Recently, a New York Times op-ed made a bold claim: Gen Z doesn’t love Harry Potter. The piece argued that while Millennials experienced the books and films as massive cultural events—midnight book releases, packed movie premieres, and years of culturally built hype—Gen Z simply hasn’t had the same relationship with the series. It also pointed to the political backlash surrounding the franchise in recent years, suggesting that the online debates and calls for boycotts against the series have made the franchise feel more politically charged for some younger audiences, especially for a gen that is highly engaged with social issues...