Department of Magical Law

• Type: Ministry of Magic Department
• Location: Level Two, Ministry of Magic, Whitehall, London, England
• Leadership: Known Heads of Department include Amelia Bones, Pius Thicknesse, Corban Yaxley, and Hermione Granger (post-Second Wizarding War) (Pottermore).
• Key Features: The largest department in the Ministry of Magic, responsible for the creation, interpretation, and enforcement of all wizarding laws in Great Britain. It functions as a combination of a police force and a judicial system.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the central nervous system of the British wizarding government, housed on the second level of the Ministry of Magic. The lifts from the Atrium open onto a shabby corridor with various doors leading to its numerous divisions. The area is typically depicted as a hub of frantic activity, with wizards and witches hurrying along, carrying stacks of parchment or communicating via enchanted paper memos that fly as purple paper aeroplanes. This department combines legislative, judicial, and executive powers. It not only drafts and enforces laws but also oversees the Wizengamot, the high court of wizardry. The position of Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is one of immense power and influence, second only to the Minister for Magic themselves. Throughout the series, the department's integrity fluctuates with the political climate. Under Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, elements of the department were politically weaponised, as seen in the attempt to try and expel Harry Potter from Hogwarts. During Lord Voldemort's rise and subsequent takeover of the Ministry, the department became a terrifying instrument of his will. First, its head, Pius Thicknesse, was placed under the Imperius Curse, and later the overt Death Eater Corban Yaxley took control. During this dark period, the department was used to persecute Muggle-borns and enemies of the regime. Following the Second Wizarding War, the department was reformed under the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is central to several key plot points in the Harry Potter series. Its first significant appearance is in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Harry Potter attends his disciplinary hearing. He travels to Level Two, providing the first detailed look at the department's bustling environment. His hearing is chaired by Amelia Bones, the department head at the time, offering a glimpse into its formal judicial processes. The department is also the professional home of many important characters. The Auror Office, an elite division of dark wizard catchers, is based here. This makes it the headquarters for notable figures like Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Arthur Weasley works within one of its smaller offices, the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, and is later promoted to head the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. The fall of the department into the hands of Lord Voldemort's forces marks the official fall of the Ministry of Magic. The department's resources are then twisted to serve the Death Eaters, most notably by establishing the Muggle-Born Registration Commission on this level, which was used to unjustly imprison Muggle-born witches and wizards.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is comprised of numerous offices and divisions, each with a specific legal or enforcement function.

• Auror Office (or Auror Headquarters): An open-plan office filled with cubicles where the Ministry's elite unit of Aurors work. The cubicles are personalised by their occupants with pictures, posters, and newspaper clippings.
• Improper Use of Magic Office: This office is responsible for monitoring magic performed by underage witches and wizards outside of school. It enforces the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and is responsible for sending warning letters, such as those received by Harry.
• Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office: A small, cramped office formerly run by Arthur Weasley. It investigates cases of Muggle items that have been illegally enchanted.
• Wizengamot Administration Services: This division handles the administrative and clerical duties for the Wizengamot high court. While the courtrooms themselves are located on Level Ten, their administration is based on Level Two.
• Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects: A new office created during the Second Wizarding War in response to fraudulent dark magic protection rackets. Arthur Weasley was promoted to run this office, which consisted of ten personnel.
• Muggle-Born Registration Commission: A temporary, oppressive body established during Voldemort's control of the Ministry. Headed by Dolores Umbridge, its office was located on this level and was used to interrogate and persecute Muggle-borns.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter's disciplinary hearing is held in the main Wizengamot courtroom on Level Ten, a large, intimidating amphitheatre, rather than in an office on Level Two as described in the novel.
• According to interviews by J.K. Rowling and information published on Pottermore, after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley both joined the Auror department. Hermione Granger also joined the Ministry, first in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures before transferring to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where she eventually became its Head. (J.K. Rowling interview, Pottermore)