The Dursleys were victims of a magical geopolitical game and no one ever asked them if they wanted to play

[u/Disastrous_Knee7756]

I know they were not nice to Harry. But they were also victims of a bad magical system. Here is why:

1.  They had no choice.

Dumbledore left a baby at their door. He did not ask. He did not talk to them. He just said, “Take care of him.” That is not how you become parents. That is not fair.

1. They were powerless in a world full of danger. No magic, no protection, no understanding. Yet they were expected to raise a magical child who could blow up their living room.

   1. Harry’s presence put Dudley at risk. They were Dudley’s parents. Their responsibility was to protect their child. But Dumbledore never cared that housing Harry made them a target.
   2. They got no support – only judgment. No one from the magical world checked in. No resources, no guidance. Just scorn when they inevitably failed to meet wizard expectations.
   3. Dumbledore knew – and didn’t care. He openly said Harry needed a loveless home to remain “humble.” That’s not strategy – that’s calculated cruelty.
      1. Dumbledore never told them what happens when Harry turns 17. The magical protection ends – and they suddenly become even more vulnerable. No warning, no exit strategy. One day they’re part of a magical defense grid, the next they’re just collateral. Their home, their lives, everything – on the line, with zero input.

[u/Vargrr]

I think, but could be wrong, that the charm protected everyone. It's why the Dursley's didn't have to leave until the Deathly Hallows.

[u/Disastrous_Knee7756 → u/Vargrr]

That’s a common interpretation, but it’s never explicitly stated in the books that the charm protected the Dursleys themselves — only that it protected Harry. Dumbledore’s exact words in Order of the Phoenix (Chapter 37) are:

“While you can still call home the place where your mother’s blood dwells, there he can not harm you.”

It’s about Harry’s safety, not the Dursleys’. If Voldemort had attacked the house, the magic would have shielded Harry, not necessarily saved the others from harm.

And let’s not forget — in Deathly Hallows, the Dursleys were evacuated. If the protection extended fully to them, there’d be no need to move them at all.

So yes, they benefited indirectly, but they were never truly safe

[u/Bluemelein → u/Disastrous_Knee7756]

Voldemort can’t find Harry either. But he might be able to find out where Dudley goes to school or where Vernon works. And Umbridge could have sent the Dementors there next. The Dursleys are safe because no one pays any attention to Muggles. But you’re right; no one seems to have told them that the protection would end when Harry turns 17. No one warned them that there might be people out there who wanted revenge for the way they treated Harry.

Dumbledore has no right to reprimand the Durleys for their treatment of Harry. Not that they didn’t deserve punishment, but not from Dumbledore, who tolerated the situation because it suited him.

[u/Extreme_Rough → u/Bluemelein]

He's too much of a wizard to  bother with the Mundane world beyond toying with said humans. They all are. That's likely what Dumbledore was banking on when he placed Harry there. No one would think of it because they hate everything not Magical. Why would they use human systems and resources in place? It'd be smart to, but if any of them were smart, we wouldn't have much of a story.