Level One

• Type: Government Floor
• Location: Ministry of Magic, Whitehall, London, England
• Owner/Residents: Minister for Magic and their support staff. Notable occupants include Cornelius Fudge, Rufus Scrimgeour, Pius Thicknesse, and Dolores Umbridge.
• Key Features: Enchanted ceiling depicting the sky, polished dark wood doors with brass plaques, quiet and authoritative atmosphere.

Level One is the highest floor within the Ministry of Magic headquarters, situated directly below the ground-level Atrium. This level is reserved for the office of the Minister for Magic and their immediate support staff, including the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic. The level is characterized by a long, carpeted corridor. A notable feature is its enchanted ceiling, which is bewitched to look like a bright, cloud-flecked blue sky, mirroring the weather conditions outside. The offices branching off this corridor have polished dark wood doors, each bearing a small brass plaque that states the occupant's name and position. The general ambiance of the level is one of quiet importance, fitting for the administrative heart of the British Wizarding community. Historically, this level has always served as the seat of the highest political power in Wizarding Britain. The office of the Minister has been occupied by a succession of leaders, and the decor of the main office changes with each new incumbent, including the addition of a magical portrait of the previous Minister for Magic upon their departure from the role.

Level One serves as a symbol of the Ministry of Magic's leadership and its state throughout the series. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter gets his first and only direct view of this level when he and Arthur Weasley travel through it to reach the lift on their way to Harry's disciplinary hearing in the Wizengamot courtrooms. The description of the enchanted ceiling and the quiet, imposing corridor establishes the formal structure of the Ministry. They pass the office of Cornelius Fudge and the office of Dolores Umbridge as Senior Undersecretary. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the Minister for Magic's office is the setting for the introductory chapter, where Cornelius Fudge introduces his successor, Rufus Scrimgeour, to the Muggle Prime Minister. This scene underscores the transition of power and the escalating crisis of the Second Wizarding War. During Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Level One represents the corrupted core of the Ministry under Lord Voldemort's control. While not directly visited by the trio during their infiltration, it is the seat of the puppet Minister, Pius Thicknesse, and the location from which Voldemort's oppressive regime is administered.

• Office of the Minister for Magic: The largest and most important office on the level, located at the end of the main corridor.
• Office of the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic: An office located on this level, occupied by Dolores Umbridge during Cornelius Fudge's administration.
• Support Staff Offices: A number of smaller offices for various aides, advisors, and assistants to the Minister for Magic.

The hierarchical layout of the Ministry of Magic, with its leader on the top floor, mirrors the organizational structure of many real-world government buildings and corporate headquarters, where the highest floors are often reserved for the most senior executives. This design choice symbolically places the Minister for Magic at the pinnacle of power. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Minister for Magic's office is depicted, but the distinct corridor of Level One with its enchanted sky-ceiling is not featured as described in the novel. (film)