Ministry of Magic

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Harry Potter association
Fountain in the Ministry of Magic
Ministry of Magic
Headquarters London
Current head Rufus Scrimgeour
Intentions To keep order in wizarding Britain
Enemies Dark witches and wizards
First appearance Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (appearance), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (mention)

In the fictional universe of the Harry Potter series as written by J.K. Rowling, the Ministry of Magic is the governing body of the magical community of Britain and succeeded the earlier Wizards' Council. It is known that other countries have their own Ministries of Magic. The Minister for Magic (original British editions and the film series) or Minister of Magic (U.S. editions) is the head of the Ministry. The job of the Minister for Magic seems to include executive, legislative and judicial functions (see more below).

While being a wizard or witch has obvious advantages, the system of government is not one of them. The Ministry seems to be an unelected body, and is autocratic to the point of being a de facto dictatorship. There appears to be no seperation of powers and the judicial system is heavily biased. Trials are short and do not employ juries, and lawyers are not allowed. As can be seen from the events described in HP6, the Ministry is quite prepared to decree and enforce draconian laws without notice. The few rights that human wizards do have are denied to non-humans. Even humans can be subjected to the horrors of Azkaban, which modern governments would consider to be psychological torture. It is never revealed if Ministries of other nations are the same as Britain's.

The Ministry has seven departments and many minor offices to deal with different aspects of the wizarding world. Different departments communicate through "Inter-departmental memos", pale violet paper aeroplanes that will fly to their destination. The British Ministry of Magic headquarters is in central London, deep underground.

The Ministry keeps in touch with the British Prime Minister with the help of a wizard's portrait in the Prime Minister's office on Downing Street who notifies the Prime Minister of the Minister for Magic's arrival.[HP6]

The term "Ministry" would suggest that, officially, the Ministry of Magic exists under the authority of the British government (in the same manner as the Ministry of Defence); however, in practice it appears to operate entirely autonomously, only interacting with the Prime Minister in times of dire need.

The Ministry gives an appearence of (at various times) either incompetence or malice. However given that we only see the Ministry though Harry's eyes (and he has every reason to dislike it) its real abilities (or lack thereof) are difficult to determine.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] Current and former Ministers for Magic

The current Minister for Magic in Britain is Rufus Scrimgeour, who replaced Cornelius Fudge as of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Fudge himself replaced Millicent Bagnold, about whom nothing else is known. Other Ministers have included the highly popular Grogan Stump (1770-1884), who was appointed to the post in 1811 and settled the Beings vs. Beasts classification problem, and Artemisia Lufkin, the first witch to be elected to the post. Below the Minister are various undersecretaries (most notably Dolores Umbridge), and heads of various magical departments. The exact structure of power within the ministry is relatively unknown.

Albus Dumbledore, former headmaster of Hogwarts, was offered the job of Minister and refused it at least three times. When Tom Marvolo Riddle, now Lord Voldemort, was a senior student at Hogwarts, he was widely predicted to become Minister for Magic someday. Riddle refused all offers of assistance to find work at the Ministry, however.

[edit] Floor directory

To enter the ministry, one must dial the number 62442 ("MAGIC") into a specific public telephone and state one's name and reason for entering. Passes are then issued (apparently through a magical system) and the telephone box then descends through the ground into the ministry's lobby in Floor B8.

A floor directory of the Ministry of Magic is as follows:

Important note: As the entire Ministry is underground, the higher the floor number, the deeper the floor is. (Although the texts do not normally use the prefix "B-" on floor numbers to denote underground floors, they are used in this article to comply with standard usage and for purposes of clarity.)

  • Basement Level 1 - Office of the highest Ministry Officials, such as the Minister for Magic, Advisor to Minister, Senior Undersecretary to Minister for Magic, and Junior Assistant to Minister for Magic (presumed)
  • Basement Level 5 - Department of International Magical Cooperation
  • Basement Level 10 - Courtrooms (stairway access only)

[edit] Vertical transportation directory

The main lift (disguised telephone box) transports visitors from ground level to the Atrium on floor B8. Once inside said telephone booth, punch in "62442" (M-A-G-I-C) to receive an operator.

More than twenty service lifts stop at all floors between B1 and B9, inclusive.

Stairways may provide access to all 10 levels in the Ministry. They must be used to access the courtrooms on floor B10.

