Image Credit: John Matthew Smith via Wikimedia Commons
Twenty-five years after Harry Potter became a worldwide phenomenon, a different question has emerged: should we stop reading it? Although concerns about J.K. Rowling's views are understandable, boycotting Harry Potter risks overlooking its positive impact on generations of readers. As a teacher, I have seen the series inspire children to read, imagine, and connect with others, making it difficult to dismiss its value because of its creator's beliefs.
When I was first starting university, Harry Potter expanded beyond its intended audience to become a global phenomenon. As adult life and the chaos of being a student away from home began to take shape, these books offered an escape into an exciting world of magic, friendship, and adventure.
My appreciation deepened when I became a primary school teacher. Over the years, I watched students who rarely picked up a book willingly tackle lengthy novels because they wanted to know what happened next at Hogwarts. The series sparked creativity, conversation, and friendships built around a shared love of the wizarding world. For many children, Harry Potter was not simply entertainment but a gateway to reading. When I asked two young readers why they loved the books, neither mentioned Rowling. Instead, they spoke about friendship, adventure, and a sense of belonging. Their answers echoed what I have long observed as a teacher: for many readers, Harry Potter is defined by the story, not its author.
Critics make a valid point. Rowling has used wealth generated through the success of the Harry Potter franchise to support campaigns and legal challenges relating to transgender rights, arguing that biological sex should take precedence over gender identity in certain areas of law and public policy. From this perspective, consuming Harry Potter is not a neutral act, and readers have every right to make ethical decisions about their spending.
At its core, Harry Potter is a story about challenging prejudice and abuses of power. Through its portrayal of pure-blood supremacy, the series presents discrimination as dangerous and morally corrupt. The novels encourage readers to empathise with outsiders, question injustice, and challenge social exclusion rather than accept it. How can Rowling write a series so deeply rooted in acceptance and compassion, then voice opinions that many readers see as contradicting those values?
Throughout, readers are encouraged to empathise with the marginalised, question unjust institutions, and stand up for what is right, even when doing so comes at a personal cost. The books' most memorable heroes are often those who defend the excluded.
Yet acknowledging what Harry Potter has meant to millions of readers is not the same as endorsing every opinion its creator holds. Published works enter the public imagination and shape readers in ways creators cannot fully control. Readers can appreciate a work while remaining critical of its author's views. The lessons readers draw from friendship, courage, loyalty, and justice belong as much to those readers as to the author who first imagined them. Hermione taught readers that intelligence and determination are strengths worth celebrating. Ron embodied loyalty and friendship. Harry showed that leadership is about standing alongside others rather than seeking personal glory. As Dumbledore reminds us, “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
The creator of these characters may now be the source of division, but the stories themselves belong to the readers who discovered meaning in them. If we judge the series through the lessons it has given readers, then Harry Potter still deserves a place in the light.