Wow, something for everyone, no?
::cackles::

Well, I enjoyed it, though of course I'm disappointed that some of my pet theories have no support. I'm hanging on to some of them, though...

Spoilers, spoilers, here be spoilers!



Firstly, until I have absolute textual evidence otherwise, I'm hanging on to my "Percy as Dumbledore's man at the Ministry" theory. I have to, since my Ron betraying Harry theory seems to be shot to hell (damn it!).

Other than that... Who knows?

Except, there's something more going on with Snape, I think, than the obvious. I mean, if Dumbledore knew that the DADA position was cursed, and Dumbledore gave Snape the position...

Can't figure out whether Ron and Hermione not believing Harry about Draco is meant to mirror Dumbledore not believing Harry about Snape. If the answer is "yes," that would seem to prove Dumbedore's observation that his own errors tend to be more spectacular than most.

Disappointments
1. Very little Neville. Too little! After having Neville come into himself in the last novel, he's portrayed as sitting around hoping his galleon will give him the secret bat-signal?
2. Same with Luna. Never liked her character terribly much, but still -- all that build-up in the previous novel and, for what? At the very least, I expected Harry so say "So, Luna, ever heard of a Horcrux?"
3. Dobby and Kreatur -- I'd usually be glad to see so little of the house elves (although, Harry forcing them to work together was pretty amusing) but again, I feel irked on their behalf. Used and discarded! (By JKR, not Harry. Although, him too.)
4. Ron and Hermione being so unwilling to believe Harry's Draco-theory, and that Draco theory being RIGHT. Can you say "plot contrivance"? Good, I thought you could...
5. The revelation of Voldemort's backstory as Dumbledore's idea of "lessons." I understand that JKR was stuck for a graceful way to, er, expose that huge expository chunk, but in terms of storytelling? More or less lame. I also, during the "you have the ability to love" speech, half-heard a Beatles soundtrack. Meanwhile, my cynical self thought: Erm, maybe this has more to do with Harry being a boy of very little brains rather than a boy of very big heart.
6. Far too much of the Ron/Hermione/Lavendar triangle. I'm guessing that most readers do find Ron charmingly obtuse, but, ah... Maybe I've just OD'd on the golden trio's growing pains. Frankly, I was intrigued by Harry's thought that Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were growing apart, just as he, Hermione, and Ron were. Although, that proved to be true in neither case.

And, finally...

I'm assuming that there's much gnashing of teeth, beating of breasts, and tearing of hair what with all the textual (het!) relationship reveals. Lupin and Tonks? Hee! Not that I haven't seen it in fanfic, of course, but the expressions of Lupin's trust for Snape prior to that revelation had given me a bit of Snupin-related glee. Of course, Remus/Tonks also kills the Sirius/Remus ship. ::snicker::

I saw Ginny/Harry coming from a mile away, of course, and, of course, the aforementioned Ron/Hermione. About the only thing that Rowling didn't do was reveal Dumbledore's secret marriage to McGonagall...

Questions that I'm curious to hear thoughts about:

1. Why did JKR make this installment's title All About Snape?
2. Is Draco just a coward, or was his inability to kill Dumbledore a sign of something resembling morality?
3. Does anyone besides me want to throw up over Harry's Ginny-related nobility and Ginny's acceptance of same. IOW, why are Ron and Hermione allowed to freely choose to stay at Harry's side and Ginny isn't?
4. Is RAB "Regulus Something Black"?
5. If so, what does the "A" stand for? Aloysius? Alexander? Alfred?
6. Could Dumbledore made a Horcrux for himself? (Would fit in nicely with
rj_anderson's theory that Dumbledore and Snape had worked out a plan beforehand to allow Snape to "kill" Dumbledore, thereby proving his loyalty to Voldemort (meanwhile Dumbledore would rise "like a phoenix" from the ashes).