and Walburga Black, and the younger brother of Sirius and Regulus Black, and older brother of Aquila. He was a member of the House of Black, an old wizarding family, and born only a year after his seventeen-year-old brother Regulus (his partial namesake), died in the service of the Dark Lord.

He was his father Orion’s heir and his grandfather Arcturus’s Heir Apparent. Altair was Heir Apparent to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black from the time of his birth until February 1991, and between February and August 1991 was Heir to the House of Black while his father became Head of the House, after his grandfather’s death. Before he could attend Hogwarts, Altair Black died of Dragon Pox at the age of eleven.

His younger sister, Aquila Black, went on to attend Hogwarts. It wouldn’t be until a few years later that the circumstances surrounding Altair’s death were questioned, and the real story was brought to light. It was determined that Altair Black had indeed been a Squib and that he had been murdered by his own father. Tarry’s death would always be a source of grief and guilt to Aquila which would haunt her for most of her adolescence.

## Biography

### Early life (1980-1985)

Altair was born on 7 January, 1980, into the wealthy, pure-blooded Black family, as the youngest son of Orion and Walburga Black and younger brother of Sirius and Regulus Black. He was proudly named after his older brother Regulus, who passed away ten months before his birth in the service of the Dark Lord. His relatives included Bellatrix Lestrange, a loyal Death Eater of Lord Voldemort's, who married Death Eater Rodolphus Lestrange, and Narcissa Malfoy, who married Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. His godparents were named Bellatrix and Rodolphus.

Altair was born so that he could carry on the line and name of the Blacks when he grew older, as the Blacks' oldest son, Sirius, ran away from home at the age of sixteen and was subsequently disowned and burned from the family tapestry by his parents. The Blacks' second son had died, and a new heir was required.

Within his first year of life, Altair Black gained a sister, Aquila. They were almost eleven months apart, though born in the same year (some refer to this as Irish Twins). According to Aquila, this was because her mother did not like being pregnant and preferred to get the process of child-rearing over with as soon as possible, too. Aquila's godparents were named Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, the former of which was Altair’s mother Walburga’s other niece. The Malfoys had a son, Draco Malfoy, who was the siblings’ first cousin once removed.

His little sister and cousin Draco came to know him as "Tarry" because the latter name was easier to say. The other children did not have nicknames. Even when Aquila got older (and after Altair had died), she continued to refer to her brother as Tarry. This could suggest that she, Draco, and Altair were rather close as young children, and were playmates while their parents discussed matters such as the war, the downfall of Lord Voldemort, and the imprisonment of their other relatives. The three of them would have learned to not speak about such things or repeat the words of their parents or else “*daddy would get into trouble*”.

When Tarry was two years old, and his sister Aquila nearly one, his godparents, Bellatrix and Rodolphus, were arrested and thrown into Azkaban for torturing two Aurors into insanity. There is nothing to suggest that Aquila has any memory of the event, but she later commented that the Lestranges had been her brother’s godparents, and perhaps would have known through anecdotal evidence that the Lestranges had committed such crimes against the Longbottoms. It is unknown whether Tarry would have known anything about his godparents being thrown into prison either.

The arrest of Sirius Black was also highly publicised, but neither Orion nor Walburga probably wanted Tarry and Aquila to grow up and follow his blood-traitor (and admittedly sporadic) ways, so his entire existence was hidden from them. Orion and Walburga most likely never believed that Sirius had ever been a Death Eater, but resolved to keep a pragmatic approach and simply decided to let things “*run their course-*” which may have partially resulted in Sirius's twelve years spent in Azkaban as an innocent man. Because all of this occurred when Tarry was two years old, it is unlikely that either of the siblings would have known the truth.

### Later childhood (1985-1991)

For the remainder of his childhood, Altair most likely grew up under the watchful eyes of his mother, Walburga Black, as in their later childhood Aquila was able to recall that their father, Orion, was very distant from them. Although he taught the two of them some lessons regarding runic warding (according to Aquila, at least, she was more interested in more intricate things he had to teach them than Tarry), their father, for the most part, kept them at an arm’s length. Tarry would have at least been instructed of the political climate of their world and may have also had “*many other private lessons*” with his father that Orion would have ordinarily refused to teach to them, but because Aquila was a relatively earnest child, Orion “*included her*” in some, though those went away as their various teachings were delegated to the relevant tutors. It is unknown what relationship Altair had with his father, or if he was taught lessons separate from the ones that Aquila remembered.

