Well, it took me all day but I managed it. I had to get some sleep before writing this but here I am letting you know what I think.
Story
The story was unusual - it was very different to the first 6 in that Hogwarts, and a lot of the characters, were only mentioned briefly. In fact it was all a bit of a mystery as Harry, Ron and Hermione all rush around trying to solve the mystery of the Horcruxes and the titular Deathly Hallows.
It all starts off at a terrifying pace, there's an evil meeting, and then Harry leaves the Dursleys for the final time. There are a number of deaths in the first few chapters, at least a couple of which will surprise (they surprised me at least). After the third chapter things slow down for a while as we are reintroduced to some of the characters and given some extra details that will be required later.
Speeding through the book, the trio visit places that we had only heard of before and meet a number of people that have only been mentioned in passing.
Throughout the book, and with the help of Rita Skeeter, we find out a large amount of back story for Dumbledore, and it's not necessarily the sort of back story you would imagine. However, as with the rest of the book, it fills in the details nicely - and leaves a more complete ending for Dumbledore than I had expected.
It all ends with the finale we have been waiting for, good versus evil, Harry against Voldemort, but who wins... I'm not going to give anything away.
The book ends with an epilogue which wraps things up nicely... and clearly shows that there will be no future Harry Potter books - sorry to all the people hoping for a book 8. JK has said all along that this would be the end, and it is. I doubt very much that she will change her mind.
Theories
I'm pleased to say that a lot of the theories that have been expressed on Binary Moon have come true. Hoorah!
It will be no surprise to the majority of you, that the theory that made my site popular (RAB = Regulus Black) is correct, but there were a number of others that also turned out to be true. I'm not going to say which ones they were as that may spoil things, but I am quite pleased with myself and impressed with the thoughts of the people who comment here 
You should all give yourselves a pat on the back.
Conclusions
The book was really very good and finished the series nicely. There were a few things I wasn't sure about though - Pettigrew didn't get the end I expected, and a couple of people died who didn't deserve to, but overall it was fantastic - a wonderful end to a wonderful series.
Where next?
It all feels a little funny now the books are over. I feel strangely like a part of me has been removed. Over the last 4 or 5 years Harry Potter has become quite a large part of me, with the books, my website, and the community that has grown around a shared passion. I've loved seeing the comments on my theories growing and growing, and I hope that the you will all stick around here - maybe we can find another series we are all so passionate about?
Comments
I know that it's tempting but I'll ask that you keep spoilers out of the comments. I want to keep the site spoiler free for at least a week or so, so that people can catch up with us speedy readers. That said I'd love to know what you think so please do speak up.
Here it goes, I have quite a few comments to make...excuse my spelling up front.....
- The potions book in the Half Blood Prince that Harry uses which Harry discovers was 50 years old... Who was the original owner? Was it Voldemort's? We learn that Snape's mother was Eileen Prince and assume she may have handed it down to Snape. but that would make the book about 30-35 years old at best. So who owned it before that? Was Eileen Prince Snape an original follower of Voldemort? Was that a cause for the fighting between Snape's parents? Did Lily have access to this book, possibly shared by Snape, which made her appear to be a natural at potion making to Slughorn? Also, I can't believe that Harry (or Hermoine) would not recognize Snape's handwriting after being his teacher for so many years.
-In the Half Blood Prince Slughorn has an extreme, possibly inappropriate infatuation with Lily. She is "cheeky" perhaps which could perhaps be viewed as flirtatious towards him. When he too his Felix Felice potion at the age of 57, did his perfect day have anything to do with Lily? Was this the reason that Slughorn left Hogwarts as a teacher years ago? Did something inappropriate happen here? Clearly Dumbledore used Harry twice to pursuade Slughorn to a)come back to school to teach and b) to give him his Voldemort memory of explaining the horcruxes. Dumbledore was using Harry because he was Lily's son and Dumbledore knew something that was never explained. Was Slughorn in love with Lily? He referred to her eyes way too many times to simply view them as wonderful eyes. He was obcessed with her eyes as if he was in love with her. It was mentioned numerous times throughout the book.