[edit] Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Arguably the most important of the various departments, this one is a combination of police and justice facilities. The department was once headed by Barty Crouch. The former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, prior to her brutal death at the hand of Lord Voldemort, was Amelia Bones. Located on the second level of the Ministry of Magic, it includes:

  • Auror Headquarters, a team of elite dark wizard hunters.
  • The Improper Use of Magic Office which punishes wizards for using magic in inappropriate ways, at the wrong time, or in violation of magical laws;
  • The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office which regulates the use of magic on Muggle objects and recovers those which have been bewitched; which is located in a tiny office, staffed by an enthusiastic Arthur Weasley and his assistant, Perkins. Its aim is to keep enchanted items out of the hands of Muggles, often necessitating raids to keep Dark Magic items out of circulation. Harry Potter briefly visits this office before his trial at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [1]
  • Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects Office is the office in which Arthur Weasley was promoted to in book 6. Apparently, several new offices sprung up when Rufus Scrimgeour came to power as Minister for Magic because of Lord Voldemort.
  • The Wizengamot, the wizarding High Court of Justice.


[edit] Improper Use of Magic Office

The Improper Use of Magic Office is headed by Mafalda Hopkirk. The Office is responsible for investigating offences under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy. The Decree prohibits an under-age wizard or witch from performing magic, while the Statute of Secrecy prohibits wizards and witches from performing magic in the presence of muggles or in a muggle-inhabited area. On receiving intelligence reports of a violation of the Decree, a note is sent to the offender detailing actions that will be taken by the Office. First-time offenders are usually let off with a warning while extreme cases may be referred to the Wizengamot.

Amelia Bones was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement before getting killed in the summer of 1996.

It is suggested that the Improper Use of Magic Office attends Wizengamot Court services, though when Harry Potter has a trial in the fifth book, nothing is mentioned about them.

It is presumed that, this department has several positions and that they remained loyal to the Ministry when Cornelius Fudge believed that Voldemort had not returned in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Improper Use of Magic Office is mentioned multiple times in the series; Harry receives a warning letter from the IUMO when Dobby uses a Levitation Charm on a pudding of Harry's Aunt in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry later receives a letter when he uses the patronous charm against marauding Death Eaters. The letter informs him that his wand will be confiscated and broken by ministry officials and he will be detained until court notice, this appears to be standard procedure.

In Order of the Pheonix, Harry is tried by the entire Wizengamot court, however, Arthur Weasley remarks that it is highly unusual procedure for an under-age use of magic case. The court room is the same one visited by Harry in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire via the Pensieve, it includes a chair that self-locks when the defendant sit down, though Arthur Weasley also implies that it is unusual for the hearing to be held in such a room.

[edit] Wizengamot

The Wizengamot serves as the wizard high court of law (presumably the wizarding version of the Law Lords). It is headquartered at the Ministry of Magic and at least some of its trials take place in the dungeons of the lower levels. Wizengamot is pronounced /wɪzengʊmʊt/ in the audio CDs.

The Wizengamot has about fifty members, including Elders, who are the senior and respected witches and wizards of the country, and the Court Scribe, who acts as its stenographer. The Minister for Magic, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, and Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement also sit on the Wizengamot ex officio. Members wear plum-coloured robes embroidered with the silver letter "W" while the court is in session.

Trials seem to be quite short. The defence can present witnesses and the Wizengamot can examine them and the accused, but no lawyers are involved.

The word 'wizengamot' bears a striking resemblance to 'Witenagemot' which was a council of powerful people summoned to advice and appoint Kings in Anglo-Saxon England. The word derives from the Old English for "meeting of wise men" (witan, wise man or counsellor; gemot, assembly).

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [1], the Wizengamot tries Harry on charges of violating the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and reluctantly dismisses the charges. References to "the whole Wizengamot" (in Percy's letter to Ron) imply that this type of trial is unusual. Smaller disciplinary hearings do not require the court's attention at all and are dealt with by a single questioner.

Albus Dumbledore holds the position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, except during the period coinciding with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [1] in which he was removed from the post because of his insistence that Lord Voldemort had returned (he was reinstated by the end of the novel).

