Department of Magical Activities
From Namericanpotter
Contents |
History
The Department of Magical Activities was founded in 1789, about the same time as the Muggle Department of State. It was founded by a group of like-minded wizards in Philadelphia, the head of which was an Obrimos by the name of Nathanial Thatcher. He had served under General George Washington in the Revolutionary War, and was an aide to the newly elected president. The general had already had an inkling that something was unusual about Nathanial, and his suspicions were confirmed when Nathanial revealed himself as a wizard. In short order, the two men worked out an agreement much like that between Britain's Prime Minister and the Minister of Magic, although with one noticeable difference: while the Ministry of Magic was completely separate from the British government, the members of the Department of Magical Affairs would also be employees of the State Department (and later departments as they were founded). This allowed the two to work together in a more effective fashion, and also created the closer bond to Muggle society that separates British and American wizards.
Nathanial acted as the first Secretary of Magical Affairs, retiring in 1817. Ever since, the Secretary has also been an aide in the White House, allowing for easier communication between the Secretary and the President. Most will remain in office for at least one full presidency, and many have stayed for a number of years, becoming the aides that everyone knows. Overall, the revelation of the Secretary to the newly-elected president occurs soon after their inaugurations, and varies from shock to outrage; in time, though, things smooth out for the most part.
Since the wizarding population of the United States was still growing, the various Offices were quite small at first. In the beginning, the employees of the DMA also all worked in the Department of State. As time went on and more departments were created in the Muggle government, the various offices of the DMA integrated themselves into the new departments. However, the officials of the DMA ultimately report to the Secretary, and a conference of DMA members occurs biannually to keep the offices working smoothly.
Current Secretary
Name: Whitney Langford
Path: Obrimos
To folks in Washington, Whitney Langford is an icon. He has served in the White House for nearly forty years and has served with every president as a member of the Secret Service since Nixon took office. He has heard almost everything that has occurred in the Oval Office, and he always becomes close with the current president. As any American wizard worth his salt knows, Whitney is also the longest-serving Secretary in the history of the Department. He is a force to be reckoned with on both magical and mortal fronts, with deep connections in each sphere and a formidable control of magic at his command.
Born from a Muggle family in Alexandria, VA, Whitney graduated from the Manhattan School of Advanced Wizardry in 1940. He served in the Marines during World War II, got a degree in Criminal Justice from Georgetown, worked as a police officer in Washington, D.C., then joined the Secret Service soon after John F. Kennedy was killed. Throughout all this, he rose in the Department of Magical Activities, becoming the Deputy Secretary of the department within a year of the joining the Secret Service. Upon his predecessor's retirement in 1970, he stepped into the seat of Secretary and has held it since.
Whitney is a Master of the Forces and Matter Arcana, and has used his abilities to protect those under his care. His term as Secretary has been rather calm, considering the uproar seen in Muggle politics over the past thirty-something years. He is a rather personable man, but takes his work very seriously.
Bureaus
Bureau of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes
- Tied to Muggle Department of Homeland Security (Formerly Justice)
- Current Director: Melissa Harbor; Mastigos
Bureau of Magical Education
- Tied to Muggle Department of Education
- Current Director: Katherine Hughes; Obrimos
Bureau of Magical Law Enforcement
- Tied to the Muggle Department of Justice
- Current Director: Hannah Morrow; Mastigos
Bureau of Magical Transportation
- Tied to Muggle Department of Transportation
- Current Director: Thomas Keating; Moros
Bureau of Mysteries
- Located in Library of Congress
- Current Lorekeeper: Tobias Beecher; Acanthus
Bureau for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
- Tied to Muggle Departments of Agriculture and the Interior
- Current Director: Justin Grant; Thyrsus
