Petunia Dursley

From the Encyclopedia of Speculative Fiction - http://encyclopedia.wizards.pro

Petunia Dursley (nee Evans) is Harry Potter's aunt. Harry is left at the home of the Dursleys after the murder of his mother and Father. She is married to Vernon Dursley.

Petunia's parents were Muggles who were, according to Petunia, delighted when their daughter Lily was invited to attend Hogwarts. Petunia appears to have deeply resented her sister's magical talents, and referred to her sister as a "freak". As if to emphasize the distinctions between herself and Lily's oddities, Petunia charts for herself a life of utter banality in a three-bedroom semi-detached home in Little Whinging, Surrey. Into this ordered suburban life Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, drops the infant Harry. Petunia and Vernon treat Harry very much as a second-class member of the family, consigning him for most of his childhood to the cupboard under the stairs. They tell him that his parents have been killed in a car accident and give him no clue that his parents were wizards. Perhaps most importantly, Harry is given no whisper of affection or nurturing, so that his childhood passes entirely empty of any kind of love.

In stark contrast to their neglect of Harry, the Dursleys indulge their own son Dudley with food, gifts and coddling attention, setting Dudley on the path to becoming an obese self-absorbed bully.

When Harry is brought into contact with the wizarding world, Dumbledore is appalled at the mistreatment that Harry has endured at the hands of the Dursleys, but as there is a powerful enchantment protecting Harry so long as he has a home with his aunt and uncle, he is resigned to requiring Harry to return to the Dursleys between school terms. Petrunia grudgingly puts up with Harry's presence in her home, although it is not entirely clear whether she does so under some obscure threat from Dumbledore or because of a faint glimmer of family loyalty. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when Vernon Dursley is on the verge of throwing Harry from the house after the Dursleys discover that Harry's presence has attracted Dementors to their suburban neighbourhood because of Harry, Petunia ultimately refuses to allow Harry to be turned out, cloaking her decision by alluding to the awkward questions that will be asked by the neighbours if Harry suddenly disappears.

Family tree

    Potter               Evans                          Dursley
      |              ______|______                 ________|________
      |             |             |               |                 |
James Potter + Lily Evans   Petunia Evans + Vernon Dursley   Marjorie Dursley
             |                            |
        Harry Potter                Dudley Dursley

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