The stage at the “Harry Potter vs He Who Must Not Be Named” protest in Bangkok on Aug. 3 was decorated with images of the franchise’s villain, Lord Voldemort. The framed pictures were a not-so-subtle allusion to the portraits of Thailand’s king that typically festoon public spaces. As he prepared to address the crowd in a Harry Potter costume, 36-year-old human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa swapped his wand for a microphone and made the comparison explicit, shattering taboos around the country’s most hallowed institution. “We seriously need to discuss the monarchy’s role in Thai politics,” he said. Despite the tongue-in-cheek setup, the subject — and the risks involved — could not have been more serious.