Altair showed very little accidental magic between the time that he was born until he reached his seventh birthday. If his parents had thought that he had done any magic beforehand, it is possible that via anecdotal evidence, and coupled with his sister Aquila’s tendency to blame anything on Tarry, especially if something had been broken, Altair’s status as a Squib had gone entirely unnoticed. However, by his seventh birthday, Walburga Black was suspicious of her son’s ability to perform magic, and she and Altair’s father had an argument which was overheard by his younger sister, Aquila.

Aquila had formed a plot of her own: she had overheard their parents' discussions and made a plan with Tarry to stage elaborate tantrums in which he would pretend to get upset and Aquila would break dishes where they sat on the wall. According to her story, and although it was never said, Aquila was most likely a very powerful child already, whereas Tarry was already seven and had demonstrated no magical abilities whatsoever.

Tarry followed his six-year-old sister's plan “*to the letter*,” and it worked for a great deal of time: for nearly four years, the subject of Tarry's magic was pushed into the background, as Orion and Walburga relaxed and convinced themselves that their son was simply a late bloomer. Glass seemed to shatter around him whenever he would get upset or cry. Fires seemed to be started whenever he would throw tantrums about the latest Quidditch broom. It is also possible that Altair may have been afraid of his parents’ reactions, and frightened that he himself was a Squib. Most likely, however, another event probably occurred that Aquila would have never known about, as Altair would have had to have a reason for obeying his sister and participating in the trickery. Then again, it is also possible that the Blacks’ “*pure-blood mania*” which Sirius Black once spoke about would have instilled such a fear in Tarry as a child. He may have feared that not being what was “generally accepted-” that is, a young, impressionable wizard, or a strong, obedient child that is “*seen, and not heard*”, would have greatly concerned him. And thus, he went along with his sister’s plan.

In December of 1989, Altair’s maternal grandmother, Irma Black (Crabbe) passed away. He and his sister were present at the funeral. Whilst there, Tarry, Aquila, along with their cousin, Draco Malfoy, reportedly attempted to avoid their grandfather Pollux as much as possible. In March of 1990, Pollux passed away. It is unknown of what Altair thought of his maternal grandparents, but his sister disliked them. Irma was often critical of “*many*, ” a feature which had not changed since the childhood years of Tarry’s estranged brother Sirius. Pollux was a kinder man to Aquila, but he had a stroke at some point during their childhood and such was non-verbal for his remaining years. Once more, it is unknown what Altair thought of them.

In February of 1991, his paternal grandmother, Melania, passed away. It is also unknown what Altair thought of his paternal grandparents. Melania had an affliction of the memory and it is possible that she was kept away from them purposely to avoid frightening them. Altair’s paternal grandfather, Arcturus, died only a few days later of Dragon Pox, a relatively common malady of the elderly and the immunocompromised. Aquila once simplified her explanation of her father’s parents’ demise by telling her friend Maisie that “*they both died [of Dragon Pox].*” After Arcturus’s death, Altair’s father became Head of the House of Black, a position which Orion would only hold for a length of about ten months.

### Summer (1991)

"*They wrote to the school. They thought at first that it had been some sort of mistake. They boasted of his- of his abilities, they said if Tarry wasn't... if Tarry wasn't admitted, then they would take him abroad, that they would go elsewhere. B-but...*"
—Aquila's explanation of how her parents reacted to the missing letter
As the summer months of 1991 came and went, the plan which Altair had agreed to carry out with his little sister came to a sudden and grinding halt. Following his eleventh birthday, Altair was due to receive a very special letter from his parent’s alma mater, a school which many of the greatest young witches and wizards in Britain are supposed to attend: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If a student does not receive their Hogwarts letter, it is indicative of only one situation, that a student simply does not have enough magic to attend. The day that Tarry was supposed to receive his Hogwarts letter, it never came.

