J.K. Rowling Just Shared Some Big Harry Potter Dirt

Will we ever tire of getting more insight into the characters of Harry Potter? Of course not. Fortunately, J.K. Rowling is only too happy to nurture our thirst for more. Yesterday, the beloved author commemorated the birthday of Dudley Dursley with some background details about Harry's awful relatives. You remember, the ones who made Harry live under the stairs and sent him a single tissue for his birthday? Writing for Pottermore, Rowling revealed what inspired the Dursleys' first names. She "never much cared for" the name Vernon, while Petunia has graced a long line of baddies. "[It was] the name that I always gave unpleasant female characters in games of make-believe I played with my sister, Di, when we were very young," she shared. Vernon's disdain for Harry, she told die-hard fans, is tied to the wizard's physical resemblance to his late father, James. In fact, James and Vernon's first meeting was nothing short of a disaster. "James was amused by Vernon, and made the mistake of showing it," Rowling wrote. "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." Fat chance at that. Alas, Lily and James perished at Voldemort's hand, and Harry was shipped off to the Dursley home. Thank goodness for Hagrid and his 11th birthday revelations. Read On For More Rowling News:
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