It was a long night.
Just going to skip over the Remus/Tonks stuff because we're having a big discussion at metamorfic_moon on Monday (assuming the R/T shippers can pull ourselves together enough to talk about it) and I don't want to say everything I have now. Suffice it to say that I feel like very dear friends died, but my first thought is that I still really want to write fanfic, particularly the Caring For Magical Creatures universe which gives them lots of time before DH and hasn't been blasted, beyond knowing the color of Hestia Jones' hair, to smithereens by the new canon.
That said...Like others of you, I'm trying to make up my mind about it. It's hard to formulate an opinion when you've been up all night. It was ridiculously exciting, and my heart pounded through the whole thing (though that could have a lot to do with the two hours' sleep I have had since yesterday, and the obscene amount of coffee I chugged). But it was just...not remotely what I (or anyone?) expected. I'm going to need to re-read the last 200 pages or so, because I was flying by that point, and then after Remus and Tonks...well, some of the interest waned, I'll admit.
I think what I'm most unsettled about (you know, apart from the glaringly obvious thing) is the lack of confrontation between characters who had been pitted against each other as rivals/enemies. While I get that revenge is always seen in a negative light in HP...I still wanted to see Bill or Remus (or Fleur) take out Greyback (Trelawney's crystal balls were hilarious and a nice nod back to one of the girls asking Remus why his boggart was a crystal ball in POA, but not totally convincing!), Neville handle Bellatrix, and Peter Pettigrew...Can't decide what I feel about him being choked by his own silver hand like that. I guess it fits, but...I still wish Remus had come face to face with him once again, and fed him to the dementors. Just not wholly satisfying, though maybe that's just because my ship completely, utterly bit the dust?
I think my favorite character in the whole thing was Kreacher. I've always been a bit partial to Gollum in The Two Towers when Frodo is so kind to him and he begins to be sweet in return. So I really loved Kreacher coming around, and beating up Dung with pots and pans? Priceless.
Dudley's "affection" toward Harry.
Adored Potterwatch. That had such a WWII feel to it.
Molly fighting like a madwoman and calling Bellatrix a BITCH? Bloody brilliant.
As were Augusta Longbottom and McGonagall.
Though I just realized something that's really pissed me off: there was no werewolf subplot in DH. That touch of the Ministry being anti-werewolf...But what about Voldemort promising them rights if they rallied to him? None were in the battle. Was there any purpose at all to Remus' mission in HBP?