In honor of 20 years of Harry Potter's publication, and the famous "19 Years Later" epilogue having just occurred on September 1st, 2017, I have decided to explore the ways in which the Harry Potter speaks volumes to fans, particularly those in my generation. There have been many book series to be authored, published, and finished in our lifespan. Yet in the Young Adult genre, Harry Potter is statistically the most read. In fact, the Harry Potter series is a large part of the reason the New York Times Bestsellers List has a children's category - because of repeated listings in what was the overall Bestsellers list, for about ten years.

This is an amazing accomplishment considering the backlash that J.K. Rowling faced while publishing it. This includes her having to conceal her name because she was told that the series wouldn't sell as well, should readers at the time have the knowledge that she's female. Once published, after repeated rejections, the book faced more controversy including the series as a whole being banning by many schools and religious organizations. Despite that, it's popularity soared and it's fans remained loyal. To this day, it still speaks to many people, and has a more active and long-lasting fan base than other book sagas have had.

Simply put...

Millennials are privy to the Harry Potter series as it grew up with us. Not only would the books become more challenging to read as they were being published, but the characters themselves would go through adolescence with a reader who grew up reading the series. The mental ages would click, and despite being set in a magical world, the underlying conflicts and issues faced were not too farfetched as to no longer be relatable.

Such themes include big ideas such as how corruption can be hidden beneath power. But explored themes were also on the more emotional side, such as unrequited love - on both an adult and teenage scale. Additional topics the series dealt with were the pain of loss and betrayal, but also coming of age and courage. And ultimately, it's a story about how love and friendship can overcome bigotry and injustice. It talked about how an army of misfits can come together and stand up for what's right - despite the risks that come with being their age, and not being taken seriously as a result.

Another factor that compelled readers of this generation was our ability to ponder and ask questions that were not answered within the seven books or eight movies. This includes the backstory of the Marauders (Harry's father and his mischievous gang), the history between Dumbledore and Grindelwald in the first wizarding world war, which took place historically before the books series did (Although these will be answered in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movies), and finally, readers simply analyzing their favorites characters, and the relationships the characters had with others in the series. Thus bred fanfiction, which is a key differentiation between younger Harry Potter fans and older ones. Currently, on fanfiction.net, the Harry Potter series has the most submissions of stories, as compared to all other books and movie series, with 774,000 submissions that continue to grow daily.

There has been lots of research done as to how the Harry Potter series, in particular, has molded the millennial mind. "According to a new study, published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, young people who’ve read the Harry Potter series — and identify with the main character or protagonist — are less likely to be biased or prejudiced against minority groups." Studies have indicated that fans of Harry Potter are fans are more open to diversity and are more politically tolerant than non-fans. Surveys have shown that fans are also less authoritarian, less likely to support the use of deadly force or torture. As a trend, they tend to be more politically active, and more likely to have a liberal mindset.

In recent events, Harry Potter has been sourced as a form of comfort when our generation looks at the political climate around us. Following the 2016 American election, articles such as "Things Dumbledore's Army Taught us about Activism and Political Resistance," or even a more lighthearted "Who Said It? Bannon or Voldemort?" were frequently shared amongst people under the age of 35. Personal political views aside, the series as a whole introduced readers of this age group to the idea of actively fighting against intolerance at a young age. J.K. Rowling herself frequently tweets about the political situations regarding the U.S., U.K. and other countries, and most of her fans proudly echo her ideas and quotes.

The series imprinted the idea of social justice and activism amongst fans because all of the characters would stand up, one way or another, for what they believed was right. This was done in a variety of ways which includes speaking for those who may not be heard, to political movements, to fighting intolerance when they see it occurring. It was also done, in the series, by more than just the main three characters, which taught us the importance of being the "everyday hero" that we see the characters evolve into.

Finally, with the themes of Harry Potter surrounding us in reality, fans take a second to further apply ideas from the series into their personal lives. An example is the musical genre of Wizard Rock, which was created by Harry Potter fans. With every Harry Potter character being sorted into one of the four Hogwarts Houses, fans have done the same with themselves, their friends, and people they encounter in their surroundings. This makes it easy for people to foster a sense of community within the fanbase. With a series that's as easy to read and follow, yet packed with dense ideas about morality, power, justice, friendship, love, and equality, it's not hard to see why people who are fans try to embody the lessons, practices and morals taught within the series. What sets the fans apart, is that they proudly and unapologetically choose to do so. Afterall, as Professor Albus Dumbledore himself said, "there comes a time where one must choose between what is easy and what is right."