WARNING: this entry contains content and references from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Do not read unless you have finished the book, or would like to suffer some major spoilers. You have been warned.
Hmm... Okay I took long enough to get this out...
Short review: wow...
Longer review: ...................wow...
Well to be honest the book was both a surprise and a disappointment. Many things that I wanted to see didn't happen, many people I wanted to live (i.e. Lupin and Tonks) didn't. But on the other hand, many things I never expected to see or people I never expected to live did. I didn't expect Molly Weasley to be such a magically strong witch, or for Percy to be able to swallow his pride in the end.
I think the biggest surprise was Snape. Not the fact that he turned out to be good, but his feelings for Lily. I don't think anyone seeing the way he treats Harry would have guessed that, or even guess that he was capable of love.
It was beautifully done, though. You can argue that Snape's betrayal to Lord Voldemort was instrumental in the latter's downfall. And Snape's betrayal is attributed to his love. If he did not love, he would not have begged Voldemort to spare Lily, and if Voldemort did not underestimate the power of love, he might have heeded him, and prevent Snape's betrayal.
So it stands to reason that it wasn't, in the end, the triumph of Harry over Voldemort, or even of good over evil, but of love over hate. Lily's love for her son caused her to die to protect him. Snape's love for Lily made him betray his master and work against him. Harry's love for his friends made him decide to sacrifice himself. On the other hand, Voldemort's hate for his Muggle father, which eventually extended to all Muggles, blinded him to see the power of love.
I like the development of Neville Longbottom throughout the seven books. He's transformed from a natural bully victim to a powerful Gryffindor with a strong sense of justice. Seems almost nostalgic now to remember how Ron (I think) told him in Book 1 to 'start standing up to people'. Through his membership in Dumbledore's Army, and his determination to make his parents proud, he has certainly matured into a great wizard, and, I'm sure, an understanding and just teacher. It wouldn't go wrong to name him the teacher in-charge of Gryffindor House either!
However, there's a trade-off. I was disappointed in Ron's development. For a great chess player, I would have expected him to become a good strategist, instead of the goofy idiot he is. As I see it, he's the weak link of the trio, whose purpose is to act as comic relief and loyal companion to Harry. Otherwise, he has no real combat use in the team.
I would also have liked to see more of McGonagall. We know her as a strict teacher, but Rowling has also hinted that there's more to her than that. She seems to understand Peeves, someone whom,as a disturber of the peace, we would expect her to loathe. And despite her unforgiving demeanour, she appears to be fond of her students. It is also interesting to see how Harry grows to like his Head of House, unlovely though she may be. As Deputy Headmistress, and after the seven books, Headmistress of Hogwarts, there is a strong basis for belief that she is a formidable witch too. All these hints at something beyond the surface, yet nothing substantial. This is one character I would like to have more insight about.
I previously mentioned the deaths of Lupin and Tonks. Though I would rather they had not died, I still see some good in their passing. Near the start of the book, Lupin expresses his fear that the child would grow up under the shadow of having a werewolf for a father. Now, rather than telling his friends that with shame, he can proudly say, "My dad was a war martyr for the wizarding world." Their deaths, and Fred's, also tell of how war breaks up families and destroys everthing we love. That, I hope, will serve as a deterrent for some of our world's future leaders.
That said, I believe the sacrifices made in the book were well made, and that Rowling has really written a masterpiece that will be remembered in history.