Cornelius Fudge

Cornelius Oswald Fudge is a major antagonist in the Harry Potter franchise, debuting in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
He was the Minister for Magic from 1990 to 1996. Therefore he had complete control over the British Ministry of Magic, the main governing body of the Wizarding World but only over England and Scotland.
In the Harry Potter film adaptations, he was portrayed by the late .
==Background==
Th There is a lack of information regarding the early life of Cornelius Fudge however, it is reasonable to presume that, like most wizards residing in Britain, he received his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The specific house he belonged to has not been disclosed. Concerning his personal life, Fudge had at least one sibling, through whom he had a nephew, named Rufus. Additionally, Fudge was married, although it remains unclear whether he and his wife had any children. However, given that Barty Crouch Jr. was delirious when Harry and Viktor found him, it is possible Fudge had no wife to begin with.
Fudge began his career at the Ministry at some point before or during the First Wizarding War. By 1981, he was serving as Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. He was one of the first people on the scene of Sirius Black's supposed murder of Peter Pettigrew. Fudge, like everybody else, believed Sirius to have been the recently deceased James and Lily Potter's secret keeper, who betrayed them because he was secretly in league with Lord Voldemort. In truth, it was Pettigrew who had betrayed them, who framed Sirius for it before making his escape.
In 1990, Fudge succeeded Millicent Bagnold as the Minister for Magic. Thus, the responsibility of running the magical community, and meeting with the Muggle Prime Minister, when necessary, fell to him. Fudge wasn't the first choice for Minister, however. Many people had originally wanted Albus Dumbledore or Barty Crouch Sr. to lead them, following the Dark Lord's demise. Dumbledore politely declined all offers, not trusting himself with power, whilst Crouch fell out of favor following the treatment of his Death Eater son, Barty Crouch Jr.
In his early years, Fudge kept asking the future headmaster, Albus Dumbledore for help and advice, which Hogwarts was more than happy to provide. Although he eventually gained enough confidence to start governing on his own, Fudge never forgot how popular Dumbledore was.
Numerous individuals, including Rubeus Hagrid, regarded Fudge as a Minister with good intentions; however, they also perceived him as somewhat inept. While Fudge was accepting of all blood types of Wizards and witches, he mostly favored Pure Blood, but he also agreed with Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act. However, Fudge did allow for the passage of laws that would oppress half-breeds such as werewolves, giants, and Centaurs. This act would come back to haunt him, as it led to both the Giants and most of the Werewolves joining Voldemort's side.
==Appearances==
===Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets===
During Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts, there was a series of attacks on Muggle-born students at Hogwarts School due to the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. In 1993, Fudge bowed to public pressure and had Rubeus Hagrid taken to Azkaban so it would look like the Ministry was doing something. Despite Dumbledore's insistence on Hagrid's innocence, Fudge admitted he had no choice, as Hagrid's record was against him. Fudge, however, appeared to have his doubts about Hagrid's involvement, as he reassured Hagrid that if someone else was found to be responsible for the attacks then he would be released.
Fudge was present when Lucius Malfoy arrived at issue Dumbledore his letter of suspension. Like Hagrid, Fudge objected to this but backed down when Dumbledore agreed to step aside for the time being. Ultimately, it turned out that Voldemort was the guilty party as his Horcrux diary possessed Arthur Weasley's daughter Ginny. Fudge was as good as his word, and upon being presented with this evidence immediately released Hagrid.
===Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban===
In the 1993 to 1994 school year, Fudge had to deal with the escape of the notorious prisoner Sirius Black from Azkaban. Fudge later revealed to Hagrid, Madam Rosmerta, and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick that he had visited the prison a few weeks before Sirius' escape. He was unnerved by how normal Black appeared despite being near the Dementors both day and night.
It later turned out that Fudge had unwittingly provided Sirius with his motivation to escape. During the visit to Azkaban, Sirius had asked if he could have Fudge's newspaper (since he missed doing the crossword), which the unnerved Minister handed over. Inside was an article mentioning Arthur Weasley, who had won a prize draw at the ministry. A photograph of the family was included, which featured Peter Pettigrew disguised as Ron Weasley's pet rat Scabbers. Recognizing his former friend turned enemy and knowing that he was in a perfect position to kidnap Harry, Sirius, who also desired personal revenge, gained motivation to escape.
Unaware of these details, Fudge, who believed Black to be a threat to society, took several measures to protect both the magical and muggle communities. He alerted the Muggle Prime Minister to the danger and believed that Sirius was planning to kill Harry. He forgave Harry's intentional illegal use of magic against his Uncle Vernon's sister Marge. However, he also firmly told him that running away with a killer on the loose was very irresponsible.
Unable to capture Black before the start of the Hogwarts term, Fudge in a desperate bid to protect the students had Dementors stationed around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. This action was disapproved of by both Dumbledore and the Hogsmeade residents, but Fudge viewed it as a necessary precaution. He said as much to Madam Rosmerta when he visited the Three Broomsticks, before telling her the tale of Sirius' supposed betrayal. Unknown to Fudge or any of the other adults, this conversation was overheard by Harry, who became motivated to kill Sirius.
Fudge was present for the execution of the supposedly dangerous Hippogriff named Buckbeak, who was, in fact, innocent and harmless, and only attacked when provoked by Draco Malfoy despite clear warnings from Hagrid. Buckbeak's death had been enforced by the influence of Draco's father Lucius. Thanks to the intervention of a time-traveling Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, Buckbeak was saved, leaving Fudge confused.
Later that same evening, Sirius Black was captured following a near-fatal Dementor attack near the Black Lake, one that almost saw Harry Potter killed as well. Fudge was delighted at having finally caught Sirius, and immediately sanctioned his execution via the Dementor kiss, whilst promising to award Severus Snape, the supposed hero of the incident, an Order of Merlin. He ignored Harry and Hermione's declarations that Sirius was innocent, believing them to be under the influence of a magic spell or traumatized and confused by the events of that night. Ultimately, the time-traveling Harry and Hermione were able to save Sirius from right under Fudge's nose, leaving the Minister both displeased and infuriated but unaware of their involvement. As he left to bring the Ministry up to speed, Fudge promised to remove the Dementors right away for nearly attacking Harry and was heard suggesting that they should get dragons to guard the castle instead.
===Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire===
In the summer of 1994, Fudge with the help of Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Sr. began organizing two major events. Both were relayed by Fudge to the Muggle Prime Minister. The first was the Quidditch World Cup final between Bulgaria and Ireland. Fudge attended the match in the top box, alongside the Bulgarian Minister of Magic and the Malfoy family, who were his guests of honor. There he met Harry and greeted him warmly. In the movie Fudge served as an announcer, opening the match. At the end of the game, Fudge, and the Bulgarian Minister shook hands with the players from both teams. Although happy that Ireland had won, Fudge nonetheless was left a little humiliated, as the Bulgarian Minister had been pretending, he couldn't speak English forcing Fudge to use sign language.
The second event was the Triwizard tournament. This was an international competition between three schools, Hogwarts, Beaubaxton, and Durmstrang, in which three champions were selected to represent their schools and face several dangerous tasks to win. As part of this event, Fudge authorized the importation of dangerous creatures, including four dragons and a sphinx for the champions to face.
What Fudge didn't know was that the Dark Lord Voldemort was making plans behind the scenes. Thanks to the help provided by Peter Pettigrew, and information from the now deceased Ministry worker Bertha Jorkins, Voldemort learned about the Triwizard Tournament, and of the survival of his loyal servant Barty Crouch Jr. As such Voldemort came up with a plan that if successful would allow him to return to life and instigate another war.
Voldemort and Wormtail freed Crouch Jr. and placed his father under the Imperius Curse. They then captured and imprisoned the famed Auror Alastor Moody, who was due to start teaching at Hogwarts that year and had Crouch Jr. take his place via poly juice potion. The plan was to have Harry Potter enter the tournament as a champion, then fix events so that he would win, then transport him to Voldemort who would use his blood as part of a dark ritual to restore himself to life before killing the boy.
The plan was almost undone by Barty Crouch Sr. who started to fight off the Imperius curse and ran to Hogwarts intending to tell Dumbledore everything. Unfortunately, Crouch Jr. managed to kill his father before he could reveal anything. Fudge for his part believed that Crouch had simply gone mad and that Madame Maxime had murdered him (Dumbledore believed his accusation of Madame Maxime had more to do with her status as a half-giant due to Fudge having a strong dislike towards half-breeds).
With Crouch 'missing' Fudge took his place as a judge for the third task. He had the prize money for the champion on him and was probably going to present it to the grand champion at the end of the tournament. Things took a nasty turn, however, after Harry emerged from the maze, clutching the Triwizard Cup and Cedric Diggory's dead body. The cup had been transformed into a portkey by Crouch Jr., which took both Hogwarts students to the Little Hangleton graveyard. There Voldemort had Wormtail callously murder Cedric, who was simply in the way, then fulfilled his plans and restored himself to life. Unfortunately for Voldemort, Harry managed to escape bringing news of the Dark Lord's return to Dumbledore, Fudge, and the wizarding world.
Fudge initially showed great concern for Harry, and was horrified at the death of Cedric Diggory, whose father Amos worked at the Ministry and was forced to deal with an equally horrified crowd. Dumbledore captured Crouch Jr. shortly afterward and interrogated. Dumbledore also had Harry explain everything that had happened to him after he touched the Triwizard cup. After hearing all of it, Dumbledore understood everything that had happened following Bertha Jorkin's disappearance and knew that another Wizarding War was just around the corner. Realizing what needed to be done, Dumbledore sent word to Fudge that the Death Eater responsible for these events had been caught, intending to bring the Minister up to speed.
This proved to be a disastrous decision, as Fudge, fearing for his safety, summoned a Dementor to the castle as his escort, despite Barty Crouch Jr. already being restrained. Upon entering the room, the Dementor swooped down on Crouch before McGonagall or Fudge could do anything and administered its fatal kiss, leaving the Death Eater worse than dead and unable to provide testimony. Making his way to the Hospital Wing, Fudge who was searching for Dumbledore was met there shortly afterwards by the Hogwarts Headmaster.
It was here that Fudge's true colors were revealed. He refused to accept that Crouch Jr. had been acting under the services of Voldemort, dismissing his testimony as the ravings of a madman. He also didn't view Harry as a viable witness, having read several scathing articles by Rita Skeeter, who in her writings claimed that the attack on Harry in 1981 had left him unhinged. Harry tried to persuade Fudge by listing the names of several Death Eaters present at the rebirth, but since all these people had been cleared by the Wizengamot, Fudge took offense to this.
As such, Fudge, out of paranoia, refused to believe that Voldemort had returned because it would mean the end of peace in the wizarding world. Dumbledore, however, refused to back down and instead insisted that the situation was still salvageable if they took the necessary precautions, they needed to remove Azkaban from the control of the Dementors and send peace envoys to the giants. Fudge was horrified at the mere prospect of both stating it would mean the end of his career if he did either one. Dumbledore, in turn, countered that Fudge was blinded by the love of his office and his prejudices. He provided a warning that the decision Fudge made here and now, would affect how he was remembered in the future: If Fudge took the necessary measures, he would be hailed as a hero throughout the ages. If he did nothing, then he would be immortalized as a coward who allowed Voldemort the opportunity to try and destroy the world, they tried so hard to rebuild.
Even when Severus Snape presented his Dark Mark to Fudge as a sign of Voldemort's return, the Minister wasn't convinced, only further enraged. As such he and Dumbledore acknowledged that they had reached a parting of the ways and that from this point onwards, both men would act as they saw fit. The two men then parted as adversaries. Before leaving, Fudge was courteous enough to give Harry his award money, but he refused to look at the boy however, and ultimately this was the last kind thing he ever did for Harry.
===Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix===
In the weeks following the disastrous conclusion of the Triwizard tournament, Fudge's paranoia grew out of control. Completely disregarding Harry and Dumbledore's claims, Fudge convinced himself that Dumbledore was after his job and that Harry was a pathological liar, trying to stir up trouble because he enjoyed being famous. Therefore, Fudge used his influence over the Daily Prophet to launch a smear campaign against both.
Fudge also kept a strict watch over his employees, making it clear that anyone in league with Dumbledore was not welcome at the ministry. This forced any Order of the Phoenix members inside the Ministry, such as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, and Nymphadora Tonks to be discreet. Fudge also used his influence to manipulate several laws to his advantage so that he could achieve further control over both the wizarding community and Hogwarts. At one point, the Order of the Phoenix wondered if Fudge might have been acting under the Imperius curse, but Dumbledore assured them this was not the case, which was by no means comforting.
