Bill is essentially Han Solo and Charlie tames Dragons. Couple that with being 'cool', you can kinda see the appeal.

 

Admittedly Bill is pretty cool. We don't see much of Charlie though, but I guess dragons are cool.

 

Fleur's character is revealed when she sticks by Bill despite him losing his good looks. She is a good person, fanon makes her fickle, and anyone who writes her falls to the temptation to only talk about her looks and her relationship with Harry/her family (which, admittedly, will probably get you a higher review count). Fleur is the Jessica Rabbit character - I'm bad, but only because I was made this way.

A proper Fleur: Always defends major and minor characters.
Dislikes the attention status brings.
Wants to help, but is neutralized by older, self-aggrandizing characters.
Always chooses the noble option, even if it...

Holy shit, I'm talking about Harry. Take away her parents and sister, and she's fem!Harry!

 

LMAO. If you were being serious though, then they have much in common *wink*.

 

I honestly don't know where the idea of Bill being cool comes from, though it seems to be pretty universal.

Does he do something notable in the story, other than getting mauled by a werewolf and marrying Fleur?

 

I believe he was just described as pretty cool in canon. Cool looking, cool attitude, etc. Fanon took that as a very solid fact, I don't think I've read a fic where he wasn't a cool guy. I don't have a problem with it.

 

I don't have a problem with it either. I just wondered where it came from. I've seen a lot of (too many) stories where he's a hyper-competent tomb-raiding badass, and I was wondering if there's any canon basis for it.

 

..But he is a tomb-raiding badass

From canon all I recall as fact is that he's a curse breaker that works in Egypt contracted to break into tombs for some reason (I think). He also has long hair pulled back in a pony tail and an ear ring (..I think).

I summon Taure to bask us in his unending knowledge.

 

I recall that he works in Egypt, and that he dismantles curses. And the ponytail and ear ring. This is a far cry from the 'magical male version of Lara Croft' that we get in fanon.

This is always a good idea

 

I honestly haven't come across a fic that does that... Or maybe I have and I haven't really noticed.

 

Here's the quote from GoF:

So Bill being cool is canon.

 

How would Harry even have a concept of what 'cool' is? I doubt Bill was the only wizard with long hair or an odd earring.

 

Harry thinks Bill is cool; Harry is the viewpoint character; Bill=cool.

But if you'd like a stronger argument, read Blaise's Manifesto of Bill.


It prompted a whole 'Awesomize' thread that could use a few more looks.

 

Canon isn't written in first person though, the description of cool used in the above passage is the author telling us it as fact, not interpretation. So he is cool.

Or at least that's my interpretation of it (heh).

EDIT: Then again wordhammer says differently. Either way I'm pretty sure JKR was trying to tell us "yes, Bill is cool".

 

Also, it is a law of the universe that each of Ron's older brothers is cooler than him.
Therefore, cursebreaker=tomb raiding badass.

 

Shopkeeper in a joke shop? Ministry middle manager?

 

Don't be silly. You have to sell it thusly: successful, rich business owner who rose from nothing, and the future Minister for Magic.

Honestly, I always saw Percy doing rather well after canon. Good work ethic, very clever, got into very high government positions soon after leaving school, and to top it all off a close family connection with Harry Potter. The minsterial position is his to lose, with that backup.

And George... did what he loved, I suppose. Didn't do too badly off it either, if I was reading DH right.

 

Self employed entrepreneur.
Manager in the most powerful organization in Britain.

 

Bill is a magical Indiana Jones.

Charlie deals with 60 foot lizards that fly and breath fucking fire.

Percy is the assistant to one of the most powerful men in the country.

Fred and George are inventors and own their own company.

Ginny is a sports star.

Meanwhile Ron is an assistant in a shop, even if it's his brothers.

 

Bungle in the Jungle/Turn Me Loose by jbern.

Heh, look at what I found by accident.