Harry Potter: 10 Things Only Book Fans Know About The Dursleys

The world of Harry Potter is littered with loathsome characters. There’s Lord Voldemort of course, who spends his time planning genocide on a huge scale. There’s Dolores Umbridge, who spends the events of the Order of the Phoenix blockbuster making the Boy Who Lived’s spell at Hogwarts a living misery. And then there’s the Dursleys. Petunia and Vernon may have done a good thing taking Harry in after the deaths of Lily and James Potter but, when it comes to their actions, that’s as nice as they get.

Petunia, Vernon, and their child Dudley Dursley were all portrayed excellently in the Potter movies. However, not every detail about the trio made it onto the big screen. So here’s 10 things only fans of the book know about Harry’s horrible relatives.

10 Vernon Suspected Something Was Up

The Sorcerer’s Stone opens with Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall meeting up outside Number 4 Privet Drive. Once Rubeus Hagrid arrives, they leave Harry on the Dursley’s doorstep where he’s to spend the next decade being tormented by his relatives. What the blockbuster doesn’t show, however, is what happens beforehand.

In the book of the same name, Vernon Dursley suspects something is up. He sees wizards celebrating in the street (though he thinks of them as oddly-dressed individuals) and believes he overhears a group mentioning the name ‘Potter’. He opts against mentioning this to Petunia, thinking they won’t be impacted. How wrong he was…

9 Albus Dumbledore Gave Them Stern Orders

Dumbledore left a letter with the Dursleys then he placed Harry on their doorstep in the first movie. What the films don’t reveal, however, is what it enclosed.

Dumbledore tells Harry’s aunt that, because she possesses the same blood as her sister Lily, the Boy Who Lived will be protected as long as he stays with her until he becomes of age (which is seventeen in the wizarding world.) He also tells her to treat Harry well, as if he’s her own son. She doesn’t live up to this end of the deal.

8 And He Was Furious They Were Disobeyed

Dumbledore visits the Dursley household in the Half-Blood Prince book, something the movie of the same name doesn’t show. He goes to collect Harry in person but can’t resist giving the Dursleys a good telling-off, having the audacity to call them out on their horrible behaviour inside their very own living room.

The Hogwarts headmaster slams their treatment of Harry over the years and also takes aim at Dudley, saying they’ve treated their own son badly as well. The family don’t know what to make of this so just sit there and take it. It’s something we’d have loved to have seen play out in a movie theatre but, unfortunately, Warner Bros didn’t deem it worthy of inclusion.

7 They Had To Go Private To Get Dudley’s Tail Fixed

In the United Kingdom, they get free healthcare via the NHS – which is funded by taxpayers. However, the Dursleys are actually forced to pay for private treatment when Rubeus Hagrid gives Dudley a tail during an epic scene in the Sorcerer’s Stone movie.

They’re furious about this and we’d loved to have seen the face of the medical specialists who would have had to operate. After all, it’s not every day a human walks into your work with a pigs tail. Hagrid shows no remorse for his actions, despite the half-giant actually being banned from performing magic after being expelled many years previously, and Dudley is scared of magic from that moment on. Let’s face it, who can blame him?

6 Dudley Was Tricked by Fred And George

Fred and George Weasley love a good prank. Unfortunately, fans of the movies never get to see the duo meet Dudley, who is one of the biggest bullies in the entire franchise. However, their paths cross in the Goblet of Fire book when the twins accompany father Arthur Weasley to fetch Harry from the Dursleys and bring him back to The Burrow.

Dudley is on a diet during this time but Fred and George capitalize on this. They ruthlessly leave a toffee lying around – but it’s no ordinary sweet. Petunia and Vernon’s son greedily takes the bait and, consequently, his tongue swells up a huge amount. Arthur is forced to do some repair work but that’s made difficult by the Dursleys, who charge at him in their rage.

5 Dudley Got Shredded

Dudley in the books is, for the most part, a large individual. He’s got the same genetics as his father, which makes him considerably large. However, he’s noticeably slimmer in the Order of the Phoenix movie. And the book of the same name explains this.

While actor Harry Melling underwent a stunning transformation of his own, Dudley in the source material actually takes up boxing. He becomes much more muscly as a result and uses his strength to torment anybody he wants, Harry included. That’s why, when he’s brought back to the Dursleys after the Dementor’s attack on Little Whinging, they’re so shocked. They never imagined their big, powerful son being so weak.

4 Petunia Was Warned After The Dementor Attack

After Dudley is attacked by the guards of Azkaban, the Order of the Phoenix movie moves on quickly. But the book shows there was quite a reaction to the incident, with many owls flying into their room. One is from the Ministry of Magic, which tells Harry he’s been expelled. Another is from Arthur, who warns him to stay put. And a third is from the Ministry of Magic again, who claim he’ll now be put on trial having previously had his time at Hogwarts brought to an end.

However, there’s also a fourth owl sent by somebody unknown. When a shaking Petunia opens the letter, a sinister voice says ‘remember my last, Petunia.’ It’s later explained that this was from Albus Dumbledore, who knew the Dursleys were close to cutting ties with their nephew. In the end, Harry stays put.

3 Vernon Went To Shake Harry’s Hand (Then Didn’t)

Fans never got to say a proper goodbye to the Dursleys. They make a brief, and we mean brief, cameo in the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 before they’re whisked away. They’re forced to leave their family home after it’s made clear to them that, should they stay, then Lord Voldemort will likely come by to pay them a visit. Not a guest we’d like to see turn up at our front door.

In the book, Vernon goes to shake Harry’s hand – then pulls out. It seems he can’t face saying goodbye to somebody he’s spent the last 17 years hating on. And Aunt Petunia isn’t much better.

2 Aunt Petunia Couldn’t Get Her Words Out

Aunt Petunia is brilliantly played by Fiona Shaw during the Potter movies. Shaw really nailed the character being immensely difficult to read, something that’s made clear in the source material. And it’s a shame that a scene she shot with Daniel Radcliffe for the penultimate entry in the series didn’t make it into the final cut.

In the book and deleted scene, Petunia struggles to get her words out. She seems like she’s about to wish Harry good luck on his quest to defeat Lord Voldemort before thinking better of it. JK Rowling later said that years of hiding her feelings had hardened the Boy Who Lived’s aunt, somewhat explaining her bad behaviour.

1 Dudley Was Nice To Harry

Another deleted scene we wished had made it into the final cut was Dudley saying goodbye to Harry. We’re not quite sure why it was left on the cutting room floor but there’s nothing we can do all these years on.

In the Deathly Hallows novel, Dudley leaves tea outside Harry’s door. He thinks this is a prank from his cousin but is pleasantly surprised when he’s given a nice send-off. Dudley says that he doesn’t think the Boy Who Lived is a waste of space, thanks him for saving him from the Dementors two years previously and the pair shake hands. Rowling later revealed the pair were on ‘Christmas card terms’ after the Battle of Hogwarts, but their relationship still wasn’t that great.