The Ministry of Magic is the organization responsible for overseeing all things magical in the U.K. It is headed by a Minister for Magic, and comprised of numerous different departments, each specializing in a different field relevant to the wizarding world.
Ministry Headquarters are in Whitehall, in central London, deep underground (as such, high floor numbers indicate levels deeper in the earth). It can be accessed via the Floo Network, or by two other entrances. The visitor's entrance is an abandoned red telephone booth, which one operates by dialing "62442" ("MAGIC"). The employee entrance to the subterranean building is through a particularly public lavatory, where one uses a special token to open the stall and then flushes oneself to the Ministry.
Ministry Apprenticeships
Hogwarts students who are aiming for a Ministry career can apply for apprenticeships within Ministry departments (except the Department of Mysteries, which does not take apprentices) during the summer.
Players interested in applying for an apprenticeship should put in a +request any time after Christmas Holiday of their Fifth or Sixth Year. Treat this request like an IC application letter.
Hint: Getting a recommendation from a PC that works in the desired department, and who is willing to take the apprentice on personally, will go a long way toward getting that apprenticeship.
Central Department
Central Department Employees
Minister for Magic — Leonard Spencer-Moon
Senior Undersecretary of the Minister for Magic — Cassius Malfoy
Postmaster — Ranulph Macmillan
Chief of Magical Maintenance — Fullname
Chief of Public Information Services — Fullname
Chief of Public Works — Fullname
The Central Department is responsible for the administration of the Ministry itself. This department is headed by the Minister for Magic, though most department duties are actually managed by the Minister's Chief of Staff. There are several subdivisions within this department:
General Owl Post Office
This office is responsible for the maintaining and managing the various Owl Post Offices around the U.K. They appoint postmasters, train post owls, and establish Post Drops (see Magic).
Magical Maintenance
Magical Maintenance is responsible for maintaining the upkeep of the Ministry, including custodial duties, choosing the weather to display through the Ministry's enchanted windows, and repairing magic gone wrong withing the premises of the Ministry (such as Atmospheric Charms gone wrong). Other duties include maintaining the lifts and keeping the Atrium fireplaces stocked with Floo Powder. Personnel working in Magical Maintenance wear navy blue robes.
Public Information Services
This office in the Ministry of Magic produces pamphlets and otherwise disseminates information to the wizarding populace that the Ministry deems necessary.
Public Works
This division is responsible for public maintenance, including the disposal and Vanishment of refuse, and maintaining roads and public buildings.
Department of International Magical Cooperation (I.M.C.)
I.M.C. Employees
Department Head of International Magical Cooperation — Vincent Zabibi
Chief of International Magical Trading Standards Body — Severian Bulstrode
Chief of International Magical Office of Law — Fullname
Chief of International Confederation of Wizards (British Seats) — Vincent Zabibi
This department is concerned with magical cooperation, and wizarding actions among different countries. Located on the Fifth Level of the Ministry of Magic.
International Magical Trading Standards Body
The office in charge of overseeing and assessing trading practices within the wizarding world, as well as establishing international policies regarding trading standards.
The International Magical Office of Law
The International Magical Office of Law monitors the laws and policies set down by the International Confederation of Wizards, and advises Britain's Minister for Magic and the Wizengamot on matters of international law in order to prevent contradictions between British magical law and its international counterpart. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement actually enforces the international policies and laws of the International Confederation of Wizards on British soil, albeit often relying on the advice of the International Magical Office of Law.
The International Confederation of Wizards (British Seats)
The International Confederation of Wizards is the body of representatives from various magical Ministries from different countries, who come together to decide upon international law. British seats on the International Confederation of Wizards are selected by the Minister for Magic, subject to the approval of the Wizengamot. The International Confederation of Wizards is headed by a person who holds the title "Supreme Mugwump".
Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes (M.A.C.)
