Harry Potter and the Laws of Muggle Economics

Despite the amazing abilities of the witches and wizards in Harry Potter, the characters are still bound by many of the fundamental economic principles we observe in the muggle world. But would Harry be better off facing Voldemort on his own rather than hanging around characters like Ron and Hermione? Is the ownership of house elves rational? If we reject trade, are we bound to go down a road to becoming Lucius Malfoy? We talk with Marta Podemska-Mikluch of Beloit College about the economic themes found in the Harry Potter series and see how many of the problems Harry faces can be observed through an economist's lens.