memory charms not used on Dursleys

[dorbandb]

No: HPFGUIDX 36602

The MoM uses memory charms on muggles so they have no recollection of 
any contact with the world of magic.  We know this is true from many 
instances in the books.  An exception seems to be the Dursleys.  

1). In SS, on the island, Hagrid attempts to turn Dudley into a pig - 
but he only succeeds in giving him a tail.  Apparently, Dudley keeps 
his tail for a full month before being taken to a hospital in London 
to have the "ruddy tail removed" before attending Smeltings.  It is 
inconceivable that this is a wizarding hospital, so it must be a 
muggle hospital - to have a pig tail removed?!?  How could Vernon 
possibly explain this to a muggle surgeon?  But the real issue here is 
that the Dursleys have all been exposed to magic and the has been NO 
memory modification performed on them.

2). In CoS, after Dobby does his thing, an owl "swooped through the 
dining room window, dropped a letter on Mrs. Mason's head, and swooped 
out again."  No mention is made of a memory charm for Mrs. Mason, 
although it could be argued that none was necessary because owls 
aren't themselves magic, and perhaps an owl delivering a letter is not 
considered blatant enough to warrant a memory charm.  But Vernon 
actually reads the letter from the MOM, thus, the Dursleys are again 
exposed to magic WITHOUT having their memory modified.  (A couple 
questions regarding this passage - what must Mafalda Hopkirk (Improper 
Use of Magic Department) have been thinking to send an owl into a 
muggle residence where it might be (and was) seen by muggles other 
that the Dursleys?  Very irresponsible, I should think.  And how about 
the owl just dropping the letter on some starnger's head - not a very 
secure method of delivering confidential correspondence.  And I 
thought the owls were supposed to be very disceerning in regards to 
parcel delivery...)

3). In PoA, after the Marge inceident, Fudge mentions that "Miss 
[Marjorie] Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been 
modified."  No mention is made of modifying the memories of the 
remaining Dursleys.

There are a number of questions that arise from this:

- If the Dursleys are plain old muggles, why wouldn't they be 
subjected to the memory modifications that other muggles must undergo.

- Are muggle parents of wizards (i.e., the Grangers) EVER subjected to 
memory modification, or are they, like the Dursleys, now part of the 
wizard world and to be trusted to keep the wizard world secret.

- We have discussed the possibility of memory modification on Neville, 
 but is memory modification santioned by the MOM for use on/against a 
wizard and/or a muggle with wizarding relatives?

- If the MoM does not sanction memory modification of wizards NOR 
muggle parents of wizards, then aren't there an awful lot of muggles 
that know about the wizarding world?  After all, most wizards now come 
from a mixed background of muggle/magic.

I can't reach any conclusions from any of this.  There seems to be 
little consistency in the practice of memory modification.

Brian