SPOILERS: First Read Rant

[pippin_999]

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Neri:
> The mystery plot: I'll have to re-read to make sure, but after my 
> first reading it seems to me that there are several big holes in
the  plot. For example, why didn't Harry suspect even once during the 
whole year that the Half-Blood Prince is Snape? I mean, who do we 
know that is good at Potions and has a small cramped handwriting? 

Pippin:
It's a thriller plot, not a mystery. We know more than the characters
because we're supposed to. The suspense comes from knowing that 
Harry is, as usual, headed straight towards disaster without a clue.
When has Harry ever paid attention to Snape? It's perfectly in
character that he would forget the cramped handwriting --Snape's 
handwriting on Harry's papers tends to run more to large capital T's, 
I think. I do think that Harry was steered to that book on purpose.
/Somebody/ wanted him to have it. Notice that apart from Ron,
 none of the other students in the class were unprepared. 
Surely they didn't all get Outstandings? Nope, definitely dodgy.

Neri:
> The horcuxes: it's a nice plot device, similar to several ideas
that  came up here. The problem is: 95% of it is based on completely 
new  information. It couldn't have been deduced in any way from what 
we   knew before. So what's the point in having any theories at all?
And the secrets of the remaining horcruxes' identities and places? Can
it  be deuced from what we know now? I wouldn't bet money on it. 
> 

Pippin:
Herself *said* she didn't think it was guessable. It doesn't need to 
be, it's pure  McGuffin of the first order. The mystery is the
identity of  the traitor (the real traitor), and that is eminently 
guessable. Poor Tonks!

Neri:
Why was there any need to replace Fudge with Scrimgeur just to 
 fill approximately the same function? 

Pippin:
To show that the rot in the Ministry is systemic rather than a
matter of a few bad apples in the barrel. It has to be, to set up
the stage for ESE!Lupin. Lupin the spy on the werewolves is
confirmed as predicted, and notice how he said they were his
"equals." And he's the one who tells us the mist is because
the dementors are breeding, confirming his knowledge of 
these creatures.

Pippin