-- taught by the HP series, unlike a lot of modern fiction, is that Harry is not a victim. He takes an active hand in the events of his life, instead of wringing his hands and wailing, "If only I had [such-and-such a power, a girlfriend, more money, etc.]!" He works hard to learn and to control his magic skills, learns painful lessons, and is not always sure of the right path to take. He's loyal to and risks his life for his friends, and receives loyalty in return.

Is any of this a bad lesson for any kid (or any open-minded adult) to learn?

And if you think that all the kids will take away from Harry Potter is the wish-fulfillment stuff, I think you're underrating the average kid. When I devoured Roy Rogers, James Bond, and Ellery Queen, I had a lot of the wish-fulfillment stuff, sure, but I saw through to the underlying lessons about honorable vs. evil behavior and about the value of learning, and they helped me grow up right.

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-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino