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{{CursedChildSpoiler}}
  
 
{{Youmay|the department in the [[British Ministry of Magic]]|the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement (MACUSA)|department in MACUSA]] of the same name}}
  
{{Youmay|the department in the [[British Ministry of Magic]]|the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement (MACUSA)|department in MACUSA]] of the same name}}
 
{{Organisation infobox
  
{{Organisation infobox
 
|bgcolor1=9966CC
  
|bgcolor1=9966CC
 
|bgcolor2=C9A0DC
  
|bgcolor2=C9A0DC
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|image=[[File:DMLE clear.png|250px]]
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|image=[[File:Department of Magical Law Enforcement logo.png|250px]]
 
|name=Department of Magical Law Enforcement
  
|name=Department of Magical Law Enforcement
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|founder=[[Ulick Gamp]]<ref name="PMministers">{{PM|ministers-for-magic}}</ref>
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|founder=[[Ulick Gamp]]<ref name="PMministers">{{WW|ministers-for-magic}}</ref>
 
|founded=Between [[1707]] – [[1718]]<ref name="PMministers"/>
  
|founded=Between [[1707]] – [[1718]]<ref name="PMministers"/>
 
|dissolved=
  
|dissolved=
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*Head of the Department
  
*Head of the Department
 
**[[Justus Pilliwickle]]
  
**[[Justus Pilliwickle]]
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**[[Torquil Travers]] (at least 1927)
 
**[[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Bartemius Crouch Snr]] (19??-1981)
  
**[[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Bartemius Crouch Snr]] (19??-1981)
 
**[[Amelia Bones]] (1981-1996)
  
**[[Amelia Bones]] (1981-1996)
 
**[[Pius Thicknesse]] (1996-1997)
  
**[[Pius Thicknesse]] (1996-1997)
 
**[[Corban Yaxley]] (1997-1998)
  
**[[Corban Yaxley]] (1997-1998)
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**[[Harry Potter]]<ref>{{CC}}</ref>
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**[[Harry Potter]]<ref>{{CC}}</ref> (2019-20??)
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|headquarters=Level 2, [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], [[Whitehall]], [[London]], [[England]]
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|headquarters=Level 2, [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], [[Whitehall]], [[London]], [[England]], [[Great Britain]]
 
|intentions=Policing and justice services for wizarding Britain
  
|intentions=Policing and justice services for wizarding Britain
 
|affiliation=[[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]
  
|affiliation=[[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]
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|enemies=*[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
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|enemies=*[[Gellert Grindelwald]]
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**[[Gellert Grindelwald's army]]
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*[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
**[[Death Eaters]]
  
**[[Death Eaters]]
 
*[[Order of the Phoenix]] (when Voldemort controlled the Ministry)
  
*[[Order of the Phoenix]] (when Voldemort controlled the Ministry)
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{{Quote|Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services.|Description of [[Auror]] headquarters|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows }}
  
{{Quote|Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services.|Description of [[Auror]] headquarters|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows }}
   
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The '''Department of Magical Law Enforcement''' is the largest department at the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]. Arguably the most important of the various departments, it is a combination of police and justice facilities. It is roughly the equivalent to the [[Wikipedia:Home Office|Home Office]] of [[Muggle]] Britain and all other departments are answerable to this one, with the exception of the [[Department of Mysteries]].<ref>{{FB|R}}</ref>
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The '''Department of Magical Law Enforcement''' is the largest department at the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], and roughly the equivalent to the [[Wikipedia:Home Office|Home Office]] of [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] Britain and all other departments are answerable to this one, with the exception of the [[Department of Mysteries]].<ref>{{FB|R}}</ref>
   
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Since at least [[2019]], former Head [[Auror]] [[Harry Potter]] led the department.
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Since at least [[2019]], former Head [[Auror]] [[Harry Potter]] led the department. It is unknown who preceded Harry.
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== Function ==
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==Function==
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The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has many different subdivisions and therefore many various functions, but its main function is upholding wizarding law.
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The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the biggest and arguably the most important of the various departments in the [[Ministry of Magic]], functioning as a combination of police and justice facilities. As such, it has many different subdivisions through which it works to uphold wizarding laws.
   
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Being the department that upholds the laws of Britain's wizarding community, all other departments, aside from the secretive Department of Mysteries, are answerable to it. Because of this, the influence and authority carried by the Head of this department can be very high. Former Head [[Bartemius Crouch Senior]] utilised his powers to permit the usage of the [[Unforgivable Curses]] against the enemies, among other law changes that seem atrocious under times of peace. Crouch Senior was incredibly popular that he was slated to become the next Minister for Magic.
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Once a witch or wizard enters the magical community they must abide by the preexisting laws that are already in place. These laws keep the peace and prevent anarchy, it also gives citizens a higher authority to refer too. Consequently, elaborate and complex legal systems have been developed, aimed at maintaining order and disincentivising antisocial behaviours. Also there are many striking parallels between the [[Muggle]] and wizarding legal frameworks, but there are just as many differences.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
   
  +
Former head [[Pius Thicknesse]] had a large network of connections with the heads of the other Departments, which the Death Eaters took advantage of when they worked to subjugate him. Thus enabling them to easily spread their [[Imperius Curse]] into the majority of the bureaucracy.
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[[Aurors]], [[Magical Law Enforcement Squad]], and [[Hit Wizard|Hit Witches and Wizards]] are all apart of the government body.
  
   
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== Office location ==
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==Office location==
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Level Two of the Ministry of Magic houses the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Once the personnel and/or guests step out of the lift, they find themselves in a corridor lined with doors on both sides, around the corner of which there are a set of heavy oak doors leading into the [[Auror Department|Auror Headquarters]]: a large open area divided into small cubicles, one for each [[Auror]].
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Level Two of the Ministry of Magic houses the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Once the personnel and/or guests step out of the lift, they find themselves in a corridor lined with doors on both sides, around the corner of which there are a set of heavy oak doors leading into the [[Auror Office|Auror Headquarters]]: a large open area divided into small cubicles, one for each [[Auror]].
   
 
A second set of double doors and another passage lead to a dimly lit and distinctly shabby corridor. A broom cupboard sits at the left end of the corridors, and the right side has the [[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]]: a room of almost the same size as the cupboard with two desks and overflowing filing cabinets crammed inside.
  
A second set of double doors and another passage lead to a dimly lit and distinctly shabby corridor. A broom cupboard sits at the left end of the corridors, and the right side has the [[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]]: a room of almost the same size as the cupboard with two desks and overflowing filing cabinets crammed inside.
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[[Justus Pilliwickle]] worked for the Ministry of Magic in the 19th century. He was a celebrated Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. His work in the department earned him is own Chocolate Frog Card.
  
[[Justus Pilliwickle]] worked for the Ministry of Magic in the 19th century. He was a celebrated Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. His work in the department earned him is own Chocolate Frog Card.
   
