Petunia Dursley

**Petunia Dursley** is a character in the *Harry Potter book series*. She is the Muggle aunt and guardian of Harry Potter, the wife of Vernon Dursley, the mother of Dudley Dursley and the elder sister of the late Lily Potter.

## Biography

### Early life

Petunia is the elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Evans. She had a younger sister named Lily who was born in January 1960. They were raised in Cokeworth. When her younger sister was eleven, she received a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and discovered she was a witch. Petunia hoped to join her and wrote a letter to Albus Dumbledore asking whether she could also attend Hogwarts. She received a kind reply explaining why she could not.

Petunia grew jealous and bitter towards Lily and her talent. She thought their parents favoured Lily and decided she didn't want to be part of the wizarding world. She called Lily a freak and craved a very normal life. When she met Vernon Dursley, she knew he could provide that and deciding were perfect for each other, they eventually married. She and Lily did not see each other for a few years before her death, but they kept in touch through letters.

In June 1980, Petunia gave birth to their only child who they named Dudley Dursley. In July, her nephew Harry Potter was born. A year later on Harry's first birthday, Petunia sent him an ugly-looking plant which Harry hated. It was probably the final time she and Lily ever communicated.

### Guardianship of Harry Potter

Petunia hoped that Dudley would never have to know Harry and would prefer that Dudley had normal friends. She rarely spoke to Lily and she had probably not spoken to Lily since Harry's birthday. Petunia would even pretend she was an only child and had no sister.

But Lily and James were killed by Voldemort, and Harry had survived because of Lily's sacrifice. Albus Dumbledore knew that Harry's best chance of being safe from Voldemort was to place Harry in a home of a close relative in blood to Lily. Petunia was Harry's only blood relative. He had to call that place home for Dumbledore's powerful enchantment around it to work.

Petunia had a normal day, unknowing Lily was dead. Dudley was throwing a tantrum when Vernon was going off to work. She spent the day spying on her neighbours, hearing about how one of her neighbour's and her daughter were having problems and other gossip. Petunia and Dudley went to the shop, and Dudley kicked Petunia and demanded sweets.

Unknown to Petunia, she was being watched that day by Minerva McGonagall and she was shocked by the way they acted. That same day, the wizarding world celebrated Voldemort's downfall and Vernon noticed odd things which he told Petunia about when he was home from work. He asked Petunia whether her nephew's name was Harry because he had heard people speaking about him, but Petunia was unimpressed and simply agreed they may be connected and then went to bed without worry.

However, when she woke in the morning to put out a milk bottle, she screamed when she found Harry on her doorstep. Dumbledore sent a letter too, explaining James and Lily had died and that she was now the guardian of Harry.

Petunia and Vernon wanted to stop Harry ever learning he was a wizard, and thought they could stop any magic surfacing if he was kept downtrodden. They lied to Harry about James and Lily, saying they died in a car accident and demanding he never ask about them again. He was put in a Cupboard under the Stairs and gave him Dudley's second-hand clothes.

However, Petunia and Vernon would notice strange things happening around Harry. He never understood why it happened and they punished him in their effort to "stamp out any nonsense". For example, Petunia cut Harry's hair until he was nearly bald but keeping a long fringe, and the next day he magically managed to make it go back to the original state and they grounded him for seven days.

Harry once shrunk a second-hand jumper of Dudley's he hated, but he persuaded Petunia that it shrunk in the washing machine. Petunia and Vernon were very upset when Harry managed to jump onto the roof of St. Grogory's Primary School when escaping from Dudley, because they got sent letters by their Headteacher about it.

### Philosopher's Stone

In June 1991, Petunia woke Harry up in a shrill voice when knocking on the door of Harry's cupboard. She ordered Harry to help make bacon and warned him she wanted everything perfect for Dudley's birthday. Petunia and Vernon had brought Dudley many presents, but he had two less than last year. Petunia panicked when Dudley noticed and was about to throw a tantrum, and told him that she would buy him two extra presents when they went out.

Petunia was very annoyed when she found out Harry's child-minder, Arabella Figg could not look after him that day and comforted Dudley who was pretending to wail when she decided he would have to stay with them for Dudley's special birthday treat. Petunia promised Dudley she would not let Harry ruin the day.

