Minor long-term surprises:
* Snape, Lily, and Petunia (!) grew up together!
* Hedwig? Good lord! (Rowling killed her to deny Harry of a means of communication later, but it was a surprise when it happened.)
* The Gray Lady and the Bloody Baron were lovers (sort of).
Definitely a Christian work! I would say that the overall theme of the series was voiced by Dumbledore: Our choices make us who we are.
Dumbledore overcame his youthful bigotry by devoting his life to protecting Muggles and the Muggleborn (and denying himself power).
For all his sins, Voldemort, thanks to Harry’s mercy, might have found redemption even at the very end if he had repented and felt remorse for his actions.
Petunia decided to hate a world she could not be a part of rather than be happy for her sister, and it poisoned her life.
Percy the prodigal son gave up his career to stand with his family when it really mattered.
Draco was pulled back from the brink. I don’t think that Harry and Draco will ever like each other, but there is respect there now.
And let’s not forget Big D.!
Of course, Snape gets a whole chapter to himself on this score.
On the deaths: I was surprised at how many happened “off camera”, but if you’re going to stick with Harry’s POV, I suppose that’s inevitable. I would have liked to see Lupin and Tonks go down back to back, though, and taking twenty or so with them. I had expected before this book that it would be Neville taking Bella down, but given Fred’s death, I’m glad it was Molly who got to go all Ripley on her (her line is going to bring down the house when the movie comes out).
I might have missed someone, but I think that every character still living (and one not) came out for one more bow somewhere in the book, from Krum and Umbridge right down to the Headless Hunt and Griphook.
I hope this series is preparing an entire generation of English kids to fight the war of their generation against radical Islam. They’re going to need all the help they can get. Just a few weeks ago, the Muggle PM banned the phrase “War on Terror.” Perhaps they will start saying “The Conflict That Cannot Be Named” instead?
Don’t know if Rowlings knows that her books may end up saving a generation, but I will take to the mat anyone who suggests that Christians shouldn’t allow their children to read these books.
I haven't seen anyone on this thread mention it, but this book doesn't seem to shed much light on the significance of the 'Remember my last...' message from Dumbledore to Petunia in OOTP... there was mention of her writing to Dumbledore as a child, and him sending a polite reply, but 1.) that wasn't really his "last" correspondence, because he did leave a letter with infant Harry, IIRC, and 2.) even if it was, what would that have to do with the context of throwing Harry out of the house in OOTP?
Oh yeah! That was really cute, and very sweet!
ROTFL!! Ripley was my first thought, too, when I read that. One of my all time favorite movie lines! And yeah, folks will be cheering for Molly in the last movie; the screenwriters will definitely HAVE to use that one!
Bingo.
Or perhaps an even better outcome - a generation of young Muslim kids will read it and grow up rejecting the death cult of the imams.