French Ministry of Magic Headquarters

French Ministry of Magic Headquarters
Location information
Location	Under Place de Furstemberg, Paris, France
Affiliation	French Ministry of Magic

The headquarters of the French Ministry of Magic was located under Place de Furstemberg in Paris, France.

History

The French Ministry of Magic was founded in 1790, and their headquarters were built in that year or later. It was protected by Matagots who apprehended intruders.

Description

The French Ministry of Magic had a spell that stopped witches and wizards being able to Disapparate on their premises.

Entrances to the headquarters

The grounds of Place de Furstemberg had a fountain, called a Wallace Fountain, in the middle of a square. It was a visitor's entrance to the headquarters. If a person stood in the middle and coughed, the roots of surrounding trees rose up into a birdcage elevator and descended into the ground.

Levels

The French Ministry of Magic headquarters was a great Art Nouveau building full of light. It was comprised of domes connected by a network of tunnels. The statues surrounding the ministry were all female.

Main level

The main dome doubled as the entrance to the atrium and had magical domed glass roof. The roof was enchanted and depicted beasts in star constellations. These beasts included a Graphorn, Demiguise, Mooncalf, Occamy, Dragon, Murtlap, Niffler, Hippogriff, and Streeler. It featured a balustrade, typing pool and an ornate caged elevator. A receptionist welcomed the visitor and asked what their business was.

The walls were comprised of glass framed by green steel shaped in long, sinuous lines typical of Art Nouveau. Behind one of these walls was a heavy bronze reception desk, while in the centre of the room were rows of tall green-and-gold cabinets, with narrow, individually numbered drawers.

Lower levels

In the next two floors down from the main level was an incredibly sloped landing, and had another glass-lined room with offices labelled "Les Archiving Ancêtres". The desks had an array of stationery and work equipment, including circular ticker tapes that fly off like snakes and silver metal quills.

There was a long corridor in this department lined with pictures that could identify who was walking by and if they had permission to be there. If not, it would sound an urgent warning. There was a second door in the corridor that led to a mailroom.

Newton Scamander and Porpentina Goldstein in the Records Room

The Records Room was located three floors down from the main level. It had a Art Nouveau atrium where the records were accessed through large doors engraved to look like trees. The access was granted by an archivist who had ancient book holding the name of every family who had records inside. The records room also had shelves carved like trees.

Gallery

French Ministry of Magic

Security in the Ministry

Family deposits

Behind the scenes

• Martin Foley recalls, "The French Ministry was really difficult. It's a curved balcony and steel and glass. […] Engineering-wise, there are a lot of calculations."
• The Ministry Headquarters seems to have taken inspiration from the Grand Palais, as seen in its metal and glass barrel-vaulter roof.
• The decor was Art Nouveau, which was popular in 1890 to 1910. The actual Ministry was founded in 1790. It's possible these headquarters were established at a later date, like how the Magical Congress of the United States of America had several headquarters before the Woolworth Building. It's also possible that the decor was updated.

Appearances

• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (First appearance)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• The Archive of Magic: The Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Appears in the spell book)