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==Etymology==
  
==Etymology==
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[[Wikipedia:Dursley|Dursley]] is a town in Gloucestershire, England. [[J. K. Rowling]] has commented that she visited the place as a child, and hated it, which likely affected her choice of surname for the awful family, remarking "I don't imagine I'm very popular in Dursley".<ref>[[Wikipedia:Dursley]]</ref><ref>[http://www.darkmark.com/c.c?l=interview2&t=J.K.%20Rowling:%20BBC%20Online%20Chat 2001 BBC Online Chat]</ref>
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[[Wikipedia:Dursley|Dursley]] is a town in Gloucestershire, England. [[J. K. Rowling]] has never visited Dursley, but she grew up not too far away form the town and used the name as she found it interesting.
   
 
[[Petunia Dursley|Petunia]]'s name is the meaning of flower and the origin of the name is English.
  
[[Petunia Dursley|Petunia]]'s name is the meaning of flower and the origin of the name is English.

Revision as of 20:08, 27 September 2011

"Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense."
— Description of the Dursleys[src]

Dursley is the surname of a Muggle family, and the only known living relatives of Harry Potter. Petunia Dursley (nee Evans) was the older sister of Harry's mother, Lily Potter (nee Evans), but took the surname Dursley when she married Vernon Dursley. They had a single son named Dudley.

Background

Dursleys 1980s

The Dursleys in the late 1980s.

"They're the worst kind of Muggles, oh really Albus, must we?"
— Minerva McGonagall discussing Harry's relatives.[src]

Due to Petunia's maternal connection to Harry Potter, Harry was sent to live with the Dursleys after his parents were killed by Lord Voldemort. The belief was that Lily's maternal sacrifice for Harry would be transmitted through Petunia, even though she held Harry in contempt. Due to his wizarding background, Harry was treated with fear and negligence by the Dursleys; originally being kept oblivious to his wizarding heritage, and being told that his parents had died in a car accident.

The Dursley's lived at 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey,[1] and often went out of their way to keep their neighbours oblivious to anything odd about their family, usually explaining away anything odd by telling people that Harry was a delinquent who went to a detention school far away. Harry did occasionally update them about Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Because of their family connection to Harry and the danger of Voldemort using them to get to Harry, they were forced to go in hiding for their own safety for a period of time during the height of the Second Wizarding War.[2]

Despite his mistreatment of Harry, Harry's cousin Dudley Dursley eventually came to regret his cruelty towards Harry, and the two reconciled later in life; this was mostly due to an incident in the summer before Harry's fifth year of schooling that involved him saving Dudley from a dementor. [2]

Known family members

"When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; The Dursleys were his only family."
— Harry's feelings for the Dursleys[src]
Marge

Marjorie 'Marge' Dursley

Dursley family tree

            Mrs. Dursley
                 |                   (see Evans family)
       ---------------------                |
       |                   |                |
Marjorie Dursley     Vernon Dursley + Petunia Evans
                                    |
                                    |
                              Dudley Dursley + Mrs. Dursley
                                             |
                                             |
                                    Two children (at least)

Etymology

Dursley is a town in Gloucestershire, England. J. K. Rowling has never visited Dursley, but she grew up not too far away form the town and used the name as she found it interesting.

Petunia's name is the meaning of flower and the origin of the name is English.

Behind the scenes


Appearances


Notes and references

  1. ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  3. ↑ J.K.Rowling Official Site: Extra Stuff
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