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Improper Use of Magic Office
The Improper Use of Magic Office is responsible for investigating offenses under the fictional Decree for the Reasonable
Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the fictional International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy. They regulate
an under-age wizard or witch's use of magic and prohibit wizards and witches from performing magic in the presence of Muggles
or in a Muggle-inhabited area in the Harry Potter universe (respectively). An enchantment called "The Trace" is
(placed upon children) helps the department in detecting offences; it breaks at the age of 17.
Although under-age magic cases are normally dealt with by the Improper Use of Magic Office (as said in the books), at
Harry's hearing, he is tried by the entire Wizengamot court. This is highly unusual, however, for an underage case.
Wizengamot
The Wizengamot serves as the wizard high court of law (presumably a fictional version of the Law Lords). It also appears
to be similar to the real-life Parliament; various decrees that character Minister Cornelius Fudge introduces are passed and
sanctioned by the Wizengamot, just like in the real-life Parliament. The word "Wizengamot" is a portmanteau created
from the words "wizard," and "Witenagemot," which was a council of powerful people summoned to advise
and appoint kings in real-life Anglo-Saxon England. The word derives from the Old English for "meeting of wise men. In
Order of the Phoenix, about fifty people are present (in Harry Potter's hearing) wearing plum-coloured robes embroidered with
a silver letter "W" on the left-hand side of the chest. During his hearing, the Minister for Magic was sitted in
the middle of the front row and did most of the interrogation while character Percy Weasley acts as a Stenographer. Other
officials sitted within the Wizaengamot include Senior Undersecretary to the Minister (on the Minister's right) and Head of
the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (on the Minister's left) - appearantly on the Wizengamot's ex officio.
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Accidental Magic Reversal Squad
The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad is a squad of wizards whose job it is to reverse "accidental magic." These
accidents are normally caused by young witches and wizards who have not learned to control their magic in the Harry Potter
world. They may also be caused by older wizards out of control, or severe, unintentional effects of charms or spells, such
as splinching (in Apparation when a magician is split with one half in two locations).
For instance, the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad was sent out in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban book when
character Harry Potter inflated his Aunt Marge; "deflating" her and erasing her memory (the memory modification
done by Obliviators).
Obliviator Headquarters
The Obliviator Headquarters is the designation for a Ministry of Magic employee who has the task of modifying the memory
of a "Muggle" (real-life non-magical person) after witnessing incidents belonging to the Wizarding world.
They are first called so in the sixth volume, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, although the mentioned practice
already appears in the previous novels. Any wizard can use the act of memory modification in the Harry Potter books by using
the spell, "Obliviate." This event, however, is frowned upon in the Harry Potter universe; most believe that memory
modification should be done by Obliviators only.
Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee
The Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee explains any major magical accidents - to the real-world "muggles" - by creating
a non-magical reason for the accident. For example, character Peter Pettigrew killed twelve Muggle bystanders and tore apart
the street (as the way to the sewer pipe) by means of an immense explosion charm during his altercation with Sirius Black.
The massive and obvious damage and mortality was explained by the committee as being due to a tragic accidental explosion
of the gas main.
Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures 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 fictitious divisions, see "Magical Beasts in Harry Potter". It is also noted that character Hermione Granger
began her post-Hogwarts career here before transferring to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on Level Two.
Department of International Magical Cooperation
The Department of International Magical Cooperation is an agency that attempts to get wizards from different countries
to cooperate in wizarding actions both political and public. This fictitious 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, and the International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats. The former head was character Barty Crouch, Sr., until
his death. This is also where character Percy Weasley began his Ministry career.
Department of Magical Transportation
The Department of Magical Transportation is responsible for various aspects of magical transport. It is located on the
sixth level of the fictitious Ministry of Magic and includes the following offices:
Floo Network Authority 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 qualities of the floo powder.
Broom Regulatory Control Control of the traffic of broom travel
Apparition Test Centre the magical equivalent of the DVLA; grants licences to witches and wizards so that they can apparate
Portkey Office Regulation of Portkeys
Department of Magical Games and Sports
The Department of Magical Games and Sports, seen as the most relaxed department (posters for favourite Quidditch teams
are found tacked to the walls), deals with organising sports events the likes of the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard
Tournament. Character Ludo Bagman used to be the Head of Department here, but his gambling problem forced him to flee from
Goblin creditors. The department is located on the seventh level of the Ministry of Magic, and includes the British and Irish
Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and the Ludicrous Patents Office - other fictional sports and games
related aspects of the Harry Potter world
Department Of Mysteries
The Department of Mysteries, located on Level Nine, a fictional department in the Ministry of Magic which studies particular
enigmas (death, time, thought, and love) and stores made prophecies in the Harry Potter universe. During Voldemort's racist
regime, he forces the department to reveal that Muggle-borns actually steal magic from Pure-bloods - a complete and ridiculous
lie - making them "illegal magicals", and allowing their arrest. The reason as to how muggle-borns (born from non-magical
parents) acquire magic remains an embraced mystery in the books, and because the department finally "concluded"
Voldemort's lie, the fictional world was forced to believe.[HP7]
Because of the covert nature surrounding this particular branch of the Wizarding government, the Department of Mysteries
can be likened to real-world intelligence agencies like the CIA or MI6, in which most of their operations are kept in total
secrecy from the general wizard populace in the Harry Potter world However, the primary operations of the fictional department
seem to be more like those of real-life scientists, the department attempting to uncover the sources and rules the governing
magic in the Harry Potter universe. The name "Department of Mysteries" could be a reference to the Eleusinian Mysteries
of Ancient Greece. It shares with those real-life rites a preoccupation with immortality and the cycle of time
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