HBP Thoughts...
I stood in line at Books & Co. behind Tonks and a fairly decent Trelawney for about 45 minutes. At 12:01, they started passing them out. I must applaud the bookstore staff because for being about fifty or sixty people back in line, I was in my car cracking open the cover at 12:18.
So anyway...Snape is the Half-Blood Prince. Honestly, by the time Hermione found all that information about his mom, I already had it figured out. Who else would be so good at Potions? Who else would have invented such a nasty curse like Sectumsempra? And if you hadn't figured it out by the time Harry uses it on Draco and Snape patches him up, then DUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHH
As far as 'shipping goes...for a moment I felt like I was reading fanfiction. Ron & Lavender? Harry & Ginny? Tonks & Lupin? RON AND HERMIONE??? (of course.) I am interested to read the post-HBP fanfiction where Snape is part of the 'ship. Snarry fans - good luck. I can see some possibilities with my 'ship (Snape/Hermione) that work out better, and really, have practically already been written.
Horcruxes - way cool. BTW, Harry's a Horcrux - didya know that? I figured that out Sunday afternoon after I had caught up on my sleep. I'm not sure he was an intentional Horcrux, but nevertheless...
Note to self: for 7th book, make the trip to Wilmington where the party's TRULY happenin'. Too many goddamn Gryffindork children at the bookstore. But there was an adorable little Lupin, complete with shabby brown robe and penciled-in moustache.