======Auror Office======
=====Location Information=====
  * **Type:** Office, Departmental Headquarters
  * **Location:** [[Level Two]], [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]], [[Ministry of Magic]], [[London]], [[England]]
  * **Owner/Residents:** [[Ministry of Magic]]. Notable personnel have included [[Alastor Moody]] (retired), [[Nymphadora Tonks]], [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], [[Gawain Robards]], [[Harry Potter]], and [[Ron Weasley]].
  * **Key Features:** A large, open-plan room divided into cubicles for individual [[Auror]]s, often characterized by a state of busy, organized chaos.
=====Description and History=====
The **Auror Office**, also known as **Auror Headquarters**, serves as the operational hub for the [[Auror]]s, an elite unit of highly-trained wizards and witches responsible for investigating [[Dark Magic]] and apprehending [[Dark Wizard]]s. It is located on the second level of the [[Ministry of Magic]], as part of the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]].
The office is described as a large, open-plan, and rather shabby-looking room, buzzing with the constant comings and goings of [[Auror]]s. The space is divided into a series of cubicles, creating personal workspaces for each member of the force. These cubicles are notoriously cluttered with paperwork, photographs of wanted criminals, newspaper clippings, [[Dark Detector]]s, and maps tacked to the walls, often dotted with pins to track suspects or magical disturbances. The overall atmosphere is one of focused and hectic work.
Historically, the [[Auror Office]] has been at the forefront of the [[Ministry]]'s defence against major threats. During both the [[First Wizarding War]] and the [[Second Wizarding War]], its occupants were instrumental in the fight against [[Lord Voldemort]] and his [[Death Eater]]s. However, following the [[Ministry of Magic]]'s fall in 1997, the office was corrupted from within. Under the control of [[Pius Thicknesse]] and [[Corban Yaxley]], [[Auror]]s were tasked with persecuting [[Muggle-born]]s and members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]].
After [[Lord Voldemort]]'s defeat at the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], the [[Auror Office]] was reformed under the new Minister for Magic, [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]. [[Harry Potter]] and [[Ron Weasley]] were both recruited to join its ranks, helping to purge the [[Ministry]] of corruption and rebuild the department.
=====Role in the Story=====
The [[Auror Office]] appears only once in the series, in //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, but it plays a significant symbolic role. [[Harry Potter]] is escorted through the office by [[Arthur Weasley]] on the way to his disciplinary hearing. This visit provides Harry, and the reader, with a firsthand look at the daily operations of the wizards fighting on the front lines against [[Dark Magic]].
During his brief time in the office, Harry observes the busy environment and sees several key members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], including [[Nymphadora Tonks]] and [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], at their day jobs. The scene in [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]'s cubicle is particularly important; Harry sees a photograph of the original [[Order of the Phoenix]] and a picture of [[Sirius Black]] from an issue of [[The Quibbler]], confirming that Kingsley was using his position to subtly support the [[Order]] and undermine the [[Ministry]]'s misinformation campaign against [[Harry Potter]] and [[Albus Dumbledore]].
For Harry, the [[Auror Office]] also represents a future ambition. His desire to become an [[Auror]] is a recurring motivation in the later books, and his visit gives this goal a tangible reality.
=====Known Areas Within=====
  * **Auror Cubicles:** These are the partitioned-off desk areas for each [[Auror]]. They are highly personalized and typically filled with case files, maps, personal mementos, and equipment relevant to their work. The partitions are described as "rickety."
  * **Kingsley Shacklebolt's Cubicle:** The specific cubicle that [[Harry Potter]] observes. It contained a map of [[Wiltshire]] pinned with red flags, a picture of [[Sirius Black]] under the alias "Stubby Boardman," and a photograph of the original [[Order of the Phoenix]].
  * **Nymphadora Tonks's Desk:** Harry notes [[Tonks]]'s desk as he passes, which is shown to be particularly messy, reflecting her somewhat clumsy and vivacious personality.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, the [[Auror Office]] is depicted very differently. Instead of a single shabby room, it is a vast, multi-level atrium with desks that magically fly through the air, giving it a much grander and more dynamic appearance than its description in the novel (film).
  * J.K. Rowling has revealed that [[Harry Potter]] went on to become the Head of the [[Auror Office]] in 2007 at the age of 26. He and [[Ron Weasley]] are credited with revolutionizing the department (J.K. Rowling interview, Pottermore).
  * [[Hermione Granger]] also joined the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]] after the war before moving to a higher position, meaning she would have worked closely with the [[Auror Office]] during its reformation (J.K. Rowling interview).