I don't do LJ at all (unless linked to a particular post by someone), but I definitely can recommend the forum at The Sugar Quill, one of the top HP fanfic sites. Actually, there is an LJ by Fernwithy (just search for her LJ site) that has some excellent points about HBP, as well as links to her fanfic site with some of the best HP fanfics I've read. (Her "Of a Sort" and "Shifts" are both excellent, and she's already followed up "Shifts" with a post-HPB oneshot story that might be the first chapter of a sequel. "Of a Sort" is a look at various characters' sorting ceremonies, from Dumbledore through McGonagall and Voldemort to Tonks. "Shifts" is a possible storyline for what exactly Tonks and Lupin were up to during OotP--since she has them engaged by the end of the story, Fernwithy was thrilled at the now-canon Tonks/Lupin! )

Thanks so much! I'll check them all out.

I remembered Tonks, because she had the cool-colored hair and the attitude and I liked her vibe a lot.

Whew! I finished. And am really late for bed. But!

The pacing was a bit odd for my taste. There were things happening, but there was also page after page (after page!) of "Malfoy's up to something." "Er, yeah, okay, Harry." "No, but seriously. Malfoy's up to something. Also, I don't trust that Snape guy. He's shifty." "Yeah, uh-huh, just like the last five years, right? Okay, whatever." "Hey, Malfoy's up to something." "So, how's that homework coming?" I mean, sure, he was up to something, but all that obsessing didn't help at all! Also, did Dumbledore really need Slug's memory before they could do anything? Ah well.

The Remus/Tonks was nice (although I'm a die-hard Sirius/Remus fan, I don't think the two are mutually exclusive) except I felt kind of cheated. It's hard to be very heart-warmed (and I wanted to be, because it was heart-warming) off of half a page out of nowhere. Oh, and also? Waaaaah! Not entirely shocking, and it does make structural sense -- the books have become gradually less safe, so if there's only going to be one more it makes sense that that last parental figure be taken away. Still, NNNOOOOOO! Albus! Sniff.

So, who's the half-blood prince?

Silly Jesse. I have not read a single page of the last 2 HP novels and can tell you that. You are not spoiled enough.

Answer surmised from spoils: Snape.

Right? Am I right?

You know, it's funny. For about half the book, I was absolutely certain it was Voldemort. Like, smacking my head, 'Of course!' certain. And then it wasn't, and my head was sore.

Bwah!

Tonks was in that group of Witches and Wizards who showed up at the Dursleys to escort Harry to the OOTP hq, otherwise known as the ancestral home of the Black family.

So, she was introduced at the very beginning of OOTP. (Okay, I am totally up on this because I decided to reread OOTP prior to rereading HBP.)

And she showed up off and on to make pig noses and amuse the Trio & Weasleys. But she didn't particularly distinguish herself as a character, so it's not surprising people might have forgotten her.

You mean Harry isn't the half blood prince extra space to throw people off ?