Aunt

An aunt is the sister of one's parent or the wife of one's uncle. In the Harry Potter series, the role of an aunt is frequently significant, often representing a character's connection to their family history, both magical and Muggle. Aunts can serve as guardians, antagonists, or unexpected allies, highlighting major themes of family, blood ties, loyalty, and the environment in which a young witch or wizard is raised. The actions and beliefs of a character's aunt often have a profound and lasting impact on their life and development.

Petunia Dursley (née Evans) is Harry Potter's maternal aunt, the older sister of his mother, Lily Potter. After Lily and James Potter were murdered by Lord Voldemort, Harry was sent to live with Petunia and her husband, Vernon Dursley, at Number Four, Privet Drive.

• Role and Relationship: Petunia harboured a deep-seated resentment and jealousy of her sister's magical abilities, which she disguised as disdain for the wizarding world. This translated into a decade of neglect and emotional abuse towards her nephew. Despite her cruelty, her home provided Harry with a powerful magical protection, rooted in his mother's sacrifice. As long as Harry could call the place where his mother's blood dwelled “home,” he was protected from Lord Voldemort and his followers. This protection was established by Albus Dumbledore and was a crucial element of his survival.

Marjorie Dursley, known as Aunt Marge, is the sister of Vernon Dursley and therefore Harry Potter's aunt by marriage. She is not a blood relative. A breeder of bulldogs, Marge is a cruel and unpleasant woman who takes great pleasure in insulting and demeaning Harry.

• Role and Relationship: Her visits to the Dursley household were a source of dread for Harry. During a visit just before his third year at Hogwarts, Marge's insults about his parents became so vicious that Harry lost control of his emotions and accidentally caused her to inflate like a balloon. This act of underage magic led Harry to run away from Privet Drive, setting in motion key events of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Auntie Muriel is the great-aunt of Molly Weasley and her brothers, Gideon and Fabian Prewett. She is known to the Weasley children as “Auntie Muriel.” At one hundred and seven years old by the time of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding, she is known for her sharp tongue and tendency to gossip.

• Role and Relationship: Despite her cantankerous personality, Muriel proves to be a loyal ally to the Order of the Phoenix. She lends Fleur Delacour her valuable, goblin-made tiara for the wedding. More significantly, during the height of the Second Wizarding War, she shelters the Weasley family and other allies at her heavily protected home after they are forced to flee The Burrow.

The three sisters of the noble House of Black—Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa—all serve as aunts to the next generation, each embodying a different aspect of the family's legacy.

• Andromeda Tonks: The middle sister, Andromeda, is the aunt of Draco Malfoy. She was disowned by her family for marrying a Muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks. She is the mother of Nymphadora Tonks. Harry notes her striking physical resemblance to her sister Bellatrix, but with a kinder face. She is a loving mother and grandmother, and a firm supporter of the Order of the Phoenix.
• Bellatrix Lestrange: The eldest sister, Bellatrix, is the aunt of Nymphadora Tonks and Draco Malfoy. A fanatically loyal and sadistic Death Eater, her familial relationships are entirely secondary to her devotion to Lord Voldemort. She is directly responsible for the murders of her niece, Nymphadora Tonks, and her cousin, Sirius Black.
• Narcissa Malfoy: The youngest sister, Narcissa, is the aunt of Nymphadora Tonks. Her primary motivation is the protection of her son, Draco Malfoy. While she shares her family's pure-blood supremacist ideology, her love for Draco ultimately leads her to defy Lord Voldemort. She lies to the Dark Lord about Harry Potter's death in the Forbidden Forest to ensure she can return to Hogwarts and find her son, an act of betrayal that is critical to Voldemort's final defeat.