It’s understandable that the lion’s share of attention in the Harry Potter would focus on the wizards and witches. After all, theirs are the stories that seem to really matter, and there’s no doubt that the conflict with Voldemort is one that will ultimately affect the muggle world as well.
As a result, it’s sometimes useful to look at some of the muggle characters that have appeared throughout the history of the series, not just those that were likable but also those that were just as despicable, in their own way, as some of the other wizard villains that appear.
Most Likable: Frank Bryce
Poor Frank Bryce. He’s one of those characters that only appears on-stage very briefly before he’s abruptly murdered by Voldemort. In the short time that he is in the novels, however, he appears to be a very likable sort of fellow, a salt-of-the-earth kind of man, one who faithfully served the Riddles (even if they were terrible). He certainly deserved more than the brutal death that he receives at the hands of Voldemort.
Can’t Stand: Vernon Dursley
Vernon Dursley has the dubious distinction of being, without doubt, one of the most unpleasant characters to appear in the entire course of the novels and films. It’s not just that he is averse to magic; he’s actively belligerent about it, and he seems to take a perverse sort of pleasure in lack any really clear motivation that he comes across as just being one of those people that audiences love to hate.
Most Likable: Petunia Dursley
At first, Petunia was also one of those muggles who attracted people’s dislike. Like her husband and her son, she just seemed to go out of her way to be mean to Harry (or, to be a bit more fair, to neglect him in favor of her son Dudley). As the series goes on, however, the books and films reveal more about her character. While she may never be truly lovable in the way that some of the other characters are, this at least allows for her to be more likable than either her son or her husband.
Can’t Stand: Dudley Dursley
Like his father, Dudley seems to take an inordinate amount of pleasure in being absolutely awful to Harry. He just can’t get outside of himself enough to see Harry as anything other than an impediment to his own desires and wants. This is all the more egregious in his case because, unlike Vernon, he is actually related by blood to Harry.
One would have thought that he could at least bring himself to show his cousin at least a measure of kindness in their youth but, alas, it was not to be.
Most Likable: Mr. Granger
On the other side of the muggle spectrum we have the Grangers, the parents of Hermione (a great protagonist in her own right). Mr. Granger, like his wife, really does seem to care about and love his daughter. More importantly, he accepts the fact that she is a witch, and he s her in all of her magical efforts. It’s precisely because he seems such a genuinely nice person that Hermione’s decision to wipe his memory to protect him is such a wrenching event. He’s definitely one of the muggles to cherish.
Can’t Stand: Aunt Marge
Apparently, being an absolutely terrible person is a family trait among the Dursleys, as revealed by Aunt Marge. When she appears, she makes it clear that she’s not content to merely insult Harry; she also has to take potshots at his parents. She’s one of the few characters in the saga who truly doesn’t seem to have any redeemable characteristics, and it’s probably for the best that she doesn’t appear very often (if only the same could be said of her brother).
Most Likable: Mrs. Granger
Like her husband, Mrs. Granger comes across in her few appearances as the kind of muggle that every wizard would like to know. She loves her daughter Hermione, and she tries to help her in any way that she can, up to and including accepting Hermione’s desire to stay at Hogwarts in order to excel academically.
Given that she had no experience with the wizarding world, one has to give Mrs. Granger quite a lot of credit for handling things with such aplomb.
Can’t Stand: Tom Riddle Sr.
There’s no question that Voldemort is one of the most despicable and evil characters to have ever appeared in fantasy. However, it’s worth pointing out that he really did have quite an unpleasant sort of family. While this was true of the Gaunts, it was also true of Tom Riddle, who never really seemed to care anything about his son. Understandably, he was upset about being tricked by Merope, but still doesn’t excuse the fact that he also left his baby to grow up without a father, and even though he's never seen on screen his presence hangs over all of the events that cascaded from his hatred and disgust for the wizarding world.
Most Likable: Jacob Kowalski
Jacob Kowalski is a relative newcomer to the Harry Potter universe, but he quickly established that he was truly a likable, even lovable, sort of character. Like all of the finest creations of this world, he seems to exude an aura of kindness, and it’s easy to see why he’s become a favorite character with many of the fans. It truly is nice to see that there are some muggles out there who are decent and kind people.
Can’t Stand: Mary Lou Barebone
Mary Lou, like Jacob, is from the newer era of the Harry Potter World, but she quickly set herself up as being one of the most unpleasant characters in the canon. Descended from No-Majs who integrated with the Scourers- a sort of 17th-century American version of Voldemort's Death Eaters- she hated magic and those who could practice it. She ran a No-Maj extremist group dedicated to wiping out witchcraft in the United States. Reacting violently at best to any hint of magic, she was an unpleasant person at best, and something of a monster at worst. She abused her adopted children both emotionally and physically, causing Credence to become an Obscurial due to his oporessed magical abilities and leading to her death.
