Gender Adventures at Hogwarts

By Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore

As with most of the wizarding world, there is more to gender than meets the eye. I for one, have always had my doubts about the binary system of gender, especially when we live in a world that so often defies any sort of label. So it was with great joy that I read today's daily prophet announcing the first trans* student to be admitted into Beauxbatons academy, an exclusively (and, it must be said, conservatively) female school. I will not mention the student in question by name, as I fear she has already had enough attention drawn to her through the media. (I would at this time, like to mention that I had absolutely nothing to do with the smudging charm that seems to have creeped its way onto every copy of the paper, exactly over said child's name, but whoever did so is most likely a genius), but I wish her happiness in her newfound identity and hope that it inspires others of a similar nature to do likewise.

But it must be said (and with no small amount of pride) that Beauxbatons is not the first school to admit trans* students, as that honour goes to Hogwarts. It was back in my early years as headmaster, only a few years after the Great Wizarding War. The wizarding population was taking its first few steps out of fear into the light of freedom and without the harsh oppression of Grindelwald's supporters, there were a few who spurned the chains and dared to be unashamedly different.

But alas, these tales are so often hushed or marred by rumour. I am reminded of Harold Hufflepuff, the only child of Helga Hufflepuff, one of the four learned souls who established Hogwarts as a fountain of knowledge, and his daring deeds, including the slaying of the ravenous Ridgeback and the rather less gory but equally incredible tale of the Nile river, where Harold stood resolute for forty two days, without food or rest, refilling the empty river with water from an aguamenti charm. A little known fact is that the only remaining record of Helga Hufflepuff is a wizarding census, which was located by my good friend Nicholas Flamel in Rome (it's worth noting that Nicholas' contributions to magic not only include the elixir of eternal life, but also the invention of the gender neutral term for magical people; "wix". I suppose when you're near immortal you've got to fill up your time somehow). While the artefact is noteworthy in itself through its historical significance, what's fascinating is the insight it gives us into Helga's family. At the time of the census, Helga had one seven year old child, a daughter named Harmony.

I can't say for certain whether the artefact is legitimate (Nicholas was always one for jokes), whether it is merely inaccurate to say Helga had only one child or whether Harold was designated female at birth, but simply identified as male (or indeed identified as neither, or switched frequently) but whichever way, there was certainly a bit of Harmony in the world.