Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon in
J.K. Rowling's
Harry Potter series,
Vernon Dursley is a thickset, no-nonsense true
Brit who easily turns purple and yells loudly when he gets mad, which happens a lot around
Harry. He works at a firm called
Grunnings where he makes drills.
After
Harry's parents
James and
Lily Potter die at the hand of evil
Lord Voldemort, his
Uncle Vernon and
Aunt Petunia must be his guardians. Together with their son
Dudley, the Dursleys are
Harry's only living relatives **spoiler for
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban here** until he discovers his godfather
Sirius Black in
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Vernon Dursley disapproves highly of any and all things involving magic, especially
Harry. He does his best to make life hard on the poor kid, even telling people that
Harry is at
St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys while he is actually at
Hogwarts. For Christmas, the Dursleys have given Harry such gracious presents as a single
Kleenex and a pair of
Uncle Vernon's old socks. They mistreat him because of his association with magic and resentment at having to care for him, often neglecting him and keeping him in his room.
Vernon Dursley appears in all four
Harry Potter novels:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Look for the fifth book
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to come out sometime in 2002.