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Ginny Weasley
The pompous and self-important Minister of Magic. Though Harry has most often found Fudge to be bumbling and fatherly throughout the series, Fudge becomes an adversary this year by refusing to believe that Voldemort has returned. He does whatever he can to discredit Harry, including forcing the Daily Prophet to only print what he wants them to, and installing Umbridge at Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and then as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor. In doing this, Fudge demonstrates that he understands that the best way to keep the population under his thumb is by controlling what young people hear and learn at school. Fudge also attempts to expel Harry from Hogwarts outright after Harry defends himself and Dudley against a dementor, but he's forced to abide by the rule of law, give Harry a hearing, and accept the governing body's decision to clear Harry of all charges. Fudge only believes that Voldemort is back when he sees Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic.
Cornelius Fudge Quotes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quotes below are all either spoken by Cornelius Fudge or refer to Cornelius Fudge. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter Four Quotes
"I know, Harry. But you see what they're doing? They want to turn you into someone nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, I'll bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you're just some stupid boy who's a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because he loves being famous and wants to keep it going."
Related Characters:
Hermione Granger (speaker), Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort, Cornelius Fudge
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
74
Explanation and Analysis:
In the hour after Harry arrives at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, Hermione and Ron tell Harry about the Daily Prophet's crusade to discredit Harry and Dumbledore by turning him into a running joke. By creating the image of Harry as a person who's just a liar, Fudge insures that his story—the one saying that Voldemort isn't back and everything is fine—is the one that people believe, as with the way Fudge has orchestrated this, he's the credible one in the eyes of most.
Hermione's willingness to tell Harry this unpleasant truth speaks to the power of their friendship. Because Hermione is willing to give Harry the information that's true and that he needs, Harry is able to go on to do things that allow him to tell his story, oftentimes facilitated by Hermione. Most importantly, by telling him the truth and not trying to keep this from him, Hermione shows Harry that she's someone he can take seriously and trust to be there for him—unlike, as far as Harry is concerned, most of the adults in the novel.
Chapter Fifteen Quotes
"'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.' (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17)."
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Cornelius Fudge Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The timeline below shows where the character Cornelius Fudge appears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Four
...faces become dark and angry. They explain that Percy was promoted to a position in Fudge's office a week after term ended last year. Mr. Weasley knew that Fudge likely promoted...
(full context)
Chapter Five
...has mostly been trying to convince people that Voldemort is back, but they're struggling since Fudge refuses to believe the truth. Mr. Weasley explains that Fudge is afraid of Dumbledore because...
(full context)
Chapter Eight
...for not getting the memo as Harry takes his seat. Harry looks around and sees Fudge with a woman he suspects is Amelia Bones and another woman in shadow on his...
(full context)
Dumbledore conjures himself a chintz armchair as Fudge starts to read Harry's crime. Fudge looks flustered but begins to question Harry. He only...
(full context)
Mrs. Figg says she's a Squib, and when Fudge asks with derision if Squibs can see dementors, she indignantly insists they can. She gives...
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Fudge tries to return the subject to Harry's use of underage magic, and Dumbledore points out...
(full context)
Chapter Nine
...stunned by Dumbledore's departure and his good fortune. He tries to catch the eye of Fudge or Amelia Bones, but slips out when neither looks at him. Mr. Weasley congratulates Harry...
(full context)
Lucius Malfoy rudely insults Harry and Mr. Weasley before he and Fudge walk away. Mr. Weasley angrily says that Lucius is likely here to talk about donations...
(full context)
...seeing Lucius Malfoy to Sirius and heads off to the regurgitating toilet. Ron declares that Fudge couldn't convict Harry with Dumbledore there, and Harry feels ungrateful and childish when he silently...
(full context)
Chapter Ten
...it up when he notices that the picture on the front is a cartoon of Fudge throttling a goblin. There's an article inside suggesting that Sirius is actually a retired rock...
(full context)
Chapter Fourteen
...and werewolves. Sirius isn't surprised that Umbridge isn't letting students do magic; he says that Fudge is afraid that Dumbledore is forming a private army to take on the Ministry. He...
(full context)
Chapter Fifteen
...Hermione finds the article Percy alluded to on the front page. The headline reads that Fudge has appointed Umbridge to the position of "Hogwarts High Inquisitor." It includes comments from Percy...
(full context)
Chapter Sixteen
...Umbridge thinks that Dumbledore is trying to mobilize an army of students. Luna says that Fudge has his own private army of heliopaths, but Hermione snaps that heliopaths aren't real. The...
(full context)
Chapter Twenty-Five
...page, which shows nine escaped prisoners from Azkaban, including Bellatrix Lestrange. The article says that Fudge thinks this breakout is connected to Sirius, which angers Harry. Hermione points out that Fudge...
(full context)
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dumbledore's office is filled with people, including Fudge, McGonagall, Kingsley, and Percy. Fudge asks Harry if he knows why he's here. Harry catches...
(full context)
Fudge accepts the list and is shocked to see that the group is called Dumbledore's Army....
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Chapter Twenty-Eight
...that Umbridge is now the Headmistress. The students all seem to know that Dumbledore evaded Fudge, two Aurors, and Umbridge. Harry learns from Ernie that Dumbledore's office sealed itself against Umbridge....
(full context)
Chapter Thirty-Six
Dumbledore crouches over Harry as the atrium fills with people, including Fudge. Fudge sees Voldemort grab Bellatrix and disappear, and he seems shocked and horrified that Voldemort...
(full context)
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Hermione reads a Daily Prophet article—in which Fudge admits that Voldemort is back—to Harry, Ron, Luna, Ginny, and Neville from her bed in...
(full context)
