Improper Use of Magic Office

The Improper Use of Magic Office (or IUM) is a division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. Its operations work with criminal law, though specialists from other types of law as well as other fields are welcome to the Office.

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Defining Improper Use of Magic

The Office defines 'improper use of magic' as the use of magic outside the boundaries of the Statute and similar restrictions. The IUM passes verdicts proportionate to such criminal acts, taking into account intent and the severity of consequences.

Statute of Secrecy Regulation

The office is responsible for enforcing minor violations of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy and of regulating the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, which restricts underage wizards from performing magic outside school.

Protocol

Upon receiving intelligence of transgressions, the IUM notifies offenders of actions that will be taken by the office in response.

Serious infringements and breaches are handed off to Magical Law Enforcement or the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. From there cases may be brought to a higher court for due process.

First-time offenders of Underage Sorcery are usually let off with a warning while repeated offences are judged on a case-by-case basis.

Consultation

The IUM works closely with the judicial system and strives to achieve impartiality in advising cases brought to trial. It also consults and works with the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and the Muggle Affairs Office.

As a result the majority of its employees are usually familiar with law, if not solicitors themselves at one point in time.

Enforcement of Statute Wards

Due to the possible destruction or deterioration of anti-Muggle measures to wix locations and environments, members of the Office are required to be competent with warding spells and protection charms.

Occasionally the Office will send inspectors to assist Magical Accidents and Catastrophes to strengthen these wards.

The Office

The physical office is located directly opposite the Wizengamot Administration Services, with its back to the Temporary Detention Cells. Right next to it is the Domestic Offices of Law, where some employees of the Office (mostly clerks) work since the IUM doesn't have that much space. Senior officers and people trusted most by Mordecai Hollingbury have their desks situated within that space. It is small enough that eavesdropping requires little to no effort, which leads to a select few being present in the office at any given time for private matters.

Within the Office is what is known as the Board. Built against one of the walls of the office, it displays a map of Great Britain and all cities, towns and magical landmarks. Because this makes a map very cluttered, each type of location (city, town, uninhabited landmark) is displayed on its own layer that can be switched to display with a wand. The Board is said to also reveal Unplottable places, but this requires the approval and presence of the Head of the IUM. Each location is depicted by spots of bright blue and connected together by thin lines.

The Board tracks any use of magic with regards to the Trace. When no such event has been detected, the Board appears to be simply an old map. In the event of a detection of magic, the it lights up, displays the layer with the specific type of location where the event has taken place in proximity and sends red light running along all lines connected to that location.

The Board also doubles as a corkboard for notes. When it gets hectic it can end up being covered in notes until activity dies down.

The IUM has one magical window that appears and disappears on command. It takes up the length of the wall opposite the desk of the Head.

Office Culture

Due to limited space, conversations can be eavesdropped on unless parties involved use a more private space. There are no secrets to be had within the IUM in terms of work or politics, unless held under a non-disclosure agreement.

The Office is not always seen favourably. Much of its work is done from behind a desk and not in the field, which draws mockery from 'frontliners'.

Memers of the IUM therefore have strong camaraderie. They can also be friendly and welcome others into their fold. Banter and arguments are common, as well as a level of familiarity; an employee closing themselves off will generate suspicion. The principle is that since they're in this job together, they have to stick together.

This open-plan office does and does not apply to the desk of the Head of Improper Use. In the event of a private discussion during work hours, the desk becomes surrounded by a Sound-Proofing Line, which creates translucent walls around the desk to provide privacy and absolute blocking of eavesdropping.

Heads of Improper Use of Magic

Head	Term of Office
Dolores Umbridge	pre-1991 - 19??
Travers	1997 - 1998
Mordecai Hollingbury	2000 - Current

Staff

Current

• Head: Mordecai Hollingbury
• Deputy Head: Sameera Taylor
• Forensic Investigator/Analyst: Dieter Morgenstern (NPC)
• Administrative Coordinator: Anastasia Dupont

Former

• Jacob Dorian, Intern

On Absit Omen

• Mordecai Hollingbury was present at the Souldern Dragon Sanctuary, reinforcing the wards when a Futurist attack occurred in Futurist Attack: Head of Improper Use Injured (22 February 2017)