The oh moment?

I loved the 7th book - even tho' I suspected Snape was helping keep Harry alive - I still wasn't sure. The chapter when Harry saw Snape's memories was powerful to me, as I knew Snape chose Harry to see something he had always hid from him before. He could have just shared the memory that DD told him to share, the info he needed to face V.
Anyway, I had never really read any theories or visited any HP sites until I finished this last book, and so the book felt "fresh" to me.

I hadn't read many theories either. I'd been so busy remodeling the house this summer that I'd kind let this book slip up on me.

I had two expectations:

1. that voldemort would live and harry would die.
2. that harry would die and voldemort would live but be defeated.

How's that for profound? Remember I am a math teacher, not a literary wiz. I'm sure if it had been released during the school year when the kids were all abuzz, I'd have put some more efforts into the thinking of it all, but as it was, I just was putting all my efforts into painting and wall papering.

i think my "OH" moment came when harry was seeing snape's memories & you find out that snape was actually on their side

After hearing JK talk about crying, actually I believe she said she "howled", after writing a chapter near the end, I feared that she had killed Harry off. I suspected it would a sacrifice kill so that V would be defeated. When I watched the 5th movie, I actually teared up in the opening scene when Harry was flying through London. My daughter grew up with him, I couldn't imagine how JK could do him off, but I feared she had. With that in mind, I was thrilled with book 7.

I'm thinkin it's just me then. I musta got really heartless. In the other books, I really got choked up - and proper cried when Dumbledore died. This time round I didn't even feel upset. Even when Lupin died and I loved him!!! I put it down to the way the book was written but maybe it was just me. Maybe I'm too harsh? When I heard her say she really cried at a part near the end, I was expectin somethin completely different to what happened. I think I'm horrible

my 'oh' moment was Snape's final memory.
Learning the details of Snape's childhood. Imagining these were the thoughts he put in the pensieve while teaching Harry Occlumency....
Imagining that he left in only those thoughts that showed James in the worst light. Makes you wonder whether he tried to convince himself over the years that he hated James because James was a prat, rather than hating James because James got Lily.
It was a very 'Snape OHHHH' moment for me.
the 'obvious' oh - is that Snape was a good guy. the big 'oh' for me - was the love for Lily. I thought it was just beautiful

I think that was the oh moment J.K was going for. I think we were all sposed to go, OHHHHHHH, so that's why he hated him. I was just like, yeah I thought everyone guessed that! I'm still mad. Sorry for the bitterness.

I think it's because we had all that time to think and talk about it and swap theories.
A series as big as Harry Potter, combined with the WORLD WIDE web -- this has never happened before.
It's like the proverbial monkeys at the keyboard.
What are the chances of her coming up with something that none of us could guess?
It's like little JKR vs. the Borg. She never had a chance.

You are missing a HUGE point here! There is a gigantic difference between suicide and martyrdom. JK, I'm sure, assumed everyone would understand this. Suicide is a completely selfish act. A person commits suicide because they are scared of living and are completely self-absorbed. Harry was in no way afraid of living, and more to the point, he was not a selfish character. He made the conscience choice to give his life so that others may live. That is called martyrdom and because of this he inadvertantly performed the same powerful and ancient bit of magic that his mother performed on him. The difference here is that her sacrifice was still protecting him, which allowed him to live again. But this time, everyone that Harry chose to give his life for recieved his prtoection (probably the entire world), hence Lord V's inability to curse anyone including Harry himself. If you'll remember, Lord V attemted the cruciatus curse on Harry, but all that happened was that Harry was lifted into the air (silently cast wingaurdium leviosa) but the Crucio curse had no effect whatsoever. Then when Harry went into the renewed battle of Hogwarts, he cast shield charms to protect people from the Deatheaters curses, but the only reason he cast shield charms in front of the people fighting Lord V was because he wanted Lord V to still think that he had power and to ensure that it was Harry that he attacked next, thus invoking his own death.
So again....martyrdom, not suicide is the choice Harry made. I don't think many children will glorify suicide just because Harry had to become a Martyr.

yes, the way you chose to wait to come on here was a very good one. Everyone has been giving their theroies, so they can really take away from a book when you get it, finally.
I really don't understand why there was ever any confusion about Snape's loyalty. Yes, he killed Dumbledore, but there were 6 books full of clues as to his loyalty to Dumbledore. Even when he killed Dumbledore he had revulsion on his face, instead of a look of victory. So I never once doubted that Snape wasn't acting according to Dumbledore's will. Also, I was about 90% positive that Snape was in love with Harry's mother, Lilly from back about the 4th book. It just hit me one day that that could be the only reason for Snape's dislike of Harry from the beginning, and his hatred of Harry's father. It was, basically, the only thing that made everything fit! I'd try to post my theories on the other HP websirtes, but for some reason they would always remove my posts...I guess now I know that once someone read my theory, the plot became pretty obvious. But that's life....I just hope JK's next project is as mind blowing as HP.