Just finished. Great, but sad, book! Who would've thought about Tonks and Lupin--I must say, I'm quite pleased. There are far too many loners among the adults--it's nice to see some appropriate pairing off. And I was glad that Fleur pulled through and showed her true colors. I would have been more disappointed if she left Bill and he ended up with Tonks (which is what I predicted as soon as Ginny said Bill had been mauled, so I was pleasantly surprised that JK didn't do that)--it seemed cliche, and this I liked more.
I have been pulling for Ginny and Harry since book two, I didn't know there were other people on the Internet doing that like Fuzzy said (which makes me resentful--I thought I was original), but I was ecstatic when it mentioned the love potion smell and connected it with Ginny. However, I just hate that Harry turns her away at the end--if Hermione and Ron get to come along, Ginny should too. I hope he changes his mind, or Ginny follows them or something, in the last book.
I have found myself a loner in that I have never liked Snape, and never trusted him. I felt a little like Harry, and would grudgingly accept that there must be some reason to trust him--since Dumbledore said so, I tried to believe it--but deep down I still disliked and distrusted Snape. I have found myself in the minority in this. EUOL always maintained that he found Snape to be the most interesting character because he was complex and you're not sure if he is good or bad, but I am not one of those people who is very fascinated by dark maybe, mabye-not characters. (This is why I think I liked Hrathen in Elantris least, and still have a hard time seeing why he is people's favorite.) I like characters who are predominantly good but flawed--THAT kind of maybe, maybe-not character. I can never sympathize with someone who is purposely cruel. Snape was always purposely cruel to Harry, particularly when Dumbledore wasn't around. So he saved Harry's life--so what? He made it so hellish whenever he had the chance--so Snape saved his life so he could make it more miserable more often? That doesn't fly with me. Snape was always too evil and vindictive towards Harry--since I sympathized with Harry, I could never completely sympathize with Snape. (Though, admittedly, the time I felt the most sympathy was in the memory where Harry saw his father torturing Snape. It still didn't justify him being repeatedly cruel, though it did explain it a little more.)
I had a feeling this was going to happen after I heard an interview with JK Rowling where she said something about Snape to the effect that she was surprised at how many people sympathized with him and she wouldn't recommend sympathizing too much. Which gave me the hint that something like this was going to happen--that Snape would turn out bad in the end. I guess there is the possiblity he can do something good in book seven, but that was a horrible way to kill Dumbledore, and he was described thus: "Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face." That is no act. It is as if Snape has been waiting for this. I DO NOT think it was planned between Dumbledore and Snape--not at all. Dumbledore trusted Snape and Snape betrayed him and enjoyed it when he killed him.
So I can't say I was surprised. Just a little disappointed, nonetheless. I would have been happy if Snape redeemed himself. But I wasn't expecting it--I was expecting something more like this.
And I DO think that the only reason Snape did not kill Harry was because of express orders from The Dark Lord not to. Voldemort is not one to be crossed, and I think it like him to reserve Harry Potter for himself--Harry has became far too interesting, with the prophecy and the many excapes and "The Chosen One"--Voldemort would want to kill him himself. Otherwise, I think Snape would have relished killing Harry himself--he certainly has expressed his hatred towards Harry and his father many times.
I was also expecting Dumbledore's death, especially since I couldn't help myself and I read the chapter headings in the Table of Contents and I read "Phoenix Lament" and "The White Tomb" and said to myself, "Shoot, that has to be Dumbledore." Besides, lots of people had been predicting it--Harry's mentor and all, and he has to die before the final battle to really give Harry a motive, like Obiwan Konobi in Star Wars.
The fake Horcrux really does suck. It had to be found out, but it does add a certain element of pointlessness to Dumbledore's death.