26 Jun It’s Been 20 Whole Years since the First Harry Potter Book Was Released, Here’s What HP Has Taught Us

Much has changed over the last 20 years.

Governments have come and gone, new innovations, each more dizzying and advanced than the last have been rendered attainable realities, rather than distant dreams. The popularity and adoration for Harry Potter, though, has remained a constant.

The Boy Who Lived, somewhat fittingly, has endured the passing of time without any hint of his popularity waning, in fact with the opening of theme parks and a new series of films based in the Potter universe, his fame his arguably at a zenith to rival the absolute pinnacle of Potter mania.

Since that heady, momentous day, the series has gone on to dominate popular culture in hitherto unprecedented fashion. J.K. Rowling released seven astonishing books that managed to capture the imagination of children and adults alike, whipping them up into an effervescent, coruscating glow that still shows no signs of abating all these years later. 20 years after Harry’s inception, then, let’s examine some things we learned at the hands of Potter.

1. Patience is a virtue

The publishing of the first Harry Potter book was less the colossal moment it would appear in hindsight and more a footnote in the literary world that year (1997). Of course, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

2. First editions are worth a fortune

As just 500 hardback first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were printed, they are extremely rare, and as a consequence worth an eye watering sum of money. If you have a copy with the print line 10987654321, writes the Guardian, your copy of the book could be worth at least £30,000.

3. Children’s books could introduce adult themes

As the books went on and Harry and co got older, so too did the themes that permeate Rowling’s writing. Of course, her genius was to age her characters at the same rate as her audience, allowing for a progressively darker narrative arc in subsequent books. Themes of race, mental illness, love and death are covered with skill and reverence by Rowling.

4. But that doesn’t mean some won’t miss the point altogether

Despite the fact that the Harry Potter books ostensibly had very little to do with religion, the mere fact that the stories covered the endeavours of a wizard was too much for some fundamentalist Christians, who deemed Rowling to be promoting witchcraft through her writing.

5. The value of seeing the good in people

Though some considered it his greatest flaw, it was, in fact, Albus Dumbledore’s ability to see the best in everyone that would help to bring about the death of Lord Voldemort. Professor Snape, whose actions were seemingly irredeemable, was given a second chance by the headmaster, who saw the good in the former death eater through his love for Lily Potter.

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