[Jeremy]

Well, let's see. Both series are about boys with black hair who possess magical powers. The boys are both 11 years old at the beginning of the series and 17 at the end of the series. They both live in England. The authors of the 2 series are both British. The 2 series are published at around the same time period. I think it's very natural to compare these 2 series. There is no doubt which author is the more popular by far among the casual readers around the world. But does popularity equal greatness? Personally, I think Stroud is a better writer than Rowling. Rowling's success can be attributed to a host of factors, luck and great advertising being 2 of them, but Rowling's popularity will eventually fade with time, like those of Stephen King, Goosebumps, and Pokemon. But that's just my opinion.