Department of Mysteries

The **Department of Mysteries** is a section of the Ministry of Magic that carries out confidential research. Few wizards know what is research is undertaken within the department, even within the Ministry. Those wizards who work in the Department of Mysteries are known as **Unspeakables** because of the confidential nature of their work.

## Goals

The purpose of the Unspeakables is to research and control advancements in Magic, as well as prevent the spread of forbidden knowledge. They have also been known to go to great lengths to collect knowledge to advance their plans, such as when they set up Gustav Kleinwuchs (Grindelwald's highest lieutenant) with a false identity in Britain for his research.

## History

### Conception

The Department of Mysteries first started when Britain was conquered by the Romans. The Druid Mystagogues, realising that both sides of the magical conflict would fall, agreed to surrender if the Roman descendants would preserve their secrets, which they claimed were passed down since the fall of Atlantis/Avalon.

### Time-Turner Usage (Jocasta Flint)

In 1924, the Time-Turner identified Jocasta Flint as it's next user. However, she had imprisoned in Azkaban not long before for her crimes as a dark witch. Due to not trusting the power of the Time-Turner to a dark witch and the difficulty it took in capturing her, the Oversight Committee voted to not let her use the device. Unfortunately, they later learned that her use of the device would have led to the death of Gellert Grindelwald and the prevention of the Grindelwald War, without affecting the nature of her capture.

### Gustav Kleinwuchs

After the Grindelwald War, the Unspeakables decided to offer Gustav Kleinwuchs (Grindelwald's highest lieutenant) a new identity to escape prosecution for his role in the War and his crimes against humanity. In exchange for the identity, Gustav would be obliged to give all of his research, including his attempts to weaponize lycanthropy. He agreed to the terms and, together with his son, was given a new life inside Magical Britain.

### Project Romulus

After the Unspeakables learnt that Remus Lupin, after being infected with lycanthropy, had never succumbed to the mental annihilation that affected most werewolves, they felt he was special enough to start running experiments with him. As such, they moved the Lupin family to a small Muggle village, where they would "go Muggle" whilst the Unspeakables would run experiments on Lupin after his Change on occasion. Because of Lupin's immunity to his werewolf urges, he was also allowed to go to Hogwarts, although the Unspeakables would continue to run experiments whilst Remus was a student. These experiments were performed at the Shrieking Shack and would become the testing grounds for the Wolfsbane Potion. They recorded the experiments being performed through the use of Eye-Spies (magical cameras not available to the pubic).

During Remus's third year his friends, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter, would discover these test. In exchange for not being Obliviated, the group would agree to be trained to become Animagi and to be memory-locked until each training session, to prevent them from knowing about the Unspeakables' involvement. The group agreed and trained to became Animagi, with the memory-lock having them believe that they were training to keep Remus company as he roamed the castle in werewolf form.

At the start of Remus' sixth year, a memory-locked Sirius Black sent Severus Snape to the Shrieking Shack as part of a "prank", in which Severus would come into contact with a werewolf Remus. This revealed the existence of Project Romulus to Severus, to which they needed to correct. As such, they offered Severus the chance to apply to become Damocles Belby's apprentice and a memory-lock to protect themselves. Severus agreed to the terms if Lily Evans received the same chance at the apprenticeship. The Unspeakable that applied the memory lock was Augustus Rookwood who, in an attempt to see if he could weaponize wolf-fear (a werewolf-triggered PTSD episode), infected Severus with an artificial wolf-fear. However, Albus Dumbledore, having witness the procedure, saw Rookwood's true intentions and revealed them to the other Unspeakables, resulting in Rookwood's demotion. The project was then shut down, with only Damocles Belby continuing the tests until Remus left Hogwarts.

### Time-Turner Usage (Hermione & Harry)

During Hermione Granger's third year at Hogwarts the Unspeakables came to her as she was named the next user of the Time-Turner. In Hermione's personal timeline, the world was heading towards a "Voldemort/Dementor" Apocalypse. However, Hermione used the Time-Turner and prevented that outcome from occurring. In Harry Potter's personal timeline, a few days before Hermione would re-encounter the Unspeakables, Harry Potter revealed that the world was on track to "Werewolf" Apocalypse. This caused Hermione, still under the effects of her Time-Turner usage, to knock out the Unspeakables she'd meet and reprogram the Time-Turner to allow Harry to use it, which he did to prevent the Werewolf Apocalypse from occurring. The two students then re-encountered the Unspeakables, where they revealed their usage of the Time-Turner for the Unspeakables report before resealing their Time-Turners. Harry also used this opportunity to commercialise the Eye-Spy he found in the Shrieking Shack, presumably left there after Project Romulus shut down. The Unspeakables agreed to take it under consideration.

## Members

The identity of all the Unspeakables are concealed, even from each other. However, their are some Unspeakables who are named. If the identity of any Unspeakable has been revealed, it is written next to their Unspeakable Identity.

### The Oversight Committee

The Oversight Committee is a collection of Unspeakables to who which the Unspeakables report to. The number of Unspeakables that make up this committee is unknown. The heads of the different branches of research, of which there are *at least* ten, also make up the committee. They are:

* Chief Director: Control (Number One)
* Voice of the Unspeakables: (Number Seven, Saul Croaker)
* Known Branch Heads:
	+ Death
	+ Love
	+ Time (Number Seventeen)
	+ Space
	+ Mind (Number Nine, Philoctetes Dippet (currently incapacitated, Number Thirteen serving as acting director)
	+ Prophecy
	+ Records
	+ Creatures
	+ Muggles
	+ Ethics

### Common Unspeakables

These Unspeakables, although members of the department, are only researchers with no authority.

* Number Twenty-nine, Broderick Bode
* Augustus Rookwood (former)

## References

Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 123 - The Hunting of Sirius Black (Pt 2),

Pettigrew reveals how Gustav Klienwuchs disappeared into Britain.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 126 - Speaking of Time,

Unspeakables reveal their history to Hermione.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 119 - What's Past is Prologue (Pt 1),

Remus' life is recounted.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 127 - Redux (Pt 1),

Harry and Hermione find an Eye-spy in the Shrieking Shack.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 120 - What's Past is Prologue (Pt 2),

Albus reveals to Snape the truth.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 130 - Redux (Pt 4),

Albus reveals to Snape the truth.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 131 - Moving Forward,

The Oversight Committee meet up to discuss the Time-Turner & Death Eaters.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 136 - The Fall of the House of Potter (Pt 2),

013, the Acting Director of the Mind Division, sends a memo to 001, Director of the Department of Mysteries.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 131 - Moving Forward,

The Unspeakables meet to discuss their encounter with Harry and Hermione.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 131 - Moving Forward,

Time guesses Mind's identity, revealing his own in the process.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 133 - Potters and Blacks,

"And so, Philoctetes Dippet aka Unspeakable 009 aka the Director of the Mind Division went to work at his real job.".
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 101 - Prelude (Unspeakable Bode,

Broderick Bode.