Petunia brought Dudley and Dudley's friend Piers Polkiss ice-cream at the zoo, and hoped they would not have to buy one for Harry, though the ice-cream woman noticed him and they had to buy Harry a lemon ice-pop. They took them for lunch at a café and then went to the reptile house. Dudley and his dad were trying to wake up a snake that Dudley was interested in by knocking on the glass pane and yelling at it. When that didn't work, they walked away. Harry started talking to the snake when it woke up. Harry asked, "Can you understand me?" The snake nodded it's head. When Dudley realized the snake was up, he pushed Harry to the ground. That's when Harry made a glass pane vanish while Dudley was leaning on it, making him fall inside the cage. The Boa Constrictor thanked Harry and escaped. The zoo director made a shaken Petunia a cup of tea and apologised. Petunia wouldn't let Harry have any dinner that night knowing he had caused it.

Petunia was delighted when Dudley was accepted to Smeltings Academy and took him to buy a new school uniform. She cried when she saw him wearing it, thinking he looked very grown up. Petunia would later dye Harry's new school uniform grey, out of Dudley's second-hand uniform. The next day, Harry brought in the mail and noticed he had one addressed to him. Dudley grabbed it out of Harry's hands and handed it to Vernon and Petunia. They were shocked when to see an acceptance letter for Harry from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They made Dudley and Harry leave the room without letting them see the letter.

Petunia was upset they knew where Harry was sleeping, and she and Vernon agreed they were spying on them. Petunia wanted to write back and explain Harry would not be attending the school but Vernon decided they needed to pretend they never received any letter. They then agreed that Harry needed to be taken out of the cupboard and put in the second bedroom. Petunia later told Dudley, who cried and told her to make Harry leave.

The next few days were annoying for the Dursley family. Petunia was annoyed when another letter for Harry in the second bedroom arrived. Then another three arrived, so Vernon nailed the mail slot shut. Petunia told Vernon she didn't think it would work, and she was proven right on the third day when twelve letters were placed through the side of the door and window instead.

The next day, Petunia went to accept the delivery of two dozen eggs through their front window and found twenty four letters placed in them. She shredded the letters in the food processor. When around thirty letters arrived through the fireplace on Sunday, Petunia and Dudley run out the room covering their faces. Vernon then ordered the family to leave Privet Drive for a while.

That night, the Dursleys' and Harry went to an old shack house and was going to stay there until the owls stopped delivering the letters. Petunia wouldn't ask what he found. Petunia found two blankets and made a nice bed for Dudley on the couch downstairs on the main floor while they slept in a bed upstairs and only left Harry with a raggedy old blanket on the hardwood floor.

Around midnight Harry made a cake out of dirt and dust on the floor. When Dudley's watch beeped, Harry looked at the little drawing he made on the floor and pretended he was blowing out candles on a real cake. Next thing he knew, there was a loud banging noise at the door waking Dudley up and later Petunia and Vernon. It was the Hogwarts School gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid knocking down the door. Vernon held a shotgun at Hagrid. He was shocked to find out Petunia and Vernon had told Harry nothing about the wizarding world, and Petunia was frightened when Hagrid was about to tell him. Vernon told Hagrid not to say anything, but he told him anyway, Harry was shocked to find out Petunia and Vernon knew.

Petunia shrieked and told him of course she knew, because dratted Lily was a witch and while everyone was proud of Lily, she knew she was a freak. She then told Harry she knew he would be abnormal like Lily and James and that they never died in a car crash. While Hagrid was in the midst of telling Harry everything, Dudley was eating Harry's birthday cake that Hagrid made him. Hagrid gave Dudley a pig's tail, causing Petunia, Dudley and Vernon to run and scream around the room.

Harry was taken shopping to Diagon Alley and found plenty of gold in Gringotts. He thought of how the Dursley family would have taken every piece of gold out of the Potter family vault if they knew how knew how rich they were, because they were didn't want to pay for things for Harry out of their own pocket.

Petunia would now only see Harry every summer holiday. Before Harry would begin attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Vernon and Petunia acted scared and angry at Harry, and would not say a word to him. Petunia wouldn't even hoover Harry's room. On the final day of August, Harry announced he was in the room while the family watched TV and told them he needed to be at King's Cross the next day.

