I think you're right. House-elves or centaurs or giants or... some non-human sentients are going to be very important. If she pulls it off well, that's better than the literal gay character. More thematically appropriate, at any rate.

I was hoping Fudge was a non-entity by now. Maybe he's a sekrit Death Eater, that'd be okay.

And... okay, a Weasley can die. But not Ron and not one twin without the other. (Have you heard? Ron has to go back in time and become Dumbledore! Courtesy of archive.org: Weasley is our King! )