runespoor | Black Family Chronology

Thinking I've done about the ages in the Black family. More or less posted here, on the TABU topic of FAP.

[B]Canon facts :[/B] from left to right, the names on the tapestry stand as such: Bellatrix - Andromeda - Narcissa. I'm assuming that makes Bellatrix the eldest, because that how family trees are written in RL and we haven't learned, of yet, anything that could suggest that wizards would do it in any other way.
After all, wizarding conservatism seems rather close to muggle traditionalism, what with the tacit sexism - JK didn't mention Slytherin Quidditch Team had no girls for no reason, Bellatrix being the only female DE we know about, etc... (yes, I know those points have been made countless times before, and much better than me, but I tend to rely on facts before wandering out to interpretation)

I find it interesting that the only other information we have comes from Sirius, and I think we can safely agree that Sirius is many things, but not particularly objective. For instance, there's the comment in GoF, chap27 'Padfoot Returns': "Snape was part a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be DEs. Rosier and Wilkes [...]. The Lestranges - they're a married couple [...]. Avery [...]." Also, I don't have the precise quote, but I seem to remember Sirius being unsure about Lucius Malfoy, earlier in the book, which would tend to prove than Malfoy and Snape weren't as close as Snape and previous.

Then JK reveals in OotP that Malfoy is 41, and she says in an interview that Snape is 35-36 in GoF-OotP. (I don't know the exact quote, again, and I've read both versions: 35-36 in GoF or 35-36 in OotP) Anyway, I personally don't think age is such an issue if we're trying to work out the Tapestry - and for the rest, well, Snape was about 20-21 when Harry was born. That makes Malfoy something like five years older than MWPP/Snape.
For the sake of clarity, I'll try to stick to Hogwarts years; so that would mean that Malfoy is in his sixth year when Sirius starts his first.

[B]Interpretation :[/B]First off, I'm admitting that none of the people involved in any way was one year older or younger than is usual; you can't build a general theory on exceptions. The following numbers are the years when Sirius and co were in first year.

Bellatrix: max 7
Well, obviously, she had to be at Hogwarts at least one year for Sirius to link her to Snape. But then why would she take an ivkle first-year for a protégé? Several possibilities:
1) classical theory, the Snapes are a good family and they and the Blacks are/want to be linked. (note: why didn't Sirius mention Snape when he wanted to show Harry that every pure-blooded are interrelated?) For x or y reason, Bellatrix found herself liking the kid. (precocious fascination for Dark Arts, anyone? brilliant minds thinking alike?)
2) ... I had other when I started writing this. Oh well. It'll come back, eventually.
min: see Andromeda

Andromeda: min 5
And I can prove it - or at least give good reasons why it should be that way; it all revolves around Nymphadora's age, whom I think is at least 7 years older than Harry: I think that she'd have commented on how she had lived the whole Philosopher's Stone situation. Moreover, I think Harry would have heard of a Metamorphmagus, seventh year or not, other House or not. And I don't think JKR would imply a teenage pregnancy with a baby being born while the mother is still attending Hogwarts. (J/L: 20 when Harry is born, Andromeda 25 with a 7-yrs-old daughter)

Narcissa: could be younger than Sirius, for all we know.
I'm of the mind she was 3rd year when Sirius started, but that's just me and I have absolutely no evidence to back me up there.

[B]But :[/B] my trust in JKR's mathematic skills is, shall we say, quite limited.

side note: Nymphadora could in fact be less than 7 yrs older than Harry, if she was a Slytherin: "btw, Harry, I remember you very well from my first year, when we thought we had won the Cup but it turned out we hadn't, on the Leaving feast."

And I'm stopping there because I think my sentences don't make any sense. 30 hours without sleep.