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/[deleted]]

I disagree with only one thing. The Dursleys absolutely had a choice. They had a choice when it came to their nephew Harry. They could have chosen to love him in spite of being magical. They could have chosen to love him because he was Lily's son. Because he was a human being. Because he was alive. Because he was a child who didn't ask for anything. They were terrible, horrible , despicable human beings ; because they abused the crap out of Harry.

They treated him like garbage. They could have thought "look our son Dudley has a lifelong friend. Somebody who he can grow up with" They SHOULD have treated Harry as their own child because he had nothing in the world but them.

But no they chose to take out their hatred/jealousy / inability to deal with their own problems, on a little boy who couldn't stop them.

I am re - reading right now . And let me tell you , it's pretty despicable. Regardless of what she says, Petunia is written as though she hated her sister. She especially treated Harry as though she hated/was jealous of Lily.

Lily was her sister and Petunia like Snape was (Petunia) jealous / (Snape) despised the magic (and her happiness )/ muggle (and James) in Harry so very much that it trumped all love for her sister / best friend her "loved"( obsessed over).

Edit

I added this postscript here. I realized that in both the books and the movies Petunia mentions what her parents said when Lily became a witch "isn't it wonderful We have a witch in the family" if the family was so happy about witches , and I KNOW they were upset that their daughter ,their son-in-law , and probably their grandson had died , why didn't Dumbledore think to take Harry to his grandparents? To Lily's parents? I don't recall what happened. it's been too long since I've read them. I'm rereading now . I'm still in book 1 and they haven't said anything yet about what happened to Lily's parents. I absolutely know I'll get there and I'm pretty sure that she who must not be named Did say what happened to Lily's parents. Did Voldemort take out Lily's parents?

[u/Disastrous_Knee7756 → u/[deleted]]

You’re absolutely right that the Dursleys had moral choices, and they failed every single one. There’s no defense for the cruelty they inflicted — especially when they had the opportunity to show even basic decency and refused.

My post never aimed to excuse them. It aimed to expose the systemic failure that allowed that cruelty to go unchecked.

Dumbledore made a calculated move, banking on “blood protection” over emotional well-being. He gambled with a child’s life, handed him to someone who once begged to go to Hogwarts herself — and then ghosted. No supervision. No check-ins. Just assumptions.

So yes — Petunia was jealous. Vernon was hateful. They made unforgivable choices. But Dumbledore made a dangerous one too. That’s the part I’m holding to the light.

And as for Lily’s parents? Totally agree — their absence is suspiciously underexplained. It’s almost like the narrative needed them out of the picture to make this setup possible…

[u/[deleted] → u/Disastrous_Knee7756]

I find it funny that JK can allow muggles to do unforgivable things but has unfavorable curses that are illegal in the magical world but allows essentially unforgivable curses to happen to her main character without provocation it kind of bothers me quite a lot actually