i have the same reaction to the Disney channel showing kids shows that glamorize and glorify the occult and witchcraft. Halloweentown for one, where a girl is from a family of witches etc. And there is one about a hockey team where the Devil is a player, i can't recall what the name of it is, but the kid playing the devil is Eric from Boy Meets World. All of these things serves to make witchcraft, occult stuff out to be mundane and harmless.
i recall vividly the sermon that our priest gave in church after the Exorcist was released, the concept has stuck with me for decades... that the devil's biggest coup is to have people NOT believe in him... That's what is going on today, they are de-mystifying the Devil, who is very present in today's society and culture. but they have made him HIP and HAPPENING and not at all threatening.
Here is my $0.02 on the HP matter:
It is unfortunate that this huge popular phenomenon glamorizes "witchcraft" and appeals to children to explore the occult. I believe that it will expose many of them to dangerous consequences.
In addition, and perhaps even more subtly and deviously, the children in the story regularly disobey the rules -- or decide which rules they can disregard -- and are then regularly commended and rewarded for doing so. I think this sends a very dangerous message to children that it is ok for them to disobey their parents, teachers, laws, or whatever if they don't happen to agree with the rule/law. If the moral teaching from the story were that the bad children are the ones who disobey the rules and the consequences are usually unpleasant for disobedience, that would be one thing; but unfortunately the moral message is that disobedience is fun and good.