The Ministry of Magic
chapter seven of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Arthur takes Harry to the Ministry of Magic, where he registers himself and then watches in awe as he passes through the Ministry. After a quick conversation with Kingsley, though, he learns that his hearing has been bumped up, and is quickly rushed in.
“Simply fabulous,” [Mr. Weasley] whispered, indicating the automatic ticket machines. “Wonderfully ingenious.”
(by LMRourke)
Mr. Weasley folded himself in beside Harry and closed the door. It was a tight fit.
(by Drew Graham)
A group of golden statues, larger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circular pool.
(by Drew Graham)
They followed Kingsley along the row and into the very last cubicle. Harry received a slight shock; Sirius’s face was blinking down at him from every direction.
(by Patilda)
“Here,” said Kingsley brusquely to Mr. Weasley, shoving a sheaf of parchment into his hand, “I need as much information as possible on flying Muggle vehicles sighted in the last twelve months.”
(by Marta T)
Kingsley tipped Harry an enormous wink and added, in a whisper, “Give him the magazine, he might find it interesting.”
(by Heather Campbell)
A memo had just zoomed in through the open door and fluttered to rest on top of the hiccoughing toaster. Mr. Weasley unfolded it and read it aloud.
“‘Third regurgitating public toilet reported in Bethnal Green, kindly investigate immediately.’ This is getting ridiculous …”
(by gerre)
about the chapter
Something You May Not Have Noticed
To get into the Ministry of Magic, visitors have to enter the right phone booth, and then dial 6-2-4-4-2 – and the reason Arthur seems to be figuring the sequence out on the spot rather than knowing it from memory is because he’s using the keypad to spell a word: MAGIC.
The Wizarding World
There are very few passages in the books that give us as much insight into the broader wizarding world as Harry’s trip through the elevator at the Ministry of Magic. I love hearing the names of all the departments – especially things like the Ludicrous Patents Office and the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee. And little details like the lopsided sign at the Auror office help show the personalities of the various departments as well. Do you think Tonks was the one who knocked the sign askew?
The Power of Magic
It’s fascinating that when Harry sees the Weasley family picture on Arthur’s desk, Percy seems to have walked out. It’s possible that Mr. Weasley could have enchanted the picture this way, but that seems unlikely to me. Instead, I think the Percy in the photograph has decided to walk out, reflecting the real Percy’s estrangement from his family. Which is fascinating, because while Muggle photographs capture a moment in time, it seems wizarding pictures actually change over time to reflect the changes of their real-life counterparts. The richness of the magical world never ceases to astound me.
Something to Remember
The night Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place, Ron mentioned that the Order had been talking regularly about “guard duty,” which Harry of course assumed referred to the people guarding him. But he doesn’t stop to think about the fact that, when he comes down into the kitchen the morning of his hearing, guard duty is still a topic of conversation. The logical conclusion is that Harry didn’t fully understand what they meant, and something is still being guarded – but what?
The Final Word
“[As the books progress,] Everything is on a bigger scale…. It’s symbolic. Harry’s horizons are literally and metaphorically widening as he grows older. There are places in the world that I’ve been planning for so long and thinking about for so long…. It’s great fun.”–J.K. Rowling, September 2000
I so love this chapter – just getting a glimpse of the working of the wizarding government is so cool! And where else could someone walk calmly into an elevator with a fire-breathing chicken?
Also, I totally love the drawing of the fountain!
Happy Halloween, everyone!! I’m in my Tonks getup and ready to trick-or-treat!
hpboy13 said this on October 31, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Very interesting theory about the pictures, that’s the thought that I had when I read it.
Happy Halloween everyone! :) Is anyone carving any HP related pumpkins? (I haven’t, maybe next year)
wizardinventor said this on October 31, 2009 at 1:12 pm
What I have always wondered is how the elevator into the Minstry of Magic, which Mr Weasley and Harry squeezed into, was able to take Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna later on? Does it expand??
Electa said this on November 1, 2009 at 1:54 am
Electa, I figured it expands as needed, but only just. That’s why it was a tight fit for Harry and Mr Weasley.
Lizzie said this on November 1, 2009 at 8:34 am
Lizzie, you’re probably right. Sort of funny, though… if you’re going to magic it to expand as needed, why not give people enough space? It is the visitor’s entrance, after all.
The alternate explanations are much funnier, though. For instance, Mr. Weasley could be HUGE. Or even better, it could just be a regular size phone booth that doesn’t expand, and the six kids all pile on top of each other to cram in, like some kind of college stunt. :)
John Kearns said this on November 1, 2009 at 11:24 am
hpboy13- I considered a Tonks costume, actually, but never got to getting a costume together and just decided to go as a Muggle. Happy (belated) Halloween!