M.A.C. Employees
Department Head of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes — Penzington Prince
Chief of Accidental Magic Reversal Squad — Fullname
Chief of Committee on Experimental Charms — Fullname
Chief of Muggle Liaison Office — Kashus Pyrites
Chief of Obliviator Headquarters — Penzington Prince
Chief of Office of Misinformation — Cassiel Umbridge
Also known as the Department of Magical Catastrophe, this department is responsible for cleaning up magical messes. There are several groups that answer to this department:
Accidental Magic Reversal Squad
This team is responsible for going out into the field to reverse accidental magical effects (typically those of young witches and wizards who cannot yet control their powers)
Committee on Experimental Charms
This committee oversees the development and use of experimental charms, determining their suitability for general use and serves as the regulating board. Their sister division, the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad, is frequently asked to help deal with charm-testing gone wrong.
Muggle Liaison Office
Muggle Liaisons are a social services office responsible for wizard-Muggle relations with those Muggles deemed acceptable to be aware of the wizarding world. This generally means relatives of wizards, such as the parents of a Muggle-born wizard. They are also sometimes called in to assist in working Memory Charms on Muggles during stressful times when the Obliviators are overworked.
Obliviator Headquarters
Obliviators are those wizards tasked with using Memory Charms to modify the memories of Muggles that have witnessed something they shouldn't have, such as a magical creature or a wizard using magic.
- Skill Requirements: — Obliviators must have a minimum Glamers of 10, so they can learn the Memory Charm and False Memory Charm.
Office of Misinformation
When all other M.A.C. offices fail, the Office of Misinformation steps in to concoct explanations for magical events that Muggles will find acceptable or reasonable. Generally, the office only gets involved in the most egregious violations of secrecy. In these situations, they usually work in tandem with the A.M.R.S. and the Obliviators, and will liaise directly with the Muggle Prime Minister to ensure that the misinformation presented will be thoroughly supported by Muggle authorities.
Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee
In most minor violations of secrecy, the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee convenes to devise appropriate misinformation to feed to the Muggles. The committee usually feeds this information through various Ministry-employed Squib agents placed in Muggle media organizations, hospitals, police departments, and so on.
Department of Magical Education (D.M.E.)
D.M.E. Employees
Department Head of Magical Education — Dermot Summerbee
Chief of Wizarding Examinations Authority — Dermot Summerbee
The Department of Magical Education is responsible for establishing regulations for magical schooling, both at institutions of magic and home-schooling situations.
Wizarding Examinations Authority
This is the division responsible for giving and grading both the O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) and N.E.W.T. (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test) exams to Hogwarts students. They also give the W.O.M.B.A.T. (Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test) equivalency exam.
Department of Magical Games and Sports (M.G.S.)
M.G.S. Employees
Department Head of Magical Games and Sports — Quentin Palancher
Chief of British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters — Quentin Palancher
Chief of Ludicrous Patents Office — Fullname
Responsible for the regulation of all magical sports and sporting events.
British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters
The British and Irish Quidditch League is managed in this office. This division is much more casual than other parts of the Ministry, sometimes said to be as much a fan club as a regulatory office.
Ludicrous Patents Office
This office began as something of a joke. With the success of Quidditch, there were many more attempts to secure legal rights to new games, new piece of sports technology, and so on. Originally the Ludicrous Patents Office was established as a place to send these ideas to forget about them. But that put the M.G.S. into a legal bind, and they soon found themselves obligated to actually deal with the patent applications. In time, as the efficiency of the office increased, the Minister for Magic ordered them to handle all patent applications, whether sports-related or otherwise. There have been efforts to move the office to another department, but the M.G.S. has kept a tight hold of it, not wishing another department to be making decisions that affect games and sports that they have little understanding of.
Department of Magical Law Enforcement (M.L.E.)
M.L.E. Employees
Department Head of Magical Law Enforcement — Bob Ogden
Chief of Auror Office — Gordon Worthington
Chief of Department of Intoxicating Substances — Bettina Yaxley
Chief of Improper Use of Magic Office — Fullname
Chief of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office — Fullname
Auror Office
This department is responsible for both police and judicial enforcement of magical law. Within this department are several subdivisions.
Auror Office
This is the core subdivision of the M.L.E., tasked with enforcing the law and apprehending criminals in the wizarding world. It was previously split between Hit Wizards (who handled general law enforcement) and Aurors (who specifically handled matters involving the Dark Arts). But in 1941 they were merged into the Auror Office.
Perks: Aurors' starting pay is enough for Wealth: Comfortable. Inspectors and above are Wealth: Well-To-Do (this does not require a Cookie expenditure). They are provided a top quality broomstick, and have a reserved bed at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Ranks and Requirements
To qualify as Auror Initiates, candidates must have five O.W.L.s at "E," including Defence Against the Dark Arts. To qualify to become an Inspector (which is what most people think of when they think of "true" Aurors), they must have "E" grade N.E.W.T.s in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions. If a Sergeant did not earn those marks in school, he or she will have to make them up through W.O.M.B.A.T.s before a promotion is possible.
Following are the minimum years of service and skill ranks to qualify for each Auror rank. The skills are abbreviated for space. In order, they are Awareness, Charms/Glamers*, Fighting, Dark Defense, Potions, Transfiguration/Conjuration*, and Magical Law.
*Only the highest of this skill pair will be counted.
| Auror Rank | Years | Aware | Charms | Fight | DrkDef | Potion | Transf | MagLaw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auror Initiate | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Constable | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Sergeant | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Inspector | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Superintendent | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Commander | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Chief Auror | 10 | N/A (NPC only) | ||||||
*Only the highest of these skill pairs will be counted.
Magistrates and the Magical Law Enforcement Squad
Magistrates and Deputy Magistrates are special Aurors that also service as local judges within a given jurisdiction (such as London or Hogsmeade). See Magical Law for more information on Magistrates. A Deputy Magistrate is equivalent to an Inspector and a Magistrate is equivalent to a Superintendent. The key difference is that each has greater authority within their jurisdiction. For instance, the Magistrate of London has authority over "lesser" crimes within London than another Superintendent.
The Magical Law Enforcement Squad (M.L.E.S.) used to refer to the office that Hit Wizards belonged to. But since the reorganisation of the division in 1941, it now refers to Magistrates and their teams of law enforcers. The squad title is largely nominal, carrying no jurisdictional restrictions with it. It is just a means of organising assignments. Other than the Magistrates and Deputy Magistrates, all members of the M.L.E.S. are Sergeant rank and below.
M.L.E. Cases
Below is a list of cases that are unsolved.
Department of Intoxicating Substances
This department is actually a subdivision of the M.L.E., and is responsible for the creation and enforcement of regulations related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages and other intoxicating substances, including potions that can affect behavior. This department is headed by Bettina Yaxley.
Improper Use of Magic Office
This office regulates and investigates offenses of the the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. However, criminal violations of these laws are handled by the M.L.E.S. or the Auror Office.
This is also the office with which Animagi and Legilimens must register. These registries are open to public viewing. Failure to register will result in criminal charges, and a possible sentence in Azkaban.
Animagus Registry
Legilimens Registry
Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office
This office regulates the use of magic on Muggle objects and confiscates those which have been illegally bewitched. One of the laws they enforce is the prohibition on magically altering a Muggle vehicle with the intent to fly it.
Wizengamot Administration Services
The Wizengamot is the Wizard High Court. A large council, rarely summoned in the entirety except for the most serious of offences. The Wizengamot also serves as the Ministry's parliament on the issues of approving new laws.
Wizengamot Administration Services is the subdivision of the M.L.E. that undertakes administrative and clerical duties for the Wizengamot, including maintenance of court documents, hearing date,s judges' schedules, and the administration of legal proceedings. Barristers and solicitors employed by the Ministry are also managed under W.A.S.
