Read the books. Don't judge the books by the movies.

I find the books delightful, and quite a departure from LOTR, the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, and the many others. All too often fantasy novels are a quest, which was done first by Le Morte D'Arthur and more recently by LOTR -- since then it looks like lesser writers copying Tolkien (Robert Heinlein's "Glory Road," is still pretty damned good).

The Harry Potter books aren't a quest, and I like the development of plot and characters, Rowling's use of language and folklore, and her unique approach to fantasy.