My mother didn't make me think of anything but traditional materials, and now who knows if in a year...

Yes, that's a great description of Tonks as she was when entering the story (or – extrapolated – before). I remember seeing people praise the inclusion of an interesting female character. Regardless of the gender, I think, it was a gift for the fandom to have a young adult character (in book era), and I enjoyed reading about her in fic particularly before HBP.