But Dumbledore was not concerned by Fudge's actions and continued to do his best to alert the wizarding community about the dangers posed by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. This cost him several high-ranking positions within the wizarding court, with the Ministry threatening further action and the Daily Prophet labeling him a senile old fool. Dumbledore responded to these actions with his usual grace, telling Fudge flat out that he did not care what the Ministry did to him, if they did not take him off the chocolate frog cards.
In Summer 1995, Harry was forced to cast a patronus charm to protect himself and his cousin Dudley Dursley from Dementors, sent by Dolores Umbridge, trying to attack him. For this breach of the International Rules of Underage Wizardry, Fudge immediately ordered Harry's expulsion, but the timely intervention of Albus Dumbledore prevented this.
Harry was compelled to attend a disciplinary hearing convened by the Wizengamot, which Fudge orchestrated in a manner reminiscent of a criminal trial. Throughout the hearing, it became evident that any prior fondness Fudge may have had for Harry had entirely vanished. During the proceedings, Fudge made multiple attempts to undermine Harry's credibility, allowing him minimal opportunity to present his defense. He introduced several prejudiced facts and past infractions, including offenses that had previously been expunged, while dismissing Harry's assertions regarding the Dementors as feeble justifications. Initially, Harry endeavored to maintain a cordial and cooperative demeanor; however, as Fudge persisted in his disregard, Harry ultimately lost his temper with the Minister.
Dumbledore's intervention and the fair unbiased actions of Wizengamot member, Amelia Bones ultimately saved Harry from any criminal charges, though Fudge was one of the few people to demand Harry be punished further, alongside Umbridge, Percy Weasley, and a few other people. Outvoted, Fudge reluctantly cleared Harry of all charges. After the trial, he completely ignored Harry and Arthur Weasley on his way out of the courtroom and was later seen talking to Lucius Malfoy, who Harry had identified as one of the Death Eaters who attended Voldemort's rebirth, which further irritated Harry. Although Harry managed to escape further repercussions and was allowed to return to Hogwarts, the events of this hearing set him firmly against Fudge from that point onwards.
Harry learned about the full effectiveness of Fudge's smear campaign upon his return to Hogwarts. Several of the students, including some that Harry had been on friendly terms with, like Seamus Finnigan and Lavender Brown believed the Ministry's propaganda. These people treated Harry as a dangerous object refusing to get close to him, flinching and bunching closer together at the mere sight of him. Despite this, some students, like Neville Longbottom and Ernie MacMillan, declared their support for Harry and Dumbledore, arguing they had been proven right on numerous occasions. A similar rift existed outside the Hogwarts community, with some people like Percy Weasley choosing to side with the Ministry, whilst the rest of his family supported Harry and Dumbledore.
When Dumbledore was unable to find anyone to fill the vacancy for Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Fudge used his newly altered laws to install his undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge to the position. Umbridge, like Fudge, believed that Dumbledore was using the school as a recruitment ground against the Ministry. As such, they forced the students to use a ministry-approved program, one based on non-aggression rather than actual defense. Umbridge was also sent to spy on Harry and Dumbledore, punishing the former any time he spoke out of line, and gradually whittling away the latter's authority under her term as High Inquisitor.
Following a mass breakout from Azkaban, in the spring of 1996, Fudge had claimed it to be the work of Sirius Black due to his family connection to Bellatrix Lestrange completely disregarding the fact that the two cousins completely each other due to Sirius being disowned from their family the House of Black. But Many people were not satisfied with this explanation, which coupled with an interview that Harry had given to the Quibbler earlier that year, caused several people, both in and outside of Hogwarts, to wonder if there was, in fact, some truth to Harry and Dumbledore’s claims. Fudge, of course, continued to deny any of this and shortly afterward was called to Hogwarts upon Dolores Umbridge's discovery of an illegal defensive organization, led by Harry Potter.
Fudge had arrived at Hogwarts in a triumphant jubilant mood, thinking he was about to expel the trouble-making Harry Potter finally. Brought to the headmaster's study, Harry deliberately feigned ignorance and made several rude faces at Fudge, making the Minister even more infuriated. During this confrontation Dumbledore, once again intervened, making it seem as though he was the leader of this organization, whilst covert Order of the Phoenix member Kingsley Shacklebolt, discreetly modified Marietta Edgecomb's memory to fit these facts, in the movie, Umbridge illegally used Veritaserum on Cho Chang. With the proof he needed, Fudge disregarded Harry and moved to arrest Dumbledore. But Fudge, Umbridge, and his two Aurors were quickly incapacitated by Dumbledore, who nonetheless fled the castle, but only after telling Minerva McGonagall and Harry that Fudge would soon regret the day, he tried to arrest him.
With Dumbledore gone, Fudge appointed Umbridge the new Headmistress of Hogwarts and brought the entirety of Hogwarts under the Ministry's control. Under Umbridge's rule, Hogwarts descended into nothing short of a dictatorship. In response to this many of the students, except a majority of Slytherins, turned against Umbridge and the Ministry completely, making sure that Umbridge paid dearly for ousting the former Headmaster.
Throughout all of this, Fudge unknowingly became an ally to the Death Eaters, giving Voldemort an entire year to rebuild his forces uninterrupted. Because Fudge ignored and neglected Dumbledore's previous warnings, Voldemort was also able to convince the Dementors, Giants, and other factions mistreated by the Ministry to join him. The Dementors' defection also allowed Voldemort to free most of his loyal followers, including Bellatrix Lestrange. Within a year of his return, Voldemort had a sizable, still-growing army at his disposal and was ready to begin his conquest.
Fudge's triumph at ousting Dumbledore proved to be short-lived. After the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Fudge, and several other Ministry officials arrived at the atrium and saw Voldemort with their own eyes. Finally, a shocked Fudge realized that Harry and Dumbledore had been telling the truth the entire time. Fudge had the Death Eaters Dumbledore had captured, arrested, and thrown into Azkaban, amongst them Lucius Malfoy and Macnair, who Fudge had defended the previous year when Harry had claimed that they were Death Eaters. When Fudge objected to Dumbledore's creation of an unauthorized portkey, Dumbledore silenced Fudge with a look and then gave him a series of instructions, including removing Umbridge from Hogwarts and abandoning the witch hunt for Hagrid, making it clear who was in real control of the situation.
