So, I got my letter to Hogwarts today.  No really, as if I would still be here at this muggle university if I really had the opportunity to leave and go to a magical school.  No, rather, today I got my email letter to sign into Pottermore- the newest creation from the mastermind behind the boy wizard.

Pottermore is an online experience meant to supplement the reading of J.K. Rowling’s seven magical books.  As you travel throughout the chapters, you can read information that Jo (as those of us who are fans like to call Ms. Rowling) was going to put into an encyclopedia but decided to make a sort of game out of.

In Pottermore, you take multiple quizzes to find out your wand (Alder, Unicorn Core, 9 and 3/4 inches, unyielding:  Short and unyielding, like its owner), as well as your Hogwarts House (for Ravenclaw, the cleverest would always be the best).  Once you have been sorted, you go can earn your house points in competition for the house cup.

The real essence of the site, however, is the extra information provided about each chapter of each book.  It gives Harry Potter fans a chance to look into Jo’s mind and see why certain things are the way they are.  It’s also a way to interact with your friends as you once again discover the magic of Hogwarts.

That brings me to the real reason I’m talking about Harry Potter.  Yes, the books and movies were a large part of my childhood.  Philosopher’s Stone was published in the UK in 1997, and Sorcerer’s Stone came to the United States in 1998.  To put a little perspective on these dates, in October of 1998, I turned 7 years old.  In less than three weeks, I will be 20.  Because the movie series just ended in July, it is safe to say that I am a proud member of the Potter Generation- 13 years of my life, or 65%, has known what it’s like to be at home at Hogwarts.  The thing about the Harry Potter Series, however, is that it has the ability to transcend generations.  As the reader grows up, the books and their meaning grow up, too.

Allow me to explain.

As a child, Harry Potter is attractive because of the story.  I don’t know any children that wouldn’t want a magic wand that could perform all kinds of spells.  The idea is intriguing to the young mind- a place where magic is real, somewhere that could exist in our own world.  The books also teach good, moral lessons about the importance of friendship, bravery, and love.  Harry is something of a hero- his flaws are not clear and children see him as “The Boy who Lived”- the boy who can do anything.  Beyond that, there is wit and humor that Jo provides that actually make children want to keep reading- a feat that is proving more and more difficult as technology displaces literature.

As a teenager, Harry Potter provides a rather realistic view into the pitfalls of adolescent romance.  The characters begin to develop as the readers do- in a sense, they are all growing up together.  As Harry starts to feel new and different things, his readers are able to relate to his trials and tribulations in a very basic human sense.  It’s not so much about the magic anymore as it is seeing bits and pieces of ourselves represented in the different characters.

Finally, as an adult, the importance of the main themes becomes the focal point.  The idea of Love always conquering power and hate is poignant.  The ability to see the allegorical ethnic-cleansing that Voldemort was trying to implement provides the realization that, though this is a magical world, the issues are the same in real life.  Readers begin to see the importance of disregarding ignorance and differences- the main idea becomes that we’re only as strong as we are united in a common goal- the goal of the Greater Good.  We also realize that each character does have at least one tragic flaw- whether it be Ron’s Jealousy or Harry’s need to please everyone, the characters become less our heroes and more- ourselves.  We see the faults in Dumbledore- how he loved power as much as Voldemort, but chose not to seek it after the death of his sister.  We see Snape actually be the hero that he always was- the hopeless romantic who just couldn’t get over the loss of the love of his life, but fought until his dying day to keep her son alive.  As adults, there is no more Black and White in Harry Potter- no good or evil, but lots of shades of grey.

And that’s the point- there is no one generation that identifies with Harry Potter the most.  No, as readers of all ages grow up and read the books (probably numerous times), something different is unveiled- there is more to understand, something we didn’t see before.

As Harry Potter fans step into Pottermore, there is even more to discover.

For those who wish to Seek it, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome them home.