Harry’s time at 4 Privet Drive with the Dursleys has become an iconic part of theHarry Potterfranchise. Following the deaths of his parents, Harry was forced to live with the Dursleys because Petunia was Harry’s only living blood relative. As manyHarry Potterfans will know, both James and Lily Potter were killed by Voldemort when they were aged just 21. Seeing as James and Lily were so young when they met their untimely deaths, fans have often questioned why Harry couldn’t have lived with his Grandparents. Rather than staying with hiscruel and neglectful Aunt Petunia, it would’ve made more sense for Harry to live with his Grandparents.
Throughout the series, J.K Rowling offers plenty ofdetailed backstoriesfor multiple characters. However, Harry’s Grandparents remain mysterious and distant figures throughout the entireHarry Potterfranchise. The characters are rarely mentioned, meaning that fans have to gather strands of information in order to piece together their stories.In an interview, Rowling confirmed that all four of Harry’s Grandparents had died, which is why Harry couldn’t have stayed with them after his own parents’ deaths. It seems incredibly tragic for Harry’s parents to have lost both their parents by the age of 21, leading many fans to question why more emphasis wasn’t placed on their stories. So, what exactly happened to James and Lily’s parents, and how did this impact Harry?
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What happened to James’ parents?
James Potterwas born into a wealthy family of Pure-Bloods. He was the son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. His father, Fleamont, was the creator of the famous Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion, which contributed towards the family’s wealth. James’ parents originally believed that they were unable to have children, so it was a welcome surprise when Euphemia discovered that she was pregnant later in life.
Both Fleamont and Euphemia were present atJames and Lily’swedding, however they sadly died shortly afterward. Unfortunately, James’ parents contracted Dragon Pox – a potentially fatal illness in the wizarding world. Dragon Pox is a contagious disease, which causes the victim’s skin to become pockmarked. Sufferers of the illness can also have a greenish tinge appear on their skin. Elderly witches and wizards are more susceptible to the Dragon Pox, and the disease is much more dangerous for elderly patients. Inthe Half-Blood Prince’sbook, Horace Slughorn comments upon this whilst discussingDraco Malfoy’sgrandfather: “I was sorry to hear he had died, although of course it wasn’t unexpected, Dragon Pox at his age”.
Because of Euphemia’s pregnancy later in the couple’s life, James’ parents were extremely vulnerable to the illness. The couple sadly passed away within days of one another, which meant that James lost both of his parents by the age of 20. However, Harry Potter fans will know that James would meet his own untimely death only a year later. Fleamont and Euphemia’s sudden deaths meant that they never got to meet Harry, but they thankfully witnessed their son’s happiness after marrying Lily Evans.
What happened to Lily’s parents?
Unlike James, there is a lot less information about what happened to Lily’s parents. Lily was aMuggle-born witch, which means that both of her parents were Muggles. Lily’s parents celebrated her magical abilities, and they were both incredibly proud to have a witch in the family – unlike Lily’s sister, Petunia, who dismissed her as a freak.
It’s unclear exactly how Lily’s parents died. However,in a later interview, J.K Rowling stated that the couple both had “normal Muggle death[s]”. Because of this unclear statement, fans have been left to speculate how Lily parents’ actually died. Some fans have suggested that they died from an illness, whilst others believe that they tragically died in a car accident – which would explain why Petunia falsely told Harry that his own parents passed away in a car accident. Other fans have criticized Rowling’s failure to explain how Lily’s parents died, calling this lazy writing and a crucial omission from theHarry Potterfranchise. It’s unknown whether Lily’s parents got the chance to meet Harry, but it’s unlikely that they did.
How did this impact Harry?
Following the death of James and Lily, Harry was forced to live with his only surviving blood relative, Petunia Dursley – Lily’s sister. Famously,the Dursley familywere incredibly cruel to Harry, and treated him horrendously. They are infamously known as the “the worst sort of Muggles imaginable” and madeHarry’s life at 4 Privet Drive a living hell.
The death of all four of Harry’s grandparents made Harry feel incredibly isolated from his family, as he grew up unaware of his family’s esteemed history.J.K Rowling confessedthat it was important to kill off Harry’s grandparents from a plot-perspective, stating that: “As a writer, it was more interesting, plot-wise, if Harry was completely alone. So I rather ruthlessly disposed of his entire family apart from Aunt Petunia”. Rowling went on to say that “There’s nothing serious or sinister about those deaths. I just needed them out of the way so I killed them”.
Fans are hoping that theupcomingHarry PotterTV showwill shed more light on Harry’s Grandparents. Its decade-spanning plot has the potential to place overlookedHarry Pottercharacters in the spotlight, meaning that Harry’s Grandparents could potentially become significant characters, as opposed to simply being used as plot devices.