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In the 1970s [[Barty Crouch Sr]] was a former Head of the department, famous for aggressively prosecuting [[Dark Wizards]] in the days of [[Voldemort]] 's rise to power. His fervor led him to authorize methods almost as bad as those of the Death Eaters they were hunting; he allowed the [[Aurors ]] to use the [[Unforgivable Curses]], and imprisoned people like [[Sirius Black]] in [[Azkaban ]]without a trial. Crouch was much admired at the time, but fell from grace around 1982 after he sentenced his own son to Azkaban for being a [[Death Eater]]. He was later murdered by his son in 1995.
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In the 1970s [[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Barty Crouch Snr]] was a former Head of the department, famous for aggressively prosecuting [[Dark Wizard]]s in the days of [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s rise to power. His fervour led him to authorise methods almost as bad as those of the Death Eaters they were hunting; he allowed the [[Auror]]s to use the [[Unforgivable Curses]], and imprisoned people like [[Sirius Black]] in [[Azkaban]] without a trial. Crouch was much admired at the time, but fell from grace around 1982 after he sentenced his own son to Azkaban for being a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]]. After losing out the position as [[Minister for Magic]] to [[Cornelius Fudge]], Barty was demoted to being the Head of the [[Department of International Magical Cooperation]]. He was later murdered by his son in 1995.
   
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[[File:CouncilOfMagicalLawPottermore1.png|thumb|left|250px|The four culprits tried before the [[Council of Magical Law]]]]
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[[File:B4C30M1 Wizengamot trial Pensieve memory.png|250px|thumb|left|The four culprits tried before the [[Council of Magical Law]]]]
   
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The 1980s trail in which Crouch sentenced his son to Azkaban was a notoriously famous. It was governed by the Council of Magical Law. Four culprits were brought before the council: [[Bartemius Crouch Jr]], [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], [[Rabastan Lestrange|Rabastan&nbsp;Lestrange]], and [[Rodolphus Lestrange]]. The offence was described as so heinous, that such a crime was rarely heard of in court. It was for the capture and torture of [[Aurors]] [[Frank]] and [[Alice Longbottom]]. The Longbottoms were heavily tortured by all four Death Eaters by the means of the [[Cruciatus Curse]], eventually their minds snapped from the strain and they became permentally insane. During the court proceedings the crowd roared savage pleasure when Crouch announced that he planned to send the Death Eaters to Azkaban for life, and the sentence was given without question.
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The 1980s trial in which Crouch sentenced his son to Azkaban was notoriously famous. It was governed by the Council of Magical Law. Four culprits were brought before the council: [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Bartemius Crouch Jr]], [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], [[Rabastan Lestrange|Rabastan&nbsp;Lestrange]], and [[Rodolphus Lestrange]]. The offence was described as so heinous that such a crime was rarely heard of in court. It was for the capture and torture of [[Auror]]s [[Frank]] and [[Alice Longbottom]]. The Longbottoms were heavily tortured by all four Death Eaters by the means of the [[Cruciatus Curse]], eventually their minds snapping from the strain and they became permanently insane. During the court proceedings the crowd roared in savage pleasure when Crouch proposed that they send the Death Eaters to Azkaban for life, and the sentence was passed without question.
   
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[[File:The_Hearing.png|thumb|250px|Harry Potter's disciplinary hearing]]
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[[File:The_Hearing.png|250px|thumb|Harry Potter's disciplinary hearing]]
   
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[[Amelia Bones]] was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in 1995 and presided over the [[Wizengamot]]. Amelia was murdered “nastily” by Death Eaters in the first weeks of the [[Second Wizarding War]], it was speculated that she was murdered by [[Voldemort]] himself. Amelia was described as being a fair individual. Also despite Amelia's fair nature the department did hold bias within it, this was due to Minister Fudge's vendetta against [[Harry Potter]]. On [[12 August]], 1995 a full criminal trial was held during Harry's disciplinary hearing, even though his infraction was a simple cause of [[underage magic]]. It turned out to be nothing but a show trial and merely a way for Fudge to further his agenda.
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[[Amelia Bones]] was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in 1995 and presided over the [[Wizengamot]]. Amelia was murdered “nastily” by Death Eaters in the first weeks of the [[Second Wizarding War]]; it was speculated that she was murdered by [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] himself. Amelia was described as being a fair individual. However despite Amelia's fair nature the department did hold bias within it-this was due to Minister Fudge's vendetta against [[Harry Potter]]. On [[12 August]], 1995 a full criminal trial was held during Harry's disciplinary hearing, even though his infraction was a simple cause of [[underage magic]]. It turned out to be nothing but a show trial and merely a way for Fudge to further his agenda, though the intervention of Dumbledore prevented his plan. About a year later, Amelia was murdered, suspected as by Voldemort personally.
   
 
After the [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic]] in 1997 [[Pius Thicknesse]] became the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He was under the [[Imperius Curse]] and was acting as a puppet for Voldemort, in order to do the Dark Lord's bidding. Under his reign many atrocities were committed, such as the formation of the [[Muggle-Born Registration Commission]] and the sentencing of numerous [[Muggle-borns]] to Azkaban.
  
After the [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic]] in 1997 [[Pius Thicknesse]] became the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He was under the [[Imperius Curse]] and was acting as a puppet for Voldemort, in order to do the Dark Lord's bidding. Under his reign many atrocities were committed, such as the formation of the [[Muggle-Born Registration Commission]] and the sentencing of numerous [[Muggle-borns]] to Azkaban.
   
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After the Second Wizarding War the corruption within the department and the rest of the Ministry was weeded out and it became an enjoyable place to work. [[Hermione Granger]] became a deputy Head in this department and help rid the wizarding community of the pro [[pure-blood]] laws that were in effect. [[Harry Potter]] and [[Ron Weasley]] joined the [[Auror Office]] at the age of 17 and helped reshuffle it. Harry became Head Auror at the age of 26 and by the summer of [[2020]] Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
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After the Second Wizarding War the corruption within the department and the rest of the Ministry was weeded out and it became an enjoyable place to work. [[Hermione Granger]] became a deputy Head in this department and helped rid the wizarding community of the pro-[[pure-blood]] laws that were in effect. [[Harry Potter]] and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] joined the [[Auror Department|Auror Office]] at the age of 17 and helped reshuffle it. Harry became Head Auror at the age of 26 and by the summer of [[2020]] Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
   
 
==Divisions==
  
==Divisions==
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====Auror Office====
  
====Auror Office====
  ⚫
{{Main|Auror Office}}An [[Auror]] is a highly trained specialist officer who investigate crimes involving the [[Dark Arts]] and apprehend [[Dark Wizard]]s. According to [[Minerva McGonagall]], the Auror Office takes in new recruits with a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s (with marks no lower than '[[Exceeds Expectations]]'). She suggests that [[Potions (class)|Potions]], [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]], [[Transfiguration]], [[Charm]]s, and [[Herbology]] are the most appropriate for someone who aspires to be admitted to the training programme. A potential recruit will also have to pass "''...a series of character and aptitude tests.''"
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{{Main|Auror Office}}
  
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⚫
An [[Auror]] is a highly trained specialist officer who investigate crimes involving the [[Dark Arts]] and apprehend [[Dark Wizard]]s. According to [[Minerva McGonagall]], the '''Auror Office''' takes in new recruits with a minimum of 5 N.E.W.T.s (with marks no lower than '[[Exceeds Expectations]]'). She suggests that [[Potions (class)|Potions]], [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]], [[Transfiguration]], [[Charm]]s, and [[Herbology]] are the most appropriate for someone who aspires to be admitted to the training programme. A potential recruit will also have to pass "''...a series of character and aptitude tests.''"
  
