ITT: Millennials explain to Gen Z why Harry Potter is such a cornerstone in our generation

So Millennial's Harry Potter-obsession seems to be one of the most commonly stereotyped and parodied things about us, and not without reason. Harry Potter was a cultural phenomenon in our childhoods, teens and early adulthood.

The Harry Potter craze lasted from 1998 (when the first book started gaining traction) to 2011 (when the last movie premiered). But I would argue that the most fervent Harry Potter mania occurred between 2000-2009.

In this thread, millennials share their memories and experiences surrounding Harry Potter during Harry Potter-mania and how the franchise impacted them.

Of course Gen Z will have had their own experience of Harry Potter but this thread is meant to Illustrate what it was like to live through the period in which Harry Potter was absolutely everywhere in order to explain why it has so much meaning to us.

Millennials who didn't like Harry Potter growing up, just don't comment. It adds nothing.

Okay, my experience is that my dad would always go to the midnight releases whenever a new Harry Potter book was released. Then when I woke up, I had a fresh Harry Potter book to sink my teeth into. Those are some of the happiest moments of my childhood.