Archie Black

## Appearances

**Arcturus "Archie" Rigel Black** is a main character of the *Rigel Black Chronicles*. When he is eleven, he switches places with his cousin Harry Potter so that he can study Healing at the American Institute of Magic and she can attend pureblood-only Hogwarts.

## Profile

### Appearance

  — The Futile Facade: Chapter 4

He has Diana's chin when he drops Rigel's face .

### Personality

  — Archie  (The Futile Facade: Chapter 12

### Skills

* Healing (read healing journals since young & attends AIM)
* Pranks
* Understanding of people & a good memory of their traits
* A good dancer
* Metamorphmagus
* Animagus

### Possessions

* A watch with the Black family crest on it (from Diana and Sirius)
* *A Healer's Guide to Magical Plants and Fungi* (from Hermione for Christmas 1991)
* Planner that automatically color-codes assignments (from Hermione for his 12th birthday)
* Starlight for his name
* Two-way mirror, to communicate with Harry (from James and Sirius for his 14th birthday)
* Used pair of boots to match Harry's (planned gift from Harry for Christmas 1994)

## History

### Childhood

Instead of going to school, Archie is tutored along with Harry. Remus teach both of them History, Maths, Social Organization, and Potions.

When Archie is around six, his mother Diana becomes sick with an illness there is no treatment for. After being diagnosed several months later, Diana holds on for over a year before eventually succumbing to the illness. Archie is there when his mother dies, only eight years old. Ever since then, Archie has been determined to become a Healer and one day save lives.

Ever since Archie is four, he and his father go to watch the Wimbledon Wasps play Quidditch in the VIP section. He strikes up a friendship with Marcus Flint. After Archie's mother died and Sirius stopped attending the games due to not leaving the house, Archie continues to show up. He and Marcus become closer, and he reveals to him his ambition of becoming a Healer.

During one Halloween, he and Harry accidentally set fire to the curtains in Sirius' living room, and they subsequently are being sent to bed without candies by their parents.

The American Institute of Magic (AIM), where his cousin Harry was poised to go, has the best Healer certification tract of any Western magical school. However, when Archie brings the idea of attending AIM instead of Hogwarts up to his father Sirius, Sirius is unwilling to entertain the idea, likely out of a desire for his son to have something in common with him. Archie and Sirius have many arguments on the topic, prompting Harry to suggest that she and Archie switch places. As unrealistic as the idea is, Archie stops to seriously consider it. This eventually leads to Harry and Archie actually switching places so that he can attend AIM after all.

### 1992-1993 School Year

Archie-as-Harry sends a letter to Rigel, telling her Hermione was surprised by how different he looked after a summer away and asking if Rigel also has friends like her. He then hints at Lily being pregnant by telling her Sirius will tell her some news.

### 1994-1995 School Year

Archie takes Animagus Revelation with Harry, and discovers his animagus form is a handsome red fox. To him, Harry smells like pack rather than prey. He manages to figure out how to transform into his animagus form while eating a tuna sandwich.

## Relationships

### Marcus Flint

As mentioned above, he strikes up a childhood friendship with Marcus Flint, and admits to him his dream of being a healer. Out of respect for this friendship — and Marcus's own mutual benefit — Marcus later decides not to reveal Harry when he discovers that Archie is not attending the school.

## Family Tree

*Note:* The following family tree may not display correctly on mobile devices.
For full sources, please refer here.

## Etymology

* Arcturus is the name of a star, keeping with the tradition of Black family members being named after stars. Arcturus is part of the Spring Triangle asterism, and some sources name the star Regulus as part of it as well.
* The name Arcturus is derived from the Ancient Greek Ἀρκτοῦρος (Arktouros). It means "Guardian of the Bear".
* Rigel is also a star, located in the constellation of Orion.
* The word Rigel is derived from the Arabic description of the star, *Rijl Jauzah al Yusrā* meaning "the left leg (foot) of Jauzah" (Orion). *Rijl* in this context means leg or foot. Rigel represents the knee of Orion in the constellation.

## Appearances

**Appearances**
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 2 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 3 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 4 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 5 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 6 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 7 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 9 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 10 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 11 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 12 (*letter*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 13 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 14 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 15
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 16
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 17 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 18 (*letter*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 19 (*mentioned*)
* The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 20 (*mentioned*)
 * The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 1
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 2
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 3
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 4 (*mentioned*)
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 5 (*letter*)
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 6
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 7 (*mentioned*)
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 8
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 9
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 10 (*mentioned*)
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 11 (*mentioned*)
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 12 (*mentioned*)
* The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 13 (*mentioned*)
 * The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 1
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 2
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 3 (*mentioned*)
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 4
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 5
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 6 (*mentioned*)
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 7 (*perspective*)
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 8 (*letter*)
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 9 (*mentioned*)
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 10
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 11
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 12 (*perspective*)
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 13 (*mentioned*)
* The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 14
 * The Futile Facade: Chapter 1 (*perspective*)
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 2 (*letter*)
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 3 (*mentioned*)
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 4
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 5
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 6
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 7 (*perspective*)
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 8 (*mentioned*)
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 9
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 10
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 11
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 12
* The Futile Facade: Chapter 13
 * The Malignant Masquerade: Chapter 1
* The Malignant Masquerade: Chapter 2 (*perspective*)

## Notes

1. ↑ Archie is said to have been born within a few days of Harry, and his mother Diana was still pregnant when Harry was born. However, being born at the beginning of August would make him a Leo (a fire sign), and Archie says he's a water sign in The Futile Facade: Chapter 10. It is possible this was either a joke, an inconsistency, or a reference to his true core which is water.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 1
2. ↑ The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 5
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Futile Facade: Chapter 12
4. ↑ The Ambiguous Artifice: Chapter 11
5. ↑ The Futile Facade: Chapter 10
6. ↑ The Futile Facade: Chapter 14
7. ↑ The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 15
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 16
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 3
10. ↑ The Futile Facade: Chapter 4
11. ↑ The Futile Facade: Chapter 8
12. ↑ The Futile Facade: Chapter 5
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 1
14. ↑ The Pureblood Pretense: Chapter 6
15. ↑ The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 6
16. ↑ The Serpentine Subterfuge: Chapter 5
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Arcturus on Wikipedia
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Rigel on Wikipedia