   
 
[[Nymphadora Tonks]] mentions that two of the programme's courses of study are "''Concealment and Disguise''" and "''Stealth and Tracking''" and that the training is hard to pass with high marks (a requirement). Aurors are the magical equivalents of Muggle counter-terrorism operatives and, during the [[First Wizarding War]], Aurors were authorised to use the [[Unforgivable Curses]] on suspected [[Death Eaters]]; specifically, they were given the licence to kill, coerce and torture them.
  
[[Nymphadora Tonks]] mentions that two of the programme's courses of study are "''Concealment and Disguise''" and "''Stealth and Tracking''" and that the training is hard to pass with high marks (a requirement). Aurors are the magical equivalents of Muggle counter-terrorism operatives and, during the [[First Wizarding War]], Aurors were authorised to use the [[Unforgivable Curses]] on suspected [[Death Eaters]]; specifically, they were given the licence to kill, coerce and torture them.
   
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Many of the Dark criminals first duel with the Aurors sent to arrest them before finally giving up their freedom. Aurors are also used to protect high-profile targets such as Harry, Hogwarts, and the [[Prime Minister|Muggle Prime Minister]].
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Many of the Dark criminals first duel with the Aurors sent to arrest them before surrendering, or even fight to the death. Aurors are also used to protect high-profile targets such as Harry, Hogwarts, and the [[Prime Minister|Muggle Prime Minister]].
   
 
====Improper Use of Magic Office====
  
====Improper Use of Magic Office====
  ⚫
{{Main|Improper Use of Magic Office}}This office, the [[Improper Use of Magic Office]], punishes violations of the [[International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy]]. This includes underage witches and wizards intentionally using [[magic]], which suggests that this office may be in charge of [[Trace|the Trace]]. This permits them to monitor the magic used by those under the age of seventeen. When a underage witch or wizard does magic in a [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] household the Ministry is immediately notified of the situation. However, if a underage wizard does magic within a magical home the department is not notified.
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{{Main|Improper Use of Magic Office}}
  
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This office, the [[Improper Use of Magic Office]], punishes violations of the [[International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy]]. This includes underage witches and wizards intentionally using [[magic]], which suggests that this office may be in charge of [[Trace|the Trace]], permitting them to monitor the magic used by those under the age of seventeen.
  
   
 
====Wizengamot Administration Services====
  
====Wizengamot Administration Services====
  ⚫
{{Main|Wizengamot Administration Services}}An office which undertakes administrative and clerical duties for the [[Wizengamot]]. Its function seems analogous to Muggle court registries. This would typically include maintenance of court documents, hearing dates, judges' schedules, and the administration of legal proceedings. In addiction to being like Muggle court registries they may also function as secretaries to the members of the Wizengamot.
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{{Main|Wizengamot Administration Services}}
  
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An office which undertakes administrative and clerical duties for the [[Wizengamot]]. Its function seem analogous to Muggle court registries; this would typically include maintenance of court documents, hearing dates, judges' schedules, and the administration of legal proceedings.
  
   
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===Other divisions===
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===Sub divisions===
   
 
====Administrative Registration Department====
  
====Administrative Registration Department====
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{{Main|Administrative Registration Department}}The Administrative Registration Department is responsible for the registration of the wizarding population. After the [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic]], the [[Muggle-Born Registration Commission]] was created under this department. It is also possible the [[Animagus Registry]] is found within this department. It is possible that once a witch or wizard has a child they must then register the baby as a member of the magical community of Great Britain through this department.
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{{Main|Administrative Registration Department}}
  
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The Administrative Registration Department is responsible for the registration of the wizarding population. After the [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic]], the [[Muggle-Born Registration Commission]] was created under this department. It is also possible the [[Animagus Registry]] is found within this department.
  
   
 
====Department of Intoxicating Substances====
  
====Department of Intoxicating Substances====
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{{Main|Department of Intoxicating Substances}}The [[Department of Intoxicating Substances]] is a sub-division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and is responsible for making regulations on the consumption of [[alcohol]]ic beverages. This included no alcohol being sold to underage witches and wizards. The department seems to be rather strict when it comes to underage alcohol sales, putting up notices that warn against it. It is unknown what the punishment is for serving alcohol to underage wizards.
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{{Main|Department of Intoxicating Substances}}
  
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The [[Department of Intoxicating Substances]] is a sub-division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and is responsible for making regulations on the consumption of [[alcohol]]ic beverages. This included no alcohol being sold to underage witches and wizards.
  
   
 
====Hit Wizards====
  
====Hit Wizards====
  ⚫
{{Main|Hit Wizard}}[[Hit Wizard]]s comprise a team of highly trained [[Wizardkind|wizards]] tasked with arresting dangerous criminals. The entry requirements include five [[Ordinary Wizarding Level|O.W.L.s]], one of which must be [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]]. Possibly the equivalent of a Muggle S.W.A.T. Team. Members have a personal bed reserved at [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]].<ref>[[The Daily Prophet (real-world)|Daily Prophet Newsletters]]</ref> In [[1993]], [[Cornelius Fudge]] suggested that only Hit Wizards should attempt to capture [[Sirius Black]], an [[Azkaban]] escapee then believed to be a highly dangerous criminal.
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{{Main|Hit Wizard}}
  
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[[Hit Wizard]]s comprise a team of highly trained [[Wizardkind|wizards]] tasked with arresting dangerous criminals. The entry requirements include five [[Ordinary Wizarding Level|O.W.L.s]], one of which must be [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]]. The equivalent of a Muggle S.W.A.T. Team. Members have a personal bed reserved at [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]].<ref>[[The Daily Prophet (real-world)|Daily Prophet Newsletters]]</ref> In [[1993]], [[Cornelius Fudge]] suggested that only Hit Wizards should attempt to capture [[Sirius Black]], an [[Azkaban]] escapee then believed to be a highly dangerous criminal.
  
   
 
====Investigation Department====
  
====Investigation Department====
  ⚫
{{Main|Investigation Department}}The [[Investigation Department]] was a subdivision of the [[Auror Department|Auror Office]]. It centred on investigation and tracking down [[Dark Wizard|dark wizards]]. This division also exists in [[Magical Congress of the United States of America|MACUSA]]'s Department of Magical Law Enforcement as well. This department most likely has a part to play in the tracking down of high-profile criminals. It is possible that this department was utilised when [[Sirius Black]] was on the run from the authorities.
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{{Main|Investigation Department}}
  
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The [[Investigation Department]] was a subdivision of the [[Auror Department|Auror Office]]. It centred on investigation and tracking down [[Dark Wizard|dark wizard]]s. This division also exists in [[MACUSA]]'s Department of Magical Law Enforcement as well.
  
