JK Rowling has shed new light on the Dursleys' intense dislike of Harry Potter, explaining their backstory in a recent piece for her website Pottermore. The author addressed fan disappointment over Aunt Petunia's cold farewell in the final novel, revealing that she intended to show a flicker of buried affection that Petunia ultimately could not express.
Rowling described the Dursleys as embodying 'reactionary, prejudiced, narrow-minded, ignorant and bigoted' traits, and explained that Petunia's jealousy of her sister Lily's magical abilities, combined with Vernon's disdain for anything unusual, fueled their cruelty. Vernon's dislike was also tied to Harry's resemblance to his father James, whom Vernon had despised.
The author detailed how the couples fell out after Vernon patronised James about wizards' finances, and how Petunia grudgingly took Harry in after his parents' murder, punishing him for her own choice. Rowling also revealed the origins of the characters' names, with 'Petunia' stemming from childhood games and 'Dursley' from a Gloucestershire town near her birthplace.
