the last Harry Potter book

a fun, but long, essay by the Hogwarts Professor anticipating the seventh and last book by Rowling. he writes,

I think alchemy is key to understanding the Harry Potter saga, obviously, but I
beg you to note I am not married or even very closely attached to the various
plot event theories I put forth above or in other posts. Stoppered Death, Evil
Slughorn, Draco Wolf-boy, and Half-Vampire Severus, frankly, are as
inconsequential as the shipping debates and other Fandom squabbles. The
necessary thing when talking about Harry Potter is getting at what makes these
books so good, why we like them so much. Fighting about plot points won’t get us
to that answer.

Examining the tradition of English literature for
an appreciation of Rowling’s artistry and the meaning carried by her stories
that so stir our hearts and engage our minds - this, I think, is the road to
travel to get at what Harry Potter is about. Literary alchemy is dreadfully
important in this understanding because it is the radical and traditional
worldview of strength coming from a self-denying harmony, from a sacrificial
love that conquers death, that informs and drives these stories. Alchemy as
metaphor for our resolution of the bonds of “I” to transcend ourselves and our
individual egos, to open ourselves to spirit and love and life, is the language
and heart of Harry Potter. Potter mania is what it is because this language
speaks to the human heart, a heart designed and longing for this message of
powerful love and true peace.

i was spurred to visit the HP because of Rowling's recent statement to the press.

"The final chapter is hidden away, although it's now changed very slightly. One character got a reprieve. But I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die," she said. "A price has to be paid. We are dealing with pure evil here. They don't target extras do they? They go for the main characters. Well, I do."

the HP suggests some possibilities...