Ministry Historian

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

— George Santayana

Qualifications

The Ministry Historian must have achieved Outstanding in all OWLs and NEWTs taken, but must have qualifications in the following:

• History of Magic
• Arithmancy
• Ancient Runes
• Potions
• Care of Magical Creatures
• Astronomy

The Ministry Historian is not required to have qualifications in Transfiguration, Charms, or Defense - skill with magic is not required as much as knowledge of the history of the magical world.
In addition, the Ministry Historian must have:

• Served in a position at the Ministry of Magic - at least a department head
• Done research as a Fellow at the Grand Library of the Wizengamot
• Gained a Doctorate of Letters in History

There are only two ways a Ministry Historian can leave their position - death or retirement. The cannot be removed by any except the reigning Monarch.
There is, in fact, a law stating that the Ministry Historian must be a pureblood or a halfblood raised in the wizarding world.

Requirements

When a Ministry Historian dies or retires, a new one is almost immediately selected. The Ministry Historian is expected to have a list of potential canidates for nomination.
The Minister for Magic, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and any Gnome working at the Grand Library can put forth a name for consideration.
The nominees are set before the Hidden Council and interviewed. Any who manage to pass this step in the process are taken before the Wizengamot to be interviewed by the the seated members, the Chief Warlock, and a representative from Gringotts, a representative from the Grand Library and the faculty of Hogwarts School fo Witchcraft and Wizardry.
A vote it taken, but only certain members may vote:

• The Minister for Magic
• The Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot
• One member of the Hogwarts faculty
• The Representative of Gringotts
• The Representative of the Grand Library
• The Representative of the Hidden Council
• Two selected members of the Wizengamot from the two most influential factions

Appointment

Once confirmed, a Ministry Historian is taken to the Grand Library and given their robes of office and given the magic items (known only to the Gnomes of the Library and the Ministry Historian) that allow them access to the Books of Record for the Ministry.
The new Ministry Historian is then taken by the Hidden Council to the Queen, where they swear an Unbreakable Oath and are given their official title and invested into their Office.

Duties

The Ministry Historian is viewed as the keeper of wizarding traditions and culture, as well as a master of history. They can perform marriages, confirm divorces, and are responsible for deciding what is or isn't worth preserving in Ministry archives and records.
They answer questions of history - not just who did what to whom and why, but what matters and what doesn't.
They are responsible for assigning Minisry scribes, secretaries, and officials to events and tasks, and often speak to the press on behalf of the Ministry. They often serve as an advisor to the Minister and to the judges of the Wizengamot.

Responsibilities

The Ministry Historian is responsible for a great many things, but they have little official power.

The Grand Library of the Wizengamot

The Ministry Historian is responsible for overseeing the Grand Libtrary (though, they tecnically have little to do there), and running the Board of Governors for that Organization.

The Hidden Council

The Ministry Historian has a standing seat on the Hidden Council and is responsible for providing context and information to Queen and Council, and thus must be up to date on everything going on at the Ministry and understand its historical significance.

Governemnt Responsibilities

The Ministry Historian oversees the Department of Records & Information and the Department of Magical Archives, though is not the Department Head. The Department Heads reports to them, and not to any other Department or Official - this is to keep that Department out of the politics (as much as possible) and because the Oaths taken by the Ministry Historian force them to keep that Department honest and accurate.
They also oversee all Ministry scribes, secretaries, archivists, and record keepers.

Maintianing Magical History

The Ministry Historian is tasked with making sure magical history is recorded and archived properly, including the preservation of documents, speeches, memories, prophecies, artifacts, and all other noteable items and events.

Benefits

Whiel the salary for the Ministry Historian is substantial, the position comes with a great deal of political and social clout, as well as influence over much of wizarding culture.

Accoutrements & Equipment

The Ministry Historian wear the white robes of a scholar, and carries a golden quill they can use to write in even the magical Books of Record that record things like prophecies, and even the Book of Hogwarts.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

The only way a Minisry Historian can be removed from their position is by an order by the reigning Monarch.
There is no instance in history where this has happened, and the only way the Monarch would remove a sitting historian is if they broke their Oaths - as they are Unbreakable Oaths, this is very unlikely.

Form of Address

Master Scholar

Alternative Naming

Historian of the Wizengamot

Source of Authority

Ministry of Magic, Her Majesty the Queen of England

Length of Term

Lifetime

Related Locations

• Grand Library of the Wizengamot

Related Organizations

• Hidden Council