Little Whinging
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Harry Potter locale | |
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| Little Whinging | |
|---|---|
| Location | Surrey |
| Permanent residents | Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley, Dudley Dursley, Harry Potter and Arabella Figg |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
Little Whinging, Surrey, England, is a fictitious town to the south of London created by author J. K. Rowling for the Harry Potter novels.
Rowling supposedly designed this place to be a bland, stereotypical town in London's commuter belt, in order to contrast it with the unique and spectacular Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The name "Little Whinging" is a pun on "whinging", which is English slang for endlessly complaining about something. (The equivalent word in American English is whining.)
Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, is Harry Potter's home, where he lives with his aunt, uncle and cousin, the Dursleys. He has lived there since the age of 15 months, having previously lived with his parents in Godric's Hollow. However, since beginning at Hogwarts, he spends little time here, returning only during the summer holidays.
In the novels and films, the Dursleys' home is in a respectable and deeply boring neighbourhood where the neighbours ostracise Harry, who despises Little Whinging because of his memories of his cruel treatment there. Vernon Dursley has told everyone that the boy is criminally insane and attends St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys (to cover up the fact that Harry goes to a school of magic). However, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Albus Dumbledore reveals that there is a reason why Harry must return there at least once a year.
Number four is a midsized, comfortable, and beautifully maintained two-storey house. The internal staircase offers the typical storage area under the stair, in which Harry was initially forced to live. Post is usually received through the letter slot in the front door; however, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, after Uncle Vernon repeatedly destroys Harry's Hogwarts letters, a deluge of magical post through the kitchen fireplace floods the house. The garden is especially well kept. Mr and Mrs Dursley are depicted as a stereotypical prosperous couple who crave respectability, detest abnormality and fear what the neighbours will think. They also resent having to care for Harry, and accordingly, whilst lavishing love and gifts upon their son, begrudge Harry anything.
[edit] After the Harry Potter films
The owner of the house used in filming the Harry Potter films, 12 Picket Post Close, Bracknell, Berkshire, in July 2003 had difficulty selling it, despite hoping its status would command a massive premium.
[edit] External links
| Harry Potter locations | |
|---|---|
| Towns | Godric's Hollow · Hogsmeade · Little Hangleton · Little Whinging |
| Schools | Hogwarts · Durmstrang · Beauxbatons |
| Homes | Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place · The Riddle House |
| Streets | Diagon Alley · Knockturn Alley · Spinner's End |
| Other | Azkaban · Hall of Prophecies · Hog's Head · Ministry of Magic · Shrieking Shack · St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries · Weasley's Wizard Wheezes · Wizarding world |
