HP was a children's book and had a simplistic system of magic
I want something hip and fun that explores magic but doesn't go full fantasy tier wizardry, and still has modern tropes. Key here is: nice magic system, cool characters, YA ish, hip and not for children
The only good fiction I've read that depicts magic as it is practiced in the read world are Crowley's novels Moonchild and Diary of a Drug Fiend.
More pertinent to what you're looking for is maybe The Magicians by Grossman, HP for a slightly older teen audience.
Caleb Rodriguez
just play the games it's basically what you are looking for
Andrew Gray
The King James Bible
Ryder Smith
Lame... I'm gonna write my own under a pseudonym and rake in YA cash cows
Hudson Reyes
skulduggery pleasant
or rivers of london series
Nathaniel Lopez
Mahouka is what you want OP.
Bentley Harris
not the same
Owen Evans
Applause
Jordan Ward
>magic system
Levi Walker
I get why magic systems are funny as a meme but what's the origin? Autism? Do they really get additional pleasure from their power fantasies if they systematize them? Shouldn't power fantasies be dionysian?
Luis Wilson
It's worldbuilding autism, also made popular by the fact that videogames require a hard system for magic to work.
Benjamin Cook
If you take the phrase "magic system" it's clear that magic is predominant element, as it is the "stuff" that is to be systematized. Therefore its presence is more vital. So I say that the power fantasy of wielding magic is the basic pleasure here and the systematization is an enhancement of that. But the reason I brought up dionysian is because surely at some point the autist will break his own system rules in order to increaseth the sensation of fantastical power? And when he does that what is he left with?
Charles Johnson
not necessarily this book in particular, but you get the idea
Faust is a more modern version, Madoka Magica even moreso. Ultimately however you need to investigate your pagan roots.
people in this thread are kind of memeing you b/c this is not really the appropriate board to be asking this question. but Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is close to pretty much of all of your requests. it's a 5 or 6 book series, all of it is pretty decent YA
Colton Johnson
To aru Majutsu no Index.
Adam Watson
You might like this, OP. It's a little less gay than Harry Potter but takes place in the 19th century so not totally modern.
Asher Wright
weak
Gavin Howard
Dresden Files Alex Verus
Carter Baker
Lev Grossman's "The Magicians" is pretty bad but follows kind of the idea of a more grown up HP on the current world
Brandon Morgan
I've started, and skipped the novel version
Michael Garcia
SP is pretty fucking good for a YA series
OP, no memes, read/watch HunterxHunter. Nen is the best game-y magic system in any YA genre. It starts pretty slow though.