   
 
====Magical Law Enforcement Patrol====
  
====Magical Law Enforcement Patrol====
  ⚫
{{Main|Magical Law Enforcement Patrol}}The [[Magical Law Enforcement Patrol]] (formerly the Magical Law Enforcement Squad) is tasked with general law enforcement, like with the Muggle police. In the [[1920s]] it was headed by [[Bob Ogden]], who led a team to [[Little Hangleton]] to arrest [[Marvolo Gaunt|Marvolo]] and [[Morfin Gaunt]] for crimes against both [[Non-magic people|Muggles]] and the Ministry, since the [[House of Gaunt]] had avoided previous attempts at arrest.
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{{Main|Magical Law Enforcement Patrol}}
  
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⚫
The [[Magical Law Enforcement Patrol]] (formerly the Magical Law Enforcement Squad) is tasked with general law enforcement, like with the Muggle police. In the [[1920s]] it was headed by [[Bob Ogden]], who led a team to [[Little Hangleton]] to arrest [[Marvolo Gaunt|Marvolo]] and [[Morfin Gaunt]] for crimes against both [[Muggle]]s and the Ministry, since the [[House of Gaunt]] had avoided previous attempts at arrest.
  
   
 
====Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers====
  
====Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers====
  ⚫
{{Main|Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers}}[[Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers]] are a special Ministry force that presumably is stationed at strategical places in search of fugitive criminals. This branch of the department was in charge of the [[1993]] manhunt for [[Sirius Black]]. It is also possible that they were in charge of tracking the escapees of the [[1996]] mass [[Azkaban]] breakout. Their procedures and practises of this department remain mostly unknown.
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{{Main|Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers}}
  
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[[Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers]] are a special Ministry force that presumably is stationed at strategical places in search of fugitive criminals. This branch of the department was in charge of the [[1993]] manhunt for [[Sirius Black]]. It is also possible that they were in charge of tracking the escapees of the [[1996]] mass [[Azkaban]] breakout.
  
   
 
====Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office====
  
====Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office====
  ⚫
{{Main|Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office}}This office regulates the use of magic on [[Non-magic people|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. It was headed by [[Arthur Weasley]] until his promotion in [[1996]]. It is implied that this office does not get sufficient funding, as there is only a few employees within the relatively small department. It also does not get lot of respect from fellow Ministry workers.
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{{Main|Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office}}
  
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⚫
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. It was headed by [[Arthur Weasley]] until his promotion in [[1996]].
  
   
 
====Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects====
  
====Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects====
  ⚫
{{Main|Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects}}This office was created in [[1996]] by [[Minister for Magic]], [[Rufus Scrimgeour]], in response to the growing threat of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and the rise of dangerous or dubious spells and products which claimed to provide protection against the [[Dark Arts]]. [[Arthur Weasley]] was promoted to head this operation. Its duties involved preventing the trade of fake and/or useless spells, potions and artefacts that appeared during the [[Second Wizarding War]]. It is unknown if this department is still in use after the war.
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{{Main|Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects}}
  
   
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==Personnel==
⚫
This office was created in [[1996]] by [[Minister for Magic]], [[Rufus Scrimgeour]], in response to the growing threat of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and the rise of dangerous or dubious spells and products which claimed to provide protection against the [[Dark Arts]]. [[Arthur Weasley]] was promoted to head this operation. Its duties involved preventing the trade of fake and/or useless spells, potions and artefacts that appeared during the [[Second Wizarding War]].
  
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{| class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
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|-
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== Law structure ==
  
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! scope="col" |Job
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Punishments meted out are comparable in severity to the crimes to which they refer, discretion plays a part.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> [[Harry Potter]] correctly thought he was in for serious punishment for swelling [[Marjorie Dursley]], yet was reassured by [[Cornelius Fudge]] that the powers-that-be "''don’t send people to [[Azkaban]] just for blowing up their aunts''".<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> This was of course only because Cornelius had an interest in Harry being free. By contrast, when [[Dolores Umbridge]] sought to neutralise the young wizard, she used her discretion to try and punish him most harshly and send him to prison.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  +
! scope="col" |Wizard(s)
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! scope="col" |Notes
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This application of discretion need not be sneaky, or even serve the greater good.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> For example, when [[Igor Karkaroff]] was in the frame for his crimes as a [[Death Eater]] he managed to reduce the severity of his sentence by volunteering the names of his associates.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> In Muggle legalese, this kind of legal activity is known as ‘plea-bargaining’.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
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|-
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  ⚫
| colspan="1" rowspan="7" |Heads of department
−
Curiously, while a witch or wizard on trial at the [[Wizengamot]] can nominate a third party to represent them, there do not appear to be lawyers in the Muggle sense, just a panel who vote in a simple majority (as seen when [[Ludo Bagman]] was acquitted by the court by virtue of his status as a popular [[Quidditch]] hero).<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> Perhaps the law isn’t seen as a particularly desirable career choice, as [[Hermione Granger]] acidly observed when asked by [[Rufus Scrimgeour]] if she sought a career in Magical Law.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  ⚫
|[[Justus Pilliwickle]]
−  
  ⚫
|Former department head; one of the most notable on the post
−
=== Crimes ===
  
  +
|-
−
Any young witch or wizard that tries to perform spells at home before the age of 17 will run afoul of the [[Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery]] (1875).<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> The intention of this statute was presumably two-fold: to keep potentially dangerous or hazardous [[magic]] out of inexperienced hands prior to their proper education (policed by a [[Trace]] detection spell which automatically expires when the young witch or wizard turns 17), and also to prevent [[Muggles]] coming into contact with magic, as per the [[International Statute of Secrecy]] (1692).<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  +
|[[Torquil Travers]]
−  
  +
|Former department head, served during the 1920s
−
Although in the wizarding world, a lot of accidental underage magic tends to just result in a slapped wrist.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> [[Harry Potter]] received a mere letter for his early transgressions.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  +
|-
−  
  +
|[[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Barty Crouch Snr]]
−
In the field of animal law: [[Aberforth Dumbledore]]’s brush with the law for "''using inappropriate charms on a goat''" needs little elaboration. It is interesting to note stringent controls on the trade of [[dragon]] eggs, the creating of [[Basilisks]], ‘experimental breeding’ in general and a statute banning the poaching of the [[Ramora]] fish, a magical native of the Indian Ocean.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  ⚫
|Former department head, demoted to head of the [[Department of International Magical Cooperation]] after his [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|son]]'s exposure as a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] in [[1981]]
−  
  +
|-
−
Taken most seriously, in both legal jurisdictions, are laws which pertain to crimes against the person. The most obvious examples are those laws which refer to murder or grievous bodily harm.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> A wizarding defendant can expect the harshest sentences for the Darkest magic — the [[Unforgivable Curses]].<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  ⚫
|[[Amelia Bones]]
−  
  ⚫
|Former department head, murdered by [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] in the summer of [[1996]]
−
=== Punishment ===
  
