Summary

• The Dursleys were forced to accept Harry's identity but remained reluctant to engage with the Wizarding World.
• Dudley showed growth, marrying and having children, while keeping an awkward yet improving relationship with Harry.
• Fiona Shaw, Richard Griffiths, and Harry Melling continued their successful careers after their roles in Harry Potter.

What happened to the Dursley family after Harry Potter ended? The characters of Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley Dursley appeared throughout the movie franchise portrayed by Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, and Harry Melling, respectively. Vernon and Petunia were afraid of Harry's connection to magic, so they hid the fact that he was a wizard. They also greatly neglected Harry, forcing him to stay in the cupboard under the stairs. They treated their son, Dudley, far better by spoiling him and giving in to the boy's constant demands.

After Harry went to Hogwarts, the Dursley family was forced to accept Harry's true identity. They started to make minor improvements in their treatment of Harry, but they remained reluctant to encounter anyone from the Wizarding World. Since the Harry Potter series ended, controversial author J.K. Rowling provided tidbits regarding the fate of the dishonorable Dursleys. Harry's relationship with Uncle Vernon and the Dursley family didn't change much when he got older, but it did start to take a positive turn in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

What Happened To The Dursleys

Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley Dursley were forced from their home to be placed under the protection of the Order of the Phoenix due to the threat of Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Harry's cousin Dudley was the only member of the Dursley family to show any interest in reconciling with him.

Before the family left their home, Melling's Dudley Dursley left out a cup of tea for Harry, although Harry initially viewed it as a prank. Dudley then shook hands with Harry, bidding him farewell. Petunia Dursley almost wished Harry well before the family departed but couldn't get the words out. Petunia seemed to hold a sense of loyalty towards Harry, but she locked those feelings deep inside.

Before the Second Wizarding War, Rowling shared that Dudley went on to marry and had two children. Harry was supposedly on amicable with the Dursley family, claiming they were on his Christmas card list. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia (who had secretly longed for magic herself) didn't see much of their nephew, for obvious reasons. Dudley, on the other hand, reunited with Harry a few times so that their children could play together. Their relationship was awkward, but this was a major change from when they grew up.

The Harry Potter movies are available to stream on Peacock.

Why The Dursley's Harry Potter Ending Is Perfect

Throughout the Harry Potter series, the Dursley family tortured Harry without end. So, while a little more justice could've been done, Rowling settled on the perfect ending. Harry leaves Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon on a cold note, which is to be expected after all the abuse he endured at their hands. Having the family make up would've felt like artificially engineering a happy ending that the Dursley family didn't deserve.

It's better that Vernon and Petunia were escorted to safety with little word from Harry, as it was the most amicable end that the family could reach. Dudley Dursley did experience growth that's more widely explored in the books. After the Dementor attack in Little Whinging, Dudley was a changed man who grew to accept Harry a little more. His parents didn't experience the same arc, but Dudley gave Harry a somewhat proper goodbye, at least.

The Dursley family didn't appear in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, though they were mentioned. It was revealed that Petunia ed away sometime before 2020, but the reason for her death was never shared. Harry Potter fans were always hopeful that Petunia would embrace her connection to the Wizarding World. Those hopes have been dashed, but at least Dudley eventually found the courage to change his behavior – a symptom of Harry's infectious goodness.

Inspiration For The Dursleys Came From Public Information Commercials

It’s no secret that Rowling took plenty of inspiration from real life for her Harry Potter novels. The Dursley family is actually inspired by several aspects of her life. Before Wizarding World's website, there was Pottermore (which closed to be folded into Wizarding World in 2019), which is where Rowling shared many behind-the-scenes details about her writing process and inspirations. It was there that she originally shared details about the Dursley family.

Not only did Rowling reveal that the name Petunia was chosen because it was always the name she gave “unpleasant” females when playing make-believe as a child and that she never liked the name Vernon, but she also revealed that Dursley is the name of a town she’d never even visited. Rowling also made a surprising revelation about the family: their attitude was inspired by public information commercials she saw when she was young. Those commercials featured a couple on a picnic watching someone drown.

That is fitting for Uncle Vernon. Vernon Dursley, who only wanted to see things his way, would have been the person who would continue to go about his own day despite what was happening to others. He wouldn’t want someone else’s misfortune to interrupt him. It’s no wonder that the Harry Potter franchise never hints at redemption for Vernon the way it does for Dudley.

What The Dursley Actors Have Done Since Harry Potter Ended

The actors who starred as the Dursley family for the Harry Potter franchise appeared in five of the eight Harry Potter movies. Their time in the franchise came to an end in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, leaving the actors free to take on other roles while other actors continued their time in the movies. The trio of actors continued to grow their careers on the big and small screens.

Fiona Shaw, who played Petunia Dursley, has split her time between films, television, and the theater since her time in the Harry Potter franchise came to an end. Shaw has done several one-off appearances in television shows, like as a counselor in Fleabag, but has also had long-term roles in series, like Carolyn in Killing Eve. Netflix subscribers will recognize her from a part in Enola Holmes. Shaw also plays Maarva Andor in the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor and Rose Aguineau in HBO's True Detective.

Richard Griffiths, who played Vernon Dursley, only continued his work in the industry for a few years after the Harry Potter franchise ended. Though he had a deep love for the theater, he had a handful of on-screen roles in his final years. He appeared in an uncredited role in the time travel romance About Time and the science-fiction family film Hugo. Still, his most memorable is perhaps playing King George in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Griffiths ed away from complications following heart surgery in 2013.

Harry Melling, who played Dudley Dursley, split his time between the stage and the screen while appearing in the Harry Potter franchise. That has continued since playing Dudley. Melling and Shaw have even appeared in some theater projects together. Melling has found particular screen success with Netflix projects though. He’s appeared in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Old Guard, The Queen’s Gambit, and The Pale Blue Eye.

Though the Dursleys might have been preoccupied with what others thought of them in the Harry Potter franchise, the actors that played them loved to entertain, whether they played the villains, the comic relief, or the heroes. All the actors who played the Dursley family have made their mark on the theater stage and the screen.