Magic isn’t what made us fall in love with the world of Harry Potter.
When you think about the books and films, there are several elements to the Harry Potter stories:
- The Lost Royalty Story
- Magic/Power
- Hogwarts (Dumbledor)
- Ron and Hermione (friendships)
Of course, all of these elements come together to form a great story and an amazing world. But there’s a marked difference between the original Harry Potter books and the prelude books that came out later (Fantastic Beasts, etc). Fantastic Beasts still included marvelous creatures and powerful magic. But it was missing two things: friendships and Hogwarts. And those two things are what made us love the original Harry Potter books, not necessarily the magic.
Friendships: we all crave great friends. And Rowlings’ focus on the trilogy of Harry, Ron, and Hermione was one of the things that I really enjoy. I like spending time with Ron and Hermione. Her intelligence and compassion, his loyalty and humor. The other Hogwarts students, and Hagrid, are fun to spend time with. Despite adversity, they stand by Harry and always make it through together.
Hogwarts (and Dumbledor): Hogwarts is a magical place, but it’s also a great alternative to Harry’s home life: the Dursley’s. Hogwarts is safe. Despite the frightening world around them, Hogwarts is a refuge. And Dumbledor and the other teachers are part of that.
