The Dursleys:

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 167486

Bart wrote: 
> Finally, especially in PS/SS, it seems that the Dursleys aren't
trying to keep Harry away from his birthright as much as they are
trying to SHIELD him from magic. That is the reason why I think that
the Dursleys, as conceived, had some other factor going, which did not
show up in print.

Carol responds:

Like knowing that the Potters were killed by a Dark wizard who blew up
their house? That seems to be the way the Dursleys read the events.
They don't want any Dark wizards coming after *them,* or coming after
Harry and endangering them in the process, or having Harry turn into a
dangerous Dark wizard himself. Best to stamp the magic out of Harry
and make him "normal" like themselves.

Of course, Petunia seems to know a bit more about Harry's real
circumstances than Vernon, the arch-Muggle, as I've already said in
another post, 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/167423

It isn't that they're Fundamentalists who view magic as dangerous, for
which we have no evidence whatever. And it isn't *just* that they view
magic as "abnormal" and therefore embarrassing to be associated with
(Harry's perception of the Dursleys' view of witches and wizards as
weirdos and "freaks" whom they don't want showing up on their
doorstep). The Dursleys, and especially Petunia, know that magic can
be very, very dangerous and that they, as Muggles, are helpless
against it--a view that Dudley shares to a lesser extent, having
himself been the butt of wizards' "jokes" and very nearly desouled by
a terrifying magical being whose powers he doesn't fully understand).

Carol, who thinks that Petunia is secretly grateful to Harry for
saving Dudley from the Dementors and that we'll see a new
understanding develop between her and her nephew in DH (Specialis
Revelio, Petunia!)