Throughout the Harry Potter film franchise, audiences are shown the wizarding world’s government arrangement, also known as the Ministry of Magic. From the Sorcerer’s Stone to the Deathly Hallows, the Ministry of Magic is rarely shown in a positive light. They are generally perceived as egocentric, power-hungry leaders who use propaganda for their own agenda.
We catch an initial glimpse of Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry accidentally blows up his Aunt Marge. Fudge pushes off the incident with humor. However, that personable relationship is quickly shattered once Harry announces to the community of Voldemort’s return. After that, Harry is only subject to vengeance from the Ministry of Magic (including wrongful persecutions and holding a warrant for his arrest). And besides the cryptic coverups going on within the Ministry, the films barely scratch the surface about what’s really going on in the wizarding government. Here are at least ten things about the Ministry of magic that the movies leave out.
10. The Department Of Mysteries Is Huge
During Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we are taken on an adventure through the Department of Mysteries. Harry leads his fellow Hogwarts peers Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna through the Ministry’s highly sealed sanction in order to save Sirius and recover the prophecy.
One of the more fascinating scenes in this particular book is the chapter The Department of Mysteries. In these pages, readers get to imagine this part of the Ministry in its entirety. And it is huge! The film just shows the room with the black veil and the room with the prophecy. But this department in the Ministry is actually quite large, as it acts as a vault for all of the unknown creatures, spells, and trinkets of the wizarding world. This includes a room full of glowing brains and a clock room with a central bell jar.
9. Dumbledore As Minister Of Magic
Due to his high intelligence and benevolent demeanor, Dumbledore was offered the role as Minister of Magic on more than one occasion. However, according to Hagrid, Dumbledore never took the job as he was dedicated to remaining at Hogwarts. Instead, Cornelius Fudge was appointed, who was so overloaded with the responsibilities as the Minister that he constantly asked Dumbledore for advice.
It is also said that Tom Riddle was on his way to becoming Minister of Magic with his intelligence and leadership skills. Of course, Riddle wanted very little to do with anything in the Ministry.
8. 62422
There are numerous ways to get into the Ministry of Magic. We see from the Atrium that the Floo Network (reinforced by Floo Powder) is the standard way that Ministry employees make their way into work. There are also the guest receptacles which includes the toilets and telephone booths.
In the books, we see Harry and Arthur Weasley use the telephone booth method that’s also briefly seen in the fifth film installment. Mr. Weasley has to enter a number into the telephone in order to make their way down to the ministry. The number he dials is 62422, which spells out M-A-G-I-C.
7. The Muggle Prime Minister Knows About Wizards
The day a new Prime Minister of the U.K. steps into their office, they are met with the Minister of Magic. Of course, going in, they have no idea that they are meeting with a wizard. It’s the Minister of Magic’s job to let the Prime Minister know that the wizarding world exists. After some persuasion, the Minister of Magic explains they will only be in contact when events from the wizarding world affect the Muggle world.
The Minister of Magic can enter the Prime Minister’s office via the Floo Network and is able to keep tabs and communicate with them through a wizarding portrait in the Prime Minister’s office. This portrait has a Permanent Sticking Charm behind it so that it can never be removed.
6. Ministry Of Magic Jobs
The Ministry of Magic is the typical route young witches and wizards take for their career paths. The Ministry of Magic holds numerous departments, some of which we know about through the films (i.e. Mr. Weasley’s job at the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office).
There is also the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which makes up the police officers in the wizarding world, and the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, whose job is to clean up and Obliviate the minds of Muggles who may have seen magic. Some other Ministry of Magic jobs can be held in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, the Department of International Magical Cooperation, the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and the Department of Mysteries. There is also the Department of Magical Games and Sports, who are in charge of wizarding sports events such as the Quidditch World Cup.
5. Ludo Bagman
Speaking of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, one character that was sadly left out of the films is Ludo Bagman. Bagman is the head of this department after having had a successful career as a Beater for the professional Quidditch team, the Wimbourne Wasps.
This Ministry employee is mostly seen during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as he organizes the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament. We know him as a relatively eccentric and proud individual who has a bit of a gambling problem.
4. Dolores Umbridge After ‘Order of the Phoenix’
The last we see of Dolores Umbridge during Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is her being carried off by centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. As one of the vilest and disliked characters in the series, nobody was really sad to see her go. But whatever happened to Umbridge?
Umbridge actually returned to the Ministry after this incident. She continued to taunt Harry by using her role as the Senior Under-Secretary at the Ministry to try to repel his goal to be an Auror. During Voldemort’s takeover, Umbridge became the leader for persecuting Muggle-Born witches and wizards and proudly wrote a pamphlet titled Mudbloods and the Dangers They Pose to a Peaceful Pure-Blood Society.
3. Remember Percy Wesley?
After Percy Weasley graduated from Hogwarts, he took a job at the Ministry of Magic under Barty Crouch. Film viewers don’t get to see any of this, but Percy disowned his family for believing Harry’s claims about Voldemort’s return. After an intense argument with his mother, Percy ostracized himself from the Weasley family.
We don’t see much of him until The Order of the Phoenix when he comes in to help with Dumbledore’s arrest. This may have seemed random to those who don’t know Percy’s backstory. But he had taken on the role as Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic and worked blindly for the Ministry until the Battle of Hogwarts when he reconciled with his family.
2. Harry At The Ministry of Magic
Throughout the series, Harry and Ron had always been adamant about becoming Aurors. Aurors are specially trained agents in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Magic. Their job is to investigate crimes related to the Dark Arts and carry out justice for those involved.
Harry and Ron had to receive excellent scores on their O.W.Ls in order to be considered for this position. And despite Umbridge’s best efforts and the Ministry’s initial distaste for Harry’s rebellious notions, they both went on to become Aurors for the Ministry of Magic.
1. There Are Multiple Ministries of Magic
The Ministry of Magic is located at the heart of London beneath the surface. Besides the London office, there are at least four other Ministries of Magic that enforce the International Statute of Secrecy.
Other countries such as Norway, France, Germany, and Bulgaria have their own Ministry of Magic. The United States is the only magical government that varies slightly, as they are run a Magic Congress.
