The Dursleys' Motivation for Not Sending Harry to an Orphanage

[erisedstraeh2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 44022

After hitting the "send" button on my last post, I had another 
thought:  Since the Dursleys are not portrayed as the most generous 
of sorts, why would they keep Harry after he was deposited on their 
doorstep rather than drive him straight to the nearest orphanage?  
After all, "how often had they complained how much Harry cost them to 
keep?" (SS, Ch. 5, US ed. p. 75).  And in PoA, Aunt Marge even 
suggests that the orphanage route would have been her preferred 
alternative.

I have two possible solutions to this mystery:

1.  The Dursleys take a twisted pleasure in abusing Harry; or

2.  Dumbledore's letter *must* have told them that Harry would only 
be safe in their care, and the letter *must* have given them a good 
reason for why they should take part in Harry's protection.  If this 
is indeed the answer, this suggests that Dumbledore's letter was far 
more detailed than the evidence in canon has suggested so far.

~Phyllis