Guards at the Ministry

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 71784

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> Sorry, don't remember which thread this was originally in, but there
> was some debate over the Ministry being empty when Harry went there 
to
> rescue Sirius from Voldemort.
> 
> People found it odd, as did Harry, that no one, not even a guard was
> there.
> 
> I already pointed out, that when the portrait when to the Min. of
> Magic to find Arthur Weasley, he/she shouted until someone came to
> assist. This was at night after the DA Club meeting which ends at 
9pm.
> Then H/R/H sat around the common room talking and doing homework 
until
> the everyone had left the room and the fire had burned down to 
coals.
> That means it was after midnight.
> 
> So there were people available to be roused after midnight at the
> Ministry on a weekday.
> 
> Also, I knew there was another reference to a night guard at the
> Ministry but I couldn't remember where I saw it, but last night I
> found it. It was in the news article about Sturgis Podmore.
> 
> "...Podmore was arrested by Ministy of Magic WATCHWIZARD Eric Munch,
> who found him attempting to force his way through a top security 
door
> at one o'clock in the morning. ..."
> 
> Some suggested that there might be a night shift at the Minstry, or
> that the Ministry opperated 24/7, but I don't think so; few 
governemnt
> offices do. I think there might be a separate location for the 
Magical
> Law Enforcement office where wizard-cops and Aurors are stationed 
for
> their night duty. That's just about the only office that would have 
to
> operate 24/7. There is a Magical Law Enforcement office at the
> Ministry, but I think that is just an adminstrative office. The 
place
> I'm talking about is more like a precinct police station.
> 
> Conclusion: the DE's cleared the way for Harry by removing any
> watchwizards and maintenance personel that might cause problems.


And, in Chapter Two, Harry receives messages from the MoM about his 
illegal use of magic in chasing the Dementors away.  The letters 
state quite clearly the time that Harry was known to have used magic 
at twenty-three minutes after nine.  Someone was obviously manning 
the desks/scanners/magical detection room to be able to detect the 
use of magic and immediately send out an owl to Harry.

Marianne