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)

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:

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Peter Weber, The Week US

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.