Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter)
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| See also: | Aurorfic |
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The Ministry of Magic governs over the Wizarding world in the Harry Potter series. The term usually refers to the British Ministry of Magic as seen in the series, though other countries also have Ministries of Magic.
Background
The Ministry of Magic is the government that deals with the magical population. The British Ministry of Magic has several departments, including the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE) being the largest. The DMLE contains the Aurors, which is the wizarding police force. Other departments include the Department of Mysteries and Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The Ministry is led by the Minister of Magic. The Wizengamot is a body that functions as both the legislative and the judiciary in the British wizarding world.
Per the Fantastic Beasts film series, in the US, the magical government is instead the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA).
Meta
A reply from cassopeiablack explains how the trope developed based on the House of Commons and House of Lords. (link/archive)
The Ministry in Fanfiction
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Genres of Ministryfic
- Thrillers, concentrating upon skulduggery, derring-do, intelligence work, Rumpole-like courtroom drama, and political jockeying. Such stories tend to feature or include as characters Kingsley Shacklebolt; Dolores Umbridge as a recurrent villain; and cameo appearances by the Royals and by British politicians including Tony Blair and John Prescott. For reasons that cannot possibly be explained to overseas readers, Boris Johnson almost always makes an appearance.
- Courtroom drama stories use the canonical sitting of the Wizengamot as a High Court. The trope allows such scenes to be played out in a way that combines courtroom drama and political intrigue. A notable example of the use of this trope is A Law of the Medes and Persians by SnorkackCatcher.
- Parliamentary or political thrillers concerns itself with political chicanery, State secrets, and the inner workings of government - and, often, the security apparatus. It is fairly common in the Harry Potter fandom and in others the canon of which alludes to or permits writing of political and governmental activities. Well-known and well-regarded examples such as blamebrampton's For the Public Good and Blythely's Corridors of Power give the general flavour: secret histories, backroom deals, jockeying for position, and, quite often, a bit part for Boris Johnson.
Pureblood Politics
In fanfiction, it is common for a system of lordships to be developed, which include titles which are variations of "Noble and Most Ancient", which is the title used by the House of Black in canon. These Lords and Ladies usually sit in the Wizengamot and are hereditary. Most common characters which are considered to be Lords or Ladies in fanfiction include Lucius Malfoy, Amelia Bones, Augusta Longbottom, Sirius Black (after inheriting the Black lordship from his grandfather Arcturus Black), and Harry Potter (by inheriting either the Potter lordship from his father or the Black lordship from his godfather Sirius Black). Lords and Ladies which are Original Characters are also common, including the fathers of Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Hannah Abbott, Lavender Brown, and other pureblood Hogwarts students. The Lords and Ladies may arrange marriages between their heirs.
Example of pureblood politics:
- The House of Potter-Greengrass by WolfgangNH.