Fudge had released an interview a few days later, confirming the return of Voldemort. The article also revealed that Dumbledore had been reinstated to all his previously revoked positions and treated Harry as a hero. This declaration was met with extreme public outrage since Fudge had been telling everybody that there was no truth to these rumors whatsoever. Although Fudge had assured everybody that both he and the ministry were taking the necessary measures to combat this new threat, it was too little and too late.
===The Half-Blood Prince===
A few weeks after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Fudge met with the Muggle Prime Minister again in July 1996. Here the Prime Minister noted changes in Fudge's demeanor and appearance. Fudge brought his muggle counterpart up to speed on the status of the wizarding community, informing him that the ministry was now at war against Voldemort.
When the Prime Minister had insisted that Fudge had to act as the Minister for magic, Fudge had revealed that he no longer held that position. Upon Fudge admitting the truth, the wizarding community was outraged. Whilst the ministry never acknowledged its mistreatment of both Harry and Dumbledore, it was implied that the people put two and two together. As such, every witch and wizard in Britain, no matter what their affiliation, unanimously turned against Fudge and demanded his resignation. He was eventually impeached and kicked out of office in disgrace on July 2, 1996. He was replaced as Minister for magic by Rufus Scrimgeour but stayed in an advisory capacity and communicated news of the second Wizarding War to the muggle Prime Minister if Scrimgeour was unable to. Towards the end of the meeting, Fudge dropped a hint that this might not have happened if Dumbledore had let him speak to Harry, leaving the Prime Minister confused.
The exact nature of this statement is revealed later in the novel. Before being kicked out, Fudge in a desperate bid to stay in power, had asked Dumbledore to set a meeting between himself and Harry, hoping he could persuade the boy to lie for him and say they were winning the war. But Dumbledore had refused to even consider it since there was no longer any point in helping the man who had ignored and neglected his advice and knowing that Harry would not only find it a bad idea but that he had hated Fudge for his actions throughout the year and now held him in contempt because of them. Fudge made his last appearance at Dumbledore's funeral, in the summer of 1997. He had a miserable expression on his face and was twirling his signature lime green bowler hat.
===Legacy ===
After the events of Half-Blood Prince, Fudge seems to have disappeared from Harry's life after this. Despite this, Fudge's inaction during 1995 and 1996 would come back to haunt the wizarding world. Voldemort took control of the Ministry for a brief period between 1997 and 1998, before Harry finally defeated the Dark Lord during the climactic Battle of Hogwarts, liberating the wizarding community at last. Fudge's later life remains completely unknown however, one thing is certain: his most prized possession—his reputation and image—had been destroyed. He endangered both the magical and human worlds, making him one of the most, if not the most, hated Ministers for Magic in the history of the wizarding world. As Dumbledore had warned him, Fudge became immortalized as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy what the wizarding community had worked so hard to rebuild.
== Relationships==
===Enemies===
====Amelia Bones====
Peer
Cornelius' relationship with Amelia before he launched an unjustified smear campaign against both Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter is unknown. But it is quite reasonable to assume that they once had mutual respect towards each other. However, when Cornelius had begun his campaign against both Albus and Harry, he began abusing his power to twist the laws and even threatening to dismiss members of the Ministry who supported them, Amelia's trust, and respect for him began to diminish.
During Harry's disciplinary hearing, Amelia finally saw Cornelius for who he truly was: an arrogant, cowardly, corrupt, dishonorable, delusional, dishonest, incompetent, selfish, and tyrannical hypocrite. Amelia was completely enraged and disgusted by Cornelius' mistreatment of Harry who was falsely accused and wrongfully expelled from Hogwarts for alleged underage use of magic in the presence of a muggle.
Despite Cornelius' attempts to intimidate and purge anyone at the ministry who supported Albus or Harry, Amelia successfully maintained fairness and impartiality during the trial, she did so by disregarding Cornelius' threats and ensuring that Harry was given a voice, countering the biased accusations stemming from his past actions and behavior at school. Also, Amelia did not allow Cornelius to dismiss Arabella Figg's testimony simply because she is a squib, as Cornelius had hoped to discredit Harry's claims about Voldemort's resurrection.
Unfortunately for Cornelius, Amelia had coldly reminded him about the operational guidelines of the wizarding world laws, she had highlighted the accused's entitlement to speak up provide witnesses, and present evidence in their defense, also, Amelia had made it clear that Harry's past actions and behavior at school were not relevant to the current trial, she had proved that Harry's use of magic in the presence of a muggle was purely an act of self-defense. Amelia had further pointed out the laws of the wizarding world which had allowed underage wizards or witches to use magic in the presence of muggles if the circumstances were presented as a threat to everyone's safety.
Afterward, almost all the other members of the ruling court including Amelia herself had voted in favor of Harry's complete exoneration from the accusations. Cornelius, who was left with no other choice, was compelled to reluctantly acquit Harry since he, Umbridge, and a few other members of the court were completely outvoted, much to Cornelius's complete dismay and humiliation.
After the trial, Amelia completely lost any trust and respect that she once had for Cornelius particularly because she knew that Albus and Harry were being honest about Voldemort's return, well Cornelius had delusionally constructed stories to protect his reputation, Cornelius had claimed that Albus was after his job and that Harry was an attention-seeker, Cornelius' baseless claims were nothing but complete and utter nonsense, as he knew deep down that Voldemort had indeed returned especially considering evidence like Severus Snape's dark mark becoming active once again. He still ignored the truth because he had prioritized his position as the Minister for magic over the safety of the wizarding community.
After Voldemort's public revelation of his return, Cornelius was ousted from office as the Minister for magic, and his reputation was completely damaged beyond repair, Amelia did not have any compassion, empathy, or sympathy towards the ex-Minister. As far as Amelia was concerned, Cornelius got exactly what he deserved for his misdeeds.
Sometime later, after Amelia had died in a battle against Voldemort, Cornelius was saddened by her death, showing that he still had respect for her despite her role in supporting Dumbledore and Harry’s claims.
===Albus Dumbledore ===
Fudge seemed to once respect Albus Dumbledore. In 1993, Fudge was taken aback when he learned from Lucius that he and the other governors in charge of Hogwarts' school board voted Dumbledore off the school. Their alliance turned sour in 1995, when Harry returned with Cedric's body and proclaimed that Voldemort had returned.
