“I Don’t Think You’re a Waste of Space.”

Dudley – An aristocratic surname used as a first name since the 19th Century. Also, a town in one of England’s largest cities – Birmingham. Also, from the meadow.

Dursley – A town near J.K. Rowling’s birthplace.

Dudley? What’s so great about him? Not much, to be honest. He’s a jerk to Harry while they were growing up, but it makes Harry a better person. Dudley is spoiled and obnoxious. Dudley prepares Harry for a magical bully, found in Draco. Eventually, Dudley realizes that Harry is actually a decent person and that he was a jerk all those years. But he doesn’t realize it until they are being separated, and at that point they don’t know if or when they’ll see each other again. Dudley’s shining moment where he tells Harry that he’s not a waste of space is cut from the movie – which is stupid. It’s very important, at least to me.

Dudley’s name clearly has some implications behind it as well. Dudley is spoiled and snobbish, hence aristocratic surname. On Pottermore, Rowling revealed that Dursley was nothing personal because she had never visited, but it the name itself sounded unpleasant to her.

Dudley’s a jerk. Plain and simple. But the thing is he’s just another example of how terrible Harry’s childhood is. He’s also a foil to Harry. They both grow up in the same house, but because of Vernon and Lily’s prejudice towards Harry and his parents, their lives are completely different. When Dumbledore comes and visits in Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore calls Vernon and Lily out on it. He tells them that though they cared for Harry and kept him under their roof, they never once treated him as a son, not even buying him a real birthday present. I think it’s hilarious when Dumbledore says something about the damage done to Dudley and Vernon and Petunia look at him trying to find the damage because they can’t see anything wrong with their perfect son. Another great scene that’s been deleted. In the long run, I think it’s probably for the best that Harry was never treated the same because he learned from a young age that life isn’t always easy. It’d be hard enough to lose your parents, but to not know them and have to live with your evil aunt and uncle…ugh. That’d be terrible.  More proof that Harry is awesomesauce.

Yeah Dudley’s rude at times, but other times, Harry provokes him when he’s angry. In The Order of the Phoenix, Harry is angry at Ron, Hermione, and Sirius  because they aren’t telling him what’s going on and he tries to take it out on Dudley, calling him “Big-D,” “Ickle Diddykins,” and other names. Plus, Dudley always somehow ends up getting the short stick when it comes to magic. I mean, he gets trapped in a boa constrictors cage, he gets a pig tail, Fred and George trick him and give him Ton-Tongue Toffee, and he gets attacked by Dementors, which he can’t even see. I’m sure there are lots more, too. I’m not really defending Dudley, I’m just saying, Harry isn’t exactly innocent in all cases.

More about the Dementor attack. Jo added it for a reason. Dudley, for the first time in his life, sees himself as he really is: a bully and a jerk. From that day on, Dudley changed and it helped him become a better person. Example: in The Deathly Hallows, Dudley leaves a cup of tea outside Harry’s door, but Harry misinterprets it for a prank, but after Dudley thanks Harry for saving his life (soul technically), Harry realizes that Dudley had changed. Jo revealed that Harry makes his kids go visit Dudley’s family every so often even though they find it dull. I think it shows that Harry and Dudley grew up and moved past their differences. (This is something that’s kind of subtly hinted at in the Epilogue; when Ron sees Draco and his family he tells his children to not become friends with Scorpius; in other words, Ron still hasn’t grown up.)

More on Dudley here!

Some Dudley quotes (you can see some progression of his snobbish-ness):

“Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel – Harry often  said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.”

“Thirty-six. That’s two less than last year!”

“Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?”

Hagrid: “Meant to turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn’t much left ter do.”

Harry: “But I haven’t had any messages, from any of my friends. Not one, all summer.” Dudley: “Who’d want to be friends with you?”

Harry: “Hey Big D. Beat up another 10 year old?” Dudley: “This one deserved it.”

“‘Don’t kill Cedric!’ Who’s Cedric? Your boyfriend?”

“Dad – I’m going wit these Order people.”

Dudley: “I don’t think you’re a waste of space.” Harry: “Well…er…thanks, Dudley.” Dudley: “You saved my life.”