Ministry of Magic
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Ministry of Magic | |
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Universe | Wizarding World |
Founded | 1707 |
Location | Ministry of Magic Headquarters Whitehall, London |
Leader | Minister for Magic |
Key people | |
Purpose | Preservation of magical law |
Powers | Government of the British wizarding community |
Affiliations | International Confederation of Wizards |
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the British wizarding community in the fictional universe Wizarding World. The Ministry is led by the Minister for Magic and is first mentioned in the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997). Throughout the Harry Potter novels, the Ministry is regularly depicted as corrupt, elitist and incompetent, with its high-ranking officials blind to ominous events and unwilling to take action against threats to wizarding society.[citation needed] In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), the Ministry places Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts to observe happenings at the school and prevent the spread of news about the return of Lord Voldemort, who eventually takes over the Ministry. At the end of the final novel, Kingsley Shacklebolt becomes the Minister for Magic.
Composition and status
[edit]Connection to Muggle world
[edit]Each new Muggle Prime Minister receives a visit from the Minister for Magic, who informs them of the existence of the wizarding world. The Minister explains that they will contact the Prime Minister only in circumstances in which the events of the wizarding world may affect Muggles. For example, the Minister has to inform the Prime Minister if dangerous magical artefacts or animals are to be brought into the UK.
The Ministry contacts the British Prime Minister via a wizard's portrait in the Prime Minister's office at 10 Downing Street. The portrait, which cannot be removed from the wall (because of a Permanent Sticking Charm in place), informs the Prime Minister of the Minister for Magic's arrival and, after they have been notified, the Minister for Magic appears in their office via the fireplace which has been specifically integrated into the Floo Network.[1] The Ministers for Magic who appear in the Harry Potter series, such as Cornelius Fudge and Rufus Scrimgeour, tend to act in a somewhat condescending manner towards the Muggle Prime Minister.
The Ministry government[2] succeeded the earlier "Wizards' Council," the earliest-known form of government for the wizarding world of Harry Potter.[3] According to Pottermore, it was formally established in 1707.[4]
Government structure
[edit]The post of Minister for Magic is described in the novels as an elected position.[5] Who has the power to elect or dismiss ministers is never explained. In the books, employment with the Ministry can be obtained right after completion of a wizarding education,[6] though different offices require different levels of education and sometimes specific exam results with some extra training required within the department itself.
Judicial system and corruption
[edit]In the books and films, the wizarding courts have displayed at times, a marked lack of interest in evidence for or against a suspect, even relying on personal prejudice to decide the outcome as quickly as possible.[7] Not all of the accused are even given trials, as in the case of Sirius Black.[6] In Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry is shown to be quite prepared to decree and enforce draconian laws without notice. At times, the Ministry can also seem uninterested in solving serious problems, choosing instead to ignore or cover up bad news. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Fudge takes a long time to respond to the attacks on Hogwarts; and even then is sure that Rubeus Hagrid is causing the trouble rather than someone else. In the fourth and fifth instalments, Fudge refuses to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, despite mounting evidence. The Ministry even mounts a campaign to damage Harry Potter's credibility, an effort fuelled in part by Fudge's fear that Albus Dumbledore wants to forcibly remove him from his position. Eventually, the Ministry is forced to acknowledge the emergency and act on it. Fudge is subsequently removed from office for incompetence and replaced by Rufus Scrimgeour.
When interviewed, Rowling stated that when Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger work for the Ministry, they change it significantly, making it less corrupt.[citation needed]
Departments
[edit]Department of Magical Law Enforcement
[edit]The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is a combination of police and justice facilities. It is located on the second level of the Ministry of Magic. Bartemius Crouch Sr. once headed the department, prior to the first book.[6] At the beginning of the series, it is headed by Amelia Bones, who is replaced by Pius Thicknesse after Voldemort murders her.[1] Thicknesse is replaced by Corban Yaxley after Voldemort has Thicknesse appointed the puppet Minister for his regime.[8] By the events of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Harry Potter has become its head.
