Antiyonder posted...
Also minor maybe, but again I feel Harry's Aunt and Uncle were really unneeded conflicts.
Just seems like a different flavor of the evil step parent trope.
When J.K. Rowling submitted the first book for approval, she was told to make it more like Roald Dahl. I could be wrong, they feel like a product of that. The innocent kid being tormented by his horrible aunt, uncle, and cousin feels like something right out of a Dahl novel.
Alternatively, they may have always been a part of the story to make Harry sympathetic and build anticipation for when things become magical. Either way, it still feels like something you'd find in Matilda or James and the Giant Peach.