I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy back in the 70's, and have gone back and read them at least six more times since. Got all the movies, extended versions, and watched all the extra features. I even got the LOTR Trivial Pursuit game at Christmas, and no one will play with me. :? :? :? :?

I guess I'm a fan.
I haven't started on Harry Potter, but I'll get to him too. I have seen most of the movies so far.
I think there are probably millions of kids who have developed a love of reading through the Harry Potter books, who may have chosen to sit in front of a TV or video game otherwise. Once they get going on these books and discover the joys of reading, they look for more.
I know one person who would not let her daughter read HP, and I thought that was so sad. She didn't want her exposed to anything that's not "real" in some misguided belief that it was a good thing to only concentrate on the day to day. I don't think people realize that a child's imagination needs to be allowed to develop along with all the other parts of their lives. This kind of story is a super way to do this. To let a child wander through other worlds and realities using only thier minds is to let them learn how to think in more than black and white.
Where would our world be without people of great imagination? I think it would be in even more trouble than it is now.