J.K. Rowling blames the Dursleys' antipathy toward Harry Potter on his father, James

J.K. Rowling finally explains why the Dursleys hate Harry Potter so much

(Image credit: Facebook/HarryPotterMovie)

published 24 June 2015

In J.K. Rowling's famous world of wizards and magic, orphaned Harry Potter was raised by muggle relatives: His mom's sister, Petunia Dursley, her husband, Vernon, and their son, Dudley. It wasn't a happy relationship, and Rowling never really explained why in the books. On her site Pottermore, Rowling rectified that, pinning the blame largely on Potter's father, James.

The fallout between the two families started when Petunia, already jealous of her sister, invited Lily and James (then Lily's boyfriend) out to dinner with her fiancé, Vernon. The meeting "went badly, and the relationship nose-dived from there," Rowling writes:

James was amused by Vernon, and made the mistake of showing it. Vernon tried to patronize James, asking what car he drove. James described his racing broom. Vernon supposed out loud that wizards had to live on unemployment benefit. James explained about Gringotts, and the fortune his parents had saved there, in solid gold. Vernon could not tell whether he was being made fun of or not, and grew angry. The evening ended with Vernon and Petunia storming out of the restaurant, while Lily burst into tears and James (a little ashamed of himself) promised to make things up with Vernon at the earliest opportunity. This never happened. [Rowling, Pottermore]

You can read more about this particular backstory at Pottermore (or, if you're not a member, the Pottermore wiki).

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.