So I can say yet another chapter ends very well...

Oh and about the "why Snape hated Harry" topic. There's a paragraph (fifth one in this chapter), where Harry muses over his understanding of why Snape hated him. I think it has a lot more power being revealed this way, than if you had just said it from the begining... I wonder, perhaps, if I had remembered how important/strong these snippets were, and that's why I suggested you mention more earlier on.... (eh, no... I just have to admit, I was wrong...)

Oh something else I thought about, during the scene where they're supposed to be hanging the banners, and Snape and Harry are discussing things... I couldn't help but wonder what Flitwick was doing during this scene. I imagined him being a bit uncomfortable and wandering away. (comically I might add) I know he's not important, and he doesn't even have to be within earshot, but I just felt like letting you know I thought about him.

I liked that you mentioned Lupin in this chapter. An ever present (well since third year) support in Harry's life. And I like how you mentioned that Lupin was offered the defense position, it shows that Dumbledore had every intention to go through with his threat!

Another thing I really like about your story, you never overdo an emotion. Like Snape and Harry's conversation was getting deep and sappy (that term is not meant to be derogatory- I just can't think of a better word), and then you interrupted it with the arrival of Harry's friends. And then again, later on, Hermione and company got into that deep converstation about politics- and you cut it off with Ginny's "the end" (a rather clever thing to say).

Speaking of clever words. You said "shambolically" in some past chapter... And I had to copy it, just to point out how cool that word was. I know shambles, but I never knew the word could become an adjective, much less an adverb. Well basically, what I'm trying to say, is you use your words well.