Cornelius Oswald Fudge

Cornelius Fudge was the Minister for Magic from 1990 to 1996. Initially portrayed as a somewhat bumbling and pompous but largely benign politician, his tenure is defined by his staunch and paranoid refusal to accept the return of Lord Voldemort. Driven by a fear of losing his position and disrupting the peace he had carefully maintained, Fudge initiated a widespread smear campaign against Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, installed Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to seize control, and ultimately allowed Voldemort to regain a significant foothold. His fall from power serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of political denialism, the corrupting influence of power, and prioritizing public image over the truth.

Prior to becoming Minister for Magic, Fudge worked for the Ministry of Magic as the Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. In this capacity, he was one of the first wizards to arrive at the scene of the Potters' murder in Godric's Hollow on the night of Voldemort's first downfall. In 1990, following the retirement of Millicent Bagnold, Fudge was elected Minister for Magic. The wizarding community had hoped Albus Dumbledore would take the post, but after he declined, the position was contested by Barty Crouch Sr. and Fudge. Crouch's popularity had waned, and Fudge's less imposing nature made him a more palatable candidate. Throughout his early years, Fudge frequently wrote to Dumbledore for advice, demonstrating a reliance on and a deep-seated fear of the Hogwarts Headmaster's superior power and popularity.

Fudge's early interactions with Harry Potter were generally positive. He showed leniency by not punishing Harry for accidentally inflating his aunt, Marge Dursley, and seemed to hold Harry in high regard. However, his administration was characterized by a susceptibility to influence from wealthy pure-blood families like the Malfoys. When Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban, Fudge's response was panicked and severe, authorizing the use of Dementors at Hogwarts and approving the Dementor's Kiss without a trial.

The turning point of Fudge's career came after Harry Potter witnessed the return of Lord Voldemort at the conclusion of the Triwizard Tournament. Terrified by the implications of Voldemort's return—the end of a long period of peace and a direct threat to his comfortable position of power—Fudge chose denial. He refused to believe Harry and Dumbledore, instead convincing himself that Dumbledore was plotting to overthrow him. Using his control over the Daily Prophet, Fudge launched a vicious smear campaign, branding Harry as an unstable, attention-seeking liar and Dumbledore as a senile old man. He passed a series of Educational Decrees to undermine Dumbledore's authority at Hogwarts, culminating in the appointment of his deeply loyal and cruel Senior Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, as High Inquisitor and later Headmistress.

Fudge's willful ignorance came to a dramatic end when Voldemort was seen by dozens of people, including Fudge himself, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Faced with undeniable proof, he was forced to admit the truth to the wizarding world. The public outcry over his catastrophic mishandling of the situation, which had given Voldemort a full year to operate in secret, led to his sacking in the summer of 1996. He was replaced by Rufus Scrimgeour.

After his dismissal, Fudge stayed on at the Ministry in an advisory capacity. He took on the role of liaising with the Muggle Prime Minister, introducing him to Scrimgeour and briefing him on the escalating events of the Second Wizarding War. In these appearances, Fudge appeared diminished, humbled, and deeply regretful of his past actions. His ultimate fate following the fall of the Ministry to Voldemort's forces is unknown.

Cornelius Fudge is described as a portly, stout man who often wore a pinstriped cloak and, most characteristically, a lime-green bowler hat. He had a tendency to twist and fidget with his bowler hat when he was nervous or stressed. Initially, Fudge's personality was amiable and somewhat pompous, enjoying the celebrity and status that came with his office. He was easily flustered but generally well-meaning. As the series progresses, his deep-seated insecurities and lust for power are revealed. He became intensely paranoid, believing that Dumbledore coveted his job. He was weak-willed and easily swayed by influential figures like Lucius Malfoy, prioritizing political convenience over justice. After his downfall, he displayed a defeated and remorseful demeanor, finally understanding the gravity of his failures.

As a long-serving Ministry of Magic official and eventual Minister, Fudge was presumably a competent and qualified wizard. However, the books do not depict him performing any significant magic. His skills were primarily political and administrative rather than practical or combative. He was capable of Apparition and using the Floo Network. Details about his wand, Patronus Charm, or academic performance at Hogwarts are not mentioned in the novels.

• Bowler Hat: Fudge's trademark was his lime-green bowler hat, a constant presence and an object he often wrung in his hands when agitated.
• Wand: Fudge owned a wand, though its wood, core, and length are unknown.

• Albus Dumbledore: Fudge had a complicated and deteriorating relationship with Dumbledore. In his early days as Minister, he relied heavily on Dumbledore's counsel, yet he simultaneously harbored a significant fear of Dumbledore's immense power and influence, which eventually curdled into a deep-seated paranoia that Dumbledore sought to usurp him.
• Harry Potter: Fudge's attitude toward Harry shifted dramatically. He began with a paternalistic and indulgent view, treating Harry as the famous Boy Who Lived. This changed to outright hostility when Harry became the primary source of the news Fudge refused to accept. He used his power to discredit Harry, viewing him not as a boy, but as a political problem.
• Dolores Umbridge: As his Senior Undersecretary, Umbridge was Fudge's most loyal and ruthless subordinate. He trusted her implicitly to carry out his agenda at Hogwarts, empowering her with near-absolute authority, which demonstrated his own capacity for cruelty and his desperation to maintain control.
• Lucius Malfoy: Fudge was easily influenced by Lucius Malfoy, whose generous donations to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and powerful position in society allowed him to gain the Minister's ear. This relationship highlighted Fudge's corruptibility and poor judgment.

• Cornelius: A traditional Roman name, possibly derived from the Latin cornu, meaning “horn.” It gives him an air of established, if undeserved, authority.
• Oswald: An Old English name derived from Os (“god”) and weald (“power” or “rule”). The name, meaning “divine power,” is deeply ironic for a character defined by his incompetence and eventual loss of all power.
• Fudge: The name is highly indicative of his character. As a verb, “to fudge” means to prevaricate, conceal the truth, or deal with something in a vague or inadequate way, perfectly describing his response to Voldemort's return. As a noun, it is a soft, sweet confection, alluding to his “soft” or weak-willed political nature.

• In the film adaptations of the *Harry Potter* series, Cornelius Fudge was portrayed by the late British actor Robert Hardy.
• J.K. Rowling has stated that she saw parallels between Fudge's policy of denial and the appeasement policy of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain toward Adolf Hitler prior to World War II (J.K. Rowling interview).
• According to additional information from Pottermore, Fudge was married to a woman named Mrs. Fudge. He ran for Minister against both Barty Crouch Sr. and Amelia Bones (Pottermore).