"Harry Potter" is one of the most well-known novel series of our time, and that's a fact. Now, I know my fair share of people who haven't read the series (yes, I'm looking at you, family), or even seen the movies (this should be a sin). Some people don't even know what the series is about, other than a boy who's a wizard, but it's so much more than that. "Harry Potter" has taught us everything we need to know about life. (Many spoilers to follow, so if you haven't read the books, BEWARE).
To begin with, it has taught us to be ourselves. Harry knew he was different from the beginning of the series when he let that snake out of the enclosure. It just goes on from there. Not only is he very accepting of the fact that he is a wizard, but he knows who he wants to be friends with, too, and he can tell Draco Malfoy is NOT it. From there, Ron slowly grows to love himself as well as being a Weasley, as do the rest of his brothers and Ginny. Hermione is proud to be a Muggleborn from the beginning, and is never ashamed of her blood status. Even though they get picked on, The Golden Trio and their many sidekicks learn to love themselves and each other to no end.
"Harry Potter" teaches us that our elders are not always right. He refuses to believe the articles in The Daily Prophet all throughout the series, especially anything written by Rita Skeeter. When the Ministry of Magic refuses to believe anything he says about the return of Voldemort, he doesn't falter. He stands by his views because he knows they are right and he knows the truth will reveal itself eventually. J.K. Rowling shows that our elders are not always right when everyone believes that Sirius Black is a raging murderer in "Prisoner of Azkaban," and when Dumbledore fails to tell Harry any of the information he knows until it is almost too late. Harry's constant frustration with his elders as well as his constantly proving them wrong helps us as young adults to know that while yes, we should always respect our elders, that does not mean that they are always right. She also teaches us that not only are our elders not always right, but the media is not always right, either and that we shouldn't believe everything we see or hear on the news or through the media and government.
This series also teaches us to defend those who cannot, or will not, defend themselves. The term "Mudblood" is thrown around a lot throughout the series, which causes a lot of grief between characters. Blood status is a constant underlying tone, and it is always fiercely defended. Hermione also starts a group called "S.P.E.W.", or "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," to defend the House Elves and their positions in the Wizarding World. While this is one very important detail which is left out in the movies, it has a great impact on the books. It is also parallel to the numerous attempts of freeing the slaves in the United States, as that is essentially what House Elves are: slaves. In her attempts, Hermione is fighting for House Elves to have the same rights as any wizard or witch, as well as earning wages rather than working for free. In doing this, Hermione teaches us that we are all equal. The same lesson is shown in the numerous times we see creatures being abused verbally and physically throughout the series. House Elves, Centaurs, Goblins, and much more are abused throughout the books, and it is only when they are defended by wizards or witches do we see that everyone truly IS created equally.
Harry Potter teaches us that one child can change the world. Trust me when I say that this is something every child, teenager, and even adult needs to here. It tells us: if this one eleven-year-old-boy can bring hope to an entire community of wizards, then what can I do? It helps us to believe that we can do anything, including defeat Voldemort.
