I'm thinking of Harry's quick visit back to his closet under the stairs at the beginning, and now the chilling vision from Voldemort's PoV of that night. In a way he had to go back before he could go on, know more about those childhood trauma's so he could overcome them and really become a mature adult. Very well done.

At the same time, Dumbledore as the last and greatest of his protectors (as I seem to recall Rowling puts it somewhere in book six ) has to be removed from the stage not only physically, but also mentally, making him human and fallible, and giving Harry a chance to become as great or greater than him in his own way, step out of his shadow and all - make him feel he can do some things better than Dumbledore could've done.

And while we're looking for things to fit into that pattern of necessary steps to really step up to the plate, I guess we might as well add things coming to a head with Ron, forcing Ron to come to terms with his jealously issues for once and for all.

I remember this book as largely disappointing because I found the Hallows so extremely lame as plot devices. Maybe I'll reconsider that, but at the very least most other aspects of the book so far are Rowling at her best.