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Cornelius Oswald Fudge is the Minister of Magic, and a supporting character in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with him being a tertiary antagonist.

He is played by the late actor Robert Hardy.

Background[]

Official Description[]

Development[]

Personality[]

During his time as Minister, Cornelius Fudge initially comes off as a good-natured, well-meaning person, but in reality, he is prejudiced, favoring pure-bloods and people of higher social status than those of lower class.

After Voldemort’s resurrection, Fudge lets his paranoia get the best of him; he dismisses even the most concrete evidence of his return.

Physical Appearance[]

History[]

Appearances[]

Films[]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets[]

Cornelius Fudge only appears, along with Albus Dumbledore, in a brief scene to take Rubeus Hagrid to Azkaban, because after the recent attack on Hermione, he felt that it was time for the Ministry of Magic to take action, even though Hagrid wasn't really the culprit. At the same time, Lucius Malfoy turns up to reveal that the school governors have signed an order to suspend Dumbledore, despite Hagrid's protests and claims that attacks will become more frequent with him gone.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban[]

Shortly after Harry leaves the Dursley's after inadvertently inflating Aunt Marge and riding the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron, he meets with Fudge, who lets him off the hook. Throughout the year, Fudge spends his time at Hogwarts, due to the escape of Sirius Black, whom everyone believes is a serial killer.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire[]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix[]

After the events of Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts, and the return of Lord Voldemort, Fudge denies the facts, and resorts to smearing Harry, as well as Dumbledore, who he believes wants his position as Minister. According to members of the Order of the Phoenix, Fudge isn't "in his right mind". When Harry goes to the Ministry of Magic for a hearing due to performing a Patronus charm to save himself and his cousin Dudley Dursley from a pair of Dementors, Fudge hardly believes that Dementors would wander into a Muggle suburb, even laughing at the thought, because as his Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge states, Dementors are under the Ministry's control, denies Dumbledore's statement that Voldemort may be responsible for the attack, and is one of the few that votes for Harry's conviction. Luckily, the majority of the court votes to clear Harry of all charges.

Determined to keep a close eye on Dumbledore, Fudge appoints Umbridge as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. He eventually makes her the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, giving her powers to address the "seriously falling standards at Hogwarts School"; in reality, she's making life difficult for everyone at the school. Everytime something attributed to Voldemort happens, Fudge claims that Sirius is the culprit. One evening in the Gryffindor Common Room, Sirius visits Harry, Ron, and Hermione; after telling him about Umbridge's classes, he reveals that Fudge is having Umbridge teach only a theoretical-based course out of concern that Dumbledore is building an army to take the fight to the Ministry, and is doing everything he can to ensure the truth is never revealed.

Even when Voldemort's most loyal henchmen, including Sirius's ruthless cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, escape from Azkaban, Fudge is still unwilling to believe that Voldemort has returned. He is summoned to the school by Umbridge after she finds out about Dumbledore's Army, an organization that Harry, Ron, and Hermione started to give their friends combat training. Dumbledore takes full responsibility for the organization and escapes with the help of Fawkes. In the end, Fudge and numerous other Ministry personnel catch a glimpse of Voldemort in the Ministry just before he Disapparates. Having seen Voldemort with his own eyes, Fudge says with shock in his voice "He's back.", and can hardly believe that Harry and Dumbledore were right all along. Afterwards, Fudge contemplates resignation.

Order-of-the-phoenix-movie-screencaps

A section of the Daily Prophet, hinting at Fudge's possible resignation.

Other appearances[]

Video games[]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets[]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban[]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix[]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1[]

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4[]

Lego Harry Potter: Years 5–7[]

Theme Parks[]

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter[]

Relationships[]

Harry Potter[]

Cornelius Fudge initially viewed Harry as a nephew, and treated him with the utmost respect. This changed after Voldemort was revived; he began to think Harry was unbalanced and insane, partly due to Rita Skeeter’s made-up articles about him. He intended to sideline Harry in the Wizarding community and expel him from Hogwarts. He had the Daily Prophet print articles about him that made him look like a deluded attention-seeker. After a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry, during which Fudge voted for Harry’s conviction, but was outvoted.

