Random Ministry Of Magic Details Most Harry Potter Fans Don't Know About (14 items)

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  (#4) The Department Of Mysteries Is Older Than The Ministry Of Magic

  The Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries, established in the 17th century, has been part of the wizarding world for longer than the Ministry itself (which was established in 1707). The autonomous department, which doesn't report to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement like other Ministry subdivisions, has an opaque purpose. According to the former Pottermore site, "The Department of Mysteries is, unsurprisingly, pretty damn mysterious: a top-secret Ministry of Magic department dedicated to the queries of creation, to the study of life, magic, and death."

  The confidential research carried out by this group, whose members are known as "Unspeakables," is known to few in the wizarding world. It's believed that whatever they're doing - whether it's studying death, time, or space - is important, so they're mostly left to themselves.
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  (#11) The Ministry Set The First Official Rules For Quidditch In 1750

  Before Quidditch became the No. 1 sport in the wizarding world, a series of similar games fed into its creation. The sport's creators cribbed from numerous local broom-based events to build their version.

  Even though Muggle sporting leagues have their own overseers, the official rules of Quidditch were set by the Ministry of Magic in 1750. Once the sport went international, the British Ministry removed itself from overseeing the sport and left its governing up to the International Confederation of Wizards Quidditch Committee.

  Even though the rules are out of the hands of the British Ministry in the modern era, it's interesting to note that very little about the basics of the game have changed since the 18th century.
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  (#8) There Are Ministries Of Magic Across The World

  More often than not, when someone in the Harry Potter series is speaking about the Ministry of Magic, they're talking about the British Ministry, but that's just one of many ministries throughout the wizarding world. Just as there are multiple schools for young wizards in different countries and communities, many ministries exist, as well.

  Europe and Asia have the largest number of ministries, at nine and seven, respectively. Africa, Oceania, and South America each have one. In North America, the only known magical government body is the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA). One of the oldest ministries is the Japanese Ministry, which has been around since at least the 17th century.
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  (#1) The Ministry Didn't Construct Azkaban - It Discovered The Wizarding Prison

  Casual fans of the Harry Potter franchise may not realize that the Ministry of Magic had nothing to do with the formation of Azkaban. The Dementor-filled wizard prison in the North Sea was initially built as a trap to lure Muggle sailors to its rocks (and their deaths) by a wizard named Ekrizdis.

  The fortress was shrouded by concealment charms, but after Ekrizdis passed, his magic faded and left the fortress out in the open for the first time. Members of the Ministry of Magic investigated the building and found a nest of Dementors (among other terrifying sights). Rather than destroy Azkaban outright, the Ministry decided to make use of it.

  In 1718, the island was finally put to use as a magical prison where the inhabitants were drained of their life force by the on-site Dementors. It held its place for generations until the Second Wizarding War.
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  (#5) Aurors Are More Like MI6 Or CIA Operatives Than Detectives

  Throughout the series, Harry and Ron talk about what they want to be when they grow up: Aurors, like Alistor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Nymphadora Tonks. But what exactly is an Auror? The brief glimpses movie viewers get of this profession make Aurors look like wizard cops, but they're actually closer to British MI5/MI6 or United States CIA/FBI agents than pavement-pounding detectives.

  To become an Auror, applicants need a minimum of five NEWTs (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) with solid marks, and a positive write-up on "a series of character and aptitude tests." This is similar to what MI5/M16 or CIA and FBI agents have to go through today, although there are security clearances involved for Muggles that don't seem to have a parallel in the wizarding world.
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  (#14) Ministry Departments Communicate Via Enchanted Paper Airplanes Because Owls Poop Too Much

  In the modern office, magical or otherwise, bird waste is not welcome. Rather than use a complex phone system, inter-office envelopes, or an enchanted wizards' version of Slack, the Ministry sends out its interdepartmental memos on pale-violet paper airplanes.

  Before the paper missives, everyone in the Ministry used owls to send their messages. Unfortunately, the owls were incredibly messy. They left feathers and droppings all over the building, which must have been a pain for the custodians, even if they could use magic to clean it up.

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