  +
|-
−
Minor infractions are settled with fines — such as when [[Arthur Weasley]] was penalised 50 [[Galleons]] for ‘bewitching a Muggle car’.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> Custodial sentences are also doled out, but it probably goes without saying that [[Muggle]] jails are not fit to restrain wizarding kind — as demonstrated by mischievous witch [[Lisette de Lapin]], who broke out of a Parisian cell in [[1422]], much to the frustration of her would-be executioners.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> [[Azkaban]] is a highest-security prison (bringing even the doughty [[Rubeus Hagrid]] to tears), especially when patrolled by the soul-sucking [[Dementors]].<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  ⚫
|[[Pius Thicknesse]]
−  
  ⚫
|Former department head, [[Imperius Curse|subjugated]] by Yaxley and promoted to [[Minister for Magic]]
−
For another example of archaic punishment, it’s worth looking across the pond.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> In 1920s New York, [[Porpentina Goldstein]] was suspended in a chair above the [[death potion]], a method of execution hideously reminiscent of the medieval Muggle use of the cucking stool to dunk those accused of crimes in the water, sometimes until they drowned.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  +
|-
−  
  ⚫
|[[Corban Yaxley]]
−
=== Miscarriages of justice ===
  
  ⚫
|Former department head, during the [[Death Eaters]]' control of the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]
−
While the legal system performs a vital function maintaining order, the wizarding world seems rather prone to mistakes and iffy outcomes.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> Sometimes this is a result of an unfairly weighted system, as when [[Buckbeak]] was sentenced to death for scratching a member of the politically influential Malfoy family.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> Also consider when [[Sirius Black]] was dispatched to [[Azkaban]] for [[Peter Pettigrew]]’s crime, though he was later exonerated.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  +
|-
−  
  ⚫
|[[Harry Potter]]
−
It’s worth taking heart from the idea that the law, while imperfect, is flexible.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref> Even rule sticklers, like [[Percy Weasley]] saw room for improvement in the system, and Hermione’s tireless championing of [[house-elf]] rights reflected a noble tradition of fighting for justice.<ref>''[[Pottermore]]''</ref>
  
  ⚫
|Harry was head of the department from at least [[2019]]<ref>{{CC}}</ref>
−  
  +
|-
−
==Known personnel==
  
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="13" |[[Auror]]s
⚫
===Heads of department===
  
  ⚫
|[[Rufus Scrimgeour]]
−
<gallery widths="105" position="center" orientation="portrait" spacing="small">
  
  ⚫
|Former Head of the Auror Office; promoted to [[Minister for Magic]] in [[1996]]
⚫
Justus Pilliwickle.jpg|[[Justus Pilliwickle]]
  
  +
|-
−
Roger Lloyd Pack as Barty Crouch Sr. (GoF-promo-02).jpg|[[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Bartemius Crouch Snr]]
  
  ⚫
|[[Frank Longbottom]]
⚫
Ameliabones.jpg|[[Amelia Bones]]
  
  ⚫
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Former Auror; permanently incapacitated by means of the Cruciatus Curse in [[1981]] or [[1982]]
⚫
Pius Thicknesse.png|[[Pius Thicknesse]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
Yaxleyprofile.jpg|[[Corban Yaxley]]
  
  ⚫
|[[Alice Longbottom]]
⚫
HP 19753 Harry FL.jpg|[[Harry Potter]]
  
  +
|-
−
</gallery>
  
  ⚫
|[[John Dawlish]]
−  
  +
|
⚫
*[[Justus Pilliwickle]]: former department head; one of the most notable on the post
  
  +
|-
⚫
* [[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Barty Crouch Snr]]: former department head, demoted to head of the [[Department of International Magical Cooperation]] after his [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|son]]'s exposure as a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] in [[1981]]
  
  +
|[[Alastor Moody]]
⚫
* [[Amelia Bones]]: former department head, killed by [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] in the summer of [[1996]]
  
  ⚫
|Retired by 1994 and murdered by Death Eaters in [[1997]]
⚫
* [[Pius Thicknesse]]: former department head, [[Imperius Curse|subjugated]] by Yaxley and promoted to [[Minister for Magic]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
* [[Corban Yaxley]]: former department head, during the [[Death Eaters]]' control of the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]
  
  +
|[[Gawain Robards]]
⚫
* [[Harry Potter]]: Harry was head of the department from at least [[2019]]<ref>{{CC}}</ref>
  
  ⚫
|Head of the Auror Office following Scrimgeour's promotion in 1996
−  
  +
|-
−
===Aurors===
  
  ⚫
|[[Proudfoot]]
−
<gallery widths="105" position="center" orientation="portrait" spacing="small">
  
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |
⚫
Frank1.jpg|[[Frank Longbottom]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
Alice1.jpg|[[Alice Longbottom]]
  
  ⚫
|[[Savage]]
⚫
Scrimhallows22.jpg|[[Rufus Scrimgeour]] †
  
  +
|-
−
Dawlishprofile.jpg|[[John Dawlish]]
 
  ⚫
|[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]
−
100px-Alastor Moody Profile.jpg|[[Alastor Moody]] †
  
  ⚫
|Promoted to [[Minister for Magic]] following Voldemort's defeat in [[1998]].
⚫
Kingsley7.jpg|[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]
  
  +
|-
−
Nymphadora Tonks Deathly Hallows promotional image.jpg|[[Nymphadora Tonks]] †
  
  +
|[[Nymphadora Tonks]]
−
PromoHP7 Harry Potter.jpg|[[Harry Potter]]
 
  ⚫
|Murdered during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] when she was defeated by [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] in 1998.
−
Ron-Weasley-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-movies-17179892-1919-2560.jpg|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
 
  +
|-
−
Neville-promo-pics-neville-longbottom-28261912-390-520.jpg|[[Neville Longbottom]]
  
  ⚫
|[[Williamson]]
−
</gallery>
  
  +
|
⚫
*[[Frank Longbottom]]: former Auror; permanently incapacitated by means of the Cruciatus Curse in [[1981]] or [[1982]]
  
  +
|-
−
*[[Alice Longbottom]]: former Auror; permanently incapacitated by means of the Cruciatus Curse in 1981 or 1982
  
  +
|[[Harry Potter]]
⚫
*[[Rufus Scrimgeour]]: former Head of the Auror Office; promoted to [[Minister for Magic]] in [[1996]]
  
  ⚫
|Former head of the [[Auror]] Office and later Head of Magical Law Enforcement by 2019.
⚫
*[[John Dawlish]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
*[[Alastor Moody]]: retired by 1994 and killed by Death Eaters in [[1997]]
  
  +
|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
⚫
*[[Gawain Robards]]: Head of the Auror Office following Scrimgeour's promotion in 1996
  
  ⚫
|Resigned from Auror Office and began working with his brother [[George Weasley]] at [[Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes]] in [[Diagon Alley]] in [[2000]].
⚫
*[[Proudfoot]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
*[[Savage]]
  
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="9" |Other personnel
⚫
*[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]: promoted to [[Minister for Magic]] following Voldemort's defeat in [[1998]].
  
