How is there not a topic on this?!?!

Oh my god, I just finished this book and my head is still spinning with all the things that I'm left with and the questions I have about teh next book!!

POST your reactions, thoughts, speculations, feelings ANYTHING!!

Cuz I'm sure going to go on a tired when I'm good and well-rested (worked all day and then read right up until a little bit ago)

1. Dumbledore - I was just a little saddened but had a (false) suspicion that he was being controlled by Snaper or Vold the entire time. But he needed to go otherwise HArry would always have a thing in the back of his head saying "Dumbledore will save me! Dumbeldore can help!" when he faces Vold for the big showdown. Harry needs to firmly realize that he is the head role in taking down Vold, not Dumbledore, and now he has no choice but to face it.

2. Draco Malfoy - Finally some character development and wits displayed by this young guy! He's always been one of my favorites because I sort of had a suspicion since book 1 that he was going to be very important in the grand scheme of things. Prior to this book he was a trifle, an occasional annoyance, a small-time hazard. But he finally pulled through and even surprised himself with how much of a regular honest to God human he is deep down. He also took a lot of spotlight as the #1 villian of the hour (naturally Vold looms largest in the background, but I felt like Draco was the biggest concern, at least to Harry, for the 6th book)

3. Romance - finally progressed a little bit beyond middle school level. But perhaps the development with Harry and Ginny was TOO fast I ask myself? Cho as a total non-entity also shook me for the first couple chapters. Lots of interesting couples set up...

4. Snape - I honestly never expected he was the Half Blood Prince. I thought his Vow in Chapter 2 was a part of his plan to serve Dumbledore better. I was wrong. God he is set up well to be a #2 villain for the final book! And some of his past actions, like actually weakening Harry during Occulmency lessons in Book 5, make sense now.

5. Slughorn - Was sort of pissed when he emerged. Didn't really want him to play the cookie-cutter role of New Dark Arts teacher being a big problem for Harry. A very believable character and didn't play the role I was afraid he might. Actually a breath of fresh air.

6. Felix Felics - that luck potion - Way too much of a Deus Ex Machina for me... But the scene After the Burial was so well-written! I loved that part anyway, despite its impossibility and blatant convienece for the main characters... Was pissed that it save the members of the DA though, couple of expirienced Death Eaters should be able to take down a bunch of twerps....

7. Death Eater choice of spells - Why not Avada Kerdava every enemy? Rowling never established or explained how or why certain Dark spells are used when they are. Do you have to have some sort of requirement to kill a person with Avada? Wormtongue did Cedric Diggory and he didn't even know the guy... just like a bullet from a easilly pulled trigger. But then they run in using hexes that don't do much more than burn or hurt their enemies when attacking Hogwarts?!?! No taking advantage of the smoke cover to kill off enemies? No being smart and making people dance uncontrollably or sneeze so that they can't fight and become sitting ducks?

Also, why do some people shout spells (usually the good guys) far faster than their attackers. You'd think "Crucio!" would be a quick short attack, but it gets cut off by "Expelliaramus!" and counter jinxes.... No reference to wand movements playing a part in the logistics of battle... oh well, maybe I'm just too much of a hard nose for such conflict specific aspects...

Anyway, what did you all think about the book? And can anyone throw out a guess as to who R.A.B may be? I think I have a decent guess...