The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement

• Type: High-ranking governmental position
• Location: Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Level Two, Ministry of Magic, London, England
• Owner/Residents: The appointed Head. Notable holders include Bartemius Crouch Sr., Amelia Bones, and Pius Thicknesse.
• Key Features: Possesses immense authority over the wizarding judicial and law enforcement system; reports directly to the Minister for Magic; oversees numerous critical sub-departments responsible for all aspects of wizarding law.

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is one of the most senior and powerful positions within the British Ministry of Magic. The individual holding this title is responsible for the oversight of all law enforcement and judicial matters in the British wizarding community. The department itself is the largest in the Ministry of Magic, and its Head effectively functions as the chief of police, attorney general, and head of the judiciary combined. The history of the position is best understood through its known holders, whose tenures often reflected the political climate of the wizarding world:

• Bartemius Crouch Sr.: Head during the First Wizarding War, Barty Crouch Sr. was known for his ruthless and uncompromising stance against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He authorized Aurors to use the Unforgivable Curses against suspects and was known to sentence accused Death Eaters to Azkaban without a trial. His popularity and chances of becoming Minister for Magic were destroyed when his own son, Bartemius Crouch Jr., was convicted as a Death Eater.
• Amelia Bones: A stern but fair-minded witch, Amelia Bones was the Head of the Department during Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts. She presided over Harry's disciplinary hearing at the Wizengamot and was impressed by his ability to cast a corporeal Patronus at such a young age, ultimately voting for his acquittal. Her sense of justice and fairness stood in stark contrast to the political manoeuvring of Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge. Madam Bones was murdered by Lord Voldemort personally during the summer of 1996, an act that deeply shocked the wizarding community and signalled the open return of the Dark Lord.
• Pius Thicknesse: Following the death of Rufus Scrimgeour and the fall of the Ministry of Magic in 1997, Pius Thicknesse was installed as the new Head of the Department. However, he was under the Imperius Curse, placed upon him by the Death Eater Yaxley. As Head, he was a puppet for Voldemort's regime, helping to legitimise the persecution of Muggle-borns through the Muggle-Born Registration Commission and other draconian measures. He was later made the puppet Minister for Magic.

The position of Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement serves as a critical indicator of the Ministry of Magic's integrity and political state throughout the series. During the First Wizarding War, Barty Crouch Sr.'s leadership exemplified a Ministry that was willing to sacrifice principles for security, resorting to methods as ruthless as those of the Death Eaters. In the prelude to the Second Wizarding War, Amelia Bones represented a faction of reason and justice within a Ministry corrupted by fear and denial. Her fair handling of Harry Potter's trial contrasted sharply with Fudge's paranoia, and her subsequent murder was a major turning point, forcing the wizarding public to acknowledge Voldemort's return and the gravity of the threat. Under Voldemort's control, the placement of an Imperiused Pius Thicknesse in the role demonstrated the complete collapse of law and order. The Department was twisted from an instrument of justice into a tool of oppression, enforcing the Death Eaters' pure-blood supremacist ideology and hunting Harry Potter and his allies.

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has jurisdiction over all divisions located on Level Two of the Ministry of Magic. These sub-departments include:

• The Auror Office (or Auror Headquarters)
• The Wizengamot Administration Services
• The Improper Use of Magic Office
• The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office
• The Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects Office (a temporary office established by Rufus Scrimgeour)

• A common point of confusion is the position of Rufus Scrimgeour. Before becoming Minister for Magic, Scrimgeour was the Head of the Auror Office, a subordinate position to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, not the Head of the entire department itself.
• In a 2007 interview, J.K. Rowling stated that after the Second Wizarding War, Harry Potter became an Auror and was later appointed Head of the Auror Office. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• Supplementary material on the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website later established that Harry Potter was eventually promoted to become the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement by 2019. (Pottermore)
• While Kingsley Shacklebolt became interim (and later permanent) Minister for Magic after the war, the books do not state that he ever held the title of Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.