Werewolf Registry

The Werewolf Registry is an official list maintained by the Ministry of Magic to track all known werewolves residing in Britain. It is administered by the Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, specifically falling under the purview of the largely ineffectual Werewolf Support Services office. The existence of the Registry is public knowledge within the wizarding world.

The stated purpose of the Registry is to monitor individuals afflicted with lycanthropy, theoretically for the safety of the wider community. However, in practice, the Registry is largely a failure and a source of great difficulty for the werewolf population.

• Stigma and Discrimination: Signing the Registry amounts to a public declaration of one's condition, which leads to intense social stigma and discrimination. As Remus Lupin explained, once his condition becomes known, most people are too frightened to be near him.
• Economic Hardship: The prejudice against werewolves makes it nearly impossible for them to find employment. This was exacerbated by specific anti-werewolf legislation drafted by Dolores Umbridge, which Sirius Black noted made it “all but impossible” for a werewolf to get a job.
• Ineffectiveness: Due to the severe negative consequences, the “vast majority” of werewolves avoid signing the Registry. This drives them underground, making them more isolated and difficult to help or monitor. The Werewolf Support Services office, which manages the Registry, is dismissed by Hermione Granger as being utterly unhelpful after she researches it.
• Radicalization: The alienation and persecution faced by the werewolf community made them a prime target for recruitment by Lord Voldemort. He offered them more freedom and acceptance than they received from mainstream wizarding society, leading many, such as the savage Fenrir Greyback, to join the Death Eaters during the Second Wizarding War.

The concept of registering werewolves has a long history in the wizarding world, with early attempts at regulation setting the stage for the modern system.

• In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin first explains the existence of the Registry and the reasons why most werewolves do not sign it. Later, Hermione Granger researches werewolves at Flourish and Blotts and finds information on the ineffective Werewolf Support Services.
• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Registry's societal impact is highlighted when Sirius Black discusses Dolores Umbridge's political career and her role in creating anti-werewolf legislation that further marginalizes the community.
• In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Remus Lupin discusses how the ostracism enforced by systems like the Registry has pushed many werewolves to support Lord Voldemort, who preys on their disenfranchisement.

In an essay on Pottermore, J.K. Rowling provided historical context for the Registry. The Werewolf Code of Conduct of 1637 was an early attempt at regulation. It required all werewolves to sign it, promising not to attack anyone and to lock themselves away securely during the full moon. The Code was a complete failure, as almost no werewolves were willing to sign and admit their condition to the Ministry of Magic. This historical failure mirrors the ineffectiveness of the modern Werewolf Registry. (Pottermore)