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As a side note, I think we can stop spoilering posts in this thread at this point. I can't imagine someone coming in here and not assuming there would be spoilers all over the place. It's a discussion thread about a book that's already out. Maybe I'm alone on that sentiment.
I cannot at all see where you're coming from, SF, about Dumbledore. NOWHERE does the text substantiate a clear reading that he was the one who shot the spell that killed his sister. Certainly he feels remorse and feels responsible for the events which led to her death, but-while a purely acceptable reading-is it far from a conclusive reading with which all other readings are inconsistent. Furthermore, I think the entire point of that storyline is exactly what snowy called it: a way to humanize a character who previously had been something of a demi-god. I personally thought that putting that entire storyline in this book weakened it, as soomeone (I forget who, maybe pig?) commented earlier in this thread. That notwithstanding, I do not feel that its purpose was to show that Dumbledore was really a bad guy and really needed to be hated for everything he did. He had some pretty big skeletons in his closet, but he learned from those mistakes (unlike Grindewald and Voldemorte) and dedicated his life to learning, teaching and improving the world. I have a hard time feeling the same enmity for the character that you do.
As for Snape, I think it was the logical conclusion, but I can't say it sits totally well with me. He's basically a bad dude who had his mind changed about which cause to work with because he was unhealthily obsessed with a girl. His cause was completely personal and completely selfish. Dumbledore, when the opportunity presented itself, wisely used his ambitions in furtherance of the greater good, but Snape's conduct throughout the books reinforces the fact that he only did what he did because he personally hated that Voldemorte killed Lily specifically. He showed no love for Harry-taking him at every turn as his father's son and he showed no real devotion to the greater cause of Muggle/magical/pureblood/mudblood equality, living instead only to punish Voldemorte for what he did to Lily. Certainly Dumbledore turned his feelings into great good for the forces against Voldemorte, but Snape raised himself simply from "giant douche" to "douche burglar" in my book.
Finally, I think in this book Rowling found herself caught between her promises, her audience and her story. She promised deaths-and deaths we got, but I don't think they were the deaths that would've made the greatest impact. Of everyone who died, the only person that I really wish could've made it out alive was Fred, and that's only because I like the dynamic the twins have so much. My fiance laments Dobby, but the free house elf seemed to meet a fitting end rescuing his liberator from his former masters. I think the story grew to a place where one of Ron, Hermione, Ginny or Harry should've died and died for good. Her storytelling (close third person over Harry's shoulder) and the fact that the books are nominally for children limits her in being able to not off Harry, but to leave all of R, H and G? Not even maim one of them? All of which resulted in an epilogue that was sickeningly sweet and, to my tastes, totally superfluous. Personally, I think the story would have been stronger with a less "happily ever after" conclusion, which essentially means I'm not the target audience.
Harry Potter has firmly established itself as a cultural phenomenon of our era, and I suppose it remains to be seen what kind of staying power it has. I think inertia will carry it quite a ways, but I don't think it stacks up to Tolkein or Lewis in terms of classic fantasy or Phillip Pullman, George R.R. Martin or Susannah Clarke in terms of modern fantasy either in terms of creativity or in terms of literary value. What HP has repeatedly been lauded for doing is getting people reading again, and I can simply hope that everyone who has become so enamored with Harry's world may find other fantasy worlds out there that take the next step beyond what Rowling can do.
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