Ministry of Magic, Level Nine

Department of Mysteries

The Department of Mysteries is a section of the Ministry of Magic that carries out confidential research. Most of its operations are carried out in total secrecy. Few wizards within the Ministry actually know what is located within this department, though it is learned that the various mysteries of the world are studied there, these include: love, space, thought, time, death, and others. Those wizards who work in the Department of Mysteries are known as Unspeakables because of the confidential nature of their work.

Photos!: Department of Mysteries layout

• Mysteries Employee Files
• Mysteries Office Announcements & Memos

Entry Chamber

The Department of Mysteries is a section of the Ministry of Magic that carries out confidential and labyrinthine research, and much like the concepts studied here, it is perhaps the most confusing to navigate. There is no main corridor and therefore no reception desk nor receptionist. Instead there lies a circular chamber circular room with a dark marble floor that looks almost like standing water. Floating candles emitting a cool blue light illuminate the room with an eerie glow. Whenever a door closes, the walls rotate, making it impossible to determine which door is which. For those who have business within the Department, all one must do is speak the name of the Chamber or Room with which said business is and the room will guide you - spinning until the appropriate door stops directly in front of you. It is not uncommon that visitors to the Department will walk through the door only to find themselves right back where they started and may need to wait for an Unspeakable to pass by to assist as this Spinning Room is known to have a mind of its own.

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Office of the Department Head, Airey Flamsteed

Oval in shape, the office of the Department Head is, in one word, quite sterile. The walls are glistening white and the carpet resembles marble more so than fabric, giving off a ridiculously clean vibe. While he is not exactly obsessive compulsive about cleanliness, Department Head Airey Flamsteed highly values organization and keeps everything in a specific location. Needless to say, if one of his quills is at an odd angle ... he will notice. The cabinets above his desk are nearly invisible against the wall and are filled with all sorts of reference books and historical tomes collected himself. The surface of his desk is mostly empty except for some black screens whose use is unknown and a comfortable looking pillow where the man's pet rocks, Pebbles and Boulder, tend to rest. Beside this is a plant in a unique looking planter.

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Assembly Chamber

The Assembly Chamber doubles as a conference room and a meeting space for unstructured sessions. This space magically adjustable so that it can expand to fit the entire department if necessary and even its appearance will alter depending on the severity of the discussion to take place: a futuristic sterile space with a circular table or a homey feeling room with a round swing table of multicolored seats. This is where information and demonstrations are given and can be magically projected for presentations and briefings without worry that those outside the room will overhear thanks to the enchantments in place.

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Decompression Chamber

Much like the rest of the Department of Mysteries itself, even the designated 'break room' is an oddity.

One may think they have entered a rock zen garden upon entering the Decompression Chamber, but as your feet walk upon the plush and bouncy floor these concerns begin to diminish. If the extra bounce to your step was not enough, then upon further inspection the discover that the 42 rocks are, in fact, pillows will certainly drill home the idea. There is not a hard surface in the room from floor to wall to ceiling, even the vending machine - FREE for all Ministry employees! - by the door is plush and squishy with packaged contents reminiscent of vintage muggle astronaut food - although you will only find ice cream in a variety of wizarding and muggle flavors here along with various drinks (hot coffee included). One need simply to press their Ministry badge to the scanner and input the number combination for the desired item and it will levitate from its place right out through the enchanted rubbery glass to you. Just be sure to take all trash with you when you leave.

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Time Chamber

Perhaps one of the most attractive chambers in the whole of Mysteries is the Time Chamber. Long and rectangular, the room is resplendent with crystal and a myriad of clocks from different eras fill the crystal pedestals that run the length of the room. The walls too, where there is not a door, there is a wall clock hung upon them. The ticking is audible, noticeable and not in sync with one another in the assortment of grandfathers, cuckoos, ships, and mantels. Also out of step along with the ticking are the times upon each clock face, which all seem to read any time but the present. It may be easy to lose track of time, but that is almost part of the job description for the Unspeakables working here. In fact, it may be useful to think of it as not an arrival to a where, but an arrival to a when.

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Thought Chamber

The clean and bright space is dominated by a large tank of deep green coloured potion. Inside the potion, pearly white forms float about in a deliberate manner as they are very much alive and very much brains - the Encephalons. Though they are mostly content to stay in their tanks and swim around, if removed or provoked they can attack so extra care must be given in their handling. They are here to aid in the research and study of the impact thought has throughout the magical world.

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Space Chamber

The immediate impact of the Space Chamber is the all encompassing darkness, but following closely might be the feeling of vastness. As if someone had snuck a shrinking spell upon those that enter there is something about the universe, even if only a simulated one, that can make one feel small. Gaseous iridescent colours provide light as do the rest of the heavenly bodies above head. Each shift starts with dusk sky that becomes darker the longer one stands in the room until nothing but the stars and bodies above are visible. The shift for the day has ended as the sky gradually lightens from black to introduce the blue hour. More than just projections, the celestial bodies, nebulas and spiral galaxies have the ability to form very life-like magical simulations of the conditions one is bound to find in the deep cavity of space. A light stroll or in some cases a sensation of weightlessness or flying will easily and quickly propel one to one's target destination whether it happens to be Io or the horsehead nebula or perhaps a closer look at a black hole.

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Love Chamber

Behind this unassuming but heavily protected door, Unspeakables conduct research on one of the most mysterious and potent types of magic known to Wizardkind: Love. The door to the Ever-locked Room has been charmed so that no amount of Alohomora or magical pen-knives will permit entry. You might notice a pleasant or perhaps annoying scent as you enter. That would be the fountain of Amortentia located in the exact center of the room. To the immediate left of the fountain are workstations, cauldrons, burners and cabinets full of supplies and ingredients for the Potioneers to conduct their research. On the right side of the room are workstations where the Charmists perform their duties.

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Hall of Prophecy

The Hall of Prophecy consists of a pearly white antechamber and a vast and dark long room bearing a resemblance to a large warehouse or perhaps a hangar for storing a muggle aircraft. The staggeringly high shelves of the Hall of Prophecy proper form row after dimly lit row of crystal clear and somewhat bright orbs of varying sized. These small glimmering vessels hold valuable prophecies within them only attainable by the person of whom they speak. Due to it's size and the sheer volume of prophecies recorded and stored within the hall, it is not uncommon for Unspeakables stationed in this room to go for long periods through the day without seeing one another.

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Death Chamber

A bit like an amphitheater, the Death Chamber is rectangular, symmetrical and stone. The immediate walking surface is actually the first step of many toward the sunken center of the room. In keeping with the Greco-Roman arrangement of the space, marble is used throughout including the dais at the center of the sunken space upon which sits an old looking arch that looks as if it could crumble at any moment. Hanging loosely from the arch is a veil tattered and so worn that it's black colour appeared shades of bone, green and blue at times. Voices of those passed into the great beyond can sometimes be heard in faint whispers by those to whom they were close in their corruptible states....but impossible to properly converse with.

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Chamber of Codes

The Chamber of Codes contains the extensive library containing all of the information and research gathered from the work that the Department of Mysteries has uncovered since it's inception. Photos, actual artifacts, a warded bell jar containing a broken timeturner, countless tomes, grimoires and records fill the space - including, a certain book of fairytales. All Unspeakables may use the archives to further your research. Visitors to the Department of Mysteries will need to be granted permission by their Department Head and clearance by the Department Head of Mysteries before using this Chamber.

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