1.
The Grunnings drill manufacturing company was very successful in Britain and wanted to expand to the United States. The current director, Vernon Dursley, was in negotiations with several entrepreneurs in the States, but the final steps had to take place in America itself. Seeing dollar signs, Vernon wanted to show off his beautiful wife and their perfect son, so a business trip/vacation was planned. The only blemish on the trip was his niece.
The freak.
He had hoped at first that their neighbour, Mrs. Figg, would babysit the brat, but because of a broken leg, she had declined. There was no way he would leave the girl home alone. There would be no house left when he returned, with her weirdness. So there was no other option than to take the little bitch with them. A dark thought played around in his head, from the moment it became clear that she would come along. They had to keep the little bitch, but... if she ran away herself, coincidentally, during the trip... would that be their fault?
While the suitcases were being packed, Vernon discussed his idea with his wife. Petunia hesitated. Dumbledore had been very clear in his letter. As long as the girl lived with them, and called their home her home, they would be protected from the dark wizards who still supported the Dark Lord. The man who had murdered her sister and her good-for-nothing brother-in-law. If the girl were to “disappear', as Vernon had explained, they would no longer be protected. Plus, she would lose her maid and have to do everything herself again. Her niece was now 9 years old and practically did the whole housework, leaving Petunia to do what was really important. Gossiping, reading magazines, taking her son to the park, shopping.
Petunia also had a dark thought but on a different matter. Vernon was an aggressive man, who was now taking his violence out on her niece. He called it necessary, to beat the freakishness out of her. Petunia never complained, never stopped him. She to thought the girl was a freak, just like her sister had been. Surely, if they beat her into submission, she would never have magic? She ignored the girl for the most time. Those eyes of hers reminded her to much of Lily. And anyway, it wasn't as if the brat didn't deserve it. Right?
But if the girl would be gone, what then? Would Vernon beat their own son? Or her? At the beginning of their marriage, he could be terribly aggressive if the food wasn't tasty enough or the house was not clean enough. He had never actually hit her, but what if he did? On the other hand, if the girl was gone, she had a perfect family once again. She could handle Vernon.
No real agreement was made to dump the freak somewhere and Vernon did not press the matter. In the days that followed, passports had to be arranged and Vernon figured it would be cheaper to stuff the brat in a suitcase and take her with them that way. There were photos to be taken, passport fees, she needed some kind of suitcase for clothes... out of anger at how unfair it was that he had to pay for this he gave his niece a good beating when they got home. As the strap came down on her back and she cried in pain, he felt powerful. He would miss this. Her cries, her pleas to stop, he loved it. Too bad she wouldn't be coming home with them. Vernon knew for sure. He would leave her somewhere and then it wouldn't be his problem any longer.