Clary is the second child of Jocelyn Fairchild and Valentine Morgenstern, two Shadowhunters, and the leaders of the Circle. She was born some time after her brother, Jonathan Christopher whom most everyone believed perished in a fire with her father.
Before she was born, her mother went into hiding and fled to New York, leaving behind her life as a Shadowhunter. While playing at a park when she was young, Clary was almost attacked by a demon but was saved by her mother. After the incident, Jocelyn rushed her to Magnus Bane, a warlock, and had him wipe the memories of the Shadow World from her mind. For years, Jocelyn led Clary to believe that her father was a man named Jonathan Clark.