According to Rowling, this is the department that Hermione joins, after the events of the seventh book, transferring from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where she began her post-Hogwarts career.[citation needed]
Auror Office
[edit]The Ministry employs aurors to pursue and apprehend Dark wizards. Aurors in the Harry Potter series include Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, John Dawlish, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Rufus Scrimgeour, Gawain Robards, Hesphaestus Gore, Proudfoot, Savage, and Williamson. Harry himself later joins the department, and, according to a Rowling 2007 interview, is eventually promoted to department head.[9]
During the First War against Voldemort, Aurors had authorisation to use the Unforgivable Curses on suspected Death Eaters: that is, they received licence to kill, coerce, and torture them. Aurors also operate to protect high-profile targets such as Harry, Hogwarts, and the Muggle prime minister – in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix auror Kingsley Shacklebolt worked secretly in the Muggle Prime Minister's security detail.
Improper Use of Magic Office
[edit]The Improper Use of Magic Office is responsible for investigating offences under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy. They regulate an underage wizard's 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. An enchantment called "the Trace" is placed upon children and helps the department detect offences; it breaks when they reach the age of 17.[8] However, Dumbledore explains to Harry that the Ministry cannot tell who exactly uses magic in a given area, only that it has been used. This can be seen as unfair to young witches and wizards who grew up in the Muggle world (such as Muggle-born wizards, or those with one magical and one Muggle parent) as they are more likely to be caught using magic than those who grow up in the wizarding world. Those living in the Muggle world generally have no contact with other witches or wizards away from school, and the Ministry simply presumes that any magic performed where they are is an act of underage wizardry, while at the same time presuming that any magic performed in a wizard home that has minors present was performed by those aged 17 and over. This means that minors living in the wizard world have a much greater chance of escaping punishment for the use of underage magic. The Ministry has to rely on wizard and witch parents to enforce the ban on under-age magic within their homes.[1]
It is not known how or when the Trace is placed upon a child. The Ministry seemingly ignores the Trace during the school year as students at Hogwarts are expected to perform magic and are under the supervision of teachers. This 'blind eye' also seems to be extended to places such as Diagon Alley, Platform 9¾, the Hogwarts Express and the village of Hogsmeade. The Ministry also seems to turn a blind eye to the use of magic in the Muggle world when the child is under the age of 11, as their powers have generally not been developed enough to cause a problem. A number of witches and wizards, including Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Lily Evans, and Severus Snape all known to have performed some underage magic while growing up in the Muggle world that went unpunished.
After Harry's first minor violation – a Hover charm that was actually performed by Dobby the House-elf – he is merely warned.[10] His second violation, inflating Aunt Marge, is forgiven by Fudge because the Minister fears that Sirius Black is after Harry, and feels that his safety after running away from the Dursleys takes precedence.[11] After his third offence (creating a Patronus to protect himself and Dudley from two Dementors), the letter sent to him states that he is expelled from school; that representatives will arrive at his home to destroy his wand; and that he is required to appear at a disciplinary hearing given that the offence occurred after he had already received one warning.[7] Dumbledore reminds Fudge that the Ministry doesn't have the power to expel students from Hogwarts, or to confiscate wands without benefit of a hearing.[7] At Harry's hearing, he is tried by the entire Wizengamot court and cleared of all charges thanks to Dumbledore's intervention.[7]
Wizengamot
[edit]The Wizengamot serves as the wizard high court of law, from the words "wizard" and "Witenagemot", which was a council of powerful people summoned to advise and appoint kings in Anglo-Saxon England. That word derives from the Old English for "meeting of wise men" (witan – wise man or counsellor / gemot – assembly).[citation needed]
Dumbledore had held the position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot for about 50 years. He was removed at the beginning of the Order of the Phoenix novel and reinstated at the end. He remained in that post for one year, until his death at the end of Half-Blood Prince.
Other offices
[edit]Other offices include the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, which pursues day-to-day law offences; the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, headed by Perkins, and the job in which the reader first sees Arthur Weasley; and the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects Office, created by Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, into which Mr Weasley is promoted, to be its head.
Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes
[edit]The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes is responsible for repairing accidental magical damage in the world of Harry Potter. It houses the following offices:
- 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. They may also be caused by older wizards out of control, or severe, unintentional effects of charms or spells, such as splinching (in Apparition when a wizard or witch is split with one part remaining at the point of origin, and the rest of the wizard at the destination). For instance, two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were sent out in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban book and movie when Harry Potter inflated Aunt Marge; they "deflated" her and erased her memory of the inflation (the memory modification done by Obliviators).
- The Obliviator Headquarters. "Obliviator" is the designation for a Ministry of Magic employee who has the task of modifying the memory of a Muggle who witnesses incidents belonging to the Wizarding world.
- The Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee explains any major magical accidents to the Muggles by creating a non-magical reason for the accident. For example, Peter Pettigrew killed twelve Muggle bystanders and tore apart the street (so as to reach the sewer pipe and escape) by means of an immense explosion curse during his altercation with Sirius Black. The massive and obvious damage and mortality was explained by the committee as due to a tragic accidental explosion of the gas main.
Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
[edit]As noted in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is divided into three divisions (the Beast Division, the Being Division, and the Spirit Division) and contains the Goblin Liaison Office and Centaur Liaison Office.[3] Hermione began her post-Hogwarts career here before transferring to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.[12]
Department of International Magical Cooperation
[edit]The Department of International Magical Cooperation is an agency that attempts to get wizards from different countries to co-operate in wizarding actions both political and public.[6] It includes the headquarters of the International Magical Trading Standards Body, the International Magical Office of Law, and the British seats of the International Confederation of Wizards. The former head was Barty Crouch Sr., until his death. This is also where Percy Weasley began his Ministry career.
Department of Magical Transportation
[edit]The Department of Magical Transportation 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: the Floo Network Authority, responsible for setting up and maintaining the network, and distributing the greenish floo powder; the Broom Regulatory Control, that controls the traffic of broom travel; the Portkey Office, the regulation of Portkeys; and the Apparition Test Centre, that grants licences to witches and wizards so that they can apparate.
Department of Magical Games and Sports
[edit]The Department of Magical Games and Sports deals with organising sports events like the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament. Ludo Bagman used to be the Head of Department here, but his gambling problem forced him to flee from Goblin creditors.
Department of Mysteries
[edit]The Department of Mysteries is a department which studies particular enigmas (death, time, space, thought, and love) and stores copies of prophecies made in the Harry Potter universe. During Voldemort's discriminatory regime, he forces the department to lie and claim that Muggle-borns actually steal magic from Pure-bloods, making them "illegal magicals" and allowing their arrest.[8]
Unspeakables
[edit]The Unspeakables are the group of wizards who work in the Department of Mysteries (their identities classified for security reasons). Known Unspeakables include Broderick Bode, Croaker,[6] and Augustus Rookwood who is a Death Eater.
Ministry officials
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d1/MoMofficials.jpg/300px-MoMofficials.jpg)
The following characters are notable Ministry of Magic officials. Arthur Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks are listed under Order of the Phoenix. Yaxley is listed under Death Eaters.
Ludo Bagman
[edit]Ludovic "Ludo" Bagman is a retired professional Quidditch player. He was the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Rowling uses Dumbledore's Pensieve to reveal in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that Bagman was accused of being a Death Eater about thirteen years before the events of the fourth book.
Bagman loves gambling, which got him in financial trouble so severe that he pays some of his creditors with disappearing Leprechaun Gold, after they have gambled on the Quidditch World Cup. After the World Cup final, some goblins corner him in the woods outside the stadium and take all the gold he had on him, which is not enough to cover his debts. To clear his debts with the goblins, Bagman makes a bet on the Triwizard Tournament, of which he is one of the judges. He bets the goblins that Harry would win. He tries to help Harry over the course of the Tournament, giving him a perfect score in the First Task even though he is injured, and offering him advice. Harry and Cedric Diggory end up tying for first place in the tournament, and Bagman does not win the bet as the goblins argue that Bagman was betting Harry would win outright. Bagman runs away after the Third Task of the Tournament.
