Rowling, J.K., Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix

Do people really believe that reading Harry Potter can, sort of, invite evil creatures into the world?

I mean, have they been reading too much Lovecraft and watching too many Linda Blair films, and they actually think it's true?

Does the concept of evidence mean anything to these people?

Where do they get it all from?

Now the books have this idea of character based ethics, and maybe this is what our witch-hunters don't like.

What emerges from Harry Potter is that people have good or bad character, and what they do comes from their character, and this more important than whether they follow a set of prescribed rules.

This is quite clear in the books. There is a set of school rules (for example, a curfew — no leaving the dormitory at night), and the teachers are supposed to enforce these rules (by deducting points for infractions).

But in fact, Harry and his friends break the rules and this is presented as good. They are formally punished (lose points) for breaking the rules, but then compensated for their results.

And in the latest book, the character of Dolores Umbridge represents illegitimate authority. Rowling is holding up to us an example of authority that lacks any moral force, and depends only on legal authority.

Curiously, this is not what I would call a traditional left-wing (or anti-Christian) stance — it is usually the right who are talking about moral responsibility.

Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix. 2003, Bloomsbury, London. hardback. 766 pages.