t 10:45 a.m., the magic in Vera Camden's classroom begins. Talk of potions, witches and wizards consumes the class discussions as the students talk about their homework.

"So, what is the boggart? Do you think it draws comparison to the boogeyman?" Camden asks. "Why do you think Sirius can be in both the Muggle world and the magic world?"

Muggles? Boggarts? To listen to this discussion, you might think this is a foreign language class instead of a literature course. But these words are part of a different language of sorts, the nimble-tongued intelligence of Potter-speak.

The Harry Potter books have become popular children's literature worldwide. Published in seven languages, these stories about the young wizard have entranced children as well as this class and its teacher.

But these students aren't kids, and Camden is not an elementary school teacher. The class is Literature for Young Adults at Kent State. Some of the students are even older than Camden. They study the relatively simple story of 11-year-old Harry, an orphan raised by hateful relatives. On his birthday, Harry receives an invitation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he discovers the truth about his magical parents and himself.

People of all ages are getting hooked on Harry. The literary elite may think these novels and their author, J.K. Rowling, will fade into obscurity, but the readers tell a different story.