The Lastest - with spoilers

[dungrollin]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Barry Arrowsmith" 
<arrowsmithbt at ...> wrote:
>
> NO
> DOUBT
> SPOILERS
> REQUIRE
> A
> BIT
> OF
> SPACE
> AT
> THE
> TOP
> OTHERWISE 
> FFA
> WILL
> RIP
> YOUR
> LUNGS
> OUT.
> 
> Well, now - what did you think of that?
> What you expected, or not?
> 

Cor! It was a right page-turner. Thought the first 4/5 excellent, the 
last 5 chapters or so went a bit funny. Didn't there seem to be a lot 
of characters missing from the Epilogue? What happened to Umbridge? 
The Dursleys? 

However, I declare minor victories on two counts: 
1. A very thoroughly DDM!Snape (Particularly: Dumbledore asked Snape 
to kill him *before* Snape took the UV, and Snape absolutely knew 
what Draco's task was when he took it).
2. Harrycrux. 

I bow most humbly to the Puppetmaster!DDers who never wavered. 

Disappointments: 
Snape, mainly. Harry didn't even get to confront him. What happened 
to the glorious martyrdom? What the bloody hell happened to that good-
for-nothing bloody Fawkes, eh? Snape had only one really good line in 
the whole book. (Though it was a *damn* good one, wasn't it?) And his 
reason for turning? Bleugh... 

I'm also rather disappointed that we didn't get *anything* of Harry's 
reaction to Snape's memories, no guilt at having misjudged the poor 
bastard, no regret at having hated him for so long, no squeamishness 
at the thought of Snape fancying his mum, nothing. And no fury from 
Voldy at the betrayal. I'd been looking forward to that.

I'm ever so glad Harry didn't kill Voldy with love, or anything. 

What happened to the founders who were supposed to be so important? 
The missing 24 hours? Possession? All the snake lore? The DADA curse? 
The Trio's careers? Who sent the Lestranges to the Longbottoms? (Was 
it simply masterminded by Bella because she knew that Voldy was still 
out there somewhere?) Snape's twitch in the Hospital Wing in GoF when 
Harry mentions Malfoy? The character who performs magic late in life 
thing... or did Filch get up to something when I wasn't looking? In 
fact, which ends actually got tied up? `Cause I don't remember too 
many. 

Kneasy:
Sevvy killed DD at his (DD's) request (those that got that one
will be feeling a touch superior to the Snape-ophobes)

Dung: 
I knew for certain he was DDM when I read that he sent Ginny et al 
off for detention with Hagrid, and will admit to having cheered under 
my breath. I guessed the blue eyes in the mirror were Aberforth too, 
but I s'pose everyone did.

I'm gonna read it again!