Vernon and Petunia stared at him and laughed when Harry told them the only thing he knew was he needed to be at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters the next day at eleven, telling Harry there was no platform of the name at King's Cross. They agreed to take Harry, but only because they were taking Dudley to remove the pig's tail by the doctor.

The next day, Vernon and Petunia left Harry at Platform Ten, pointing out the platform Harry needs should be in the middle of nine and ten, but "they don't seem to have built it yet". Harry then watched them drive away laughing at him out the window. Petunia should have known about the Platform and how to get to it, but instead abandoned her nephew without helping him.

### 1992

In June 1992, Petunia, Vernon and Dudley collected Harry at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Vernon and Petunia banned Harry from using and speaking of magic unless he wanted to get kicked out of the house. They locked Harry's spellbooks, wand, robes and cauldron in the Cupboard under the Stairs.

Vernon had an important business meeting one evening. Petunia was angry when Harry threatened Dudley using fake spells and she aimed a frying pan at Harry's head. That evening, Vernon had a plan for the family that involved Harry staying in the second bedroom and pretending he does not exist. Petunia politely had to tend to the potential buyer and the buyer's wife, and she hugged Dudley when he thought of a stupid complimentary comment to say.

Petunia created a special dinner for the guests that included a huge dessert. During the evening, she kept fake laughing for their guests and at Vernon's jokes. However, Dobby ruined the evening in an effort to keep Harry from having permission to go back to Hogwarts School. He levitated Petunia's pudding and dropped it across the room, shocking their guests. Ay hope of securing their investment anyway was lost when a barn owl swooped in deliver a letter to Harry and their guests decided to leave in anger.

The letter told Vernon, Petunia and Dudley how Harry couldn't use even magic at home and gained confidence around Harry again. Vernon put bars on Harry's window, locked him in the second bedroom and installed a cat-flap in the bedroom door for Petunia to put food through for Harry.

A few days later, Petunia was woken up at night by Vernon who was shouting that Harry was escaping. Petunia and Dudley run in the room and saw Harry being driven out the house in a flying Ford Anglia. Harry thought the Dursley family looked dumb-founded.

### 1993

Vernon and Petuina locked Harry's school possessions in the Cupboard under the Stairs again, so he had to sneak around to get what he needed to do schoolwork. He snuck downstairs one day to get schoolbooks when Vernon was showing Petunia and Dudley a new company car he had gained. They spoke very loudly about gaining a new car so their neighbours could hear. Vernon and Petunia bought Dudley a new TV. They were watching the news when a report about Sirius Black being on the run appeared. Vernon then invited Dudley to pick up his sister Marge at the train station because she was staying at their house for a week. Petunia told Vernon that Dudley had to stay and prepare for her arrival so he looked nice.

When she was about to arrive, Petunia shrieked at Harry to get downstairs and tidy his hair. She demanded he open the door for Marge, whogreeted Dudley and then Petunia. She supplied Marge and her dog Ripper with tea and fruitcake, wincing while Ripper slobbered on her clean floor. Marge didn't know about magic so Vernon and Petunia had lied to her about Harry's life. She spent her time there talking negatively about Harry and his parents. At one point, she suggested Petunia write to Harry's school and say he was not getting beaten with the cane enough. One evening, he lost control of his magic and caused her glass to break. Petunia offered to help her clean it up. She and Vernon could not prove it was Harry's fault though they were suspicious.

For the final evening of Marge's stay, Petunia cooked a special dinner. Marge started talking about Harry's parents' genes being responsible for the way he behaved. She asked Vernon and Petunia what James Potter did for a living causing the two to feel tense. Petunia watched shortly after when Harry accidentally inflated Marge, yelling while they unsuccessfully tried to help her. She floated away while Harry ran away, leaving their house.

## Appearance

Petunia was very thin and bony, had blond hair and a horse-face. She had a long neck, which helped her spy on neighbours.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ Lily Potter, Petunia's younger sister was born in January 1960. Petunia would need to be born earlier than May 1960 in order for that to be true.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 33
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 4
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 1
5. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 1 stated that Petunia had not saw Lily for a few years by 1981, meaning it had to be longer than two years.
6. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 10
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 2
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 3
9. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 5
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 6
11. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 17
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 1
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 2
14. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 3
15. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 1
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 2
17. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 1