Ministry of Magic

• Type: Governmental Body Headquarters
• Location: Underground, Whitehall, London, England
• Owner/Residents: The British and Irish magical community, headed by the Minister for Magic.
• Key Features: Entirely subterranean structure, multiple magically concealed entrances, extensive internal transportation via enchanted lifts, and a central Atrium connected to a large number of fireplaces for Floo Network travel.

The Ministry of Magic is the main governing body of the magical community of Great Britain. Established circa 1707, its primary function is to preserve the International Statute of Secrecy, which separates the magical world from the non-magical (Muggle) world. The Ministry enforces wizarding law, regulates all aspects of magical life, from transportation to sports, and maintains relations with magical governments of other countries. The headquarters is a vast, sprawling complex located deep beneath the streets of London. Visitors typically enter through a disused red telephone box, which functions as a lift to the main Atrium. Witches and wizards who work at the Ministry often travel via the Floo Network, arriving in a row of fireplaces in the Atrium, or by flushing themselves down special toilets connected to the Ministry's plumbing network. The central Atrium is a long and splendid hall with a dark, polished wood floor and a peacock-blue ceiling inlaid with moving golden symbols. In the center of the hall originally stood the Fountain of Magical Brethren, which featured golden statues of a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. After the Ministry fell to Lord Voldemort in 1997, this fountain was replaced by a grim monument called Magic is Might, depicting a witch and wizard enthroned upon a mass of carved Muggles. Throughout the Second Wizarding War, the Ministry's stance evolved from denial under Cornelius Fudge to a reactive, hardline approach under Rufus Scrimgeour. It was ultimately infiltrated and taken over by Death Eaters, with Pius Thicknesse installed as a puppet Minister for Magic under the control of the Imperius Curse.

The Ministry of Magic plays a central and often antagonistic role throughout the series. Initially, it represents the bureaucratic and sometimes inept face of authority. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry, led by Cornelius Fudge, launches a smear campaign against Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore to discredit their claims of Lord Voldemort's return. Dolores Umbridge, a Ministry official, is installed at Hogwarts to control the school. The story climaxes with the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, where members of the Order of the Phoenix clash with Death Eaters. The battle forces the Ministry to officially acknowledge that Lord Voldemort has returned. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Ministry's fall to Voldemort's forces signifies a major turning point in the war. Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger infiltrate the corrupted Ministry to retrieve Salazar Slytherin's Locket from Dolores Umbridge. During this time, the Ministry has become an instrument of terror, creating the Muggle-Born Registration Commission to persecute and imprison Muggle-born witches and wizards.

The Ministry of Magic is comprised of ten main levels, each housing different departments and offices.

• Level One: Office of the Minister for Magic and support staff.
• Level Two: Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which includes the Auror Office, the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, and the Wizengamot Administration Services.
• Level Three: Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, including the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad and Obliviator Headquarters.
• Level Four: Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, including the Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions.
• Level Five: Department of International Magical Cooperation, which includes the International Magical Trading Standards Body.
• Level Six: Department of Magical Transportation, including the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparition Test Centre.
• Level Seven: Department of Magical Games and Sports.
• Level Eight: The Atrium, the main entrance hall and reception area.
• Level Nine: The Department of Mysteries, a top-secret department conducting research into life's greatest mysteries.
• Level Ten: Wizengamot Courtrooms, located deep beneath the other departments, where magical trials are held.

• While the visitor's entrance is a telephone box in the book, the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix popularised this entrance for most travel. The book also mentions an entrance for employees via a series of special toilets, which was shown in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. (film)
• The visual design of the Ministry in the films, particularly the vast, tile-covered Atrium and the imposing “Magic is Might” statue, provided a memorable depiction of wizarding bureaucracy and its corruption. (film)
• According to Pottermore, the Ministry of Magic that preceded the current one was a much smaller and more haphazard organization. The move to the current underground headquarters was a direct result of the International Statute of Secrecy being implemented. (Pottermore)