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An Unspeakable is a wizard or witch who works in the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries. Little is known about their workplace, and even less is known about their jobs. Employees of the Department of Mysteries are forbidden from discussing their jobs or disclosing any information about their department, hence the name "Unspeakable."

Jobs/responsibilities

Very little is known about what an Unspeakable actually does, due to a high level of secrecy surrounding the Department of Mysteries. Some may study love in the Love Chamber, which, according to Albus Dumbledore, is kept locked at all times, or the concept of time in the Time Room, where the Ministry's stock of Time-Turners were stored prior to being destroyed during the Battle in 1996; others may explore the nature of thoughts in the Thought Chamber, or death in the Death Chamber, where Harry's Godfather was killed[1].There is a veil there which is a one-way doorway seprating the land of the living and the land of the dead.Any living being who goes near it will hear voices of his/her dead loved ones .Any living being who tries to cross it will suffer instant death.

Limitations

As their titles suggest, the key limitation of Unspeakables is that they are not permitted to talk about their work.

Unspeakables are also unable to remove prophecies from the Hall of Prophecy, or even take them off their shelves, as prophecies can only be removed by those about whom they are made. Anyone else who attempts to do so will be struck by the defensive spells placed on the prophecies, resulting in significant mental harm. The damage seems reversible in time, judging by Broderick Bode, an Unspeakable who was Imperiused into attempting to retrieve the Prophecy regarding Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, in 1995. Lucius Malfoy noted that Bode showed unusual resistance to the Imperius curse, which Augustus Rookwood suggested may have been because the Unspeakable knew what would happen if he touched one of the Prophecies[1].

Rookwood, having been revealed to have passed such confidential information to Lord Voldemort, was condemned to Azkaban for life, and was one of the top security prisoners.


It's also impotant to note the fact that unspeakables are known for their power and intelligence. They are a top-secret division of the government, although it is unclear as to whether they are a part of the british society or part of a larger unit merely based in the UK perhaps due to the presence of the seemingly singular death veil. The departement pf mysteries is a carefully guarded research and power base, and the people who work there have to be suited for such positions; i.e. intelligent and powerful, with sharp, strong minds.

Known Unspeakables

Appearances

Notes and references

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