Hogwarts Legacy Finally Brings Trans Representation To J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World
For as much excitement that has been generated by "Hogwarts Legacy" among fans of the "Harry Potter" franchise, there's been an equal amount of controversy surrounding it as well. The lion's share of this controversy has surrounded J.K. Rowling — the author of the "Harry Potter" books — and her views surrounding trans rights. The controversial author has often voiced opposition to trans-related issues, inspiring a toxic discourse surrounding "Harry Potter"-related material. This has led many to boycott the release of "Hogwarts Legacy" in an attempt to keep the author from profiting (via Polygon). However, from the looks of it, the game's developer Avalanche Software has attempted to extend an olive branch to both the trans community and the LGBTQ+ community at large via inclusivity.
For one, players will have the option to be non-gender conforming in the game via the character creator. This includes having no limits when it comes to the player-created character's features, voice, and gender identity. But that's not at all. It seems that Avalanche Software has gone a step further in showing solidarity with the trans community by also including a new character named Sirona, the first trans character to ever exist in "Harry Potter" canon.
Sirona represents the first ever trans character in Harry Potter
"Hogwarts Legacy" introduces the character Sirona Ryan, a witch who is also the owner of the local Three Broomsticks tavern. During an interaction with her during a mission, Sirona informs the player of her background and relationship with a goblin named Lodgok. While Sirona does not explicitly mention that she's trans, the way she describes her backstory heavily implies it, according to Entertainment Weekly. During the dialogue section, Sirona explains that she and Lodgok were not close when they first met as she was a student at Hogwarts and Lodgok was generally distrusting of magic users. "Hadn't seen him in years when he came in a few months ago. But, he recognized me instantly," Sirona says. "Which is more than I can say for some of my own classmates. Took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard."
As mentioned previously, Sirona does not explicitly identify as trans. However, going by the language expressed during her dialogue with the user, it appears that Sirona once identified as a wizard instead of a witch. Wizard and witch are gender specific terms in the "Harry Potter" universe, with the former being used to describe a male who uses magic and the latter being used to describe a female. Sirona's recounting of her reunion with Lodgok implies that many didn't recognize her years later as the result of her transitioning from male to female. Though EW reached out to Warner Bros. Games for comment, there's no word yet on the origins of Sirona's character or how she fits in with the rest of the series.