Fall of the Ministry of Magic

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

- Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus warning those at the Burrow

The Fall of the Ministry of Magic refers to Lord Voldemort's take over of the Ministry of Magic on August 1, 1997, during the height of the Second Wizarding War. It was preceded by the Death Eaters using the Imperius Curse to gain servants high up in the Ministry, including Pius Thicknesse, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. They eventually managed to get enough people in place to assassinate Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, and to install Thicknesse in his place as Voldemort's puppet. Over the course of the next year, the Ministry carried out many atrocities in line with Death Eater ideology, notably creating the Muggle-Born Registration Commission in order to imprison innocent Muggle-borns in Azkaban. After the Battle of Hogwarts resulted in Voldemort's defeat and the end of the war, the Ministry was taken back and reformed.

Background
Over a year since the declaration of open warfare, the situation in the wizarding world was not very good. There were continued deaths all over the country, and Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters were getting stronger by the day. In the summer of 1997, Voldemort and his followers plotted to overthrow the Ministry of Magic. To this end, there was a break-out of Death Eaters from Azkaban, which the Ministry decided to keep quiet in order not to spread panic. Voldemort set up his headquarters at Malfoy Manor and had his servants use the Imperius Curse to gain servants in high places within the Ministry. By July, Yaxley had managed to place Pius Thicknesse, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, under the Imperius Curse. Because Thicknesse had regular contact with Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour and with the heads of other Ministry departments, he was useful in subjugating the others.

The Death Eaters also made use of their growing control of the Ministry to monitor if Harry Potter used the Floo Network or attempted to Apparate. This forced the Order of the Phoenix to transport him away from his relatives' home by flight. When they were ambushed by Death Eaters, a battle ensued.

Coup
On August 1, the Death Eaters put their plan into action. Rufus Scrimgeour was interrogated for information about the whereabouts of Harry Potter, but refused to give in, and was killed. Thicknesse was installed in his place as Voldemort's puppet. The coup was described as "swift and quiet", and many members of the public were unaware of the take-over.

Using the power of the Ministry, the Death Eaters managed to take down the protections the Order had placed around its new headquarters, the Burrow, and its safehouses. Death Eaters arrived at the Burrow during the wedding reception of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, but Kingsley Shacklebolt had managed to send warning using his Patronus. Some guests escaped, including Harry, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Those who remained were interrogated and roughed up, but no one was killed. Others connected to the Order, such as Ted and Andromeda Tonks, were also tortured for information about Harry, but left alive.

Various Death Eaters were given high-ranking positions in the Ministry, including Travers and Selwyn, and Yaxley became the new head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Taboo curse was placed upon Voldemort's name almost immediately, as a method of tracking enemies and spreading fear. Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle nearly captured Harry, Ron and Hermione this way after tracking them to Tottenham Court Road. Harry Potter was declared Public Enemy Number One, with a reward on his head, and anyone with known connections to him was placed under surveillance, such as Arthur Weasley.

Aftermath
"Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when wizards reproduce. Where no proven wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force. The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission."

- Daily Prophet article in August of 1997

The Ministry under Voldemort made a great many sweeping changes in line with Death Eater ideology. It was claimed by the Daily Prophet and by Ministry-printed propaganda, that magic could only be inherited, meaning that Muggle-borns must have stolen it from "real" wizards and witches. The Ministry used this excuse to force Muggle-borns to register with the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, which convicted them of theft and sentenced them to Azkaban. Attendance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry became mandatory and blood status had to be proven for all students, enabling the Death Eaters to weed out Muggle-born children.

Severus Snape was appointed the new headmaster of Hogwarts and Death Eaters Amycus and Alecto Carrow were made the new professors of Defence Against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies, respectively. The former essentially became the Dark Arts, and the latter nothing but hateful propaganda against Muggles and Muggle-borns. Under these circumstances, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood restarted Dumbledore's Army to defy the professors.

The Order of the Phoenix continued to lead an underground resistance effort, broadcasting messages of truth and hope through Potterwatch and protecting Muggles.