The Harry Potter series is centered around themes of growth, bravery, inner strength, and loyalty. When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published, the namesake character, Harry Potter was only 11 years old. While he was battling fantastic beasts and wizards at Hogwarts, he was facing an even more insidious and relatable threat at home – the villainous Dursley family. As his adopted parents, Vernon and Petunia Dursley (along with their spoiled son Dudley) proved that Harry’s enemies weren’t just in the Wizarding World. And yet, as objectionable as the Dursely’s were, they weren’t irredeemable.
As terrible as Harry’s adopted family was to him, and his cousin Dudley was often the most cruel, there was one moment in the final Harry Potter book that shows Dudley has changed. As Harry prepares to leave Privet Drive behind, Dudley displays surprising contrition and reflection, proving that he no longer sees Harry as an enemy. However, the movies didn’t do Dudley’s ending justice at all, removing the scene where he says goodbye altogether.HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter television show could change that, finally bringing the best Dursley moment in the series to life.
The Harry Potter Movies Should Never Have Removed Dudley Dursley’s Book Ending
What Dudley’s Change of Heart Reveals About His Journey
The opportunity to experience a character’s growth from childhood to adulthood is rare; when it comes to Dudley Dursley, he had a tremendous transformation that should have been shown on screen. The Harry Potter movies didn’t show much of the Dursleys except for small scenes here and there, but when Dudley was included, he was invariably a major adversary for Harry. In the books, however, their relationship is much more complex. After operating as an extension of his parents’ bigotry, Dudley shows real growth in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, telling him, “I don’t think you’re a waste of space“.
Dudley’s sentiment towards Harry is far more symbolic than anything, as it is meant to rectify years of making Harry feel invisible and unimportant. By ensuring that Dudley went out of his way to speak to Harry before they separated, author J.K. Rowling quickly communicated just how much Dudley may have matured over the years and grown to love his cousin. This scene also provides hope that Harry’s generation can be better than their parents were. While people wonder about Dudley’s fate after Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, this scene alludes to him growing up and living a normal, non-hate-fueled life.
HBO’s Harry Potter TV Show Can Finally Do Dudley’s Best Scene Justice
Why HBO’s Adaptation Is the Perfect Medium for Dudley’s Arc
Even within J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, Dudley didn’t get much page time because he was a minor character, uninvolved with the overall plot. Dudley did however play a large role in Harry’s backstory, making him who he is and even likely contributing to his sorting into Gryffindor. Yet, Harry’s story really takes place at Hogwarts, where Dudley never goes, so Rowling never takes the time to build out Dudley’s journey or growth. A television show is the perfect way to break away from the mold and show scenes of Dudley’s struggle to break free from his parents’ evil influence.
The juxtaposition between Dudley’s first scenes in the series, torturing Harry, and his last scene in the series, wishing Harry well, is an emotional example of how people can choose to grow up and be better.
The most crucial scene that encapsulates Dudley’s growth and has the power to change the public perception of him is when he says his final goodbye to Harry. The juxtaposition between Dudley’s first scenes in the series, torturing Harry, and his last scene in the series, wishing Harry well, is an emotional example of how people can choose to grow up and be better. This scene fits perfectly into this story’s overall themes and would be easy to show on-screen; even more powerful if viewers got to see interspersed scenes of Dudley being kinder to Harry as they age.
Dudley Dursley Deserves A Better Portrayal In The Upcoming HBO Remake
Dudley’s Transformation Is What Deserves More Screen-Time
One of the things the books get across really well and portray effectively is the fact that Dudley is a kid. He’s terrible at the beginning of the story, but he’s very much the product of terrible parents that created a spoiled, cruel, and miserable child. In a way, Dudley is also a victim of his environment, robbed by his bitter parents of his only chance at a real friend in childhood. Due to this, Dudley’s transformation is even more surprising, refreshing, and important to include in his character arc; without it, any scenes of Dudley whatsoever seem somewhat hollow.
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New Harry Potter Stories Will Factor Into Upcoming Series Remake
Despite being a remake, HBO’s Harry Potter stories will feature elements from newer Wizarding World stories, including the video game Hogwarts Legacy.
Moments featuring Dudley have actually proven to resonate widely, such as the Dementor attack scene from Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. While scenes like that one may be sad and hard to watch, they undoubtedly help Dudley continue his arc and become a better person by the end of the series. The Harry Potter show should make sure not to cut out scenes of Dudley, as his development means so much more than it may seem, and speaks to Harry Potter’s overall theme: that choices we make define us, not the situations we are in.
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- Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Tom Felton , Alan Rickman , Matthew Lewis , Bonnie Wright , Evanna Lynch , Maggie Smith , Michael Gambon , Richard Harris , Ralph Fiennes , Helena Bonham Carter , Alfred Enoch , Harry Melling , Gary Oldman , Robert Pattinson , Warwick Davis , Oliver Phelps , James Phelps , David Bradley , David Thewlis , Katie Leung , Jason Isaacs , Imelda Staunton , David Tennant , Jamie Campbell Bower , Timothy Spall , Robbie Coltrane , Eddie Redmayne , Jude Law , Katherine Waterston , Ezra Miller , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Johnny Depp , Mads Mikkelsen