The Postman of Little Whinging

The postman of Little Whinging is the Muggle postal worker responsible for delivering mail to Privet Drive. His brief but memorable appearance occurs at the beginning of Harry Potter's magical journey, where his ordinary routine is disrupted by the flood of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry acceptance letters addressed to Harry Potter. He serves as a key indicator of the magical world's persistent and unusual encroachment upon the mundane life of the Dursley family, and his reaction of bewilderment and fear highlights the strangeness of the events.

In July of 1991, the postman carried out his daily route in Little Whinging, Surrey. His week became progressively more bizarre as he was tasked with delivering an ever-increasing number of letters to Number Four, Privet Drive, all addressed to Harry Potter. Initially, the postman shared a laugh with Vernon Dursley about the first letter, which was unusually addressed to “The Cupboard under the Stairs”. However, as identical letters continued to arrive day after day, his good humour turned to confusion and eventually terror. By the end of the week, Vernon Dursley spotted the postman approaching the house and, hoping to complain, tried to speak with him. To Vernon's fury, the postman appeared so frightened that he was seen sheltering behind a garden wall before running away, having seemingly abandoned his duty to deliver mail to the Dursleys' house. His fear was a direct result of the magical deluge he could not explain. Vernon's subsequent attempts to resolve the issue involved making angry phone calls to the post office.

The novels provide no physical description of the postman. Initially, he is portrayed as a typical, cheerful mail carrier, sharing a joke with a resident on his route. However, his personality shifts dramatically in response to the supernatural volume of mail. He becomes frightened and avoids the Dursley residence, demonstrating that even a mundane Muggle life can be thrown into chaos by the workings of the wizarding world.

As a Muggle, the postman possesses no magical abilities. His skills are entirely related to his profession in the non-magical world.

While not explicitly detailed, the postman would have possessed the standard equipment of a Royal Mail worker, including a mailbag and a uniform.

The postman had a professional and initially cordial relationship with the residents of his route, including Vernon Dursley. This relationship deteriorated rapidly due to the magical circumstances surrounding Harry Potter's letters, with the postman's fear overriding his professional duties where the Dursley family was concerned.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the postman is portrayed by actor Harry Taylor. He is shown looking utterly bewildered as he hands a large bundle of letters to Petunia Dursley. The same actor also appears as the station guard at King's Cross Station in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film).