Barty Crouch Sr.
[edit]Bartemius "Barty" Crouch Sr. was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement when Voldemort first came to power. He sent Sirius Black to the wizard prison Azkaban without a trial. Crouch appeared to be the favourite to become the next Minister for Magic until his son, Barty Crouch Jr., was caught with the Lestranges, Death Eaters who were assisting Voldemort's rise to power and who had tortured Neville Longbottom's parents into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse. Crouch gave his son a trial before sending him to Azkaban; however, according to Sirius, the trial was a sham, merely a public demonstration of how much he hated the boy. The public were sympathetic to Crouch Jr., and placed all the blame on Crouch Sr., accusing him of driving his son to join the Death Eaters because of his parental neglect. After the trial, Crouch lost much of his popularity and any chance he had of becoming Minister of Magic, and he was shunted sideways to a post as the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
About a year after the trial, Crouch's terminally ill wife begged for her son's life to be saved, so Crouch abetted the two in trading appearances using Polyjuice Potion. Mrs. Crouch died as Crouch Jr. in Azkaban, while Crouch Sr. subsequently used the Imperius Curse to keep Crouch Jr. under house arrest. When Bertha Jorkins discovered the truth, Crouch Sr. silenced her with a powerful Memory Charm that permanently damaged her memory.
Crouch Sr. makes his first appearance in the series at the Quidditch World Cup in Goblet of Fire, when he attends the Quidditch World Cup with his house elf Winky as well as Crouch Jr., who is hidden under an Invisibility Cloak. Due to Winky's fear of heights, Crouch Jr. is able to slip away and steals Harry's wand to conjure the Dark Mark. When Winky is subsequently caught by Amos Diggory with Harry's wand, Crouch Sr. angrily dismisses Winky on the spot for failing to keep his son under control, as it was her idea to let Crouch Jr. attend.
Shortly thereafter, Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew show up at the Crouch family home, having found out about Crouch Jr. from interrogating Jorkins. Voldemort places Crouch Sr. under the Imperius Curse, freeing Crouch Jr. from the Imperius Curse placed on him by his father, and forces Crouch to continue to appear in public as if there is nothing wrong. While still under the Imperius Curse, Crouch Sr. acts as one of the five judges at the Triwizard Tournament. However, worried that Crouch will fight off the effects of the Imperius Curse, Voldemort later has him imprisoned within his own house and has him communicate exclusively through supervised owl post. Despite this precaution, Crouch manages to break free of the Imperius Curse, and makes his way to Hogwarts, hoping to warn Dumbledore of what is happening, running into Harry and Viktor Krum in the Forbidden Forest. However, while Harry is on his way to summon Dumbledore, he unwittingly alerts Crouch Jr., who is using Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Mad-Eye Moody, to his father's presence. Crouch Jr. immediately goes to the forest, stuns Krum, kills his own father, transfigures the body into a bone, and buries it on the Hogwarts grounds.
Roger Lloyd-Pack appeared as Crouch Sr. in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. His apathetic condemnation of his son pleading for mercy was changed to his son openly revealing himself as a Death Eater due to Karkaroff's testimonies, with Crouch being heartbroken about having to put him in jail. His abusive custody and mind-control of Crouch Jr. is omitted entirely, as is his mistreatment and dismissal of Winky as she was not included in the films. In addition, his body is found by Harry in the woods near the Hogwarts grounds, rather than buried by Crouch Jr.
John Dawlish
[edit]John Dawlish is an Auror. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dawlish accompanies Fudge to Hogwarts to confront Harry about the secret Dumbledore's Army meetings. A few weeks later, Dawlish is among the wizards who attempt to arrest Hagrid when Umbridge sacks the gamekeeper.
Dawlish's first name is not revealed in the books or films. However, Rowling said in an interview with the podcast "PotterCast" that she named him John, owing to host John Noe's appreciation of the character.[13]
Dawlish is portrayed by Richard Leaf in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Cornelius Fudge
[edit]Cornelius Fudge is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the Minister for Magic of the United Kingdom. He makes his first appearance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when he arrives at the school to take Hagrid to Azkaban, even though he does not firmly believe that Hagrid is guilty. He also removes Dumbledore as Headmaster when pressured by Lucius Malfoy who insisted that all the school governors had voted on it.
