Thoughts on Harry Potter before reading Book 7

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) this afternoon. I decided that I would write my thoughts before reading the final book. I may mention events through the end of Book 6, so here is your Spoiler Warning:

Spoiler Warning!!!

The major event in Book 6 was the apparent murder of Albus Dumbledore by Severus Snape (Harry's most-hated teacher). The second chapter of the book tells of Snape making an Unbreakable Vow to Draco Malfoy's mother, promising to complete the task that Lord Voldemort has planned for Malfoy to complete, if it appears that Malfoy will be unable to complete the task.

Throughout the school year, Harry is convinced that Malfoy is up to something evil, but is not able to figure out what it is. Harry and Dumbledore go one night to attempt to obtain and destroy one of Voldemort's horcruxes. When they return, Dumbledore is severely ill due to the mission they had just been on, and to Harry's and Dumbledore's horror, the Dark Mark is over the highest tower of the Hogwarts castle. Harry and Dumbledore go at once to the tower where Malfoy manages to disarm Dumbledore. It is then revealed that Malfoy's task was to kill Dumbledore. Malfoy hesitates, and is then surrounded by several Death Eaters (Voldemort's followers). They want to do away with Dumbledore, but one of them reminds the others that it is Malfoy's job. Snape, whom Dumbledore trusts completely, arrives on the scene. He then moves to kill Dumbledore. Dumbledore is now dead.

If you read the book, it is undoubted that you will notice something I left out, but this was a short summary. Anyway, I will argue that Severus Snape is not as evil as it would seem. There was no escape from the situation in which Dumbledore died. If Snape had not killed Dumbledore, one of the other Death Eaters would have done so. By doing so himself, he further deepened his cover with the other Death Eaters, giving them no reason to doubt that he was on their side. It should be mentioned also that Snape would have died himself if he had not done so because of the Unbreakable Vow. Snape is now very deep under cover, and can provide more information to the Order of the Phoenix than anyone else.

Who will be in charge of the Order now that Dumbledore appears to be gone is something of which I am unsure. I do believe that the Order will continue, however. One more piece of evidence that Snape is not as evil as he appears is that when one of the Death Eaters started to torture Harry, he stopped him, stating that Harry was Voldemort's to finish off. Additionally, I don't believe that Dumbledore would make such a devastating mistake as to trust Severus Snape if he were not in fact trustworthy.

I find Dumbledore's demise to be disappointing and an unlikely outcome, but seems pretty firm that he is in fact, dead.