“Er — Petunia, dear — you haven’t heard from your sister lately, have
you?”
As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry.
After all, they normally pretended she didn’t have a sister.
“No,” she said sharply. “Why?”
“Funny stuff on the news,” Mr.
Dursley mumbled. “Owls… shooting stars… and there were a lot of
funny-looking people in town today…”
“So?” snapped Mrs.
Dursley.
“Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do
with… you know… her crowd.”
Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through
pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he’d heard
the name “Potter.” He decided he didn’t dare. Instead he said, as
casually as he could, “Their son — he’d be about Dudley’s age now,
wouldn’t he?”
“I suppose so,” said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.
“What’s his name again? Howard, isn’t it?”
“Harry. Nasty, common
name, if you ask me.”
“Oh, yes,” said Mr. Dursley, his heart
sinking horribly. “Yes, I quite agree.”
He didn’t say another
word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley
was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and
peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was
staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for
something.
Was he imagining things? Could all this have
anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out
that they were related to a pair of — well, he didn’t think he
could bear it.
(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
What do the last two highlighted terms refer to?
Best Answer
They refers to the Dursleys. I.e if it got out that the Dursleys were related to the Potters.
A pair of— is cut off, because Mr Dursley doesn't want to think about the thing that the Potters are. I don't know what Mr Dursley thinks the Potters are, but that is what would replace the dash. For example "a pair of wizards".