  +
|[[Bob Ogden]]
⚫
*[[Nymphadora Tonks]]: died at the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] when she was defeated by [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] in 1998.
  
  ⚫
|Head of the [[Magical Law Enforcement Patrol|Magical Law Enforcement Squad]] in the 1920s
⚫
*[[Williamson]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
*[[Harry Potter]]: Former head of the [[Auror]] Office and later Head of Magical Law Enforcement by 2019.
  
  +
|[[Leta Lestrange]]
⚫
*[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]: Resigned from Auror Office and began working with his brother [[George Weasley]] at [[Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes]] in [[Diagon Alley]] in [[2000]].
  
  +
|Assistant to the Head of the Department in at least 1927.<ref>http://collider.com/fantastic-beasts-2-character-descriptions/#leta-lestrange</ref>
−  
  +
|-
−
===Other personnel===
  
  +
|[[Dolores Umbridge]]
−
<gallery widths="105" position="center" spacing="small" orientation="portrait">
  
  ⚫
|Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office sometime before [[1995]]; Imprisoned in [[Azkaban]] for her crimes against humanity after [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s defeat in 1998 which gave her a life sentence.
−
Dolores Umbridge Deathly Hallows promotional image.jpg|[[Dolores Umbridge]]
  
  +
|-
−
Minerva Mcgonagall answer 8 xlarge.jpeg|[[Minerva McGonagall]]
  
  +
|[[Elphinstone Urquart]]
⚫
Mafalda Hopkirk.PNG|[[Mafalda Hopkirk]]
  
  ⚫
|Senior officer of the department in the [[1950s]]; late husband of [[Minerva McGonagall]].
⚫
ARTHUR1.jpg|[[Arthur Weasley]]
  
  +
|-
⚫
HermioneGranger.jpg|[[Hermione Granger]]
  
  +
|[[Minerva McGonagall]]
−
</gallery>
  
  +
|From 1954 to 1956, became Transfiguration professor at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]].
⚫
* [[Bob Ogden]]: Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Office in the 1920s
  
  +
|-
⚫
* [[Dolores Umbridge]]: Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office sometime before [[1995]]; Imprisoned in [[Azkaban]] for her crimes against humanity after [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s defeat in 1998 which gave her a life sentence.
  
  ⚫
|[[Mafalda Hopkirk]]
⚫
* [[Elphinstone Urquart]]: senior officer of the department in the [[1950s]]; late husband of [[Minerva McGonagall]].
  
−
* [[Minerva McGonagall]]: from 1954 to 1956, became Transfiguration professor at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]].
 +
|Works in the [[Improper Use of Magic Office]] in the 1990s; responsible for sending letters to underage wizards who use magic outside of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]].
  +
|-
−
* [[Mafalda Hopkirk]]: works in the [[Improper Use of Magic Office]] in the 1990s; responsible for sending letters to underage wizards who use magic outside of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]].
  
  +
|[[Perkins]]
−
* [[Perkins]]: worker in the [[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]]
  
  ⚫
|Worker in the [[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]]
−
* [[Arthur Weasley]]: Head of the [[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]] under [[Cornelius Fudge]]; Head of the [[Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects]] under [[Rufus Scrimgeour]].
  
  +
|-
⚫
* [[Hermione Granger]]: After working with the [[Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures]], she eventually took a senior position in this department, reaching the level of Deputy Head of the Department by [[2014]]. Hermione went on to be [[Minister for Magic]] by 2019.
  
  ⚫
|[[Arthur Weasley]]
  ⚫
|Head of the [[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]] under [[Cornelius Fudge]]; Head of the [[Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects]] under [[Rufus Scrimgeour]].
  +
|-
  ⚫
|[[Hermione Granger]]
  ⚫
|After working with the [[Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures]], she eventually took a senior position in this department, reaching the level of Deputy Head of the Department by [[2014]]. Hermione went on to be [[Minister for Magic]] by 2019.
  +
|}
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
  
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
  
{{Reflist}}
−  
 
{{Ministry Level 2 employees}}
  
{{Ministry Level 2 employees}}
 
{{Ministry Departments}}
  
{{Ministry Departments}}
  +
[[de:Abteilung für Magische Strafverfolgung]]
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[[es:Departamento de Seguridad Mágica]]
  
[[es:Departamento de Seguridad Mágica]]
 
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[[de:Abteilung für Magische Strafverfolgung]]
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[[it:Ufficio Applicazione della Legge sulla Magia]]
  
[[it:Ufficio Applicazione della Legge sulla Magia]]
 
[[no:Avdelingen for magisk justis]]
  
[[no:Avdelingen for magisk justis]]
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[[de2:Abteilung für magische Strafverfolgung]]
 
[[Category:Department of Magical Law Enforcement]]
  
[[Category:Department of Magical Law Enforcement]]

Revision as of 14:19, 22 December 2019

"Point me!"
This article is about the department in the British Ministry of Magic. You may be looking for the department in MACUSA of the same name.

"Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."
— Description of Auror headquarters[src]

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the largest department at the Ministry of Magic, and roughly the equivalent to the Home Office of Muggle Britain and all other departments are answerable to this one, with the exception of the Department of Mysteries.[3]

Since at least 2019, former Head Auror Harry Potter led the department. It is unknown who preceded Harry.

Function

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the biggest and arguably the most important of the various departments in the Ministry of Magic, functioning as a combination of police and justice facilities. As such, it has many different subdivisions through which it works to uphold wizarding laws.

Being the department that upholds the laws of Britain's wizarding community, all other departments, aside from the secretive Department of Mysteries, are answerable to it. Because of this, the influence and authority carried by the Head of this department can be very high. Former Head Bartemius Crouch Senior utilised his powers to permit the usage of the Unforgivable Curses against the enemies, among other law changes that seem atrocious under times of peace. Crouch Senior was incredibly popular that he was slated to become the next Minister for Magic.

Former head Pius Thicknesse had a large network of connections with the heads of the other Departments, which the Death Eaters took advantage of when they worked to subjugate him. Thus enabling them to easily spread their Imperius Curse into the majority of the bureaucracy.

Office location

Level Two of the Ministry of Magic houses the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Once the personnel and/or guests step out of the lift, they find themselves in a corridor lined with doors on both sides, around the corner of which there are a set of heavy oak doors leading into the Auror Headquarters: a large open area divided into small cubicles, one for each Auror.

A second set of double doors and another passage lead to a dimly lit and distinctly shabby corridor. A broom cupboard sits at the left end of the corridors, and the right side has the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office: a room of almost the same size as the cupboard with two desks and overflowing filing cabinets crammed inside.