Department of Magical Transportation (D.M.T.)
D.M.T. Employees
Department Head of Magical Transportation — Fullname
Chief of Floo Network Authority — Naill Quinn
Chief of Broom Regulatory Control — Fullname
Chief of Portkey Office — Fullname
Chief of Apparition Test Centre — Doyle Hitchcock
Located on the Sixth Level of the Ministry of Magic, it is responsible for overseeing all modes of wizarding travel, from Floo to brooms, and everything in between.
Floo Network Authority
The Floo Network Authority is responsible for setting up and maintaining the network. They also regulate the distribution of Floo powder. The network is composed of the fireplaces of all the wizarding buildings, which are interconnected, and it allows the user, or "passenger", to transport themselves to any other fireplace on the network. The Floo Network is subject to intense scrutiny by the Ministry.
Broom Regulatory Control
The Broom Regulatory Control has the authority to determine what factors allow an individual to use and ride a broom. If a broom has been determined to be dangerous or tampered with to cause damage, this office will confiscate the broom.
Portkey Office
The Portkey Office regulates and authorizes objects that are turned into portkeys as well as the network in which they are used. This would be slightly similar to the Floo Network Authority.
During major events like the Quidditch World Cup, the Portkey Office is involved in regulating the thousands of portkeys used to transport witches and wizards.
Apparition Test Centre
The Apparition Test Centre grants Apparition licences to qualified witches and wizards. One must be 16 to obtain such a licence. Licensure is required to prevent the likelihood of splinching. One is usually taught and tested by a qualified Ministry employee, such as is the case at Hogwarts. However, in the case of Side-Along Apparition, the accomplice does not require a licence provided they are taken by a licensed wizard.
Department of Mysteries
Mysteries Employees
Department Head of of Mysteries — Walter St. Cloud
Director of Death Research — Fullname
Director of Time Research — Fullname
Director of Space Research — Fullname
Director of Thought Research — Fullname
Director of Love Research — Bernhard Higgs
Located on Level Nine, The Department of Mysteries is the most enigmatic and classified of departments within the Ministry of Magic. Those wizards that work within its level are known as "Unspeakables" due to the fact that they are strictly forbidden to speak of their work outside of the department itself. Those without a need to know what happens there will never know. These wizards are tasked with studying those unknowable enigmas, Death, Time, Space, Thought, and Love, among others. Each enigma has its own assigned research lab.
Occlumency is part of the standard training for Unspeakables. This means that all Unspeakable characters must have the Cookies to purchase the Occlumens Quirk. While this makes it more difficult to apply for an Unspeakable, it does include additional benefits. Unspeakables are considered a very high priority to the Ministry, and their status grants them access to nearly all aspects of the wizarding world. The most notable exceptions are Hogwarts, which demands special permission for most Ministry employees to enter the grounds, and Gringotts, which the goblins guard jealously. Unspeakables have the best M.L.E. protection, the quickest approval on requests from other departments (e.g. documents, or a portkey, for instance), and are generally regarded with awe and respect. Of course, this also means that their lives are not entirely their own. The security measures taken to ensure the secrecy of the Mysteries are grueling, and should any Unspeakable ever be sacked from the Department of Mysteries, they are legally obligated to submit themselves to Obliviation to forget everything they ever learned within the department.
Recruitment: The Department of Mysteries does not offer apprenticeships, nor do they accept applicants directly. One may submit a letter of interest to the department, though a recommendation from an Unspeakable or other scholar goes a lot further. What it really requires is a person that can think outside of the box. Unspeakables are the people charged with investigating the most mysterious and inconceivable forces in the universe. It isn't a job for the timid. Naturally, they must proceed carefully, but they must proceed. The universe doesn't reveal its secrets easily. Unspeakables are pushing the boundaries of what is believed to be real or possible. Naturally, they don't expect candidates to be on that level right from the start. But if they hope to join the Department of Mysteries, they must demonstrate an unquenchable curiosity, the insight to see beyond what is presented to them, and the courage to pursue it.
