Improper Use of Magic Office

"*But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he’s had it — think of his record.*"
—Mad-Eye Moody's track record [src]

The **Improper Use of Magic Office** is a division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. As the name suggests it deals with the improper use of magic, by both Hogwarts students and fully qualified wizards.

## 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.

## History

The inventor of the Mending Charm, Orabella Nuttley, worked by day in the Improper Use of Magic Office during the 18th century.

Dolores Umbridge started her career as a lowly intern in this office right after leaving Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at 17 years old, and due to her tyrannical methodologies underneath her sweet attitude, along with taking credit for other people's work, she became Head of the division before 30 years old. She eventually left the department when she was promoted to Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic.

Rufus Fudge joined this office in February 1999, but was suspended when he caused a scandal by making a Muggle tube train vanish as a bet on a Friday evening.

### 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 personnel

Orabella NuttleyTraversDolores UmbridgeMafalda HopkirkPatrick Dunbar
* Orabella Nuttley
* Travers
* Dolores Umbridge
* Mafalda Hopkirk
* Patrick Dunbar
* Chester Davies

1. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 2 (*Dobby's Warning*)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 2 (*A Peck of Owls*)
3. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 7 (*The Ministry of Magic*)