[edit] Department of Magical Games and Sports

The most relaxed department (posters for favourite Quidditch teams are found tacked to the wall in its entrance corridor, although it should be noted that some Aurors have also tacked up similar posters in their cubicles) deals with such sports-related pastimes as organising the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament. Ludovic "Ludo" Bagman used to be the Head of Department here, but his gambling problem forced him to flee from Goblin creditors. The current head of the department is unknown. The department is located on the seventh level of the Ministry of Magic, and includes:

[edit] Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes

This department is responsible for repairing accidental magical damage. It is located on the third level of the Ministry of Magic and houses the following offices:

[edit] Accidental Magic Reversal Squad

The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad is a squad of wizards whose job it is to reverse 'Accidental Magic,' which is normally caused by young witches and wizards who have not learned to control their magic. For instance, the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad was sent out in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry blew up his Aunt Marge like a balloon. The squad probably had to contact Obliviator Headquarters to get an obliviator on the scene to modify Marge's memory.

  • Obliviator Headquarters
  • Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee

[edit] Department of Magical Transportation

This department is responsible for various aspects of magical transport. It is located on the sixth level of the Ministry of Magic and includes the following offices:

  • Floo Network Authority: The Floo Network Authority is responsible for setting up and maintaining the network, and distributing the greenish floo powder. The network is composed of the fireplaces of all the wizarding houses and buildings which are interconnected and it allows the user to transport themselves to any other fireplace on the network thanks to the magical qualitites of the floo powder.
  • Broom Regulatory Control
  • Portkey Office
  • Apparition Test Centre: The magical equivalent of the DVLA; grants licences to witches and wizards so that they can apparate.

It is not said whether the Knight Bus is regulated by this department.

[edit] Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

It is divided into three divisions ("Being", "Beast" and "Spirit") and contains liaison offices for goblins and centaurs, though the centaurs, being isolationists, have never interacted with the Centaur Liaison Office since its creation. Thus, "being sent to the Centaur Office" has become a euphemism at the Ministry for those about to be fired. For further detail on the distinctions between these divisions, see Magical beasts (Harry Potter).

In Chapter 7 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we learn that the department is located on the fourth level of the Ministry of Magic.

Offices:

  • Beast Division
    • Centaur Liaison Office
    • Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures
    • Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau
    • Werewolf Registry
    • Werewolf Capture Unit
  • Being Division
    • Office of House-Elf Relocation
    • Werewolf Support Services
    • Goblin Liaison Office
Little is known about the operations of this office but in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [2], Arthur Weasley indicates Cuthbert Mockridge as the head of this office, although by the time of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince [3], Horace Slughorn is referring to Dirk Cresswell as the holder of this post. No mention is made of the reasons behind the change.
  • Spirit Division
    • Ghoul Task Force
    • Pest Advisory Board

[edit] Department of International Magical Cooperation

The Department of International Magical Cooperation is an agency which, as its name suggests, tries to get wizards from different countries to cooperate. The British International Confederation of Wizards is based here, as are offices that regulate international magical law. This department on the fifth level of the Ministry of Magic includes the headquarters of:

  • The International Magical Trading Standards Body
  • The International Magical Office of Law
  • The International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats

The former head was Barty Crouch Sr. until he was killed by his son Barty Crouch Jr. The current head is unknown. This is also where Percy Weasley began his ministry career.

[edit] Department of Mysteries

Battle of the Department of Mysteries
Part of the Second Wizarding War
Image:Dumbledore versus Lord Voldemort.jpg
Date June 1996
Location Ministry of Magic Headquarters in London (specifically in the whole of the Department of Mysteries and Atrium)
Result Decisive Victory for Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army
Combatants
Order of the Phoenix (OotP), Dumbledore's Army (DA) Death Eaters
Commanders
Albus Percivial Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (OotP), Harry James Potter (DA) Lord Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy‡
Strength
OotP: Half-a-dozen wizards
DA: Half-a-dozen underage wizards		 Thirteen Death Eaters
Casualties
OotP: One death (Sirius Black), a hefty amount of non-permanent injuries; DA: One serious injury (Hermione Jane Granger), most with non-permanent injuries All but two captured; Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort escaped

The Department of Mysteries is, as its name suggests, a mysterious department. It carries out most of its operations in total secrecy. Few wizards within the ministry actually know what is located within this department. Those wizards who work in the Department of Mysteries are called the Unspeakables.