His kindly relationship to Harry abruptly changes in Goblet of Fire. When Harry emerges from the Triwizard Tournament's third task after having seen the rebirth of Voldemort, Fudge refuses to believe it. He is worried about the fallout of announcing Voldemort's return, marking the end of the Wizarding world's years of peace, and the sudden outbreak of gloom and terror; hence he decides to merely ignore all of the evidence rather than accept the truth. J. K. Rowling has since stated that Fudge's behaviour mirrors that of Neville Chamberlain in the lead-up to World War II.[14]
In Order of the Phoenix, Fudge orchestrates a vicious smear campaign through the Daily Prophet to present Dumbledore as a senile old fool and Harry as an unstable, attention-seeking liar. He also passes a law allowing him to place Dolores Umbridge, his Senior Undersecretary, as a teacher at Hogwarts. He then appoints Umbridge as Hogwarts' "High Inquisitor", with the power to inspect and sack teachers, and ultimately Dumbledore's successor as Headmaster, which gives her primary control of how Hogwarts is managed. Fudge is concerned that Dumbledore is a threat to his power and that he is planning to train the Hogwarts students to overthrow the Ministry.
After Voldemort appears in the Ministry of Magic at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Fudge finally admits that Voldemort has returned. He is ousted by the wizarding community for his failure to announce the return of Voldemort immediately after the Triwizard Competition; for discrediting Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore; and for installing Dolores Umbridge as Headmistress of Hogwarts. He is replaced by Rufus Scrimgeour.
Fudge is portrayed by Robert Hardy in the film series.[15]
Bertha Jorkins
[edit]Bertha Jorkins was a student at Hogwarts at the same time as James Potter. She became a Ministry of Magic employee after leaving Hogwarts. In the summer before the events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, she was killed by Voldemort. Rowling later revealed that her death was used to turn Nagini, Voldemort's snake, into a Horcrux.
Rufus Scrimgeour
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/88/Rufus-scrimgeour-Minister-of-Magic.webp/274px-Rufus-scrimgeour-Minister-of-Magic.webp.png)
Rufus Scrimgeour serves as the Minister for Magic of the United Kingdom from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until his death in the following book, succeeding Cornelius Fudge.
Scrimgeour was more concerned about the Ministry's reputation than seeing the danger the Death Eaters and Voldemort posed to the wizarding world. He tried to make it look like the Ministry was making progress by covering up breakouts from Azkaban and arresting random suspects like Stan Shunpike. He also sought to raise the wizarding population's morale by asking Harry, who has been labelled as the "Chosen One", to be seen visiting the Ministry, so that the public would believe that Harry supports the Ministry's actions against Voldemort. This becomes a source of contention between the Minister and Dumbledore, who does not support this idea. Harry also rejects that role, primarily because of his own antagonistic history with the Ministry and because of the Ministry's treatment of Dumbledore and innocents like Stan Shunpike.[16]
Scrimgeour makes a short appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at The Burrow as executor of Dumbledore's will. He is assassinated shortly after the visit, when the Death Eaters take over the Ministry.
Scrimgeour is portrayed by Bill Nighy in the film Deathly Hallows – Part 1.[17]
Pius Thicknesse
[edit]Pius Thicknesse is first introduced in Deathly Hallows. He is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the start of the book, when he is placed under the Imperius Curse by Corban Yaxley, who uses his position to infiltrate the senior ranks of the Ministry. After the coup in which Scrimgeour is killed, the Ministry comes under the de facto control of Voldemort, who appoints Thicknesse as his puppet Minister. Thicknesse joins the ranks of the Death Eaters for the rest of the book and fights with them at the Battle of Hogwarts. Following the battle, the Imperius Curse that was placed upon him is broken. Kingsley Shacklebolt replaces him as interim (later permanent) Minister for Magic.
