(JK Rowling, one day, tweeted on her account about her views on what should be and shouldn't be when it comes to switching genders. In doing so, she received negative feedbacks about herself in being a TERF; Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, or Transphobic. Afterward, the actors pointed out how Transwoman are woman, and Robbie Coltraine joined in saying for everyone to stop nitpicking on everything. This is where this article comes in. It is a response of sorts to her tweets through an explanation regarding the connection to her books and her statements. It is also something of a Fan-Fiction Essay as if it was written in the world and for a class. The following article/blog is a Fan-Fiction Response and Explanation Essay. I will explain the "fan-fiction" part.)
(Inclusion 11/16/2020: the following was written in September with no remembrance that people could actually switch genders as shown in both the film adaptation and original book of HPDH and the HPHM mobile game. Because of this, I would tell you, the reader, and as from a new mental angle, this is an in-world essay from another view based on Laws written that is still of value despite the fact. Also at the time of the original writing, I lack the knowledge that gender was a mental thought and response, a feeling, or intuition.)
[The article title: "The Politics of the Wizarding World: Gender, Race, and Polyjuice Potion" is the official serious take on this subject. However, as this could be a potential essay that could be written in Hogwarts (or Ilvermorny), there is an alternative "real" title that fits with the scope of the world. As the title mentions, it's an essay on the subject of Pollyjuice Potion for Transfiguration class. So think of this as a paper that I would write for the big essay near the end of the year. In the Wizarding World, I would not title it as what one currently reads it as, but something in view of the world and subject matter. The true subject is about the Laws of Transfiguration, specifically "Gamp's Law of Transfiguration", which are 5 laws on the subject. Only one is known, and so I have to theorize the rest. The rest will be explained shortly in the actual piece. Therefore, I am to call this essay in-world as Gamp's Second Law or ].
Gamp's Second Law: Human Transfiguration
"Your mother can’t produce food out of thin air, no one can. Food is the first of the five Principal Exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfigura[tion]... It’s impossible to make good food out of nothing! You can Summon it if you know where it is, you can transform it, you can increase the quantity if you’ve already got some..."—The exceptions to Gamp's Law. Pretty much It has to be already made or existing.
I once came by someone indicating that in a world of Polyjuice Potion, there are bound to be some students who questioned their Gender Identity. Course, it's not just that potion that allows the change of physical transformation but it is the only one that is connected to human transfiguration. But what are the Laws of Transfiguration? According to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, as a simple definition, Something can not be Produced out of Nothing. I like to think of Bacteria in water or other organisms, it seems to be coming to form nothing but there is something that causes it to be produced. In theory, the Body is one of the laws of transfiguration. Which comes to Gender and the questionability of it within the lives of everyday students.
Enter Polyjuice Potion, the one consumable product that alters the body's description into the appearance of another, regardless of size. Polyjuice takes about a month to produce in 2 parts. The first with the following ingredients: Fluxweed, Knotgrass, Lacewing Flies, and Leeches. The second with the Horn of Bicorn, Boomslang Skin, and a Piece of Human tissue (fingernails, skin, preferably to most being Hair). In the consumption of the liquid, one can become someone else.
In "Harry Potter", the audience sees Harry and Ron becoming Crab and Goyal regardless of Size. The same can be seen with Gellert Grindelwald and Newt Scamander with Percival Graves and Theseus Scamander, respectively. Hermionie, however, took the hair of a student off her shoulders but could not show Harry nor Ron of the results. Turns out she plucked the hair of a cat and in consuming the potion with that hair, she transfigured into a cat part way. She had to see the Nurse in order to revert back. How can this be explained? Hermione became something that her body could not become because her body was missing parts that is qualified to adapt to a cat, like a tail or other feline attributes that are necessary. Newt and Theseus are both human as the potion was made for. But specifically, both are Male. Regardless of the character, when transforming into another, it is the same sex. In other words, Men are Men and Females are Females, the latter would be Hermionie being Bellatrix or Mathilda Hopkins. But can a Male become Female and a Female become Male?
The cat is the key, thou not human and animal, it fits the law of Gamp in regarding conjuration. So lets put this idea into Sex. The organism? Genitalia. Genitalia of one sex can not be Produced out of another sex. Part of Conjuration is the regrowing or replacement of a part that can't be replaced such as Ears, Eyes, Nose... ( https://www.hp-lexicon.org/thing/gamps-law-of-elemental-transfiguration/). Then growing is also in addition, Genitalia. In theory, one could transform into the opposite sex but he or she can not revert back to his or her original sex as assigned.
What about Race?
If a student could in fact become another sex, which would be very complex to produce the parts needed from nothing, One can also be someone of another race, or problematically, another person of the opposite skin. A white student becoming a student of darker or fairer skin and vice versa. This would be possible regardless of specific physical traits but, there would be students who would hate if one did that.
This scenario was and is common to see in a story. like Lois Lane in "Superman". There would be cons, but there would be pros as one can know the life of another with their background. This is not seen in any "Harry Potter" books nor movies. But, could very well happen and be possible just like gender.
"The Polyjuice Potion... enables the consumer to assume the physical appearance of another person, as long as they have first procured part of that individual's body to add to the brew... You can change age, sex, and race by taking the Polyjuice Potion, but not species."—Description of Polyjuice Potion
Human to Human is possible but not with animals, yes. But it also says one can change Sex and Race. Combining the two, therefore, a male or female of any race or background can transform physically into any race as long as the consumer and the subject are the same biologically.
Sex and Gender are not the same things. Gender is Psychological and Sex is Biological. Pollyjuice allows one to only become someone else who is of the same physical traits. But as Gender is Psychological; he or she feels that he or she is of another sex, is impossible to produce the sex physically.
In regarding Body as a Law of Elemental Transfiguration; Humans are made of elements like Water and Dirt and molded into a shape that is determined as a human form. Male and Female. Sex. But can be molded further. Transfiguration is Physics; the atoms and molecules of one object can actually be another because one object is using the atoms of another object. All atoms and molecules are connected which is why a chair can be a table or an inanimate object can be a living one like a Goblet and a Parrot. When it comes to "Gamp's Laws", the theoretical laws are seen as exceptions (not follow a rule) like being unable to regrow, or grow, a body part. Not following the rule of "cannot create something from nothing".
In theory, while one's sex could be of the opposite sex, one would not be able to revert back, yes, This is where Gender comes in, or even an explanation to Gender. If a male became a female or vice versa.... he or she would be stuck as so due to incompatibility. But, in the mind, he or she will think that the transfigured sex is true to him or herself. Gender. Transgender could be possible by accident as a form of transfiguration gone wrong. It would be permanent. Hermione picked up cat hair, this would be a very common accident and one would pick up hairs of the opposite. To have this be possible, one would pick up the hair of a friend who was previously "snogging" with someone else. In other words a couple.
In "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" movie, there was a concept art piece of wizards who transfigured themselves into other things and became deformed and unchangeable. This would be the case of Biological Sex to Opposite Sex.
Furthermore, Transfiguration from the angle of Physics still would have trans-sex possible. So, Transgender is not possible and possible in the Wizarding World, just not advisable. The race is more of a personal background matter but possible to change.
Poly, meaning many or multiple, in the name of PolyJuice Potion is a consumable juice that allows one to transform into many as long as its human.
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