Quotes[]

Gallery[]

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Trivia[]

Differences from the source material[]

v - e - d
Wizarding World logo
Media
Films: Harry Potter Logo Philosopher's Stone | Chamber of Secrets | Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Half-Blood Prince | Deathly Hallows (Part 1 / Part 2)

Spin-off films: Fantastic Beasts and where to find them logo
Video games: Philosopher's Stone | Chamber of Secrets | Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Half-Blood Prince | Deathly Hallows (Part 1 / Part 2) | Quidditch World Cup
Lego Video games: Lego Creator: Harry Potter | Lego Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 / Years 5–7
Soundtracks:
Home video: Video

Characters
Original characters:Harry Potter | Ron Weasley | Hermione Granger | Albus Dumbledore | Minerva McGonagall | Rubeus Hagrid | Fred Weasley | George Weasley | Angelina Johnson | Alicia Spinnet | Gilderoy Lockhart | Remus Lupin | Alastor Moody | Quirinus Quirrell | Horace Slughorn | Percy Weasley | Cho Chang | Colin Creevey | Cedric Diggory | Fleur Delacour | Viktor Krum | Gabrielle Delacour | Ginny Weasley | Neville Longbottom | Luna Lovegood | Sirius Black | Vernon Dursley | Dudley Dursley | Petunia Dursley | Lord Voldemort | Draco Malfoy | Lucius Malfoy | Narcissa Malfoy | Cornelius Fudge | Dolores Umbridge | Alecto Carrow | the Dementors of Azkaban | Amycus Carrow | Vincent Crabbe | Gregory Goyle | Argus Filch | Severus Snape | Bellatrix Lestrange | Bartemius Crouch Jr | Regulus Black | Pius Thicknesse | Salazar Slytherin

Spin-off characters: Newt Scamander | Tina Goldstein | Jacob Kowalski | Queenie Goldstein | Percival Graves | Seraphina Picquery | Credence Barebone | Mary Lou Barebon | Gnarlack | Henry Shaw Sr. | Langdon Shaw | Henry Shaw Jr. | Modesty Barebone | Chastity Barebone | Gellert Grindelwald | Leta Lestrange

Creatures
The Basilisk | The Mountain Troll | The Hungarian Horntail
Mascots/Pets
Crookshanks | Nagini | Hedwig | Fawkes | Buckbeak
Mystical Animals
Locations
Hogwarts Castle: | Grand Staircase Tower | Great Hall | Gryffindor Tower | Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch | The Forbidden Forest | Forbidden Third Floor Corridor | Underground Chambers | Hospital Wing | Slytherin Dungeon | The Chamber of Secrets | Topmost Tower | Platform 9¾

Diagon Alley: | Gringotts Wizarding Bank | Ollivander's
Residences: 4 Privet Drive | The Burrow | Godric's Hallow | Potter's Cottage
Other Locations: Limbo | England | Azkaban | British Ministry of Magic | Department of Mysteries

Objects
Weapons: Godric Gryffindor's Sword

Brooms/Nimbus: Nimbus 2000 | Nimbus 2001 | The Firebolt
Wands: Harry's Wand | Ron's Wand | Hermione's Wand | Voldemort's Wand | Elder Wand
Others: The Remembrall | The Invisibility Cloak | The Philosopher's Stone | Mirror of Erised | The Sorting Hat | The Basilisk Fang | Tom Riddle's Diary | The Marauder's Map | The Goblet of Fire | Deluminator

Transports
Powders: Floo Powder | Floo Network

Vehicles: Flying Ford Anglia | Flying Motorcycle | Hogwarts Express

Organizations/Groups
Order of the Phoenix | Dumbledore's Army | Death Eaters
People
Directors: Chris Columbus (12) | Alfonso Cuarón (3) | Mike Newell (4) | David Yates (58)

Producers: David Heyman | Chris Columbus (3) | Mark Radcliffe (3) | David Barron (58) | J. K. Rowling (78)
Screenwriters: Steve Kloves (14, 68) | Michael Goldenberg (5)
Cast Members: Daniel Radcliffe | Rupert Grint | Emma Watson | Maggie Smith | Robbie Coltrane | Alan Rickman | Tom Felton | Richard Harris (2001-2002) | Michael Gambon (2004-present) | Helena Bonham Carter | Warwick Davies | Ralph Fiennes | Brendan Gleeson | Richard Griffiths | Jason Isaacs | Gary Oldman | Fiona Shaw | Mark Williams | Julie Walters | Emma Thompson | Timothy Spall | David Thewlis | Miranda Richardson | Ian Hart
Novelist: J.K. Rowling

See also
J.K. Rowling | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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