In the following school year, fudge discredited Harry and Dumbledore in a widespread campaign through the Daily Prophet, even having Dolores Umbridge spy on the school to see if Dumbledore, in Fudge's paranoia, plotted to overthrow him. However, Fudge was forced to admit that the Dark Lord had indeed returned when he and Dumbledore were in last contact with each other. Their scene at the Ministry would be the last time Fudge and Dumbledore saw each other, for he had been slowly dying of a curse inflicted on Dumbledore by wearing Marvolo Gaunt's ring. Dumbledore plotted his own murder by having Severus kill him during the Battle of Astronomy Tower.
During Dumbledore’s funeral in 1997, Fudge attended the memorial services, with a miserable expression on his face. Harry wasn't sure if the Ministry officials were genuine or pulling a facade.
==Trivia ==
* Fudge's behavior at the end of Goblet of Fire and throughout Order of the Phoenix mirrored former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, before World War II and during its first eight months as both men ended up being pressured into resigning, then they temporarily acted as advisers to their successors. However, there are major differences:
**Chamberlain was a pacifist while Fudge was a coward.
**Chamberlain was a proper politician while Fudge was corrupt and abused his power in his final year in office.
**Chamberlain tried to negotiate with Hitler for Peace while Fudge denied the truth.
**Chamberlain used the time provided to secretly start rearming, whilst Fudge tried to deny the citizens the skill sets needed to combat their enemies.
**Chamberlain took responsibility for his actions while Fudge only did so after realizing that Harry and Dumbledore were telling the truth upon witnessing Voldemort in the Ministry.
**Chamberlain resigned with integrity while Fudge attempted to stay in power by asking Dumbledore to arrange a meeting with Harry so he could lie to the Wizarding World and say that the Ministry was winning the war. Dumbledore refused as he knew that Harry would also refuse and Fudge was kicked out of office in disgrace.
*While the scenes of Fudge refusing to believe the truth were cut from the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the only hint that Fudge wished to cover up the truth was during Dumbledore's memorial speech for Cedric when he says, "The Minister does not wish for me to tell me this."
*In the novels, Fudge's resignation wasn't revealed until the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In the films, Fudge's intentions were revealed in the final scenes of The Order of the Phoenix from a Daily Prophet headline.
*In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Fudge states that he was 'sacked' rather than resigned of his own accord. This could be an oversight on Rowling's part or an indication that Fudge was ordered to leave his office on a set date by a more powerful wizarding authority, such as the Wizengamot. Then again this could also be how Fudge viewed his dismissal in the eyes of the people.
*Fudge is often considered to be one of the worst characters in the Harry Potter/Wizarding World franchise.
**He endangered the entire world by denying Voldemort's return
**He insulted Harry and Dumbledore by starting a smear campaign against them.
**He sent Dolores Umbridge to Hogwarts so that she could act as his spy and further prevent anyone from spreading the word of the Dark Lord.
**In the end, it seemed that Fudge cared more about his reputation and status than the community that he was assigned to protect.
*It's also likely that he promoted Percy Weasley to be his Junior Assistant only to track the Weasley family and by extension Harry and Dumbledore, which caused a rift between Percy and his family.
*In the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, a banner of Fudge is shown in the Ministry Atrium and it depicts the Minister in the style of 1930s posters from the former Soviet Union. During Dumbledore and Voldemort's duel in the atrium, the broken shards of glass tear the Banner apart, foreshadowing Fudge's term as Minister ending in disgrace.
ere is a lack of information regarding the early life of Cornelius Fudge however, it is reasonable to presume that, similar to the majority of wizards residing in Britain, he received his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The specific house he belonged to has not been disclosed. Concerning his personal life, Fudge had at least one sibling, through whom he had a nephew, named Rufus. Additionally, Fudge was married, although it remains unclear whether he and his wife had any children. However, given that Barty Crouch Jr. was delirious when Harry and Viktor found him, it is possible Fudge had no wife to begin with.
Fudge began his career at the Ministry at some point before or during the First Wizarding War. By 1981, he was serving as Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. He was one of the first people on the scene of Sirius Black's supposed murder of Peter Pettigrew. Fudge, like everybody else, believed Sirius to have been the recently deceased James and Lily Potter's secret keeper, who betrayed them because he was secretly in league with Lord Voldemort. In truth, it was Pettigrew who had betrayed them, who framed Sirius for it before making his escape.
In 1990, Fudge succeeded Millicent Bagnold as the Minister for Magic. Thus the responsibility of running the magical community, and meeting with the Muggle Prime Minister when necessary fell to him. Fudge wasn't the first choice for Minister, however. Many people had originally wanted Albus Dumbledore or Barty Crouch Sr. to lead them, following the Dark Lord's demise. Dumbledore politely declined all offers, not trusting himself with power, whilst Crouch fell out of favor following the treatment of his Death Eater son, Barty Crouch Jr.
In his early years, Fudge kept asking the future headmaster, Albus Dumbledore for help and advice, which Hogwarts was more than happy to provide. Although he eventually gained enough confidence to start governing on his own, Fudge never forgot how popular Dumbledore was.
Numerous individuals, including Rubeus Hagrid, regarded Fudge as a Minister with good intentions; however, they also perceived him as somewhat inept. While Fudge was accepting of all blood types of Wizards and witches, he mostly favored Pure Blood, but he also agreed with Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act. However, Fudge did allow for the passage of laws that would oppress half-breeds such as werewolves, giants, and Centaurs. This act would come back to haunt him, as it led to both the Giants and the majority of the Werewolves joining Voldemort's side.
==Appearances==
===Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets===
During Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts, there was a series of attacks on Muggle-born students at Hogwarts School due to the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. In 1993, Fudge bowed to public pressure and had Rubeus Hagrid taken to Azkaban so it would look like the Ministry was doing something. Despite Dumbledore's insistence on Hagrid's innocence, Fudge admitted he had no choice, as Hagrid's record was against him. Fudge, however, appeared to have his doubts about Hagrid's involvement, as he reassured Hagrid that if someone else was found to be responsible for the attacks then he would be released.
Fudge was present when Lucius Malfoy arrived to issue Dumbledore his letter of suspension. Like Hagrid, Fudge objected to this but backed down when Dumbledore agreed to step aside for the time being. Ultimately, it turned out that Voldemort was the guilty party as his Horcrux diary possessed Arthur Weasley's daughter Ginny. Fudge was as good as his word, and upon being presented with this evidence immediately released Hagrid.
===Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban===
In the 1993 to 1994 school year, Fudge had to deal with the escape of the notorious prisoner Sirius Black from Azkaban. Fudge later revealed to Hagrid, Madam Rosmerta, and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick that he had visited the prison a few weeks before Sirius' escape. He was unnerved by how normal Black appeared despite being near the Dementors both day and night.
It later turned out that Fudge had unwittingly provided Sirius with his motivation to escape. During the visit to Azkaban, Sirius had asked if he could have Fudge's newspaper (since he missed doing the crossword), which the unnerved Minister handed over. Inside was an article mentioning Arthur Weasley, who had won a prize draw at the ministry. A photograph of the family was included, which featured Peter Pettigrew disguised as Ron Weasley's pet rat Scabbers. Recognizing his former friend turned enemy and knowing that he was in a perfect position to kidnap Harry, Sirius, who also desired personal revenge, gained motivation to escape.
Unaware of these details, Fudge, who believed Black to be a threat to society, took several measures to protect both the magical and muggle communities. He alerted the Muggle Prime Minister to the danger and believed that Sirius was planning to kill Harry. He forgave Harry's intentional illegal use of magic against his Uncle Vernon's sister Marge. However, he also firmly told him that running away with a killer on the loose was very irresponsible.
Unable to capture Black before the start of the Hogwarts term, Fudge in a desperate bid to protect the students had Dementors stationed around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. This action was disapproved of by both Dumbledore and the Hogsmeade residents, but Fudge viewed it as a necessary precaution. He said as much to Madam Rosmerta when he visited the Three Broomsticks, before telling her the tale of Sirius' supposed betrayal. Unknown to Fudge or any of the other adults, this conversation was overheard by Harry, who became motivated to kill Sirius.
Fudge was present for the execution of the supposedly dangerous Hippogriff named Buckbeak, who was, in fact, innocent and harmless, and only attacked when provoked by Draco Malfoy despite clear warnings from Hagrid. Buckbeak's death had been enforced by the influence of Draco's father Lucius. Thanks to the intervention of a time-traveling Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, Buckbeak was saved, leaving Fudge confused.
Later that same evening, Sirius Black was captured following a near-fatal Dementor attack near the Hogwarts lake, one that almost saw Harry Potter killed as well. Fudge was delighted at having finally caught Sirius, and immediately sanctioned his execution via the Dementor kiss, whilst promising to award Severus Snape, the supposed hero of the incident, an Order of Merlin. He ignored Harry and Hermione's declarations that Sirius was innocent, believing them to be under the influence of a magic spell or traumatized and confused by the events of that night. Ultimately, the time-traveling Harry and Hermione were able to save Sirius from right under Fudge's nose, leaving the Minister both displeased and infuriated but unaware of their involvement. As he left to bring the Ministry up to speed, Fudge promised to remove the Dementors right away for nearly attacking Harry and was heard suggesting that they should get dragons to guard the castle instead.
===Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire===
In the summer of 1994, Fudge with the help of Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Sr. began organizing two major events. Both of these were relayed by Fudge to the Muggle Prime Minister. The first was the Quidditch World Cup final between Bulgaria and Ireland. Fudge attended the match in the top box, alongside the Bulgarian Minister of Magic and the Malfoy family, who were his guests of honor. There he met Harry and greeted him warmly. In the movie Fudge served as an announcer, opening the match. At the end of the game, Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister shook hands with the players from both teams. Although happy that Ireland had won, Fudge nonetheless was left a little humiliated, as the Bulgarian Minister had been pretending he couldn't speak English forcing Fudge to use sign language.
The second event was the Triwizard tournament. This was an international competition between three schools, Hogwarts, Beaubaxton, and Durmstrang, in which three champions were selected to represent their schools and face several dangerous tasks to win. As part of this event, Fudge authorized the importation of dangerous creatures, including four dragons and a sphinx for the champions to face.
What Fudge didn't know was that the Dark Lord Voldemort was making plans behind the scenes. Thanks to the help provided by Peter Pettigrew, and information from the now deceased Ministry worker Bertha Jorkins, Voldemort learned about the Triwizard Tournament, and of the survival of his loyal servant Barty Crouch Jr. As such Voldemort came up with a plan that if successful would allow him to return to life, and instigate another war.
Voldemort and Wormtail freed Crouch Jr. and placed his father under the Imperius Curse. They then captured and imprisoned the famed Auror Alastor Moody, who was due to start teaching at Hogwarts that year, and had Crouch Jr. take his place via poly juice potion. The plan was to have Harry Potter enter the tournament as a champion, then fix events so that he would win, then transport him to Voldemort who would use his blood as part of a dark ritual to restore himself to life before killing the boy.
The plan was almost undone by Barty Crouch Sr. who started to fight off the Imperius curse and ran to Hogwarts intending to tell Dumbledore everything. Unfortunately, Crouch Jr. managed to kill his father before he could reveal anything. Fudge for his part believed that Crouch had simply gone mad and that Madame Maxime had murdered him (Dumbledore believed his accusation of Madame Maxime had more to do with her status as a half-giant due to Fudge having a strong dislike towards half-breeds).
With Crouch 'missing' Fudge took his place as a judge for the third task. He had the prize money for the champion on him and was probably going to present it to the grand champion at the end of the tournament. Things took a nasty turn, however, after Harry emerged from the maze, clutching the Triwizard Cup and Cedric Diggory's dead body. The cup had been transformed into a portkey by Crouch Jr., which took both of the Hogwarts students to the Little Hangleton graveyard. There Voldemort had Wormtail callously murder Cedric, who was simply in the way, then fulfilled his plans and restored himself to life. Unfortunately for Voldemort, Harry managed to escape bringing news of the Dark Lord's return back to Dumbledore, Fudge, and the wizarding world.
Fudge initially showed great concern for Harry, and was horrified at the death of Cedric Diggory, whose father Amos worked at the Ministry and was forced to deal with an equally horrified crowd. Crouch Jr. was captured by Dumbledore shortly afterward and interrogated. Dumbledore also had Harry explain everything that had happened to him after he touched the Triwizard cup. After hearing all of it, Dumbledore understood everything that had happened following Bertha Jorkin's disappearance and knew that another Wizarding War was just around the corner. Realizing what needed to be done, Dumbledore sent word to Fudge that the Death Eater responsible for these events had been caught, intending to bring the Minister up to speed.
