Earlier on? Yes, I think it would've felt less jarring. Perhaps even a specific about gender, or even a sentence about physical appearance, or some casual remark about him being from a family with financial troubles (comparing him to Ron, even). One or two sentences back in PoA or even GoF might've lessened this impact of BLAISE!ZABINI! that we got in HBP.
Then again, I also felt as if Luna was tossed into the books rather haphazardly as well. We hear nothing about her for four books, and then all of a sudden she's introduced at the beginning of the fifth and by the end of the book she's fighting alongside the Trio and Neville in the darkest corridors of the Ministry. I can't be the only one who was a little 'bzuh?' about that.
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Then again, I also felt as if Luna was tossed into the books rather haphazardly as well. We hear nothing about her for four books, and then all of a sudden she's introduced at the beginning of the fifth and by the end of the book she's fighting alongside the Trio and Neville in the darkest corridors of the Ministry. I can't be the only one who was a little 'bzuh?' about that.