History

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was founded by the first Minister of Magic Ulick Gamp and it became his greatest legacy.

Justus Pilliwickle worked for the Ministry of Magic in the 19th century. He was a celebrated Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. His work in the department earned him is own Chocolate Frog Card.

In the 1970s Barty Crouch Snr was a former Head of the department, famous for aggressively prosecuting Dark Wizards in the days of Voldemort's rise to power. His fervour led him to authorise methods almost as bad as those of the Death Eaters they were hunting; he allowed the Aurors to use the Unforgivable Curses, and imprisoned people like Sirius Black in Azkaban without a trial. Crouch was much admired at the time, but fell from grace around 1982 after he sentenced his own son to Azkaban for being a Death Eater. After losing out the position as Minister for Magic to Cornelius Fudge, Barty was demoted to being the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He was later murdered by his son in 1995.

B4C30M1 Wizengamot trial Pensieve memory

The four culprits tried before the Council of Magical Law

The 1980s trial in which Crouch sentenced his son to Azkaban was notoriously famous. It was governed by the Council of Magical Law. Four culprits were brought before the council: Bartemius Crouch Jr, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and Rodolphus Lestrange. The offence was described as so heinous that such a crime was rarely heard of in court. It was for the capture and torture of Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom. The Longbottoms were heavily tortured by all four Death Eaters by the means of the Cruciatus Curse, eventually their minds snapping from the strain and they became permanently insane. During the court proceedings the crowd roared in savage pleasure when Crouch proposed that they send the Death Eaters to Azkaban for life, and the sentence was passed without question.

The Hearing

Harry Potter's disciplinary hearing

Amelia Bones was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in 1995 and presided over the Wizengamot. Amelia was murdered “nastily” by Death Eaters in the first weeks of the Second Wizarding War; it was speculated that she was murdered by Voldemort himself. Amelia was described as being a fair individual. However despite Amelia's fair nature the department did hold bias within it-this was due to Minister Fudge's vendetta against Harry Potter. On 12 August, 1995 a full criminal trial was held during Harry's disciplinary hearing, even though his infraction was a simple cause of underage magic. It turned out to be nothing but a show trial and merely a way for Fudge to further his agenda, though the intervention of Dumbledore prevented his plan. About a year later, Amelia was murdered, suspected as by Voldemort personally.

After the Fall of the Ministry of Magic in 1997 Pius Thicknesse became the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He was under the Imperius Curse and was acting as a puppet for Voldemort, in order to do the Dark Lord's bidding. Under his reign many atrocities were committed, such as the formation of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission and the sentencing of numerous Muggle-borns to Azkaban.

After the Second Wizarding War the corruption within the department and the rest of the Ministry was weeded out and it became an enjoyable place to work. Hermione Granger became a deputy Head in this department and helped rid the wizarding community of the pro-pure-blood laws that were in effect. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley joined the Auror Office at the age of 17 and helped reshuffle it. Harry became Head Auror at the age of 26 and by the summer of 2020 Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Divisions

Main divisions

Auror Office

Main article: Auror Office
An Auror is a highly trained specialist officer who investigate crimes involving the Dark Arts and apprehend Dark Wizards. According to Minerva McGonagall, the Auror Office takes in new recruits with a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s (with marks no lower than 'Exceeds Expectations'). She suggests that Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology are the most appropriate for someone who aspires to be admitted to the training programme. A potential recruit will also have to pass "...a series of character and aptitude tests."

Nymphadora Tonks mentions that two of the programme's courses of study are "Concealment and Disguise" and "Stealth and Tracking" and that the training is hard to pass with high marks (a requirement). Aurors are the magical equivalents of Muggle counter-terrorism operatives and, during the First Wizarding War, Aurors were authorised to use the Unforgivable Curses on suspected Death Eaters; specifically, they were given the licence to kill, coerce and torture them.

Many of the Dark criminals first duel with the Aurors sent to arrest them before surrendering, or even fight to the death. Aurors are also used to protect high-profile targets such as Harry, Hogwarts, and the Muggle Prime Minister.

Improper Use of Magic Office

Main article: Improper Use of Magic Office
This office, the Improper Use of Magic Office, punishes violations of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. This includes underage witches and wizards intentionally using magic, which suggests that this office may be in charge of the Trace. This permits them to monitor the magic used by those under the age of seventeen. When a underage witch or wizard does magic in a Muggle household the Ministry is immediately notified of the situation. However, if a underage wizard does magic within a magical home the department is not notified.

Wizengamot Administration Services

Main article: Wizengamot Administration Services
An office which undertakes administrative and clerical duties for the Wizengamot. Its function seems analogous to Muggle court registries. This would typically include maintenance of court documents, hearing dates, judges' schedules, and the administration of legal proceedings. In addiction to being like Muggle court registries they may also function as secretaries to the members of the Wizengamot.

Sub divisions

Administrative Registration Department

Main article: Administrative Registration Department
The Administrative Registration Department is responsible for the registration of the wizarding population. After the Fall of the Ministry of Magic, the Muggle-Born Registration Commission was created under this department. It is also possible the Animagus Registry is found within this department. It is possible that once a witch or wizard has a child they must then register the baby as a member of the magical community of Great Britain through this department.

Department of Intoxicating Substances

Main article: Department of Intoxicating Substances
The Department of Intoxicating Substances is a sub-division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and is responsible for making regulations on the consumption of alcoholic beverages. This included no alcohol being sold to underage witches and wizards. The department seems to be rather strict when it comes to underage alcohol sales, putting up notices that warn against it. It is unknown what the punishment is for serving alcohol to underage wizards.

Hit Wizards

Main article: Hit Wizard
Hit Wizards comprise a team of highly trained wizards tasked with arresting dangerous criminals. The entry requirements include five O.W.L.s, one of which must be Defence Against the Dark Arts. Possibly the equivalent of a Muggle S.W.A.T. Team. Members have a personal bed reserved at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.[4] In 1993, Cornelius Fudge suggested that only Hit Wizards should attempt to capture Sirius Black, an Azkaban escapee then believed to be a highly dangerous criminal.

Investigation Department

Main article: Investigation Department
The Investigation Department was a subdivision of the Auror Office. It centred on investigation and tracking down dark wizards. This division also exists in MACUSA's Department of Magical Law Enforcement as well. This department most likely has a part to play in the tracking down of high-profile criminals. It is possible that this department was utilised when Sirius Black was on the run from the authorities.

Magical Law Enforcement Patrol

Main article: Magical Law Enforcement Patrol
The Magical Law Enforcement Patrol (formerly the Magical Law Enforcement Squad) is tasked with general law enforcement, like with the Muggle police. In the 1920s it was headed by Bob Ogden, who led a team to Little Hangleton to arrest Marvolo and Morfin Gaunt for crimes against both Muggles and the Ministry, since the House of Gaunt had avoided previous attempts at arrest.

Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers

Main article: Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers
Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers are a special Ministry force that presumably is stationed at strategical places in search of fugitive criminals. This branch of the department was in charge of the 1993 manhunt for Sirius Black. It is also possible that they were in charge of tracking the escapees of the 1996 mass Azkaban breakout. Their procedures and practises of this department remain mostly unknown.

Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office

Main article: 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. It was headed by Arthur Weasley until his promotion in 1996. It is implied that this office does not get sufficient funding, as there is only a few employees within the relatively small department. It also does not get lot of respect from fellow Ministry workers.

Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects

Main article: Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects
This office was created in 1996 by Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, in response to the growing threat of Lord Voldemort and the rise of dangerous or dubious spells and products which claimed to provide protection against the Dark Arts. Arthur Weasley was promoted to head this operation. Its duties involved preventing the trade of fake and/or useless spells, potions and artefacts that appeared during the Second Wizarding War. It is unknown if this department is still in use after the war.

Personnel

Job Wizard(s) Notes
Heads of department Justus Pilliwickle Former department head; one of the most notable on the post
Torquil Travers Former department head, served during the 1920s
Barty Crouch Snr Former department head, demoted to head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation after his son's exposure as a Death Eater in 1981
Amelia Bones Former department head, murdered by Lord Voldemort in the summer of 1996
Pius Thicknesse Former department head, subjugated by Yaxley and promoted to Minister for Magic
Corban Yaxley Former department head, during the Death Eaters' control of the Ministry of Magic
Harry Potter Harry was head of the department from at least 2019[5]
Aurors Rufus Scrimgeour Former Head of the Auror Office; promoted to Minister for Magic in 1996
Frank Longbottom Former Auror; permanently incapacitated by means of the Cruciatus Curse in 1981 or 1982
Alice Longbottom
John Dawlish
Alastor Moody Retired by 1994 and murdered by Death Eaters in 1997
Gawain Robards Head of the Auror Office following Scrimgeour's promotion in 1996
Proudfoot
Savage
Kingsley Shacklebolt Promoted to Minister for Magic following Voldemort's defeat in 1998.
Nymphadora Tonks Murdered during the Battle of Hogwarts when she was defeated by Bellatrix Lestrange in 1998.
Williamson
Harry Potter Former head of the Auror Office and later Head of Magical Law Enforcement by 2019.
Ron Weasley Resigned from Auror Office and began working with his brother George Weasley at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley in 2000.
Other personnel Bob Ogden Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad in the 1920s
Leta Lestrange Assistant to the Head of the Department in at least 1927.[6]
Dolores Umbridge Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office sometime before 1995; Imprisoned in Azkaban for her crimes against humanity after Voldemort's defeat in 1998 which gave her a life sentence.
Elphinstone Urquart Senior officer of the department in the 1950s; late husband of Minerva McGonagall.
Minerva McGonagall From 1954 to 1956, became Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Mafalda Hopkirk Works in the Improper Use of Magic Office in the 1990s; responsible for sending letters to underage wizards who use magic outside of Hogwarts.
Perkins Worker in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office
Arthur Weasley Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office under Cornelius Fudge; Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects under Rufus Scrimgeour.
Hermione Granger After working with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, she eventually took a senior position in this department, reaching the level of Deputy Head of the Department by 2014. Hermione went on to be Minister for Magic by 2019.

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Ministers for Magic" at Wizarding World
  2. ↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  3. ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  4. ↑ Daily Prophet Newsletters
  5. ↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  6. ↑ http://collider.com/fantastic-beasts-2-character-descriptions/#leta-lestrange
Department of Magical Law Enforcement employees
Department of Magical Law Enforcement logo
Heads of Department
Justus Pilliwickle · Torquil Travers · Bartemius Crouch Senior · Amelia Bones · Pius Thicknesse · Corban Yaxley · Arthur Weasley · Harry Potter
Auror Office
Heads: Theseus Scamander · Rufus Scrimgeour · Gawain Robards · Harry Potter
Mordecai Berrycloth · John Dawlish · Penelope Fawley · Dorian Fungbury · Timothy Hale · Alice Longbottom · Frank Longbottom · Neville Longbottom · Patricia McManners · Alastor Moody · Alastor Moody's father · Riya Patel · Proudfoot · Savage · Kingsley Shacklebolt · Nymphadora Tonks · Ronald Weasley · Williamson · Unidentified Aurors · Helen Thistlewood · Solomon Sallow · Aesop Sharp · Aesop Sharp's partner · Unidentified male Auror at Hogwarts · Director of the Ministry Police No. 41041
Improper Use of Magic Office
Heads: Travers · Dolores Umbridge
Mafalda Hopkirk · Honoria's fiancé · Mafalda Hopkirk's Ministerial Superior · Rufus Fudge · Orabella Nuttley · Chester Davies · Linderina Crane
Other personnel
Council of Magical Law guards · Leta Lestrange · Minerva McGonagall · Elphinstone Urquart · Elton Elderberry · Alastor Gumboil · Arnold Peasegood · Arthur Weasley · Perkins · Bilius Finbok · Cerberus Langarm · Hermione Granger · Bob Ogden · Constance Pickering · Ruth Singer · Tulip Karasu's mother · Tulip Karasu's father · Dempster Wiggleswade · Amelia Bones's assistant · Arthur Weasley's ten subordinates · Unidentified Hit Wizard · Unidentified Wizengamot clerk
British Ministry of Magic Departments
Department of International Magical Cooperation Ministry of Magic Latin Logo Department of Magical Education logo Department of Magical Law Enforcement logo MinistryOfMagicLogo - Cursed Child DMAC clear MBRC clear Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures logo DMT clear
Level 1 Level 2
Minister for Magic and Support Staff Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Office of the Minister for Magic · Office of the Advisor to the Minister for Magic · Office of the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic · Office of the Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic Auror Office · Department of Intoxicating Substances · Improper Use of Magic Office · Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office · Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects · Wizengamot Administration Services
Level 3 Level 4
Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
Accidental Magic Reversal Squad · Invisibility Task Force · Muggle Liaison Office · Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee · Obliviator Headquarters Beast Division · Being Division · Centaur Liaison Office · Goblin Liaison Office · Office for House-Elf Relocation · Office of Misinformation · Pest Advisory Board · Spirit Division
Level 5 Level 6
Department of International Magical Co-operation Department of Magical Transportation
International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats · International Magical Office of Law · International Magical Trading Standards Body Apparition Test Centre · Broom Regulatory Control · Floo Network Authority · Portkey Office
Level 7 Level 8
Department of Magical Games and Sports The Atrium
British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters · Official Gobstones Club · Ludicrous Patents Office Lobby and Reception Area · Fountain of Magical Brethren · Magic is Might monument · Ministry Munchies · Security Desk · Lifts · Magical Maintenance Office
Level 9 Level 10
Department of Mysteries Wizengamot Courtrooms
Hall of Prophecy · Death Chamber · Brain Room · Time Chamber · Space Chamber · Love Chamber Courtroom Ten
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