Thicknesse is portrayed by Guy Henry in the films Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2, in which he is depicted as a Death Eater even before Scrimgeour's death. In Part 2, Thicknesse is killed by Voldemort.
Dolores Umbridge
[edit]Dolores Jane Umbridge was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher during Harry Potter's fifth year, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, and the main antagonist in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. She is a short, squat woman described as resembling a large pale toad, with "short, curly, mouse-brown hair". She speaks with a quiet, childish, high-pitched voice, and loves kittens, chocolate cakes, biscuits and tea.
Percy Weasley
[edit]Percy Ignatius Weasley is the third son of Arthur and Molly Weasley. He is a stickler for rules. When readers first meet Percy in Philosopher's Stone, he is a Gryffindor prefect, and in Prisoner of Azkaban, he becomes Head Boy. In Chamber of Secrets, Percy has a girlfriend – Ravenclaw prefect Penelope Clearwater. Academically a high-performing student, Percy received twelve OWLs and twelve NEWTs. When he finished school, this academic distinction plus his having served as Head Boy secured him a job in the Ministry in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. His immediate supervisor is Barty Crouch Sr.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Percy is promoted to Junior Assistant to Minister Fudge. Since this is an unusually high-ranking position for someone of Percy's age to hold, Arthur suspects that Percy's promotion was not earned but instead given to him to allow the Ministry to better manipulate the Weasleys. Outraged and hurt by the suggestion, Percy violently argues with Arthur, resulting in Percy's subsequent alienation from his family.
In the climax of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Percy returns to his family and eventually duels new Minister for Magic and Voldemort puppet Pius Thicknesse in the Battle of Hogwarts. Percy is portrayed by Chris Rankin in the film series.
Others
[edit]Character | Background |
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Broderick Bode | A worker in the Department of Mysteries. He is placed under the Imperius Curse by Lucius Malfoy, who sought to obtain the prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort. He was later strangled by a potted Devil's Snare plant at Christmas to prevent him from revealing any information about the Death Eaters' plot. |
Amelia Bones | Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Aunt of Susan Bones and sister of Edgar Bones. She was murdered before the events of Half-Blood Prince. She is portrayed by Sian Thomas in the film adaptation. |
Reginald Cattermole | Works in magical maintenance at the Ministry. Husband of Mary Cattermole. In Deathly Hallows, Ron Weasley impersonates him using Polyjuice Potion in order to infiltrate the Ministry and steal Slytherin's locket. Reginald is portrayed by Steffan Rhodri in the film adaptation of Deathly Hallows. |
Dirk Cresswell | Muggle-born Head of the Goblin Liaison Office. Sent to Azkaban for falsifiying his family tree. Escapes from Azkaban, but is killed by Snatchers. |
Amos Diggory | Father of Cedric Diggory. Works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Portrayed by Jeff Rawle in the film adaptation of Goblet of Fire. |
Madam Edgecombe | Works in the Floo Network office of the Department of Magical Transportation. Helps Dolores Umbridge police Hogwarts fireplaces. Mother of Marietta Edgecombe. |
Mafalda Hopkirk | Works in the Improper Use of Magic Office. Hermione impersonates her using Polyjuice Potion to infiltrate the Ministry and steal Slytherin's locket. Hopkirk is voiced by Jessica Stevenson in the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, and is portrayed by Sophie Thompson in Deathly Hallows – Part 1. |
Griselda Marchbanks | Works for the Wizarding Examinations Authority and served on the Wizengamot. |
Bob Ogden | Magical Law Enforcer and Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad before his death. |
Tiberius Ogden | A member of the Wizengamot until he resigns to show solidarity with Albus Dumbledore. |
Perkins | A friend of Arthur Weasley. |
Albert Runcorn | Harry uses some of his hair to impersonate him to enter into the Ministry to steal Slytherin's locket. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, he is played by David O'Hara. |
Newt Scamander | A retired Ministry official who worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He is the author of the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he is played by Eddie Redmayne. |
Wilkie Twycross | A Ministry teacher who teaches sixth year students how to apparate. |
Reception