If any given Unspeakable takes an interest in a prospective candidate, he or she may quietly observe that person, and may go so far as to contrive situations to test their lateral thinking and receptivity to unusual ideas. If the Unspeakable wishes to sponsor the candidate, he or she submits his or her intentions. If the Chief Unspeakable decides the candidate is suitable, he or she will authorise an offer of employment. In the first six months of employment, the new Unspeakable is on probation, and should he or she not meet the standards of the job, the former Unspeakable's memories of the department are Obliviated, and he or she is most likely given a recommendation for a suitable position elsewhere in the Ministry.
Brain Room
The Brain Room gets its name from the tank full of brains swimming in a green solution. The brains are the primary method through which the Mystery of Thought is studied. <MORE TO COME>
Death Chamber
<MORE TO COME>
Hall of Prophecy
<MORE TO COME>
Love Chamber
Nicknamed the "Ever-Locked Room", the Love Chamber is possibly the most secure section of the Department of Mysteries. Love is considered "a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature". It is the source of the most powerful forms of magic known to wizardkind.
Within the Love Chamber is a large fountain of Amortentia, used to study the connections between true Love and infatuation, among other things.
Space Chamber
<MORE TO COME>
Time Room
<MORE TO COME>
Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures (R.C.M.C.)
R.C.M.C. Employees
Department Head of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures — Isaac Scamander
Director of the Beast Division — Atalanta Gibbon
Director of the Being Division — Fullname
Director of the Spirit Division — Fullname
Located on Level 4 of the Ministry of Magic, this department is in charge of dealing with and regulating all non-human creatures, from intelligent creatures like goblins and house-elves to dragons to animals like kneazles, and everything in between. It is split into the following divisions:
Beast Division
This division deals with all non-intelligent creatures, and those deemed 'beasts' by the ministry. Subdivisions include the Centaur Liason Office, Ghoul Task Force, Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau, the Werewolf Registry, and the Werewolf Capture Unit.
Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau
The Bureau is responsible for all dragon-related services provided by the Ministry of Magic.
Centaur Liaison Office
The Centaur Liaison Office is the section of the department dealing with relations between wizards and centaurs. Since its inception, no centaur has even used the Office. In the Ministry, the phrase "being sent to the Centaur Office" is an in-joke meaning that the employee in question is about to be sacked.
Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures
The Committee is responsible for the execution of any magical creatures deemed to be a threat to the wizarding world.
Ghoul Task Force
The Ghoul Task Force is part of the Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The task force is called upon to investigate circumstances in which ghouls move in to residential areas and become a problem for the inhabitants.
Pest Advisory Board
This department deals with pests, dealing with such things as Bundimun and Chizpurfle infestations, and maintains a pack of albino bloodhounds to deal with Nogtails.
Werewolf Capture Unit
This small force of hunters is tasked with the capture and control of dangerous werewolves, or any lycanthrope that is discovered to be loose on a full moon. They also maintain a registry of known werewolves.
Werewolf Registry
Being Division
This division deals with creatures classified as 'beings' by the ministry, including house-elves, goblins, and others. Subdivisions include the Goblin Liaison Office, Office for House-Elf Relocation, and Werewolf Support Services.
Goblin Liaison Office
The Goblin Liaison Office exists primarily to maintain and improve relations between wizards and goblins. It is considered a fairly prestigious division, as it has a significant influence on economic matters. Goblin Liaisons are required to be fluent in Gobbledegook.
Office for House-Elf Relocation
The Office is responsible for the allocation and reassignment of house-elves.
Spirit Division
This division deals specifically with spirits. Duties usually include exorcisms and relocation of troubling ghosts.