Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

• Type: Ministry of Magic Department
• Location: Level Four, Ministry of Magic, London, England
• Head of Department: The head is not explicitly named in the novels. Notable officials include Amos Diggory and, post-Second Wizarding War, Hermione Granger.
• Primary Mandate: To create, enforce, and oversee all laws concerning magical creatures, including their welfare, classification, and concealment from Muggles.

The Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is one of the largest and most important departments within the Ministry of Magic. Its primary and most contentious responsibility is the classification of all known magical lifeforms into three distinct categories: Beast, Being, or Spirit. This classification system, detailed in the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, defines a Being as “any creature that has sufficient intelligence to understand the laws of the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws.” This system has been a source of historical conflict. For instance, Centaurs and Merpeople were offered Being status but rejected it to avoid being governed by wizards, opting to remain classified as Beasts by their own choice. Goblins, meanwhile, are classified as Beings but exist in a state of continuous tension with the Ministry of Magic. The department's key duties include:

• Managing populations of dangerous creatures and handling any incidents they cause.
• Regulating the breeding, trade, and ownership of magical animals.
• Enforcing the International Statute of Secrecy as it pertains to magical creatures.
• Overseeing diplomatic relations with sentient non-human races such as Goblins.
• Providing (often inadequate) support and registration services for creatures like werewolves.

The department is structured into three main divisions based on its own classification system, along with various smaller offices and committees.

• The Beast Division: The largest of the three divisions, responsible for all creatures classified as Beasts.
  • `Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures`: A powerful judicial body responsible for investigating attacks by dangerous creatures and ordering their execution if deemed necessary. This committee, which included executioner Walden Macnair, sentenced the hippogriff Buckbeak to death.
  • `Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau`: Tasked with the study and control of dragons. This office was instrumental in providing the four nesting mother dragons for the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament.
  • `Werewolf Registry` and `Werewolf Capture Unit`: These offices track known werewolves and attempt to apprehend those, like Fenrir Greyback, who are considered a threat to the public.
  • `Pest Advisory Bureau`: Deals with minor magical pest infestations.
• The Being Division: Responsible for relations with creatures classified as Beings.
  • `Goblin Liaison Office`: Manages the often-strained relationship between wizards and the Goblin nation.
  • `Centaur Liaison Office`: An office that Professor Umbridge notes is famously unused, as Centaurs refuse to have any dealings with the Ministry of Magic.
  • `Office for House-Elf Relocation`: An office responsible for finding new homes for house-elves who have been dismissed by their families.
• The Spirit Division: The division tasked with managing Ghosts and Poltergeists. Its authority is limited, as it has little effective control over spirits, a fact exemplified by their inability to manage Peeves at Hogwarts.

The department plays a significant background and foreground role throughout the series, often representing the bureaucracy and prejudices of the magical world.

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The department is central to a major subplot. After Draco Malfoy provokes Buckbeak and is injured, Lucius Malfoy uses his influence to have the `Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures` try and sentence the hippogriff to death.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The department is heavily involved in the logistics of the Triwizard Tournament. It is responsible for importing the dragons for the First Task and approving the use of Blast-Ended Skrewts for the Third Task. Amos Diggory, an official from the department, is present for several key events.
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Dolores Umbridge, using her authority as Senior Undersecretary, pushes new anti-werewolf legislation through this department, making it nearly impossible for Remus Lupin to find work. The department's futile `Centaur` Liaison Office is also mentioned.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: The failure of the `Werewolf Capture Unit` to apprehend Fenrir Greyback is noted, highlighting the department's ineffectiveness against determined and powerful dark creatures.

• According to J.K. Rowling, Hermione Granger began her post-Hogwarts career in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She was instrumental in advocating for the rights of non-human creatures, particularly house-elves, before transferring to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• Much of the detailed information regarding the department's classification system comes from the supplementary textbook, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, written by J.K. Rowling.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and Arthur Weasley pass through the lift lobby for Level Four, but the department's interior offices are not shown. (film)