SPOILER ALERT
Do not read any further if you haven't finished the book.
Well, it was intense. More overwhelming than intense; it's really hard for me to wrap my mind around how I feel. I think, I think I liked it. There were parts I wasn't so pleased with, but I take it as is.
My mind raced the entire time. Back to things I thought while reading the other books, referring to various fanfics I had read over the years (which have, obviously, distorted my view of the characters and made it hard sometimes for me to remember which Harry and which Ron and which Draco and which Ginny and which Hermione I was actually reading), and in general making speculations along the way as to what the hell JKR was planning to pull next.
I agree with cutecoati's earlier post, and I think with others I've read. I can't think of them off the top of my head. I can't say I'll go in order of events, but I'll address all that I can.
Now, keep in mind; I started reading at about 2pm on Saturday, and by 1am I was restricted to the confines of my brothers' very small bathroom as my only reading spot, because everyone else had gone to bed, and that was the only place I could have the light on. And I read in there until about 6am, when I finally finished the book, because I wanted to read at my slowest, but still read fast so that I didn't die from the torture of going too slow. My butt fell asleep multiple times as I moved from sitting on the counter with my feet in the sink, the floor, the tub, and on top of the toilet.
Also, these were my earlier speculations, made however many weeks ago.
-I think Snape is good.
-I think Ron will die (or at least that was the original plan - but JRK said that one of the dying characters got redemption from her as she was writing, so maybe he lives). I keep thinking back to the chess game as foreshadowing. May sound like a stretch, but I was listening to the Mugglenet podcast, and they said some things that got me thinking that way.
-I think Harry will live (it would suck so much if he died)
-I do not think the book will end with the word scar
-I hope Fleur spills red wine on Ginny's dress at the wedding that clashes horribly with her red hair (I don't like Ginny in cannon. Can't help it)
-I want Draco to live so that my H/D obsession can live after Hogwarts and I can finish Dwindling Pieces this summer (I would try to finish it before Deathly Hallows comes out, but I'm getting a full time job, and therefore will have no time.)
-I don't want Lupin to die. They took Sirius, they can't take Lupin.
-But I do agree with you on the Hagrid and Neville dying front.
-Maybe Hermione will be crippled? Hahahahhahaha. I don't know. Forgive my awful sense of humor.
-The whole not going to school. Very obvious that they wouldn't go, to me. But for some reason, when I actually read the whole part where Harry, Hermione and Ron weren't in school, it felt... Not right. Don't get me wrong, it was right. It's just, I felt more that I was reading something by someone else, and not JKR. It's hard to accept that this is the last book, and with the onslaught of fanfic I've exposed myself to, this seemed like just another story at times. It was so hard for me to focus on the idea that this is it. I don't know why.
-I was extremely glad that JKR addressed the events of each of the remaining Horocruxes (excluding Nagini) in detail. I was afraid, due to my habit of reading bad fanfic, that she would go through the extreme detail for the first Horocrux (stealing the locket from Umbridge), but then rush the others. I was immensely satisfied that this was not the case. And I always suspected the killing of Nagini would be quick and simple, because it would, naturally, occur during the last battle.
-Snape, telling Voldemort at the beginning when Harry would leave. I still held VERY STRONGLY to my belief that he was good, and that this act was to prove his "loyalty". I will admit, as the story progressed and we heard so very little of Snape, I feared that JKR would end up writing him off as bad and keeping it simple for herself in the end. I felt insanely stupid, then, when I actually got to the chapter The Prince's Story. You see, I always read the chapter titles before I read the book, and the one connection I never made was Prince. Yes, I'm stupid. I didn't realize that until I actually saw the chapter heading again.
-As cutecoati said, The Prince's Story kicked ass. They might have been fast, and maybe people will say it was just stuffed in there to make Snape good and could have been done better. But it rocked my socks off, and I love Snape. And as I read that chapter, my mind screamed, "I KNEW IT!!" When I read OotP, I had suspected something between Snape and Lily, due to her treatment toward him. I didn't know what, but I suspected. And it all made perfect sense to me when Harry saw the memories in the Pensive, because I knew Snape was good, I knew Dumbledore had planned his own death with Snape, and it all made sense. Even Snape loving Lily did not seem shoved in there and foreign to me. I blame fanfic, and I should stop comparing DH to fanfic, but I couldn't help myself.
