SPOILERS BELOW!

I’ve jotted down a few notes from Chapter 26 to the epilogue, which I’ll refer to as I prepare subsequent posts. "First Third" and "Second Third" are complete. Posts on Christian themes will follow. Read my first impressions of the book.

This last section is about 200 hundred pages but feels too short for me. I suspect JKR realized she still had to answer a lot of questions and wrap things up. Compared to the first part of the book, this one moves quickly.

Would you believe that the events in Chapter 26 through the next to last chapter happen in only one day? In a single day, the trio breaks into a highly secure bank, flies on the back of a blind dragon, faces Death Eaters and soul-sucking Dementors, and sneaks into Hogwarts for the epic battle with Voldemort? And I can't get through lunch without wanting a nap.

Chapters 26-30: Horcrux Hunt Heats Up

Second Third ended with Harry and Griphook working out a deal. He'll help the trio break into Bellatrix's bank vault, and Harry will give him the Sword of Gryffindor in exchange.

Harry and Griphook both have more than enough reasons not to trust each other. Harry promised Griphook the sword but he won’t (can’t, really) give it to him until the Horcrux-destroying is done, and who knows how long that will take? And goblins are shifty little creatures. Will Griphook renege at the last minute?

As the trio prepares to make a daring break into the vault, Hermione polyjuices herself into Bellatrix and Ron disguises himself as Death Eater. Harry and Griphook hide under the cloak. On the way to the bank, they run into a Death Eater, Travers, who knows that Harry escaped Malfoy Mansion, that Bellatrix’s wand had been taken, and that Voldemort had confined her and the others to the house.

At the bank, Harry ends up confounding the suspicious Travers and a couple of goblins, who suspect something is amiss. Harry casts another Unforgivable Curse, imperiusing Travers and a goblin. They get past the blind dragon into the vault and discover that the objects inside have been cursed to prevent theft. Touching Hufflepuff’s cup, Hermione’s hand burns, and the cup multiplies. In the tumult, Harry loses the sword, and Griphook grabs it, runs into the crowd of goblins coming to seize the trio, and shouts, “Thieves, Thieves!”

Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape Gringott’s on the blind dragon. Harry senses Voldemort’s rage over the stolen cup and realizes he's hidden a Horcrux at Hogwarts.

In Chapter 28, the trio Apparate into Hogsmeade and are immediately swarmed by Death Eaters and dementors. They’re rescued by Aberforth, Dumbledore’s brother, who lies to the Death Eaters and says it was his stag goat Patronus — and not Harry's stag — they saw. We learn that Aberforth bought Sirius's two-way mirror from Mundungus. He’d used it to keep track of Harry, sending Dobby to the Malfoy’s basement to rescue everyone. He tries to talk the trio out of going to Hogwarts and expresses bitterness over his brother. Aberforth fills in more blanks about Dumbledore’s life and how their sister died.

Aberforth sees that Harry is determined, so he decides to help. His sister’s portrait, sitting on the fireplace mantle, actually is an entrance into a tunnel leading to Hogwarts. Ariana leaves the portrait and returns with a battered, bruised, and smiling Neville Longbottom.

Neville, Ginny, Luna, and the others revived Dumbledore’s Army in resistance to the new regime. Muggle-borns are gone, and the Death Eaters use curses to keep the rest of the students in line. Neville leads the trio into the Room of Requirement, where he and other DA members have been hiding. Harry senses Voldemort again and knows he’s in the Shrieking Shack. He prepares to leave the room to hunt for the Horcrux, with the intention of taking only Ron and Hermione with him. The others balk. They’re joined by Luna, Dean, Fred, George, Ginny, Lee, and Cho. Ron and Hermione convince Harry to let the DA help.

Harry suspects Rowena Ravenclaw’s lost diadem (crown) is a Horcrux after Luna gives him the backstory. Harry senses Voldemort’s on the move, and he and Luna set off to Rowena’s statue to see what the diadem looks like. Under the cloak, he and Luna enter the Ravenclaw common room. While looking at the statue, Harry is confronted by the Death Eater Alecto Carrow, who summons her master.

Finally, in Chapter 30, we get a bit more of the Snape. About time!

Luna stuns Alecto, whose brother is trying to get into the common room. Professor McGonagall shows up and answers the question to get inside. They see a stunned Alecto and no Harry Potter. In a panic, Amycus schemes to lie to Voldemort and say the students forced Alecto to summon him. McGonagall refuses to allow it, and he spits in her face. Furious, Harry reveals himself and curses Amycus (another Unforgivable Curse!).

Harry tells her he’s acting on Dumbldore’s orders and needs her help. They devise a plan to evacuate the students in preparation for all-out war inside the castle. In the hallway, they run into Snape (Harry and Luna under the cloak).

Snape asks, “Have you seen Harry Potter, Minerva? Because if you have, I must insist-”

Before he can finish, McGonagall tries to curse him, and his Shield Charm causes the curse to miss. In a cool sequence of spells, McGonagall causes a nearby torch to fly at Snape, turning into a ring of fire. He turns it into a snake, which McGonagall turns into smoke and then a bunch of flying daggers. Snape shields himself behind a suit of armor. Professor Flitwick, who just arrived with Sprout and Slughorn, sends a spell at Snape, who escapes by jumping out of the window. He’s actually flying.

Harry and Luna return to the Room to tell the DA to go to the Great Hall. Voldemort’s on his way to the school. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, and others are there. The estranged Percy Weasley enters the room, sees his family, and apologizes.

At this point, Ron and Hermione have left the Room to retrieve basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets. This is a strange departure. Why would they leave Harry at such a crucial moment and not tell him where they were going?

The chapter ends with Harry sensing Voldemort at the Hogwarts’ entrance gate.

For a summary of Chapter 31 through the epilogue, follow the link.

Addendum: Corrections are noted and appreciated.