I'm in the middle of this, but you've revealed a side of VERNON I'd never even considered! We thought of Petunia as a real person, but Vernon (at least in canon) was somewhat of a cardboard figure...
Author's Response: *grins* Vernon, I'll admit, isn't going to appear to be the most complex of characters beyond this chapter for a while yet. It's not that he's NOT complex, because I think there's more emotion happening below the surface than Harry sees, but it's going to take a while for readers to see much of it because his usual reaction to any sort of fear or upset, it seems, is usually anger--the Vernon we all know and, um, love to hate? :D