-Again, about Snape, and again, what cutecoati said: (Be warned, this one's a little incoherent) For such an amazing, self-sacrificing man, he was given a pitiful, awful death. There was no shining moment that he deserved. Snape was an amazing wizard, talented, and did so much for Harry, but more so for Lily, because that's who it was intended for. I wish he could have had more, I wish he hadn't died, or at least have died in a grand way. But I understood that this was the way he had to go: not because Voldemort realized treachory, which he did not, but because he was just in the way; because Snape perfected an art that would, naturally, cost him his life. My point is, though, he died alone, with only Harry, who was Lily because of his eyes. And I cried, I really did cry when he said "Look at me." I knew why, even though the Penseive had not been yet presented. And it was beautiful.
But also, he had to die, or Harry would never believe him, never realize the truth about Snape, and he would never realize what a brave, magnificent soul he really was.
-I didn't expect Mad-Eye's death. I was sad about Hedwig, and Lupin and Tonks... That hurt the most, I think. Their poor son, Teddy, left like Harry was left, in a way. I was sad when they died. I still didn't want Lupin to die as I read the book, but I knew that as soon as he married Tonks that she would die. I just knew she would.
-It's funny, as I was reading Bill and Fleur's wedding, I thought; too much happiness. Something bad's going to happen. Predictable.
-I expected Ron to get angry at Harry while they were out, but I didn't think he would leave. And I sure as hell didn't trust him when he came back - thoroughly believed that he was an impostor. Oh well.
-There were times, especially at the final battle, that I thought "REMEMBER THIS!!!", like when Harry couldn't find Ron and Hermione. I kept chanting, "Girls bathroom, 2nd floor, you dimwit!". He's so thick in the skull sometimes, I'm surprised he lived. Not really, but yeah. Those moments were really annoying.
-This book, unlike the others, always, always fluctuated. There were few, snippets of calm, followed by the always moments of run, or fight. It was always in the extreme, it seemed, and if there had been no final battle, it would have been hard to determine what was the real climax of the story. It made me dizzy. But I don't know if I could have expected anything else.
-I was both happy and disappointed with the Malfoys in this book. Draco was a sniveling coward, and he's not the shining hero some people like to write (I don't always write him like that, but I like reading him like that). He was more sniveling than ever before. I felt, toward the end, he ought to have showed some resistance, ought to have fought a little against the Dark Lord, instead of insisting on getting Harry. Obviously he wanted to do it to get in good graces, to save him and his parents, but I thought he would have been stronger, more wanting to help his parents by getting rid of Voldemort. Oh well.
However, he did not sell Harry out immediately in Malfoy Manor. Whether that was due to fear or whatever doesn't concern me. He didn't do it. And Narcissa - she is the strongest of the Malfoys, and definitely the most kick ass. She didn't sell Harry out either, and I loved that. Their family, as evident at the end of the battle, was only centered on themselves. Unlike Bellatrix, they wanted most each other, and not the Dark Lord, to survive. They loved each other, and although their morals are skewed, they made it. Thank you, JKR.
-Harry and Draco's wand. LOVED IT. 'nuf said.
-Oh, and Harry and Draco on the broom, zooming out of the Room of Requirement. Weeeeee.
-I found it interesting that Voldemort created the Room of Requirement. Or was it he just thought he had, but in fact it existed all along, with the making of Hogwarts? The latter seems more correct, despite what's in the book or what Voldemort thinks. Oh well.
-I was glad Crabbe showed resistance to Draco, but I was also glad he died. Arse.
(Crap, I'm losing sight of all I wanted to say)
-Uhm. Cover. Great Hall? I think they're all in the Great Hall. Not entirely sure, though.
-Was the baby at Kings Cross during Harry's Limbo-moment the part of Voldemort's soul that Voldemort himself had just killed? Dunno.
-When I read the part where Dumbledore told Snape that Harry had to be killed by Voldemort, I thought, "That makes sense. Why take one, when you can take both?" I completely accepted Harry's death, just like he had, even though I had believed, and still believed, that somehow he would come back. Granted, it's cliche. Both should have just died, but that wouldn't make the point, though, would it? Self-sacrifice is good, but JKR already proved the loss it could procure with Snape. Self-sacrifice, therefore, had to prove good with Harry, that there isn't always loss, and thus had to keep him alive. Now, if Snape had lived and Harry died; I thinik she could have pulled it off. I would have loved it; others, probably not. But whatever.
