The latest Harry Potter movie, like the others before it, has turned out to be another magical hit. The movie has managed to garner a fantastic 80 million over its opening weekend, thanks to the flights of fancy it takes the viewer on. But, what is it about Harry Potter that makes us all love him so much. Here are five reasons that I feel are responsible for making us love the Harry Potter books and movies so much.

Fantasy Intertwined with Reality. The best movies and books are those that that help us forget the realities of our daily existence, and take us on a journey wild and fanciful. The wilder the journey, the better the experience. But, if somehow the wild journey can be put across as believable, the experience of the journey is enhanced manifold. The Harry Potter books and movies manage to do just that. A boy living with muggles takes on a journey into a mystical land of magic and wizardy – the idea appeals to all children, and to all of grown-ups, who still are children at heart.

Great Cast and Characters. The character development in the books is amazing. We begin to feel for each of the character, as if we knew them in real life. Once again, the most successful stories are those in which the characters are such that we can, or we want to, identify with them. Harry Potter book are a beautiful example of such stories. And the movies do justice to the books. The cast of the movie has also been chosen judiciously. Haven’t you ever wished that you had a daughter like Hermoine?

The Story. A good set of characters, good writing, good marketing are all necessary for a book, or a movie, to succeed; but they by themselves are not sufficient to ensure success. All of these things need to be garlanded together using the thread of a good story. Harry Potter books do just that. The plots, and the sub-plots, in the books keep the reader interested till the very end, and them make him want for more.

The Evil that must-not-be-named. Another thing that contributes to the popularity of the story is the shadow of the evil always looming in the background. From the very first book, the evil Lord Voldemort has been threatening to spoil the party for Harry. Harry’s life is always under a threat, and even when he is a cute little kid we know that he is not safe from the machinations of the evil Lord. The books make us spite Voldemort with all our heart. And, it gives great pleasure when – in every fight – Harry is able to defeat his schemes – and that too with very little effort.

Work-in-Progress. Once the first book and the movie had become a success, the path was made easier for the next books and movies. We wanted to know how the little boy grew up? Would he be able to ward off Voldemort? Would he fall in love, and that too with the oh-so-cute Hermoine? These, and many other questions like these, arose in every mind at the end of every book and movie. The credit must go to J. K. Rowling for keeping the interest in the growth of the characters and the development of the story alive.

(For what other reasons do you love Harry Potter?)