Ministry of Magic (Medi Fantasmus)

The **Ministry of Magic** is a de jure branch of the Kingdom of Luthany that deals with the governing of the magical population of Albion, upholding magical law and safeguarding the peaceful separation of peoples on the isles. The headquarters of the Ministry is in Whitby Palace, unbeknownst to the Luthan commoners, and is headed by the Minister for Magic who is elected by the Magi Most Ancient of the Wizengamot, a class of the oldest wizarding families of Albion. Although the Ministry is an official arm of the kingdom, the election of the Minister for Magic, the sentencing of wizards, the passing and execution of laws pertaining solely to the wizarding populace, and the relations between the Ministry and other wizarding governing bodies around the world occur virtually independent of the Crown as per the Statute of St. James, which gives a great deal of independence for the Ministry to freely function unless their actions deal directly or indirectly with the common populace.

The Ministry of Magic's roots lie in the Wizards' Council convened by Merlin during the Ten Years of Darkness. It evolved into the Ministry after Merlin's disappearance and the agreement reached by King Godric and Ulick Gamp. The agreement, the Statute of St. James, serves as the basis for the powers and responsibilities of the Ministry of Magic.

## Government structure

The Minister for Magic is the head of the ministry and is elected by the Magi Most Ancient of the Wizengamot. The Magi Most Ancient comprise of the heads of the oldest wizarding families in Albion. The Magi Most Ancient number at 26 and sit in the Wizengamot by hereditary right.

### Wizengamot

The Wizengamot is the parliament of the Ministry that numbers at an even one-hundred members. It is comprised of several groups that both represent different facets of wizarding society and exercise different functions. The right to sit in the Wizengamot is mostly hereditary but some are bound by occupation (for example, the Headmaster of Dreckonhulliz and Mayor of Saebehrtwold have guaranteed seats).

The Magi Most Ancient are the highest estate and consist of the oldest pure-blood families as documented in the Encyclopedia of the Sacred Families of Wizarding Albion. These families trace their lineage back to the wizards who were first convened under Merlin in the first Wizards' Council, and as such it is argued that their bloodlines are a part of the very fabric of the wizard community in Albion. As a result, it is felt that the Minister of Magic can only be chosen from these families (who best exemplify the wizarding tradition) and only they are worthy enough to select a leader amongst themselves.

The second estate are the Magi Most Noble, who are the heads of prominent families but their family line does not extend to the founders of the Wizard's Council. They make up the rest of the aristocracy. In total, there are fifty-two noble families represented in the Wizengamot, and unlike the Magi Most Ancient, their hereditary rights are not officially restricted on the basis of blood status; regardless, the majority of noblemen are pure-blood.

The final estate of the Wizengamot consists of the Magi Incorporate. The Magi Incorporate are the heads of the various guilds, confraternities and various assorted elements of wizarding society as the representatives of the 'common folk' of the wizarding world. Unlike the previous two estates, the right of these representatives to sit in the Wizengamot are not tied to a family, but to their occupation as heads of guilds and societies.

To limit the aristocratic influence of the lower classes and the independence of each estate, no member of the Most Ancient or Noble houses may hold a seat in the third estate; they may be part of said guild or society, but they may not represent them in the Wizengamot.

#### Magi Most Ancient

The Magi Most Ancient are a sect of the wizarding aristocracy whose families can trace their ancestry to the witches and wizards that formed the first Wizard's Council alongside the famous Merlin. Although thirty-nine wizards were part of the first council, overtime the number that would formally become the Magi Most Ancient would slowly dwindle. In addition to the families that were wiped out during the Ten Years of Darkness, over the centuries some families naturally went extinct, some renounced their rights and some left the Isles entirely. By the 21st edition of the Encyclopedia of the Sacred Families of Wizarding Albion, there were twenty-six Ancient Houses. In alphabetical order they are:

* Most Ancient House of Ambrose
* Most Ancient House of Black