-The whole "Who's owner of the Elder Wand Game?" (reminiscent of Ouran High School Host Club's 'Which one is Hikaru Game?") was painful. JKR explained it, but it felt rushed and unexplained. It was just stupid, really. Just a fast way to get out of a mess, if you ask me. But, of course, the whole stealing Draco's wand was deliberate, and so it was all deliberate, but still. Info came too fast and you just had to accept it, because that's all you could do (unless you felt like scoffing. I did, on occasion).
-The Deathly Hallows. They really could have been left out, I think. I seriously thought Deathly Hallows was going to be a place. Maybe where a Horocrux was hidden. I didn't care - anything would have been better than the objects. It's like; JKR explained through Xeno Lovegood well enough what they were and whatever. But still - pointless, much? I guess it was another source to challenge Harry - his fight for 'Horocrux or Hallows' making his decisions much more important - but I kept reading it and thinking, "The kids have enough on their plate. DON'T ADD MORE. It ruins the story."
Problem was, each of those items was important in Harry's fight. And I think they could have just been separate items, but then - they were also important in showing Dumbledore's flaws.
-I was glad that JKR made Dumbledore a flawed man. But then again, I felt that there was so much focused on him and not the Horocruxes... But then again, Harry had nothing else, no other leads.... Yeah. I'll shut up.
-The doe. Finally, I should have gotten to this earlier. The second I read the title, The Silver Doe, I knew: Patronous, and I knew: the doe is Lily. I didn't know it was Snape's Patronus, but think about it. Stag = James. Doe = Lily. Makes sense. It was just a matter of figuring out who's Patronous it was.
-I do not mind R/Hr. I thought the kiss at the Battle was humorous.
-I was kind of annoyed with the whole Dumbledore-gets-to-explain-everything-again-at-the-end-just-in-case-you-were-confused. She does it every time. Good or bad, I dont care. It's annoying.
-I HATED the Epilogue. Things set however many years into the future should be burned. It doesn't help that I don't like H/G (I don't loathe it, but I don't like it one bit). The only good thing about the Epilogue was Albus Severus. Granted, I *hate* it how the characters, in JKR's and in fanfic, always name their kids after dead parents and whatnot. Yeah, it shows respect, but it's so annoying. But I was happy what Harry said to Al about the name Severus, and about not caring if he was in Slytherin. That made me happy.
-Naughty bunny: When Draco nodded curtly to them at King's Cross during the Epilogue, I thought, "OOh!! Affair before the marriage! Betrayal! Lust! Harry teaches Draco a lesson and punishes him for being a two-faced ass and we get hot smex, only to be bottled away for the sake of JKR's Epilogue. FEEL THE SEXUAL TENSION, DAMMIT."
Okay. That's all I can think of now. I think, on the whole, I did in fact like it. Some parts definitely not, but... Well. Maybe I'll have to read it again.
ETA:
-Despite what JKR said, I knew the last word was not going to be scar. Just try and make a satisfying-ending-sentence that ends with the word scar. It. Does. Not. Work.
-I did like the last sentence of Harry's at the end of the last chapter. Sick of trouble. Just a little humor that was fitting.
-Longbottom was a strong (albeit a bit annoying in the Room of Requirement) character, and admirable. And Luna was lovely too. I was awfully proud of them.
-Kreacher was so adorable! I loved that poor elf. Especially when he started fighting in the battle at the end. But Dobby - I cried for him, too. It was heartbreaking, really.
-One hint that made it obvious Snape was good: When he punished Ginny, Longbottom and Luna for breaking into his office to steal the sword of Gryffindor, he just sent them to Hagrid - he knows their friendly with him, so obviously they wouldn't do much or be afraid. Just like visiting a friend. If he was evil, he would have gotten the Carrows (whatever their name is) to torture them.
-This was a different sort of Harry Potter book. It cannot be compared to the others, in my opinion, because it was completely stranded from what's 'normal' for Harry Potter books. Being away from Hogwarts one example of it's different aspects, and the fact that Voldemort is finally thwarted for good. 3 and 6 stand at the top of my list, and 7 hangs somewhere in a void. I don't think it can ever be part of a list where all the HP books are compared. At least not for me.
