It's a little more than fiction -- I think if you look at them critically, you can see that Rowling may be engaged in some religious allegory.
Note, for example, that the HP books have pretty much the same moral message as LOTR and the Narnia books. Indeed, Rowling has adopted many aspects of those universes. For example, many of the HP magical creatures are characters in Lewis's Narnia. The Dumbledore/Gandalf connection is likewise obvious. And of course, we could paint the kids as either Lewis's Pevensie children, or Tolkein's Hobbits....
The symbolism of the houses is suggestive, too -- Slytherin, home of the dark side, is represented by a serpent. Can't think where else the dark side is shown as such... ;-) Gryffindor is symbolized by a lion. (Aslan, anyone?) The Raven (Ravenclaw's symbol) has some interesting and suggestive Christian meanings, and the Badger (Hufflepuff) is likewise suggestive.
Good Vs. Evil. Good wins, but it is not easy.
Sounds like damn near every plot line in every movie ever made.
I'm looking forward to the Chronicals of Riddick. The premise is using Evil to fight Evil. Then again, I'm also a fan of celtic legends where the good guy wins, but dies.
Go figure...
Thanks for that post - interesting interpretations of the symbolism.
Has anyone here read Alan Garner's children's books: "The Weirdstone of Brisingamen" and "The Moon of Gomrath"? Extremely interesting - I highly recommend.
Garner's work draws on Celtic mythology, and is set in 1960s Cheshire.