In Defense of the Dursleys

Just finished a bedtime routine reading of the second Harry Potter book with my youngest.

The Dursleys are portrayed as quite the villans, but are they really such bad people? To be sure, they didn't really provide Harry with enough emotional support, but they did take him in and raise him.

What are they accused of?

1. They tried to suppress Harry's magical side.

Not a bad move considering both of Harry's parents died of magical causes.

2. They didn't provide Harry with any material comfort beyond basic food, clothing and shelter.

Harry is rich...his parents left him a fortune. Couldn't the magical folks who left Harry with the Dursleys have left a few Galleons with them to help defray the cost of his upbringing?

3. They tried to stop him going to Hogwarts.

They are his legal guardians. Shouldn't they decide where he goes to school?

While the Dursleys aren't the Huxtables, they did an okay job raising Harry. They certainly treated Harry better than Dumbledore and the magic community treated them...