-AND... for my slashers who haven't been on harrydraco: The real end of Deathly Hallows. *winkgrin*
Well, it was intense. More overwhelming than intense; it's really hard for me to wrap my mind around how I feel. I think, I think I liked it. There were parts I wasn't so pleased with, but I take it as is.
My mind raced the entire time. Back to things I thought while reading the other books, referring to various fanfics I had read over the years (which have, obviously, distorted my view of the characters and made it hard sometimes for me to remember which Harry and which Ron and which Draco and which Ginny and which Hermione I was actually reading), and in general making speculations along the way as to what the hell JKR was planning to pull next.
I agree with cutecoati's earlier post, and I think with others I've read. I can't think of them off the top of my head. I can't say I'll go in order of events, but I'll address all that I can.
Now, keep in mind; I started reading at about 2pm on Saturday, and by 1am I was restricted to the confines of my brothers' very small bathroom as my only reading spot, because everyone else had gone to bed, and that was the only place I could have the light on. And I read in there until about 6am, when I finally finished the book, because I wanted to read at my slowest, but still read fast so that I didn't die from the torture of going too slow. My butt fell asleep multiple times as I moved from sitting on the counter with my feet in the sink, the floor, the tub, and on top of the toilet.
Also, these were my earlier speculations, made however many weeks ago.
-I think Snape is good.
-I think Ron will die (or at least that was the original plan - but JRK said that one of the dying characters got redemption from her as she was writing, so maybe he lives). I keep thinking back to the chess game as foreshadowing. May sound like a stretch, but I was listening to the Mugglenet podcast, and they said some things that got me thinking that way.
-I think Harry will live (it would suck so much if he died)
-I do not think the book will end with the word scar
-I hope Fleur spills red wine on Ginny's dress at the wedding that clashes horribly with her red hair (I don't like Ginny in cannon. Can't help it)
-I want Draco to live so that my H/D obsession can live after Hogwarts and I can finish Dwindling Pieces this summer (I would try to finish it before Deathly Hallows comes out, but I'm getting a full time job, and therefore will have no time.)
-I don't want Lupin to die. They took Sirius, they can't take Lupin.
-But I do agree with you on the Hagrid and Neville dying front.
-Maybe Hermione will be crippled? Hahahahhahaha. I don't know. Forgive my awful sense of humor.
-The whole not going to school. Very obvious that they wouldn't go, to me. But for some reason, when I actually read the whole part where Harry, Hermione and Ron weren't in school, it felt... Not right. Don't get me wrong, it was right. It's just, I felt more that I was reading something by someone else, and not JKR. It's hard to accept that this is the last book, and with the onslaught of fanfic I've exposed myself to, this seemed like just another story at times. It was so hard for me to focus on the idea that this is it. I don't know why.
-I was extremely glad that JKR addressed the events of each of the remaining Horocruxes (excluding Nagini) in detail. I was afraid, due to my habit of reading bad fanfic, that she would go through the extreme detail for the first Horocrux (stealing the locket from Umbridge), but then rush the others. I was immensely satisfied that this was not the case. And I always suspected the killing of Nagini would be quick and simple, because it would, naturally, occur during the last battle.
-Snape, telling Voldemort at the beginning when Harry would leave. I still held VERY STRONGLY to my belief that he was good, and that this act was to prove his "loyalty". I will admit, as the story progressed and we heard so very little of Snape, I feared that JKR would end up writing him off as bad and keeping it simple for herself in the end. I felt insanely stupid, then, when I actually got to the chapter The Prince's Story. You see, I always read the chapter titles before I read the book, and the one connection I never made was Prince. Yes, I'm stupid. I didn't realize that until I actually saw the chapter heading again.
-As cutecoati said, The Prince's Story kicked ass. They might have been fast, and maybe people will say it was just stuffed in there to make Snape good and could have been done better. But it rocked my socks off, and I love Snape. And as I read that chapter, my mind screamed, "I KNEW IT!!" When I read OotP, I had suspected something between Snape and Lily, due to her treatment toward him. I didn't know what, but I suspected. And it all made perfect sense to me when Harry saw the memories in the Pensive, because I knew Snape was good, I knew Dumbledore had planned his own death with Snape, and it all made sense. Even Snape loving Lily did not seem shoved in there and foreign to me. I blame fanfic, and I should stop comparing DH to fanfic, but I couldn't help myself.
