Privet Drive

**Privet Drive** is the name of a road in Little Whinging in the county of Surrey in England. The houses are perfectly boxy and each has a garden at the front and back. It is the home of the Dursley family who live in 4 Privet Drive. It has a milkman and postal delivery service.

It is near Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk.

## History

Vernon and Petunia Dursley purchased to 4 Privet Drive before late 1981, and raised their child, Dudley Dursley there. In November 1981, Harry Potter went to live at Privet Drive when James and Lily Potter died.

For the next 16 years, the road was party to many magical events. Harry was dropped off by Albus Dumbledore who used the Deluminator to switch the lights off, Minerva McGonagall watched the road in Animagus form for the day, and Rubeus Hagrid who arrived by a flying motorcycle.

In July 1991, owls arrived at the house in an effort to give Harry an acceptance letter. The milkman of the road was also confused by the fact the eggs he was to give them had half a dozen letters in them instead, and the next day the postman had to put letters through the corners of the windows and door.

The next summer in 1992, Dobby the House-elf made Vernon put bars on Harry's window. That evening, Ronald Weasley, Fred Weasley and George Weasley flew their father's flying Ford Anglia car to save him. Fortunately, the neighbours of Privet Drive never noticed. Then in the summer of 1993, Harry inflated Marge Dursley and she flew down the road, and yet again none of the neighbours noticed.

Two years later, there was a hosepipe ban during a very hot summer. At the start of August, the inhabitants had stopped cleaning their cars and tending to their gardens, staying inside with their windows wide open. They were not impressed with how scruffy Harry looked those days.

For the safety of Harry, the Order of the Phoenix were keeping a secret eye on him, including Mundungus Fletcher and Arabella Figg. One evening, the neighbourhood were disturbed when they heard a very loud cracking sound caused by Fletcher who Disapparated. The neighbours were looking out their windows when Vernon was grabbing and shouting at Harry, who he held responsible. They soon closed their curtains once everything calmed down.

## Residents

* At number four live the Dursley family and Harry Potter.
* In 1981, Petunia spied on one of her neighbours and found out she wasn't getting on with her daughter, which she gossiped about to Vernon.
* At number seven lived a female neighbour who was glaring at Vernon behind her net curtains when there was a very loud cracking noise outside the Dursleys' house.
* Next door to number four lived a male neighbour who broke the hosepipe ban to water his garden with sprinklers at three in the morning. Vernon noticed and hoped the neighbour was listening to the news of the drought one evening.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ Vernon and Petunia were living here in late 1981 according *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 1.
2. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 3
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 1
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 3
6. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 3
7. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 2