I’m laughing at all 6 of them cramming into the elevator on top of each other like a ‘college stunt’. Funny image. I’m tempted to draw a fanart of that.
The other stuff:
~ The 6-2-4-4-2 thing was awesome. I love JKR’s creativity when she does little things like that.
~ Tonks definitely was the one to knock the sign askew. I wonder exactly how big the Ministry is to have so many little departments everywhere!
~ Thanks so much for noticing all these little things I would never pick up on!
Mickey said this on November 1, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Dammit John, now I can’t get the image of a Hagrid sized Arthur Weasley out of my head!
Also, as for why it doesn’t expand the whole way.. magic isn’t always convenient. For example, why must you get covered in ashes when traveling by Floo? Surely they could fix that, but nobody seems to mind too much.
Lizzie said this on November 2, 2009 at 10:10 am
hpboy13: dressed as Professor Sinistra. No carved pumpkins, though. Never had any time.
Mickey/John: I think I *have* seen a fanart of that but, of course, it would have been 4 or 5 years ago and who knows where it is now?
Natalia said this on November 3, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Thank you for the Something You Might Not Have Noticed. Do you think Harry did? Arthur didn’t mention what he was spelling and it’s not necessarily obvious on first glance. I’m pretty impressed with Harry remembering the number almost a year later.
By the way, the Harry Potter Walk in London stops by the telephone box that was used in the movie.
Again mentioned in passing: Bode; the corridor.
Kim said this on November 4, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Harry’s wand was checked by an instrument when he arrived at the Ministry. If this is standard procedure for all visitors I wonder what this device would say upon checking Dumbledore’s Elder Wand?
Jose Lopes said this on December 2, 2009 at 3:45 am
Would they have checked Dumbledore’s wand? After all, it’s just for visitors (Mr. Weasley doesn’t have his wand inspected) and Dumbledore is there enough/has enough clout that they probably don’t consider him a visitor.
But I like that you brought up the possibility. Maybe Dumbledore only ever shows up when the position isn’t staffed (I mean, he’d already been there for hours when Harry’s 8 am trial started and we know for a fact someone isn’t there all the time because the six DA members don’t get tested when they show up to save Sirius) or several other roundabout ways of avoiding letting people know about the Elder Wand. :)
Natalia said this on December 2, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Checking the wand is a very interesting possibility, but Dumbledore definitely wouldn’t have been a visitor – he was Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, among other posts whose offices were in the Ministry. And after he got kicked off that post in OP, I doubt he made a habit of visiting the Ministry much.
Also, he would have had another wand, too, that he presumably saved – the one that “chose” him, and that he used to duel Grindelwald and win the Elder wand in the first place. So he could always have brought that one with him if he needed it to be checked.
Actually, it’s an interesting possibility in general – do you think he may have switched back and forth between his two wands depending on the circumstance? Surely his own wand would have been better for certain kinds of Transfiguration work, and things like that that he learned with it (and that nobody in the past would have ever used the Elder Wand for), no?
This is a wand essay waiting to happen….
John Kearns said this on December 2, 2009 at 6:28 pm
John: I hope you can get to the wand essay sooner, rather than later because I’ve been debating those same thoughts since I replied earlier today and I need someone else to mull the idea over in written form!
Natalia said this on December 2, 2009 at 6:53 pm
A thought on the wizarding photos and how they change over time, what would happen if a wizard had a falling out with his family and died before he could be reconciled, would the family be unable to have photos of him simply because he would have walked out of all the family photos?
EH said this on December 16, 2009 at 6:36 pm
In terms of pictures’ ability to adapt to their subjects’ real-life attitudes, wouldn’t it have seemed strange that the picture of the Potters’ wedding party (given to Harry by Hagrid in the former’s first year) shows Sirius standing loyally beside James, despite having supposedly betrayed the couple? Even if Hagrid hadn’t noticed the peculiarity, wouldn’t the person who sent it to him have noticed?
I recognize that Sirius’ situation is undoubtedly unique, given his inability to clear his own name, but it seems like this characteristic of wizarding photography could be incredibly useful and informative in such cases – it makes me wonder why the MOM doesn’t capitalize on the adaptive nature of pictures/portraits more.
Hillary said this on January 27, 2010 at 9:10 pm
If you’re talking about the pictures adapting to what the subjects think, the Potters *knew* they switched Secret Keepers and that Sirius hadn’t betrayed them, so it makes sense that they’re still happily standing with Sirius in their wedding photo. But I love the thought of wizards bringing these pictures into court as evidence. :)
Natalia said this on January 28, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Is it just me, or did anyone else find it disconcerting at first that the atrium is the highest-up floor (i.e. closest to “ground” level) and then as they travel downwards in the elevator, the floor numbers increase?
Anna said this on March 14, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Anna, I thought this was confusing too.
GinGin4 said this on May 10, 2010 at 6:09 pm