Death

Unspeakables working in the Death division are responsible for investigating the inner workings of death and the process of dying. The Unspeakables here focus on how the body and soul are separately affected by death and the specific causes which may affect each. They have been striving for centuries to achieve true necromancy, a long lost art, which will result not in an Inferi or zombie but in raising a person from the dead with their soul intact. This is something they have made inroads on in recent years.

The Death division also houses the Death Chamber, which is a large, square room with many stone tiers leading down to a pit. In this pit is a stone archway with an old curtain hanging in it on a dais that is referred to as the Veil. Some people hear voices coming from the other side of the veil, though no one actually knows where it goes. There is speculation it leads to the afterlife because it seems there is no coming back through the Veil once one has entered it. The Unspeakables are still studying it and attempting to unlock the secrets of the Veil so they can better understand it. Despite not knowing exactly where it leads or what it does, anyone who falls through the Veil is considered to be dead, such as Sirius Black.

The Unspeakables in the Death Department are the ones responsible for the initial creation of the Killing Curse and for the spells which create an Inferius and a horcrux.

Some of the things Unspeakables study in this division:
• The possibility of reversing death through necromancy
• Can the soul be caught when leaving the body?
• Do all souls leave dead bodies?
• Where do souls go when they leave?
• Can they be recalled?
• What is it about dying that affects the soul to make it leave?
• Can the soul be forcibly extracted from the body?
• How long will a body live without a soul inside it?
• Can a body without a soul be sustained and kept alive? For how long?
• Can a soul be replaced into its body?
• What happens if a soul resides in a dead body?
• Can a soul be inserted into a new body?
• Are displaced souls easier to control?
• How does the death of a human vary from that of various magical non-humans?
• Is it possible to domesticate Inferi?
• Can one create a temporary death without soul displacement?
• Is it possible to force someone to experience death without actually dying?
• Is it possible to cause someone to die in a horribly excruciating way without leaving any evidence?
• What are the slowest acting ways to kill a person?
• Can a person's body be reverted back to a healthy status post-mortem as to not leave clues to the cause of death?
• Can a slower Killing Curse be developed?
• Does the Killing Curse cause a painless death?
• Can it be altered to cause varying degrees of pain during death?
• Can necromancy control Inferi called up by another wizard?
• How old can a corpse be and still be called up by necromancy?
• Is there any way to reverse the decaying of the body when reanimated through necromancy?