This proved to be a disastrous decision, as Fudge, fearing for his safety, summoned a Dementor to the castle as his escort, despite Barty Crouch Jr. already being restrained. Upon entering the room, the Dementor swooped down on Crouch before McGonagall or Fudge could do anything and administered its fatal kiss, leaving the Death Eater worse than dead and unable to provide testimony. Making his way to the Hospital Wing, Fudge who was searching for Dumbledore was met there shortly afterwards by the Hogwarts Headmaster.
It was here that Fudge's true colors were revealed. He refused to accept that Crouch Jr. had been acting under the services of Voldemort, dismissing his testimony as the ravings of a madman. He also didn't view Harry as a viable witness, having read several scathing articles by Rita Skeeter, who in her writings claimed that the attack on Harry in 1981 had left him unhinged. Harry tried to persuade Fudge by listing the names of several Death Eaters present at the rebirth, but since all of these people had been cleared by the Wizengamot, Fudge took offense to this.
As such, Fudge, out of paranoia, refused to believe that Voldemort had returned because it would mean the end of peace in the wizarding world. Dumbledore, however, refused to back down and instead insisted that the situation was still salvageable if they took the necessary precautions they needed to remove Azkaban from the control of the Dementors and send peace envoys to the giants. Fudge was horrified at the mere prospect of both of these stating it would mean the end of his career if he did either one. Dumbledore, in turn, countered that Fudge was blinded by the love of his office and his prejudices. He provided a warning that the decision Fudge made here and now, would affect how he was remembered in the future: If Fudge took the necessary measures, he would be hailed as a hero throughout the ages. If he did nothing, then he would be immortalized as a coward who allowed Voldemort the opportunity to try and destroy the world they tried so hard to rebuild.
Even when Severus Snape presented his Dark Mark to Fudge as a sign of Voldemort's return, the Minister wasn't convinced, only further enraged. As such he and Dumbledore acknowledged that they had reached a parting of the ways and that from this point onwards, both men would act as they saw fit. The two men then parted as adversaries. Before leaving, Fudge was courteous enough to give Harry his award money, but he refused to look at the boy however, and ultimately this was the last kind thing he ever did for Harry.
===Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix===
In the weeks following the disastrous conclusion of the Triwizard tournament, Fudge's paranoia grew out of control. Completely disregarding Harry and Dumbledore's claims, Fudge convinced himself that Dumbledore was after his job and that Harry was a pathological liar, trying to stir up trouble because he enjoyed being famous. Therefore, Fudge used his influence over the Daily Prophet to launch a smear campaign against both of them.
Fudge also kept a strict watch over his employees, making it clear that anyone in league with Dumbledore was not welcome at the ministry. This forced any Order of the Phoenix members inside the Ministry, such as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, and Nymphadora Tonks to be discreet. Fudge also used his influence to manipulate several laws to his advantage so that he could achieve further control over both the wizarding community and Hogwarts. At one point, the Order of the Phoenix wondered if Fudge might have been acting under the Imperius curse, but Dumbledore assured them this was not the case, which was by no means comforting.
But Dumbledore was not concerned by Fudge's actions and continued to do his best to alert the wizarding community about the dangers posed by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. This cost him several high-ranking positions within the wizarding court, with the Ministry threatening further action and the Daily Prophet labeling him a senile old fool. Dumbledore responded to these actions with his usual grace, telling Fudge flat out that he did not care what the Ministry did to him, as long as they did not take him off of the chocolate frog cards.
In Summer 1995, Harry was forced to cast a patronus charm to protect himself and his cousin Dudley Dursley from Dementors, sent by Dolores Umbridge, trying to attack him. For this breach of the International Rules of Underage Wizardry, Fudge immediately ordered Harry's expulsion, but the timely intervention of Albus Dumbledore prevented this.
Harry was compelled to attend a disciplinary hearing convened by the Wizengamot, which Fudge orchestrated in a manner reminiscent of a criminal trial. Throughout the hearing, it became evident that any prior fondness Fudge may have had for Harry had entirely vanished. During the proceedings, Fudge made multiple attempts to undermine Harry's credibility, allowing him minimal opportunity to present his defense. He introduced several prejudiced facts and past infractions, including offenses that had previously been expunged, while dismissing Harry's assertions regarding the Dementors as feeble justifications. Initially, Harry endeavored to maintain a cordial and cooperative demeanor; however, as Fudge persisted in his disregard, Harry ultimately lost his temper with the Minister.
Dumbledore's intervention and the fair unbiased actions of Wizengamot member, Amelia Bones ultimately saved Harry from any criminal charges, though Fudge was one of the few people to demand Harry be punished further, alongside Umbridge, Percy Weasley, and a few other people. Outvoted, Fudge reluctantly cleared Harry of all charges. After the trial, he completely ignored Harry and Arthur Weasley on his way out of the courtroom and was later seen talking to Lucius Malfoy, who Harry had identified as one of the Death Eaters who attended Voldemort's rebirth, which further irritated Harry. Although Harry managed to escape further repercussions and was allowed to return to Hogwarts, the events of this hearing set him firmly against Fudge from that point onwards.
Harry learned about the full effectiveness of Fudge's smear campaign upon his return to Hogwarts. Several of the students, including some that Harry had been on friendly terms with, like Seamus Finnigan and Lavender Brown believed the Ministry's propaganda. These people treated Harry as a dangerous object refusing to get close to him, flinching and bunching closer together at the mere sight of him. Despite this, some students, like Neville Longbottom and Ernie MacMillan, declared their support for Harry and Dumbledore, arguing they had been proven right on numerous occasions. A similar rift existed outside the Hogwarts community, with some people like Percy Weasley choosing to side with the Ministry, whilst the rest of his family supported Harry and Dumbledore.
When Dumbledore was unable to find anyone to fill the vacancy for Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Fudge used his newly altered laws to install his undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge to the position. Umbridge, like Fudge, believed that Dumbledore was using the school as a recruitment ground against the Ministry. As such, they forced the students to use a ministry-approved program, one based on non-aggression rather than actual defense. Umbridge was also sent to spy on Harry and Dumbledore, punishing the former any time he spoke out of line, and gradually whittling away the latter's authority under her term as High Inquisitor.
