Petunia, Dudley and WW - Hatred? Cover-up? Latent Ability?

[macfotuk at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 109453

On the basis that there are no new thoughts under the sun and that it 
is impossible to pin down to what extent much trawling of HP 
speculation on the internet might influence one's thinking, I have 
the following offerings/speculations/observations about Petunia 
Dursley and Dudley based on the shockwave revelations in OotP's 
opening chapters.

1. Petunia knows about Dementors. She knows from 'that boy' 
telling 'her' about them. On first reading I naturally thought, like 
Harry and most readers I suspect, that she is referring to James and 
Lily. I know there are theories that these two in fact are NOT Lily 
or James but when I first read them (located a few pages before this 
post - sorry for not being able to quote/specify them) I thought they 
were stretching the imagination at best. However, although dementors 
have clearly existed in the WW forever I'm sure I've read in the 
books (probably PoA) that it was Fudge who first went into league 
with them to use them as guards at Azkhaban, much against DD's 
inclinations. Fudge didn't become MoM until well after James and 
Lily's demise (GoF and Barty Crouch Sr backstory), so has JKR made 
another mistake (delieberate or otherwise)? If not, then Petunia has 
had contact with wizards SINCE Harry's arrival on her doorstep and if 
so WHO? Also WHY (when she and Vernon are so against wizards and 
magic). While I could understand that Petunia might really be OK (the 
lady doth protest too much?), why should she live with such an 
obvious git as Vernon? Vernon can't possibly be 'OK' with wizards 
because of what we hear of his attitudes (unprompted) during the very 
opening chapter (of SS/PS). If Petunia is living with someone she 
actually disagrees with, possibly cannot even bear (not unusual in 
the real world!) then there has to be a plot reason. It will be 
interesting to see if, and how, JKR answers the FAQ poll at her 
website about the meaning of Dumbledore's howler 'remember my last'. 
Also, JKR has said someone finds (or reveals) their magical powers 
late in life - might this be Petunia?

2. Dudley was almost kissed by a dementor - at least the way JKR 
wrote the scene in the alleyway. Why? why? why! What has Dudley ever 
done to a dementor? I know Dementors exist to suck all the happiness 
out of wizards and even muggles and that these two were probably 
rogue dementors (even by normal ESE dementor standards), but why 
would they go so far as to resort to the worst possible punishment in 
the wizard world (WW)? They can normally be 'trusted' simply to 
terrorise and subdue (yes to the point of madness after prolonged 
contact), but not normally to kill, otherwise nobody in Azhkaban 
would ever survive the experience. To answer my own question it may 
be that Umbridge had authorised them to kill Harry (with a kiss) to 
shut him up and that therefore any witness would need taking out too. 
Even so, the scene leaves it open that Dudley may have been targeted 
for some other, as yet unrevealed, reason.