-Again, about Snape, and again, what cutecoati said: (Be warned, this one's a little incoherent) For such an amazing, self-sacrificing man, he was given a pitiful, awful death. There was no shining moment that he deserved. Snape was an amazing wizard, talented, and did so much for Harry, but more so for Lily, because that's who it was intended for. I wish he could have had more, I wish he hadn't died, or at least have died in a grand way. But I understood that this was the way he had to go: not because Voldemort realized treachory, which he did not, but because he was just in the way; because Snape perfected an art that would, naturally, cost him his life. My point is, though, he died alone, with only Harry, who was Lily because of his eyes. And I cried, I really did cry when he said "Look at me." I knew why, even though the Penseive had not been yet presented. And it was beautiful.
But also, he had to die, or Harry would never believe him, never realize the truth about Snape, and he would never realize what a brave, magnificent soul he really was.
-I didn't expect Mad-Eye's death. I was sad about Hedwig, and Lupin and Tonks... That hurt the most, I think. Their poor son, Teddy, left like Harry was left, in a way. I was sad when they died. I still didn't want Lupin to die as I read the book, but I knew that as soon as he married Tonks that she would die. I just knew she would.
-It's funny, as I was reading Bill and Fleur's wedding, I thought; too much happiness. Something bad's going to happen. Predictable.
-I expected Ron to get angry at Harry while they were out, but I didn't think he would leave. And I sure as hell didn't trust him when he came back - thoroughly believed that he was an impostor. Oh well.
-There were times, especially at the final battle, that I thought "REMEMBER THIS!!!", like when Harry couldn't find Ron and Hermione. I kept chanting, "Girls bathroom, 2nd floor, you dimwit!". He's so thick in the skull sometimes, I'm surprised he lived. Not really, but yeah. Those moments were really annoying.
-This book, unlike the others, always, always fluctuated. There were few, snippets of calm, followed by the always moments of run, or fight. It was always in the extreme, it seemed, and if there had been no final battle, it would have been hard to determine what was the real climax of the story. It made me dizzy. But I don't know if I could have expected anything else.
-I was both happy and disappointed with the Malfoys in this book. Draco was a sniveling coward, and he's not the shining hero some people like to write (I don't always write him like that, but I like reading him like that). He was more sniveling than ever before. I felt, toward the end, he ought to have showed some resistance, ought to have fought a little against the Dark Lord, instead of insisting on getting Harry. Obviously he wanted to do it to get in good graces, to save him and his parents, but I thought he would have been stronger, more wanting to help his parents by getting rid of Voldemort. Oh well.
However, he did not sell Harry out immediately in Malfoy Manor. Whether that was due to fear or whatever doesn't concern me. He didn't do it. And Narcissa - she is the strongest of the Malfoys, and definitely the most kick ass. She didn't sell Harry out either, and I loved that. Their family, as evident at the end of the battle, was only centered on themselves. Unlike Bellatrix, they wanted most each other, and not the Dark Lord, to survive. They loved each other, and although their morals are skewed, they made it. Thank you, JKR.
-Harry and Draco's wand. LOVED IT. 'nuf said.
-Oh, and Harry and Draco on the broom, zooming out of the Room of Requirement. Weeeeee.
-I found it interesting that Voldemort created the Room of Requirement. Or was it he just thought he had, but in fact it existed all along, with the making of Hogwarts? The latter seems more correct, despite what's in the book or what Voldemort thinks. Oh well.
-I was glad Crabbe showed resistance to Draco, but I was also glad he died. Arse.
(Crap, I'm losing sight of all I wanted to say)
-Uhm. Cover. Great Hall? I think they're all in the Great Hall. Not entirely sure, though.
-Was the baby at Kings Cross during Harry's Limbo-moment the part of Voldemort's soul that Voldemort himself had just killed? Dunno.
-When I read the part where Dumbledore told Snape that Harry had to be killed by Voldemort, I thought, "That makes sense. Why take one, when you can take both?" I completely accepted Harry's death, just like he had, even though I had believed, and still believed, that somehow he would come back. Granted, it's cliche. Both should have just died, but that wouldn't make the point, though, would it? Self-sacrifice is good, but JKR already proved the loss it could procure with Snape. Self-sacrifice, therefore, had to prove good with Harry, that there isn't always loss, and thus had to keep him alive. Now, if Snape had lived and Harry died; I thinik she could have pulled it off. I would have loved it; others, probably not. But whatever.
