You're not missing much, to be honest. I don't like the Harry Potter movies, and I hold the books, while not bad, amount to the most overrated fantasy series of all time. The whole series kinda rode the success of the strong first three books. As a whole, the series doesn't have the same world building Lord of the Rings has, the complex and endearing characters Wheel of Time has, or the interesting villains (one of who makes Voldemort look like a freaking saint) the Malazan Book of the Fallen series has.

However, I will say Harry Potter is probably the best series for newcomers to the fantasy genre. It keeps things centered around a short span of time and a small group of people, which makes for an easy read. Because you don't have to keep track of around seven hundred named characters like you do in Malazan, which is probably the most complex and difficult series to tackle.