Although most of the workings of the Department are still covert, some of the projects undertaken, most seemingly for research purposes, were revealed in Order of the Phoenix: the Department apparently works to uncover the secrets of death, time, and love, among other things, and record prophecies whenever they are made. Prophecies are magically stored within glass orbs on rows of shelves within the Hall of Prophecy. They are magically protected, so that the only people who can lift them off their shelf are the Keeper of the Hall of Prophecies and the subject or subjects of the prophecies; all others are afflicted with instant madness.

Its name could be a reference to the Eleusinian Mysteries of Ancient Greece. It shares with those rites a preoccupation with immortality and the cycle of time. The "Unspeakables" may be a reference to The Untouchables, a group of US Treasury agents gathered by Elliot Ness to preserve prohibition.

The rooms at the Department each seem (although not spelled out directly) to refer to various mysteries of life, such as "Time", "Death", and "Love". These rooms include:

  • An entrance room whose walls rotate, disorienting its occupants for several seconds, whenever all of its doors are closed. This is presumably a security device to keep non-employees of the Department from reaching a desired room. Responds to a verbal request for an exit by opening the correct door.
  • The Thought Chamber - A long room in which brains swim in a green solution.
  • The Space Chamber - A dark room full of planets floating in mid-air. Visitors may find themselves floating as well. Includes the planets Uranus and Pluto.
  • The Death Chamber - A large, square room with stone tiers leading down to a pit in the centre. In this pit is a dais, on which stands a very old arch with a tattered curtain hanging from it. Called the "Death Chamber" by Dumbledore. It was through this archway that Sirius Black, Harry Potter's Godfather, fell to his apparent demise in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
  • The Time Chamber - A room in which various time-related devices are kept, such as clocks of every description and Time-Turners (necklaces with hourglass pendants, which will send the wearer back in time when the pendant is turned over). It also contains a mysterious bell jar, inside which anything will grow steadily younger and younger, then slowly return to its original age in a never-ending cycle.
  • The Hall of Prophecy - A giant, cavernous room with over a hundred rows of shelves, where prophecies are kept. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood are lured to this room by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
  • The always locked room - A room behind a door that remains locked at all times and which cannot be unlocked by either the Alohomora spell or magical unlocking penknives. According to Albus Dumbledore, behind that door is the most mysterious subject of study in the Department: a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature.......It is the power held within that room that you [Harry] possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all.. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, this power was confirmed through a dialogue between Harry and Dumbledore to be love.

Sixteen years before Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [1], Sybill Trelawney made a prediction about Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter. A Death Eater (who was revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to be Snape) overheard the first part of the prediction. Voldemort decided to kill Harry Potter, believing this would prevent the prophecy from coming to pass: instead, he caused the events described by the prophecy to be set into motion in the first place, and lost his powers.

After his powers were restored in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Voldemort decided he had to get his hands on Trelawney's prophecy, now stored in the Department of Mysteries. The trouble was that only he or Harry Potter could take them from the Department of Mysteries as the prophecy was about both of them. As Lord Voldemort was not about to walk into the Ministry of Magic, he decided to lure Harry there.

This plan nearly succeeded, but the prophecy was destroyed before Voldemort could obtain it. There was a struggle in the Department and Sirius Black fell through the Veil and is presumed dead. When Cornelius Fudge saw Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic, he was forced to acknowledge that he was wrong in denying that Voldemort had indeed returned.

Unfortunately, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the heroes see the situation has largely not improved with the Ministry of Magic seemingly more concerned with keeping a public image of diligence than actually opposing Voldemort with proper vigour. For instance, they arrest Stan Shunpike who is likely guilty of no more than idle boasting and attempt to persuade Potter to join the ministry for propaganda purposes. When he refuses, Rufus Scrimgeour, who has replaced Fudge as the Minister for Magic, accuses him of being "Dumbledore's man through and through", a description which Harry proudly adopts for himself.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d [HP5] Rowling, J.K. (2003). Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. UK ISBN 0747551006/US ISBN 043935806X..
  2. ^ [HP4] Rowling, J.K. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. UK ISBN 074754624X/US ISBN 0439139597.
  3. ^ [HP6] Rowling, J.K. (2005). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. UK ISBN 0747581088/US ISBN 0439784549.

Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

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