His cousin, Draco, had received his own letter, and to celebrate, the Blacks were invited to Malfoy Manor, but instead, Altair’s mother informed the Malfoys that both of their children were ill with a mild case of Dragon Pox and said that it would be better for them not to come. According to Aquila, the reaction of her parents at first was not so angry, but rather confused. Her father sent an (admittedly polite) letter to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and enquired as to the whereabouts of his son’s letter, and received a response back from Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall a few days later, which told Orion Black that Altair’s name was not on the Hogwarts register. The response was copied from a common enquiries handbook which is often sent to families expecting Hogwarts letters. She suggested that what had most likely happened was that, because the registrar had not picked up on Altair’s presence in the magical world, meaning that Altair did not have enough magic to attend the institution. While not directly suggesting that Altair was a Squib, the response angered Walburga enough to send a threatening letter back ensuring that this was most certainly not the case, and that they would be taking their son abroad to attend Durmstrang Institution instead. This was the limit to the Blacks’ correspondence with the school.

While Altair’s feelings and experiences are unknown in the lead up to his death, his younger sister Aquila remembered not being able to go outside the house. It is unclear whether this was a punishment or the Blacks had simply forbade them from going out while they learned how to deal with the situation. It is possible that Orion Black may have considered disowning his son, but Aquila’s reluctance to talk about the event suggests that both of them were most likely and equally frightened of what would happen, that they would get into trouble for misleading their parents or that Altair would be banished to the muggle world.

#### Death (1991)

**Aquila:** "*I* tried, *Ginny, I didn't just stand there and do nothing, I* tried *to save him-"*
**Ginny:** *"Aquila, Aquila, you were ten."*
**Aquila:** "*That's no excuse!"*
—Aquila's guilt over the death of her brother, four years later
It was the summer that, had he not been a Squib, that Altair would have attended Hogwarts. Not much is known of this day other than the sole witness that survives of the family. Tarry’s younger sister, Aquila, who was there on this day, did not know what led events to proceed the way they did. Still, it is not possible to know everything, as Orion and Walburga Black would die within a few years of each other, before the true details of Altair’s death would come to light.

On 30 August, 1991, Altair’s sister Aquila returned from a French lesson with their mother, Walburga. While their mother poured herself a drink downstairs, Aquila was sent to their father’s study to fetch Orion, but when she arrived, she witnessed her father viciously beating her brother. Altair was only feebly struggling at the time, and it was likely that the assault and abuse had lasted about an hour or more. Aquila tried to attack her father with a short, seemingly uncontrollable burst of accidental magic, which she used to try and save Altair, but then her mother arrived and Aquila was supposedly slammed up against a bookshelf, and while half-conscious, she recalled first her parents having an argument and then her father pulling her up by the back of her robes and forcing her to stand unsteadily while he instructed her of his responsibility to cleanse the family tree of filth and squalor. But not only that, Squibs, and Blood Traitors, were also at the top of the list.

The rest of Aquila’s memories of this event are very hazy, and as such she can only remember her father murdering her eleven-year-old brother, Altair Black, inside the study at 12 Grimmauld Place. Altair was most likely already unconscious from the intense beating that he had endured, and would have felt nothing from the Killing Curse, as most believe that it is quick, painless. Nevertheless, every time that Aquila has ever tried to speculate about what Tarry felt at the moment of his passing, she has been unable to understand or comprehend her brother’s feelings. She has accepted that she will never know.

### Post-mortem (1991-)

**Sirius:** "*Where've you been?"*
**Aquila:** *"Just to the Summer House."*
**Sirius:** "*That old place? Why would you want to go there for?"*
—Aquila and Sirius discuss Blackmere House, Christmas of 1995
Altair Black was buried inside the honorary grave made for his older brother, Regulus Black, whose body had never been found, and a small inscription was added to the bottom underneath the epitaph, "*Altair*". The rest of the family, which had significantly shrunk in the years previous, during, and after the First Wizarding War, was told that he had succumbed to the pox. Aquila was said to have survived her illness, and Orion, though he from then on shut himself inside his room at all times, had survived too.

