Why so shocked?

[Nagini]

In the Chapter - The Letters from No One when Harry receives his first letter from Hogwarts. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia read it.

As Aunt Petunia reads the opening line of the letter that is addressed to Harry she is clearly shocked and worried.

What could have the opening of the letter said? Do think it said that Dumbledore knew Harry's parents?

Is the letter Harry first receives a different one to the one he later receives as he has been brought up by Muggles and knows nothing of Hogwarts.

More than one question there I know. :o

[Weasleyfanforever]

I think that Vernon and Petunia were hoping that they had stomped the magic out of him by having him lead such a downtrodden life. When they got the letter, I think it is possible that it was different from the others that Harry received. Maybe Dumbledore knew they would read it first, and it said something along the lines of him knowing what they had done to try and restrain his magical abilities, and that it hadn't worked...

[Alz]

Umm - interesting ...
JKR said recently about Petunia and Dumbledore having more than just that one note shared between them .... I wonder how long it was since she last got one?

First impressions are that of she really didnt think Harry would be returned back to the Magical world - I think she thought Harry would be kept away from it all ...
Then of course if it was a while since she had a communication - it could just be it all coming back to her again .... and the look ...
Magical letters and all - wonder if Dumbledore enchated something onto the top part to put the wind up her?
Bit like remember my last ... :)

[Nagini]

Yeah it is possible that they were so determined that Harry would not be a wizard and that they probably even forced it out of their minds. But Petunia would have noticed that Harry could do magic - especially at the zoo. She would have recognised the signs. Perhaps she even knows of the Prophecy? I am not sure if Dumbledore would have put it as part of his letter.... I think that after all that Petunia knew about his sister being a witch and possibly being a witch herself that the shock when Harry received the letter made me wonder if it was more for Vernon than for herself?

[Alz]

OoHh you know that actually makes sense - JKR did say recently about people that knew about the Prophecy - perhaps Petunia was one?
He would have had to come up with something strong for her to take him in ...
I wonder if she thought that by supressing his magical side the prophecy could never be true?
Raise him as a muggle and hopefully he would never know ...
I also wonder if Dumbledore told her Harry would be taken to Hogwarts later in life - or indeed taken back into the magical world ... or was it just a case of here's Harry - look after him?

[Tinkerbell]

I think that if Vernon and Petunia were so hell-bent on ensuring Harry never entered the world of magic, and thereby defying Dumbledore, they could have moved house, changed their names, anything to throw the world of magic off their 'scent' as it were.

However, perhaps within the letter that the Dursleys first read, that Dumbledore left with Harry as a baby, perhaps Dumbledore had left a veiled threat, ensuring that they wouldn't try these things, and therefore Harry's first letter from Hogwarts that they read was a shock as it brought it all flooding back.

[Alz]

I dont think they could ever run and hide - magic seems to have a way of finding itself - either that or leave it to an Owl ....
I think the threat was that of her and families safety - usually Voldemort killed whole families and not just the targets ...
I think there might be a legitimate reason that Petunia herself could have been under threat from Voldemort as well .... or Dumbledore ;)