-The whole "Who's owner of the Elder Wand Game?" (reminiscent of Ouran High School Host Club's 'Which one is Hikaru Game?") was painful. JKR explained it, but it felt rushed and unexplained. It was just stupid, really. Just a fast way to get out of a mess, if you ask me. But, of course, the whole stealing Draco's wand was deliberate, and so it was all deliberate, but still. Info came too fast and you just had to accept it, because that's all you could do (unless you felt like scoffing. I did, on occasion).
-The Deathly Hallows. They really could have been left out, I think. I seriously thought Deathly Hallows was going to be a place. Maybe where a Horocrux was hidden. I didn't care - anything would have been better than the objects. It's like; JKR explained through Xeno Lovegood well enough what they were and whatever. But still - pointless, much? I guess it was another source to challenge Harry - his fight for 'Horocrux or Hallows' making his decisions much more important - but I kept reading it and thinking, "The kids have enough on their plate. DON'T ADD MORE. It ruins the story."
Problem was, each of those items was important in Harry's fight. And I think they could have just been separate items, but then - they were also important in showing Dumbledore's flaws.
-I was glad that JKR made Dumbledore a flawed man. But then again, I felt that there was so much focused on him and not the Horocruxes... But then again, Harry had nothing else, no other leads.... Yeah. I'll shut up.
-The doe. Finally, I should have gotten to this earlier. The second I read the title, The Silver Doe, I knew: Patronous, and I knew: the doe is Lily. I didn't know it was Snape's Patronus, but think about it. Stag = James. Doe = Lily. Makes sense. It was just a matter of figuring out who's Patronous it was.
-I do not mind R/Hr. I thought the kiss at the Battle was humorous.
-I was kind of annoyed with the whole Dumbledore-gets-to-explain-everything-again-at-the-end-just-in-case-you-were-confused. She does it every time. Good or bad, I dont care. It's annoying.
-I HATED the Epilogue. Things set however many years into the future should be burned. It doesn't help that I don't like H/G (I don't loathe it, but I don't like it one bit). The only good thing about the Epilogue was Albus Severus. Granted, I *hate* it how the characters, in JKR's and in fanfic, always name their kids after dead parents and whatnot. Yeah, it shows respect, but it's so annoying. But I was happy what Harry said to Al about the name Severus, and about not caring if he was in Slytherin. That made me happy.
-Naughty bunny: When Draco nodded curtly to them at King's Cross during the Epilogue, I thought, "OOh!! Affair before the marriage! Betrayal! Lust! Harry teaches Draco a lesson and punishes him for being a two-faced ass and we get hot smex, only to be bottled away for the sake of JKR's Epilogue. FEEL THE SEXUAL TENSION, DAMMIT."
Okay. That's all I can think of now. I think, on the whole, I did in fact like it. Some parts definitely not, but... Well. Maybe I'll have to read it again.
ETA:
-Despite what JKR said, I knew the last word was not going to be scar. Just try and make a satisfying-ending-sentence that ends with the word scar. It. Does. Not. Work.
-I did like the last sentence of Harry's at the end of the last chapter. Sick of trouble. Just a little humor that was fitting.
-Longbottom was a strong (albeit a bit annoying in the Room of Requirement) character, and admirable. And Luna was lovely too. I was awfully proud of them.
-Kreacher was so adorable! I loved that poor elf. Especially when he started fighting in the battle at the end. But Dobby - I cried for him, too. It was heartbreaking, really.
-One hint that made it obvious Snape was good: When he punished Ginny, Longbottom and Luna for breaking into his office to steal the sword of Gryffindor, he just sent them to Hagrid - he knows their friendly with him, so obviously they wouldn't do much or be afraid. Just like visiting a friend. If he was evil, he would have gotten the Carrows (whatever their name is) to torture them.
-This was a different sort of Harry Potter book. It cannot be compared to the others, in my opinion, because it was completely stranded from what's 'normal' for Harry Potter books. Being away from Hogwarts one example of it's different aspects, and the fact that Voldemort is finally thwarted for good. 3 and 6 stand at the top of my list, and 7 hangs somewhere in a void. I don't think it can ever be part of a list where all the HP books are compared. At least not for me.
-AND... for my slashers who haven't been on harrydraco: The real end of Deathly Hallows. *winkgrin*