- There is much more to Minerva McGonagal than has been devulged in these books. She is truely a magnificent character and if JK Rowlin wrote another book in this Harry Potter series I could see one explaining the history leading up to Harry Potter as an opportunity! McGonagal is about the same age as Dumbledore. She must have been a teacher of Voldemort if Slughorn was. Slughorn was younger than Dumbledore. She is Dumbledore's right hand person and in the last book, is really in charge of many of the schools wonders - making the desks charge, commanding theiitems in the castle themselves. Voldemort prided himself on knowing the wonders of the castle - he couldn't compare with Mcgonagal's knowledge. She is head of Griffindor. She must have the qualifications - nerve, daring, chivalry, valor to have been appointed that position. How did she become a teacher? Was she a friend of Dumbledore's when he fough Grinwald in 1940? Was she in school & in Griffendor with Agusta Longbottom who must have also been in this house. Was she in love with Dumbledore? She was very quick to tell Lupin (re:Tonks) "Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to thing that there was a little more love in the world," Said Professor McGonagall curtly, just as the hospital doors opened again and Hagrid walked in. (Half Blood Prince pg 624). Her loyalty to Dumbledore was absolute. Her scream at the end of Deathly Hallows when she though Harry was dead was striking - you would have thought the author would have made that agony sound from Ginny or Hermoine or Ron. But it was curiously striking that it came from McGonagal instead. .."No! - The scream was the more terrible because he had never expected or dreamed that Professor MCGonagall could make such a sound." (Deathly Hallows pg 730)
-When Voldemort is killed, thos who were affliced by the Imperious Curse are released from it. How about those inflicted by the Crusio curse - Like Neville Longbottom's parents?
- What ever became of Belatrix's Lestrange's husband? She looks on Voldemort as a lover...what is going on here?
- If Harry and Voldemort are both descendants of the Peverell brothers, they must be distantly related. The Gants (Voldemort) is also related to the Slytherin. Is Harry also related to him? To Godric Griffendor? To Dumbledore? What are Dumbledore & Harry's genealogy?
- How did the Sword of Griffendor get from the Lastrange Vault at Gringot's bank, where Harry left it when they broke into the vault - back to Hogwarts for the final battle? We know the sorting hat was also once owned by Godric Griffendor. The hat brought the sword to Neville at Voldemort's command. Why did the hat obey Voldemort? What about Harry's agreement to give it back to the Goblins? The loop isn't closed on this. What kind of flames engulfed Neville when Voldemort put the hat on his head, were they? They didn't seem to harm Neville.
- What happened to the Dursleys after they left the house in the Deathly Hallows?Were they chased by death eaters?
- What is Harry's career in the future? Is there a need any more for aurors?
- What becomes of Hagrid and Madame Maxime? How did Dumbledore resolve the conflict between them when Madame Maxime refused to believe she was half giant?
Why do the portraits talke and pictures don't and why doesn't Harry just get a portrait of his parents & Sirius and Dumbledore?
- Molly Weasley - a very adept fighter....Where and how did she obtain the skills to kill Belatrix? Did she cas a silent Avada Kedavra curse when she said "You-Will-Never-Touch-Our-Children-again" giving her the split second advantage? How did Molly Weasley defeat Belatrix so quickly when no one else could?Ginny Weasley - her spells pack a powerful punch. Was this genetic?
August 8, 2008
hey! i don't get wy dey had 2 hav ron and hermione 2gever wy cant it b harry and hermione dey make a better couple. den neville could go wiv ginny and ron... well i dunno about ron he can stay a single pringle if he wants.
April 7, 2009
When I read the first Harry Potter book, I thought Harry and Hermione would be a couple. Not because it was expected, but because it just feels right. There were many people saying: “Oh, the hero always get’s the girl!" But first Harry Potter it’s not a normal hero, he does not wear shinny clothes, he does not have big muscles, he does not have a brilliant intelligence. And second: Hermonie being with Ron it’s more a “cliché”. Why? Because Ron and Hrm are always teasing each other, so in a way they are more like brothers. I have two sisters and we were always “picking” on each other, but I would do anything to protect my sisters, the same could happen between Ron and Hrm. It seems that Jk thought if Harry and Hrm stayed together there would be no one for Ron. For me that was a big mistake. For those who read the books, they know that Hermione is the only constant thing in Harry´s life. In the Order of the Phoenix when Malfoy said to Harry: “I will stalk you like a dog” Hrm and Harry looked at each other and they immediately knew that Malfoy was talking about Sirius. Ron didn’t understand a thing. That kind of empathy happens only between couples. There are a lot of examples and it is very disappointing to me the end of the books.
Bye
Sorry for the English, but I am not an English man.
August 29, 2009
I Love Harry Potter movies and the books, but I have one question.
You have posted two pictures in you're story.
What is the second wone about?
Please anwer my question!
August 3, 2011
The second photo is from the adult version of the Deathly Hallows book. In the uk we get child and adult versions - the only difference is the cover - you can see the two here.
August 4, 2011