Solution to the "is Dumbledore alive, or what on earth is going on" enigma.

I like the description of Evil Hogwarts, how it is an inversion of the old Good Hogwarts: Defence Against the Dark Arts has become Dark Arts, and Muggle Studies is about teaching the inferiority of muggles, not about understanding them. And this is coupled with tightened control, a restriction of movement and the strange idiosyncracies that characterises Hogwarts (seen in the curses on the secret passageways), and underlined (in case there was any doubt) with the use of the Cruciatus Curse on students in detention by other students.

The Room of Requirement -- it had not really occurred to me that it worked through Transfiguration, and I am a little surprised that Ron would pick up on it so quickly. I suppose that serves me right for simply labelling it "magical" and being content with that.

Do you think aunt Muriel's tiara is supposed to be a red herring for the Ravenclaw diadem? Being old and goblin-made and the centre of so much fuss early in the book, it might make sense. I never really interpreted it as such, but Harry's thought just before the Carrows show up that it looks like it made me wonder.

I like the gathering of the forces of Good. The DA, the Quidditch team, the Order and the teachers.

I find it a little strange that Harry does not immediately realise that they have gone to Myrtle's bathroom when he is told they were talking about a bathroom and have mysteriously gone missing.