Milicent Bulstrode's Weight: Canon or Fanon?

[lightofdaye]

Okay so I've seen this a few places. Most recently reading some of writcraft's meta, though the actual point of that article is far grander than the bit I'm going to nitpick (asa nerd arguing over minutia is pretty much my stock in trade) as part of a larger point she wrote:

When I write Harry without his glasses, slim down Millicent, place queer characters in a world free from oppression, write Blaise as Draco’s side-kick or erase Ginny because it’s bothersome backstory the fic could do without, then am I guilty of precisely the same kind of marginalisation I vehemently oppose in original fiction?

So here and elsewhere, a few sign-up exchange forms come to mind, there's the idea that canonically Millicent was fat and thus slimming her down would be bad thing.

Firstly, I think I missed that bit. I remember Millicent being described as like a troll, which to me mean big and strong. In a tall, broad shouldered muscular way not fat. Not as overweight or fat. But I could be wrong... (too lazy to get out Chamber of secrets. but not to post this, go figure)

Second, lots of characters, and Slytherins in particular have unflattering descriptions, yet because I'm writing smut, that gets pretty much ignored. I mean if I were inclined to justify it I could say that in canon hary doesn't like these people and its from his point of view, hence the descriptions. In fics I write he probably wants to bang them and thus is more charitable.

When I started writing this it was mostly 'is milicent really canonically fat?' but I seemed to have wandered into the larger question of 'how much am i allowed to change their descriptions for smut fic?'

Comments

[lightofdaye]

Oh hey. I wasn't sure if it was too late to comment on the meta post. It was very thought provoking. I appreciated that you set it up that multiple view points were explored and given equal weighting. In regards to the bit I quoted. I don't think all fics can or should be expected to address all social ills. Take Blaise for example. more poc characters with focus would be cool but Can black people no longer be sidekicks at all? Isn't that just doing the same thing in a different way? (you are black therefore you must fulfil x role)

Anyway, I went off an tangent myself, and as I said this wasn't really supposed to be commentary on your meta post in particular. Now you say about your own headcanon having Millicent as stocky/strong, I realise 'slim down' could apply there as well. So I'm wondering if I've just completely got the wrong end of the stick.

I definitely imagine you're right that when people ask for this sort of thing they're more concerned with 'non-conventional body types are cool' and less with 'strict adherence to canon'. And that's cool and I like that people request what they want.

I'll admit I probably fall into writing conventional beauty. people either get to be petite and perky or curvy and busty, lol. Though I'm not sure what's wrong with that either given it's basically just porn with a bit of character. But nothing wrong with doing it differently either.

No need apologies. Very interesting. :)