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The Ministry of Magic

Page history last edited by Roswenthe 15 years, 3 months ago

What IS the Ministry of Magic?

In JK Rowling's universe, wizards tended to live isolated from each other and mostly did whatever they wanted.  The closest thing there was to a Wizarding ‘central authority’ was The Ministry of Magic; this is the name given to the organisational body which tries (and often fails) to regulate and curtail Wizarding society in Britain.  It is a successor to the previous (and failed) attempts at government, known as the Wizards' Council. Other countries have their own form of Wizarding society- but at no point does it seem as if Wizards have much concept of ideas such as nation (nation is after all a relatively new idea, much younger than say Hogwarts).

The best way to sum up the Ministry?

“The overworked leading the ungrateful to scold the resentful.”

 

How do I join the Ministry of Magic?

Once your application has been accepted and you have joined the World of Hogwarts group, please IM Quixotic Tuqiri for an invitation into the ministry.

 

Who runs the Ministry of Magic?

The head of the Ministry is called the Minister of Magic. His name is Kingsley Shacklebolt (appointed in 1998), and he is a Non-Player Character - meaning that he is heard, but not seen. No person will play him, as he is a canon character, but he will still issue his decrees and comments via mass owls, statements to the press, and through his underlings. Shacklebolt gained a great reputation as a pragmatic no-nonsense chap, and nine years in charge have been inspirational.

 

What are the departments in the Ministry?

The Ministry is made up of seven Departments, and the Officers - Minister, Senior Undersecretary, Junior Undersecretary, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and the Supreme Mugwump.

 

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement:

There are laws. if you break them, this department will come for you. If you do something bad that isn't illegal, they will make it illegal and come for you. Over the years this has become quite a list. Arguably the most important of the various departments (at least to its members), this one is a combination of police-like and justice facilities. This department includes:

     *The Aurors, the elite group of dark wizard hunters (that’s ALL they do by the way- they are NOT the police of the Wizarding world). To become an Auror, one must first go through a training program.  All applicants are accepted into the training program, but only dedicated students become aurors.

     *The Improper Use of Magic Office, which punishes wizards for using magic in violation of magical laws.

     *The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, which regulates the use of magic on Muggle objects. The goal of this office is to keep enchanted items away from unsuspecting Muggles.

     *The Wizengamot, which is the wizarding world's court of law and assembly, presided over by the Minister and the Chief Warlock/Witch, and comprised of some of the UK's finest wizards. It also gets some folks in who qualify because they are related to a member.  Or a member owes them money.  No lawyers are involved, the trials are rather quick. Witnesses are examined for both sides. The Wizengamot only oversees cases of great importance, smaller cases are dealt with by a single questioner.

 

The Department of Magical Games and Sports

Seen as the most relaxed department, it deals with such sports-related pastimes as organizing the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament.

Members of this department will be involved with the aspects of the professional Quidditch teams, and not those in Hogwarts.

 

The Department of Magical Transportation

This department is responsible for various aspects of magical transport, including Portkeys, the Floo network, and the Apparation Test Center (grants licenses to witches and wizards so they can apparate).

 

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.

     *Beast Division: Centaur Liasons, Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau, Werewolf Registry, and the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, who often work with Aurors.

     *Being Dvision: Office for House-Elf Relocation, Werewolf Support Services, Goblin Liaisons.

     *Spirit Division: Ghoul Task Force, Pest Advisory Board

 

Department of International Cooperation - UK Branch:

The Department of International Magical Cooperation is an agency that, 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

 

Department of Mysteries

The Department of Mysteries is, as its name suggests, a department within the Ministry of Magic building that deals with studying enigmas. 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.

 

Who runs the Ministry of Magic?

The Officers in charge are as follows:

     *Minister of Magic - The head of the Wizarding community. He or she rules over the Wizengamot, and runs the Ministry of Magic.

     *Senior Undersecretary - Position held by Dolores Umbridge before her arrests. They assist the Minister in his or her duties, and is allowed to sit beside the Minister during trials held by the Wizengamot. The*Senior Undersecretary is appointed by the Minister

     *Junior Undersecretary - An honourable position, in which one assists the Minister and Senior Undersecretary. An appointed position by the Minister.

     *Chief Warlock/Witch of the Wizengamot - The Wizengamot is both a judicial and legislative council, and this position can be likened to the Chief Justice and Speaker of the House. The CWoW is mostly independent from the Ministry, and only answers to the Minister. Appointed by the Minister.

     *Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of the Wizards - The ICoW can be likened to the United Nations (if the UN was made up with people who were far more concerned about the quality of the tea and cake and to whom the idea of NATION is little more than something to dictate what colour your Quidditch uniforms should be- several nations in the ICoW no longer exist (Bohemia refuses to acknowledge the fact that muggle maps no longer show it and see its current non-existence in the Muggle world as a ‘fad’), and the Supreme Mugwump can be likened to the Secretary-General (if Sec-Gen’s of the UN were chosen by the IcoW’s long proven method of’ Lets cast a spell to see who would really dislike every actually DOING anything with this position and would be too embarrassed to ever mention it in polite company and give it to THEM’).  The ICoW is an independent agency, and is outside the control of the Ministry. The Supreme Mugwump is not necessarily British.  Since Dumbledore’s death the Supreme Mugwump is currently a Swedish Wizard called Lars Hendricksson who reacted to the news that he held the title by retreating above the artic circle and has not been seen since.  This makes him an extraordinarily popular Supreme Mugwump.

 

For more information, see Who's Who in the Ministry of Magic.

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