The Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

• Type: Ministry of Magic Department
• Location: Level Four, Ministry of Magic, London, Great Britain
• Heads of Department: Known heads include Cuthbert Mockridge and later, Amos Diggory.
• Key Responsibilities: The classification, management, and legislation governing all known Magical Creatures. This includes creature welfare, the control of dangerous beasts, and managing relations with sentient non-human species.

The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is one of the largest and most complex departments within the Ministry of Magic. Its primary and most fundamental responsibility is the classification of all magical lifeforms, a system that has been in place for centuries and forms the bedrock of Wizarding Law concerning non-human entities. The department's core framework, established in the fourteenth century, is a tripartite classification system that categorizes every known magical creature as a Being, a Beast, or a Spirit.

• Being: Defined 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.”
• Beast: Defined as any magical creature that does not meet the criteria for a Being.
• Spirit: The designation for Ghosts and Poltergeists.

This system has been fraught with historical controversy. Centaurs and Merpeople rejected the status of “Beings” to avoid being grouped with Hags and Vampires, and instead requested “Beast” status, a decision that has defined their separate and aloof relationship with the Ministry of Magic. Goblins, meanwhile, are managed as Beings through the Goblin Liaison Office. Creatures like the Acromantula and the Manticore, despite possessing near-human intelligence, were classified as Beasts due to their violent natures, making them the responsibility of the Beast Division. Over the centuries, the department has enacted significant legislation, including the Ban on Experimental Breeding in 1965, which outlawed the creation of new magical species like the Blast-Ended Skrewt. It also oversees the often-criticized laws concerning Werewolf registration and containment.

The department and its functions are frequently referenced and impact the main plot at several key points:

• Hermione Granger expresses a desire to work in the department after Hogwarts to advocate for the rights of non-human magical beings, particularly House-Elves.
• The illegal hatching of a Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon named Norbert by Rubeus Hagrid is a direct violation of laws enforced by this department.
• The trial and scheduled execution of the Hippogriff Buckbeak is handled by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, a sub-division of the department. Amos Diggory is present during the events following the Triwizard Tournament as a department representative.
• Remus Lupin explains the prejudice and restrictive legislation he faces as a Werewolf, highlighting the department's shortcomings in managing his kind.
• The department's failure to build meaningful relationships with other sentient creatures is shown by the ineffectiveness of the Centaur Liaison Office, which Centaurs have never used, and the tense, often hostile relations managed by the Goblin Liaison Office.
• Arthur Weasley mentions working with the department's Office of Misinformation to plant stories in the Muggle press explaining away magical incidents.

The department is comprised of numerous offices and committees, each dealing with a specific aspect of creature regulation.

• Beast Division: The largest division, responsible for all creatures classified as Beasts.
  • Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures: Handles cases involving dangerous beasts that have harmed or threatened wizards.
  • Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau: Researches and manages Dragons.
  • Werewolf Capture Unit: Tasked with tracking and capturing dangerous werewolves who are not on the Werewolf Registry.
• Being Division: Manages relations with magical Beings.
  • Goblin Liaison Office: Serves as the intermediary between the Ministry of Magic and the Goblin nation.
  • Centaur Liaison Office: An office largely ignored by the Centaurs it is meant to serve.
• Spirit Division: Deals with the affairs and complaints of Ghosts and other spectral entities.
• Office of Misinformation: Works with other departments to provide non-magical explanations for magical creature sightings in the Muggle world.
• Pest Advisory Board: Advises on the control of minor magical pests.
• Werewolf Registry: A list of all known werewolves in Great Britain.

• The detailed definitions of “Being” and “Beast” and the history of their classification are provided in the supplementary book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
• In the same book, Newt Scamander is noted to have worked for the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau after a brief stint in the Office for House-Elf Relocation. (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook)
• J.K. Rowling has stated that Hermione Granger did go on to have a highly successful career in the department after the Second Wizarding War, where she was instrumental in improving the lives of House-Elves and other magical creatures before transferring to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. (J.K. Rowling interview)