The Malfoys mourned Tarry and no one missed what his death meant. His life, as short as it was, had been the last opportunity for the Blacks' line to continue. The idea of Orion producing more children seemed futile, as he was, perhaps, more devastated than he had been after Regulus had gone. Replicating that grief seemed impossible.

The image of her brother Tarry in his last moments became Aquila Black's boggart. It haunted her dreams for several years.

Orion Black committed suicide a few months after he killed his son, on Christmas Eve, 1991.

## Physical Appearance

Altair had been known to have resembled his older brothers, even as a young child, with the black hair and haughty good looks common to the Black family. He had grey eyes and even in portraits his disposition gave the impression that, if he had lived, he would have become far taller, as he had a few inches of height on Aquila, who looked younger than him “*by at least a few years*”.

## Personality and Traits

Altair's parents had a preference for pure-blooded witches and wizards, so it is assumed that Altair took after them whilst growing up. He spent a lot of time at Malfoy Manor in the company of the Malfoys, and was a close childhood friend of his cousin, Draco's. He was said to admire Lucius Malfoy, and unlike the way he feared his parents, he could be said at least to have loved his cousin Narcissa, and saw her as a mother-figure or at least an aunt. Draco called him Tarry, and the children, when they were together, were very happy. He loved his little sister Aquila, though sometimes, like everyone, worried for her temper.

Judging from the way that the objects in Tarry’s bedroom in Grimmauld Place had never been touched after Walburga Black died, unlike Aquila’s room, which had been cleared out entirely, his death was seen to affect Narcissa Malfoy enough that she became unable to enter there, or pushed off doing it long enough that it never got finished.

## Relationships

#### The Black family

Altair and his younger sister, Aquila, were born for the sole purpose of carrying on the family line of the House of Black, but it would be unfair to say that this was the only reason why Tarry and his sister were brought into the world. According to Aquila, her brother was “an accident” that their mother embraced. As a small infant, Altair was most likely seen as a blessing for the Blacks though Regulus had been taken from them. They were treated exceptionally well and doted on by their grandparents in their early days, even if his younger sister Aquila didn’t agree.

Altair’s parents were a different story. It is most likely that Walburga Black raised him in that same highly toxic atmosphere regarding pure-blood mania that Sirius once spoke of, and her beliefs were most likely only exacerbated after the war and the fall of the Dark Lord. Tarry might have been constantly compared to Regulus (and by extension Sirius) and though it’s unlikely that he ever knew why, he probably struggled with meeting his mother’s heavy expectations. Aquila never had a good relationship with her mother, either, but at least she had an excuse as the “spare” or in her role as a female pawn which allowed her to stick to her lessons and exist in the background. While Tarry most likely loved his mother and father, he also would have been raised to fear them, but beyond that it is strictly speculation.

He at least loved his younger sister, Aquila, and went along with her plan when she overheard their parents’ argument and how their mother was suspicious of Tarry’s ability to perform any magic. It could also be said that even as a child he possessed a certain selflessness which not many children among Tarry’s social status were known to have. This also suggests that, although Aquila never elaborated on the fact that Tarry was aware of their parents’ abuse, that he may have wanted to protect Aquila from it, which he did.

Although Aquila most likely never came to terms with this fact herself, it is certainly possible that through Altair taking the fall for Aquila’s earliest inabilities to control her accidental magic, that Tarry saved her from punishments that would have been inflicted on her otherwise. After his death, Aquila was not harmed, perhaps pointing towards the fact that Tarry never admitted to directly misleading his mother and father, and by extension hid Aquila’s true involvement in their combined actions.

## Etymology

The name Altair is Arabic in origin and means “the flyer”. In Latin, it has the same meaning as the name of the constellation Aquila; that is, they both mean simply “eagle.” The name is also the name of a star: as tradition in the Black family, they name their children after stars or constellations. Altair is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila; Alpha (*α*) Aquilae. It is the twelfth brightest star in the sky, and forms one corner of the Summer Triangle.

Eagles are also an exceptionally common symbol in heraldry, being considered the "King of Birds" in contrast to the lion, the "King of Beasts". Whereas the lion (e.g. England) usually represents a kingdom, the eagle is symbolic for an empire. They are particularly popular in Germanic countries such as Austria, due to their association with the Holy Roman Empire.