I got into Harry Potter before all the hype. A story about an ordinary boy who discovers he's an extraordinary wizard. I gotta get into that! I decided to read the first book before the movie came out to formulate my own impressions - and I ended up reading all 4! Even though there was more in the book than the movie, most of the characters in the movie were exactly how I pictured them. Hermione even *sounded* like I pictured her! I can't stand all the religious controversy. There is no evil ulterior motive. Harry and friends are good wizards fighting the evil Voldemort and his nasty cronies. It's about good versus evil and the good coming out on top. It teaches children to be good. When you see children dressed up for parties they're dressed as Harry and friends - not Voldemort! As a white witch myself, I practice magick in my daily life for good, peace, harmony and abundance, and to honour the Earth and the ancient ways. I never use magick for evil, harm or to manipulate others. Although the magic in Harry Potter is make believe it is encouraging to note that people are realising that good magic is not evil. I have seen the movie and read the books over and over. There are characters who the children can relate to and characters who the adults can relate to, like Professor Snape. He is a very deep character who on the surface seems mean, but there's much more to him than that. Alan Rickman plays Snape perfectly. How many people thought Snape was the evil one after the stone? Even I did at first, but I am rather proud of my deduction when I worked out it wasn't him. It's a pity there are no magical schools like Hogwarts! The Harry Potter series helps people realise that they are special, and believe in themselves and their own special magick even if they feel ordinary.