The Smallest Bedroom

The Smallest Bedroom is a room located on the upper story of number 4 Privet Drive. The smallest room in the house, this was where Dudley Dursley stored the possessions that wouldn't fit in his bedroom. It became the bedroom of Harry Potter in 1991.

Location, contents and appearance
"...where Dudley kept all his toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom"

- Description

Description
Dudley's second bedroom was one of four bedrooms located at the Dursley residence, and was situated on the second storey of the house. It was the smallest of all the bedrooms, and was used for some time as a store room for some of Dudley Dursley's possessions, usually old toys until 1991. It also had a window overlooking the front garden, a bed (that was unused) and a book case lodging dusty books. When Harry Potter lived in the room, it contained a bed, his owl, Hedwig (usually inside her cage), and his Hogwarts trunk full of old clothing and other supplies. During the Summer of 1992, Vernon Dursley placed bars on the window to prevent Harry from escaping. The room also contained a wardrobe, and a lockable door (often used to the advantage of Vernon and Petunia Dursley). The room also contains a desk, a bedside table and a couple of lamps.

Contents
The following is a list of the known objects that the room contained:
 * A wardrobe
 * A bed
 * A book case full of dusty; these were said to be the only things that appeared untouched
 * A video camera
 * A small, working tank that Dudley had once driven over the next-door neighbour's dog
 * Dudley's first-ever television set
 * A large bird cage that once held a parrot
 * A real, bent, air rifle.
 * An alarm clock

The Dudley years
"I don't want him in there... I need that room... make him get out..."

- Dudley Dursley on his "need" for his second bedroom

This bedroom belonged to Dudley Dursley for a large percentage of his life. Presumably, it "belonged" to him as of 1980, the year of his birth, until 1991, when Harry Potter took up residency of the bedroom. Dudley did not use the room to sleep in, but rather to store his possessions, in particular old toys and games that were broken, or that he no longer wanted.

Harry's bedroom
Harry Potter moved into Dudley's second bedroom during the summer of 1991. Although it was the first bedroom he had ever resided in, and the only one he would until at least 1997, he did not consider it a home as he did Hogwarts.

Initial residency
"Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it."

- Description of Harry's feelings once he has moved into the room.

Upon receiving a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991 which was addressed to Harry's room in the Cupboard under the stairs, Vernon Dursley told Harry Potter that he could move into Dudley's second bedroom. Harry longed for the bedroom for a long time, however, at the time he received it, he only wished he could read his letter from Hogwarts. More arrived later on addressed to him, with his location being "the smallest bedroom".

Summer of 1992
During the Summer of 1992, Dobby the house-elf visited Harry in his room, a drama that had serious consequences.

Dobby's visit
While Harry was on holidays during the summer of 1992, he was ordered to stay inside his bedroom because the Dursleys had some important visitors: Mr. and Mrs. Mason. Harry was told to remain in his bedroom and make no noise whatsoever. This proved difficult however, because, upon entering his room, Harry discovered Dobby the house-elf waiting for him on his bed. Dobby was there to warn Harry implicitly of Tom Riddle and Lucius Malfoy's, plot involving the Chamber of Secrets and Voldemort's eventual return by telling not to return. Dobby punished himself several times during his visit, he was so loud that Vernon Dursley came into the room to see what was going on. At that point, Harry promptly hid Dobby in his wardrobe. Because Harry refused to promise to not return to Hogwarts, Dobby levitated the dessert Petunia Dursley had made and dropped it, making it crash on the floor. (an incident blamed on Harry Potter though it was truly Dobby's fault). The evening could have been rescued were it not for the barn owl that flew through the open window and dropped a letter on Mrs. Mason's head. Due to her extreme fear of birds she "screamed like a banshee" and ran from the house, followed quickly by her husband.

Consequences
The disastrous dinner party caused Vernon Dursley to miss out on a very important deal (involving his drill company, Grunnings) with Mr. Mason. The Dursleys had no idea that it was Dobby's fault, so they punished Harry instead. He would never again be allowed to attend Hogwarts, he missed out on meals, his bedroom door was locked and bars were placed on his window to prevent him from escaping. Luckily, Ron, Fred, and George Weasley came to save Harry. They pulled the bars off the window with the aid of a flying car, and Harry promptly gathered his things and escaped with them to The Burrow.

Later years
During his later years spent in the room, Harry mainly used it for studying and reading school-related books. He also used it to house Hedwig, and receive his subscription to the Daily Prophet. The room was a sort of sanctuary for him. In 1995, the Order of the Phoenix surprised him by taking him from the bedroom to 12 Grimmauld Place. In 1996, Harry awaited Professor Albus Dumbledore in this room, upon receiving a letter from him. He was very shocked when he actually arrived.

Final occupancy and abandonment
"[Harry] glanced over his shoulder, but the wall was a sickly peach colour of Aunt Petunia's choosing;"

- Description of Harry's opinion of the room.

In 1997, Harry whiled away his time in the Summer in his bedroom by skimming over copies of the Daily Prophet for news of the Dark Lord. He also read about Albus Dumbledore's past life, from the point of view of both Elphias Doge and Rita Skeeter. During this time, Dudley Dursley left Harry a cup of tea outside his bedroom door. A few days before his birthday, members of the Order of the Phoenix took the Dursleys away from the house to protect them, as Lily Potter's protection would soon break. Soon other members came for Harry and he left his bedroom, and the house, for good.

Behind the scenes

 * In the seventh novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the walls are described to be "a sickly peach colour of Aunt Petunia's choosing", while in the film series, they are green.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
 * Harry Potter Trading Card Game
 * Pottermore