Pomona College is hosting a panel discussion today (sorry for the late notice) with the subject “Veritaserum: The Truth About Harry Potter.”

No, it’s not one of those Potter-is-satanic deals. From the announcement:

“The Pomona Student Union and a panel of Pomona College professors Heather McWilliams (Politics), Oona Eisenstadt (Religious Studies) and Kathleen Fitzpatrick (English) will address the philosophical, political and theological questions that the beloved Harry Potter series poses, such as:

“What does finite life mean in the context of ghosts and live paintings?

“Why is religion absent from the text?

“Does the process of sorting parallel segregation?

“Why is power considered evil?

“What are the ethics of house elves and slavery?”

Hmmmm (cue the stroking of long wizard-like beard). Sounds intriguing, and surely the wonkiness will be leavened by wackiness. The details: 4:15 to 5:45 p.m., Rose Hills Theatre in the Smith Campus Center, 170 E. 6th St., Claremont.