User blog comment:LilyLovegood/ The films do not take place during the 90's/@comment-71.0.144.106-20111208040232

The books are set in the 90s, while the movies take place in the 2000s (example: Dudley is seen wearing modern Nike apparel at the beginning of Order of the Phoenix). The main reveal of the story actually taking place in the 90s came in Deathly Hallows (book, not movie) when it shows that Harry's parents died in 1981, meaning Harry was born in 1980 since he was 1 year old when they died. By the time this book was released, the films had already been established in the present day.

It's worth noting however, that the time period in which the books take place was actually revealed in the Chamber of Secrets novel when they celebrated Nearly Headless Nick's 500th deathday party and it was stated that he died in 1492 (1492 + 500 years = 1992). This just went unnoticed by the majority of readers, as it was an insignificant detail at the time.