[edit]In connection with her portrayal of the bureaucratised Ministry of Magic and the oppressive measures taken by the Ministry in the later books (like making attendance to Hogwarts compulsory and the "registration of Muggle-borns" with the Ministry), Rowling has been asked whether there is a parallel with Nazism. She replied that "It wasn't really exclusively that. I think you can see in the Ministry even before it's taken over, there are parallels to regimes we all know and love."[18] Jennifer Barnett of People's Weekly World stated that the reader is drawn "into the politics of the wizarding world—the 'Educational Decrees' from the toad-like Ministry of Magic representative, the high-level connections of 'war criminals' from the last rise of Voldemort, the prejudice against 'mudbloods' and 'half-breeds,'" and suggested connections "to the world we live in, to the similarities and differences between the Fudge administration and the Bush administration."[19] Julia Turner of Slate Magazine also interpreted Rowling's depiction of the ministration as criticism of the Bush and Blair administrations, suggesting the Ministry's security pamphlet recalls the Operation TIPS (Terrorism Information and Prevention System).[20] University of Tennessee law professor Benjamin Barton notes what he considers to be libertarian aspects of Harry Potter in his paper "Harry Potter and the Half-Crazed Bureaucracy", published in the Michigan Law Review, stating that "Rowling's scathing portrait of government is surprisingly strident and effective. This is partly because her critique works on so many levels: the functions of government, the structure of government, and the bureaucrats who run the show. All three elements work together to depict a Ministry of Magic run by self-interested bureaucrats bent on increasing and protecting their power, often to the detriment of the public at large. In other words, Rowling creates a public-interest scholar's dream—or nightmare—government."[2]
In popular culture
[edit]One of the most influential wizard rock bands is named Ministry of Magic after the government structure in the series. Ministry of Magic has made numerous performances, amongst the most notable of them taking place in Wrockstock.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Rowling, J. K. (2005). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
- ^ a b Barton, Benjamin H. (2006). "Harry Potter and the Half-Crazed Bureaucracy" (PDF). Michigan Law Review. 104. Social Science Research Network. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ a b Rowling, J. K. (2001). Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0613325419.
- ^ "Ministers for Magic". Pottermore. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ Rowling, J. K. (2003). "Luna Lovegood". Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747551006.
- ^ a b c d e Rowling, J. K. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Bloomsbury. ISBN 074754624X.
- ^ a b c d Rowling, J. K. (2003). Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747551006.
- ^ a b c Rowling, J. K. (2007). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Bloomsbury. ISBN 1551929767.
- ^ Brown, Jen (26 July 2007). "Exclusive: Finished 'Potter'? Rowling tells what happens next". Today.NBC "As for his occupation, Harry, along with Ron, is working at the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. After all these years, Harry is now the department head."
- ^ Rowling, J. K. (1998). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747538492.
- ^ Rowling, J. K. (1999). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747542155.
- ^ "Online Chat Transcript". Bloomsbury Publishing. 31 July 2007. Archived from the original on 6 January 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2007.
- ^ Anelli, Melissa, John Noe, Sue Upton (18 December 2007). "PotterCast 130: The One with J. K. Rowling" (Podcast). PotterCast. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
{{cite podcast}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "J. K. Rowling Discusses Inspiration for Minister for Magic and More in New Interview", The Leaky Cauldron, 4 February 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
- ^ "Robert Hardy, Stage Veteran and 'Harry Potter' Actor, Dies at 91". The Hollywood Reporter. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; 2005; Chapter 16; Pages 345–347 (American edition).
- ^ "Bill Nighy to star in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". Newsround. United Kingdom: CBBC. 6 July 2009. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ J. K. Rowling at Carnegie Hall Reveals Dumbledore is Gay; Neville Marries Hannah Abbott, and Much More
- ^ Barnett, Jennifer (10 July 2003). "Harry Potter and the irresistible read" Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. People's Weekly World
- ^ Turner, Julia (20 July 2005). "When Harry Met Osama; Terrorism comes to Hogwarts" Archived 26 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Slate Magazine