Ron is the only one of the three that has grown up in the wizarding world. Without him, Harry and Hermione are lost.

Or, well, the reader is. I think Hermione's position as The Girl Who Reads Everything helps her operate as Infodump Central, but it's true that the reader still needs a social navigator.

And I agree that without access to the emotional support of the Weasley clan, Harry's position is just too depressing for words. And thus too grim for the reader, who needs occasional moments of gnome-tossing in the back garden.

I had forgotten how important Fred and George were (as well as the other family members), frankly--although I sort of wish JKR had made more of an effort to distinguish the two. At the moment, five books in, the only difference I have seen between the two of them is that George was the one who (with Harry) punched Draco--but only because Fred was being physically restrained at the time. That said, she does a solid job with the rest of the family: they're all unique characters.

I'm trying to distinguish between Fred and George myself but finding it difficult. Fred usually speaks first? I guess?

Ron is the only one of the three that has grown up in the wizarding world.

He's the only one who knew about Beedle the Bard

Hermione read everything.

except Beedle the Bard.

except Beedle the Bard.

Right, because that's a children's book, right? Yeah, she would have concentrated on histories and magical theory, not popular literature.

I did like the moment in Book 5 where she says "I cannot believe you guys STILL haven't read Hogwarts: A History, given how much Really Important Information I keep finding in it!" It's really amusing. But why should they, if they have Hermione available to provide the data for them?

I loved that Ron knew something Hermione didn't but I was a little dissapointed that Ron's knowledge of Beedle didn't help more in figuring out the Hallows.

About how Hogwarts is run, from a little while ago -- I just got to the part in Chamber of Secrets where they bring Hagrid to Azkaban and suspend Dumbledore, and Lucius Malfoy says that there's a board of governors with 12 people on it, including him, that makes the decisions for Hogwarts, and even the Minister of Magic can't override those decisions. So I guess the Hogwarts money is in some sort of trust?

So I guess the Hogwarts money is in some sort of trust?

Well, just after I started this argument discussion, I got to the parts in Book 5 where the Ministry keeps passing laws granting it more and more authority over the management of Hogwarts.

So I think the answer is that it's a publicly-funded or supported school with a semi-autonomous board of directors. Because it's at least sort of public (JKR never really specifies), the Ministry for Magic can interfere more and more with its operations. It's like the California Legislature granting state executives the ability to micromanage the state university system--somewhat unprecedented, but not outside their legal authority.

In other news, I cannot believe it took me until I heard the two words being spoken in proximity that I picked up on the Slytherin/slithering thing.

I just got it now!

I was very surprised to learn what 'muggles' was in the US in the 20s and 30s.

And do you know what phrase evolved into "Abracadabra"? I kept hoping a witch would remark on the insensitivity of muggles to use that word to represent magic being worked. Like how Earthlings have no idea about "Belgium".

I'll google Abracadabra and muggles if explain "Belgium".