Well… more fluff and angst then I prefer, but I just read this: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33378748/?view_adult=true

I thought it was a different story initially (and I haven't checked tags at all), but this is one way to do it, I suppose.

 

Before getting into your idea specifically, this (people's takes on transgender issues in HP-verse) is something I've always wondered about.

I've read a total of 1 fic that's focused on transgender issues (with a trans-male oc as the main character). It's written by a trans dude as part of "his own safe space to explore the issues surrounding being trans and mental health" and while his headcanon and mine clash a lot of the time, I've actually enjoyed it. His MC is transitioning using the muggle methods though, wizards not having a single solution to transpeople, which IMO is bullshit.

I've got to say, I'm cis male so a fic where trans are front-and-center is probably not something I'd be able to write, but it's something I sometimes wonder about. I mean, mine is likely an impopular opinion, but I don't think there is (as we understand) a trans community in HP-verse (and not because JK don't like them).

First is the matter that Transfiguration is a thing. Transfiguration is permanent (unless intentionally reversed), alters things on a molecular/genetic level and can be done to humans (although difficult).

Once their desired sexual traits are transfigured into them, the changes are permanent and fully functional, and in a society where that's a thing, I don't really see a distinction between cis and trans people being made or a creation of a trans community like ours happening.

Transitioning isn't likely to be a continuous thing like in our world. A complex wave of the wand by a professional and you are done. How much different would life be for trans people if that was it? "Snap your fingers" and you've transitioned fully and genetically?

Then there's the matter of numbers. What percentage of our population is trans? In the much smaller wizarding world, how many transgender students are there at Hogwarts? Or how many of them are there in the wizarding world at large? The ridiculously small trans population could lead to a more prejudiced wizarding world than the muggle counterpart, but it's not really the direction my headcanon goes with it because it's an issue I think they have a solution to right away (transfiguration).

The thing is, what I view as the most realistic take for the HP-verse is not what most people who want to read about a trans MC want to see, where the whole thing can be handwaved by a professional healer specialized in human transfiguration. Unless, of course, that such professionals are rare and charge exorbitant amounts for the spell... trying yourself and risking a botched transfiguration is dangerous and other measures aren't as smooth/permanent... I guess there are hooks that can be explored lol. Maybe people who can't get transfigured look into temporary potions or alchemy for more permanent solutions.

Alchemy probably does a more thorough job (truly irreversible unlike transfiguration that can be reversed by a master) and was the favored method of transition in the past, but since the subject isn't as studied anymore and people aren't assholes who go around reversing this spell unsolicited, it fell out of favor in place of advanced transfiguration.

This is my answer to you.

If transgender issues aren't gonna play a huge part of the story, but you want to have a trans character, this is the best way to do it.

Simple and understated, an offhand comment that's totally normal Hogwarts gossip but not malicious, just part of everyday life.

Yep, that's definitely something to keep in mind.

LMAO
Well, that's certainly one way to do it... and the real good point is basically, if this is something you want to write about/explore, do it.

The trolling effect aside, don't let the potential for backlash silence you ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Writing what you know is good, but writing what you're interested in/passionate about can be too, if you feel strongly enough about the matter, do your research, write it and fuck if other people will be offended.

Yep there's a real risk of this.
But at the same time, the world is complex... Even if trans issues aren't front-and-center in your story, nodding to them existing in the magical world is at least realistic ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If you just want student number 37 to be trans... maybe that's not the best idea (though it could be done and not be offensive). But if you want a minor character that will show up from time to time? Sure, bring it on, possibly do a little research or reach out to someone in the community and hear them out before giving them too much "screen time".

Human transfiguration is complex, but doable. I think that the possibility of changing one's gender wouldn't really change how many people are interested in actively going through with the spell.

I think trans people probably just go to a professional healer-transfiguration master and ask for a gender changing spell. It might be a ministry regulated spell, like the space expansion one.

There's probably a subset of nonbinary people who like change from time to time and try to learn the spell on their own without the licenses just so they don't have to go to a pro every time.

On one front, there are probably so few of them that discrimination is not impossible. On the other, I like to think wizards culturally evolved in a Magic Is Might background (Voldy brought back old standards, he didn't reinvent the wheel - and I'm talking about the formation of wizarding society, all the way back). Magic overturning the physical to the whim of the caster is probably seen as a good thing culturally and I don't think there's much (if any) transphobia from purebloods or wizard raised halfbloods.

As for how they're perceived, I think they are perceived as the gender they're transfigured into. There's no difference, since transfiguration is genetic, a trans woman can give birth just like a cis woman. I'm not even sure people would realistically make the trans/cis distinction.

That would be an initial culture shock indeed. Not too much of one because I don't think the percentage of Hogwarts students who'd be trans would be high enough for a significant portion of the student body to be trans.
I also think they'd be totally accepted by their wizard raised kids so muggleborn kids, isolated from the more prejudiced muggle world of the 90s, just learn that it's totally normal and not a big deal.

Also, I realize my takes on the issues are all centered around adult wizards and witches. I'm not sure how Hogwarts-aged trans students would handle being trans. How young one is allowed to go through with transitioning anyway? Would they have to be adults already? If so, students would only be allowed to transition after they turn 17.

This is probably the best advice.

 

As long as the family have ageing potions and polyjuice available then they could test how a young wizard/witch feels in their adult body and on the opposite gender's body and transfigure it very early on. They could also just change it back and forth (assuming they have enough money or power to do it) so I don't think age would matter much.

I think a better question would be if the pure-bloods care about maintaining the family line alive or if they only care about the purity of blood. Would a transgender Draco have to transfigure himself back into a man to make sure the Malfoys have a new heir? And this wouldn't even be that much of an issue because in this example Draco could take a love potion to stay with the woman until he gets a child and if he doesn't like the memories he can just delete them.