I guess I'll address my grievances in the order that they appear in this thread:

My (former) Latin teacher has read the first book at my urging and stated that there were several mistakes made in the Latin of the book.

Anyone who doesn't appreciate the greatness of JRR Tolkein obviously either does not understand the nature of greatness or the nature of his books. His greatness lies in the fact that he can use myths and other literature and create something greater. One of the reasons Dracula is a great book is because of what it contributed to the much greater LotR.

HP were some great books, and the fact that they don't have much literary merit is just fine. We all need a break from the heavy stuff now and then. I'm looking forward to the movie.