======Marjorie Dursley======
=====Introduction=====
Marjorie "Marge" Dursley is the older sister of [[Vernon Dursley]] and a [[Muggle]] with a profound dislike for her nephew-in-law, [[Harry Potter]]. A breeder of [[bulldog]]s by trade, she is a cruel and unpleasant woman who shares her brother's prejudiced worldview. Her primary role in the series is during //Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban//, where her vicious insults about [[Harry]]'s parents provoke him into performing a significant act of accidental, underage [[magic]], leading to her being magically inflated like a balloon.
=====Biography=====
Marjorie lives in the country, where she breeds [[bulldog]]s and leads a life largely separate from her brother's family, though she visits on occasion. She held a deep-seated prejudice against [[Harry Potter]] from a young age, believing the lies told by the [[Dursleys]] that he was a delinquent attending "[[St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys]]".
In the summer of 1993, Marge visited the [[Dursley]] home at [[Number Four, Privet Drive]] for a week-long stay. During her visit, she relentlessly tormented [[Harry]], comparing him unfavourably to her nephew [[Dudley Dursley]] and offering to kennel him with her dogs. The visit culminated in a dinner where Marge, having had too much brandy, launched into a tirade against [[Harry]]'s parents. She slandered his father, [[James Potter]], as a jobless layabout and his mother, [[Lily Potter]], as a "bad egg" with "bad blood". Enraged by these insults, [[Harry]] lost control of his [[magic]] and inadvertently caused Marge to inflate, swell into a monstrous balloon, and float up to the ceiling.
After [[Harry]] fled the house, Marge was attended to by the [[Ministry of Magic]]'s [[Accidental Magic Reversal Squad]]. They punctured her and modified her memory, erasing any recollection of the incident.
Marge is mentioned again in the summer of 1995, when [[Dudley]] recounts that her favourite [[bulldog]], Ripper, had to be put down after it savaged him. Despite her supposed distress over the loss of her dog, she still visited the [[Dursleys]] for tea, indicating her relationship with her brother's family continued.
=====Physical Appearance and Personality=====
Aunt Marge is described as being very similar to her brother, [[Vernon]]: large, beefy, and florid, with a "huge, purplish face" and very little neck. She has small, mean eyes and a mannish appearance.
Her personality is domineering, cruel, and deeply prejudiced. She is loud, opinionated, and enjoys bullying those she perceives as weaker, particularly [[Harry]]. She believes firmly in corporal punishment and "firmness" as the only way to raise children. The only creatures for whom she shows any affection are her twelve [[bulldog]]s, especially her favourite, Ripper. Her hatred for [[Harry]] appears to stem from her belief that he is a flawed and ungrateful burden on her "decent, hardworking" brother.
=====Magical Abilities and Skills=====
Marjorie Dursley is a [[Muggle]] and possesses no magical abilities. She is entirely ignorant of the existence of [[wizards]] and the [[magical world]], believing the false cover stories provided by [[Vernon]] and [[Petunia Dursley]].
=====Possessions=====
  * **Bulldogs:** Marge owns twelve [[bulldog]]s, which she breeds. Her favourite was a particularly vicious one named Ripper. She often left her other dogs with a neighbour, Colonel Fubster, when she travelled.
=====Relationships=====
  * **[[Vernon Dursley]]:** Marge is very fond of her younger brother and shares his bombastic personality and worldview. She believes he is a model of decency and success.
  * **[[Dudley Dursley]]:** She adores her nephew, whom she calls "Dudders" and "my little neffy-poo". She frequently gives him expensive gifts and praises him as a "fine boy," blind to his spoiled and bullying nature.
  * **[[Harry Potter]]:** Marge holds [[Harry]] in complete contempt. She actively enjoys insulting and demeaning him, considering him a waste of space and a product of "bad blood". Her cruelty is a direct catalyst for [[Harry]]'s decision to run away from the [[Dursley]]s.
  * **[[Petunia Dursley]]:** Marge's relationship with her sister-in-law seems cordial but distant. She often treats [[Petunia]] as little more than a domestic servant during her visits.
  * **[[James Potter]] and [[Lily Potter]]:** Though she never met them, Marge harbors a vicious and false opinion of [[Harry]]'s parents, presumably fed to her by [[Vernon]]. She calls [[James]] a "drunken layabout" and insults [[Lily]]'s character, which ultimately proves to be her undoing.
=====Etymology=====
  * **Marjorie:** A medieval English form of Margaret, from the Greek //margarites//, meaning "pearl." The name is deeply ironic given her abrasive and unpleasant character. Alternatively, the name contains the word "mar," meaning to spoil or damage, which reflects her ruinous effect on any environment she enters.
  * **Dursley:** [[J.K. Rowling]] chose this name after a town in Gloucestershire, England, which she has stated she found drab and uninspiring, suiting the family's personality.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]//, Marjorie Dursley was portrayed by actress Pam Ferris. The film visually depicts her inflating and floating out of the house into the night sky, a slight departure from the book where she only hits the ceiling before the [[Ministry of Magic]] arrives. (film)