Saurons 'will' remained in the ring while it was lost for hundreds/thousands of years. His physical body did not survive. (sound familiar?)

in Lord of the Rings - often, Aragorn/Strider when searching for the hobbits would describe them as 'children' to a man's eye. Tolkien wrote the Hobbit & LOTR for his children. I do think having 'child sized' hobbits was deliberate. As was the description of the lands of middle earth. (I think hobbiton is like a rural english village, rohan is like the viking lands of scandinavia, gondor is like russia with it's steel grey/ivory towers tall and forboding....)

I agree with the Merry & Pip = Fred & George similarity. the mischief, sense of fun, but with hearts true to the cause until the very end.

Also Galdalf & Dumbledore were both questioned for their 'counsel' - both accused of turning up for the wrong reasons, being the bearer of bad news. as seen when Gandalf first tries to talk with the King of Rohan, and when Dumbledore tries and tries to tell the ministry that Voldemore is back.

There is suspicion of the messenger when the truth to be told is unpalatable. this also applies when Merry & Pip try to convince the Treebeard to join the way. It takes a long time to convince them that the fight for middle earth is a fight for all, not just wizards and men.

I do not know of many authors who have created their own words & history that have infiltrated popular usage as much as Tolkien, Rowling and Shakespeare. It truly is a wonderful literary feat.

Perhaps the properties of the three Hallows - invisibility, to control immeasurable power, to bring back the dead (in some form)... whoever wore the ring would be invisible to the eye, had luck/power in battle, saw the dead in a different form. (frodo could see the nazgul as their former selves) (Harry could see those who died on his final march to Voldemort)

it's fascinating - truly fascinating. I love both series passionately and look forward to more thoughts