Improper Use of Magic Office

Improper Use of Magic Office
Organisation information
Leader(s)	Dolores Umbridge (sometime before 1995) Travers (under Voldemort's regime)
Headquarters	Level 2, Ministry of Magic
Intentions	Investigates illegal uses of magic
Affiliation	Ministry of Magic
Enemies	Lord Voldemort Death Eaters Order of the Phoenix (when Voldemort controlled the Ministry)

The Improper Use of Magic Office is a division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic.

Functions

The office is responsible for enforcing and regulating the violations of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, arguably the most prominent international wizarding law of them all which prohibits wizards and witches from performing magic in the presence of Muggles or in a Muggle-inhabited area, and of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, that restricts underage wizards from performing magic outside school.

Upon receiving intelligence of a transgression, a note is sent to the offender detailing actions that will be taken by the office. In those cases where infringement is severe, the office may dispatch Ministry representatives to take legal affair, and in the absolutely worst cases, they may have to immediately destroy the accused's wand, or the offender may be referred to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for an official disciplinary hearing to reach an official decision as to imprisonment and destruction of the accused's wand — although high-profile cases are known to have taken place before the whole Wizengamot, this is highly unusual.

A notable example on their daily work was how the Office was tasked with taking action against the activist Carlotta Pinkstone, who deliberately used magic indiscriminately in public places, in full sight of Muggles, and as a result, she was subject of a long series of convictions and imprisonments in the wizarding prison of Azkaban.

While focusing on breaches of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, it keeps a particular focus on witches or wizards living in an area inhabited by Muggles. In these cases, first-time offenders are usually let off with a warning while extreme cases may require them to take legal action against the person in question.

Contact with Harry Potter

The Improper Use of Magic Office came into contact with Harry Potter repeatedly during his childhood. He received a warning letter from them when Dobby, a house-elf used a Hover Charm to smash a pudding on a houseguest of his Aunt and Uncle. It was assumed that Harry levitated the pudding, but Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge let him go with a warning. One year later, Harry caused Aunt Marge to float like a balloon but Fudge let him go because he felt pity for Harry, believing Sirius Black to be on the hunt for him.

This pity turned to malice when two years later, Harry received notice of expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after he used a Patronus Charm against threatening Dementors in his Muggle hometown of Little Whinging. The letter informed him that his wand would be destroyed by Ministry officials and he would be detained until Court notice; this appears to be the standard procedure. Through the intervention of Albus Dumbledore, punishment and wand destruction was delayed until a hearing could be held for Harry.

Harry was indeed tried before the entire Wizengamot, however, it was highly unusual procedure for a simple case of underage use of magic. The hearing was held in Courtroom Ten below the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic.

Known employees

• Travers (Head)
• Dolores Umbridge (Head sometime before 1995)
• Mafalda Hopkirk (assistant)
• Honoria's fiancé
• Mafalda Hopkirk's Ministerial Superior
• Rufus Fudge (suspended)
• Orabella Nuttley

Behind the scenes

• Considering the fact that Carlotta Pinkstone was charged with and imprisoned in Azkaban several times and there is no mention of her wand being destroyed, it is quite possible that the Improper Use of Magic Office only have the authority to destroy the wands of underaged witches and wizards. This may be because the right to carry a wand at all times may only apply to adults, or because people who do not receive life imprisonment is expected to learn from their mistakes and re-integrate themselves in the Wizarding society after their release.
• When the Improper Use of Magic Office was about to destroy Harry Potter's wand for violating the Decree of Reasonable Restrictions on Underaged Sorcery, they might have been under pressure from Cornelius Fudge in an attempt to discredit him, since the destruction of the wand of an underaged wizard occurs when they are expelled from school, which the Ministry has no authority to do so, a fact Fudge obviously tried to ignore before the interference of Albus Dumbledore.
• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the Improper Use of Magic Office is incorrectly referred to as a the "Improper Use of Magic Department". This is not coherent with the Ministry functional directory set forth in the books in which Offices are smaller divisions of the larger Departments (in this case, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement).
• In a prop letter made for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (that went unused in the final film), Mafalda Hopkirk is referred to as the "Commander-in-Chief" of the Improper Use of Magic Office — whereas Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows gives her position as "an assistant in the Improper Use of Magic Office".

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Mentioned only)
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells (First appearance)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)

Notes and references

was charged