Marjorie Dursley

Marjorie "Marge" Dursley is Vernon Dursley's sister. She breeds Bulldogs. Ripper, a particularly ferocious one, is her favourite. According to her, he cannot bear to be separated from her even for a few days. She has never married.

Early life
Marjorie Dursley was born somewhere in Britain to the Muggle Dursley family, sister to Vernon.

Adult life
Marjorie went on to live in the country, in a house with a large garden where she breeds bulldogs. She seems to have some money, because she frequently bought her nephew, Dudley Dursley, expensive presents and is noted to be vacationing some times.

Dudley's fifth birthday party
In June 1985, Marge was in Privet Drive to attend her nephew's fifth birthday party. She whacked Harry Potter, a then-four year old, around the shins with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at musical statues.

Christmas at Privet Drive
Between 1985 and 1990, Marge spent Christmas at Privet Drive. She brought a computerized robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry Potter.

Dudley's tenth birthday party
Marge was present again at Dudley's tenth birthday party, when Harry was nine. Harry accidentally stepped on Ripper's paw, causing the dog to chase Harry out into the garden and up a tree. Marge refused to call the dog off until past midnight, to the Dursleys' delight.

Vacationing at the Isle of Wight
"Oh! Marge is ill. Ate a funny whelk."

- Vernon Dursley after reading Marge's letter

In June 1991, Marjorie travelled to the Isle of Wight. Unable to attend Dudley's birthday, she sent him a present. It was also at the Isle of Wight that she fell ill after eating a "funny whelk", writing to the Dursleys to tell them about it.

Week at Privet Drive
"Bad blood will out. Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia, but your sister was a bad egg. They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us."

- Aunt Marge

During the summer of 1993, she stayed at the Dursleys' house for a week. Knowing nothing about Harry's "abnormality," Marge was told that Harry attended St. Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys.

She belittled Harry the entire week she was there. When she asked if the cane was used at St. Brutus', she commented that she didn't believe in not hitting people who deserved it. When she asked how often Harry was beaten, and he casually replied "all the time", she insisted that the school was clearly not hitting him hard enough.

She also delighted in comparing Harry to Dudley Dursley, and remarking about what made Harry such an unsatisfactory person. When Marge insulted his mother, Harry accidentally lost control of his magic, and shattered a brandy glass Marge was holding. A few days later, when she insulted his father, Harry intentionally inflated her like a balloon and floated her to the ceiling. A few hours later, she was found floating near a chimney in Sheffield. She was sucessfully punctured, and had her memory modified by the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad of the Ministry of Magic.

Physical appearance
Marge is described as resembling her brother: large, beefy, purple-faced, and even having a moustache, though not as bushy as his.

Personality and traits
"I won't have this namby-pamby, wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it. A good thrashing is what's needed in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. Have you been beaten often?"

- Aunt Marge to Harry

Marge eats and drinks excessively.

Marge does not like Harry, and the feeling is quite mutual. When she visits, she always brings expensive gifts for Dudley (who only puts up with her because he is well-paid for it) such as a computerized robot, and less satisfactory "gifts" for Harry such as a box of dog biscuits. Marge did not know Harry's parents, but she was constantly calling them names and implying their uselessness to society.

While she is not a blood relative of Harry's, he is forced to call her Aunt Marge (which she technically is, being Vernon's sister). She insults his parents, and allows Ripper to chase Harry up a tree and is generally very cruel to him; at Dudley's 5th birthday party, she whacked him in the shins to stop Harry from beating Dudley at musical statues. While the Dursleys frequently ask Harry to stay out of their way, which he is only too glad to do, Marge strives for the opposite: she wants him under her watch all the time, so she can spew out suggestions about how he can improve himself. Marge is a powerfully dominant woman whom even makes Vernon look weak and powerless.

Behind the scenes

 * Aunt Marge is played by Pam Ferris in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Etymology
Marjorie is a variant of Margaret. Derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαριτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", probably a borrowing from Sanskrit. Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world. The name "Dursley" comes from a town in Gloucestershire, England. Rowling chose the name because it sounded "dull and forbidding."

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Notes and references
Marjorie Dursley Марджори Дурсль