Following a mass breakout from Azkaban, in the spring of 1996, Fudge had claimed it to be the work of Sirius Black due to his family connection to Bellatrix Lestrange completely disregarding the fact that the two cousins completely each other due to Sirius being disowned from their family the House of Black. But Many people were not satisfied with this explanation, which coupled with an interview that Harry had given to the Quibbler earlier that year, caused several people, both in and outside of Hogwarts, to wonder if there was, in fact, some truth to Harry and Dumbledore’s claims. Fudge, of course, continued to deny any of this and shortly afterward was called to Hogwarts upon Dolores Umbridge's discovery of an illegal defensive organization, led by Harry Potter.
Fudge had arrived at Hogwarts in a triumphant jubilant mood, thinking he was about to expel the trouble-making Harry Potter at long last. Brought to the headmaster's study, Harry deliberately feigned ignorance and made several rude faces at Fudge, making the Minister even more infuriated. During this confrontation Dumbledore, once again intervened, making it seem as though he was the leader of this organization, whilst covert Order of the Phoenix member Kingsley Shacklebolt, discreetly modified Marietta Edgecomb's memory to fit these facts, in the movie, Umbridge illegally used Veritaserum on Cho Chang. With the proof he needed, Fudge disregarded Harry and moved to arrest Dumbledore. But Fudge, Umbridge, and his two Aurors were quickly incapacitated by Dumbledore, who nonetheless fled the castle, but only after telling Minerva McGonagall and Harry that Fudge would soon regret the day he tried to arrest him.
With Dumbledore gone, Fudge appointed Umbridge the new Headmistress of Hogwarts and brought the entirety of Hogwarts under the Ministry's control. Under Umbridge's rule, Hogwarts descended into nothing short of a dictatorship. In response to this many of the students, except a majority of Slytherins, turned against Umbridge and the Ministry completely, making sure that Umbridge paid dearly for ousting the former Headmaster.
Throughout all of this, Fudge unknowingly became an ally to the Death Eaters, giving Voldemort an entire year to rebuild his forces uninterrupted. Because Fudge ignored and neglected Dumbledore's previous warnings, Voldemort was also able to convince the Dementors, Giants, and other factions mistreated by the Ministry to join him. The Dementors' defection also allowed Voldemort to free the majority of his loyal followers, including Bellatrix Lestrange. Within a year of his return, Voldemort had a sizable, still-growing army at his disposal and was ready to begin his conquest.
Fudge's triumph at ousting Dumbledore proved to be short-lived. After the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Fudge, and several other Ministry officials arrived at the atrium and saw Voldemort with their own eyes. At long last, a shocked Fudge realized that Harry and Dumbledore had been telling the truth the entire time. Fudge had the Death Eaters Dumbledore had captured, arrested and thrown into Azkaban, amongst them Lucius Malfoy and Macnair, who Fudge had defended the previous year when Harry had claimed that they were Death Eaters. When Fudge objected to Dumbledore's creation of an unauthorized portkey, Dumbledore silenced Fudge with a look and then gave him a series of instructions, including removing Umbridge from Hogwarts and abandoning the witch hunt for Hagrid, making it clear who was in real control of the situation.
Fudge had released an interview a few days later, confirming the return of Voldemort. The article also revealed that Dumbledore had been reinstated to all of his previously revoked positions and treated Harry as a hero. This declaration was met with extreme public outrage since Fudge had been telling everybody that there was no truth to these rumors whatsoever. Although Fudge had assured everybody that both he and the ministry were taking the necessary measures to combat this new threat, it was too little and too late.
===The Half-Blood Prince===
A few weeks after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Fudge met with the Muggle Prime Minister again in July 1996. Here the Prime Minister noted changes in Fudge's demeanor and appearance. Fudge brought his muggle counterpart up to speed on the status of the wizarding community, informing him that the ministry was now at war against Voldemort.
When the Prime Minister had insisted that Fudge had to take action as the Minister for magic, Fudge had revealed that he no longer held that position. Upon Fudge admitting the truth, the wizarding community was outraged. Whilst the ministry never acknowledged its mistreatment of both Harry and Dumbledore, it was implied that the people put two and two together. As such, every witch and wizard in Britain, no matter what their affiliation, unanimously turned against Fudge and demanded his resignation. He was eventually impeached and kicked out of office in disgrace on July 2, 1996. He was replaced as Minister for magic by Rufus Scrimgeour but stayed in an advisory capacity and communicated news of the second Wizarding War to the muggle Prime Minister if Scrimgeour was unable to. Towards the end of the meeting, Fudge dropped a hint that this might not have happened if Dumbledore had let him speak to Harry, leaving the Prime Minister confused.
The exact nature of this statement is revealed later on in the novel. Before being kicked out, Fudge in a desperate bid to stay in power, had asked Dumbledore to set a meeting between himself and Harry, hoping he could persuade the boy to lie for him and say they were winning the war. But Dumbledore had refused to even consider it since there was no longer any point in helping the man who had ignored and neglected his advice and knowing that Harry would not only find it a bad idea but that he had hated Fudge for his actions throughout the year and now held him in contempt because of them. Fudge made his last appearance at Dumbledore's funeral, in the summer of 1997. He had a miserable expression on his face and was twirling his signature lime green bowler hat.
===Legacy===
After the events of Half-Blood Prince, Fudge seems to have disappeared from Harry's life after this. Despite this, Fudge's inaction during 1995 and 1996 would come back to haunt the wizarding world. Voldemort took control of the Ministry for a brief period between 1997 and 1998, before Harry finally defeated the Dark Lord during the climactic Battle of Hogwarts, liberating the wizarding community at last. Fudge's later life remains completely unknown however, one thing is certain: his most prized possession—his reputation and image—had been destroyed. He endangered both the magical and human worlds, making him one of the most, if not the most, hated Ministers for Magic in the history of the wizarding world. As Dumbledore had warned him, Fudge became immortalized as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy what the wizarding community had worked so hard to rebuild.
==Relationships==
===Enemies===
====Amelia Bones====
Amelia was Cornelius' acquaintance turned enemy.
Cornelius' relationship with Amelia before he launched an unjustified smear campaign against both Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter is unknown. But it is quite reasonable to assume that they once had mutual respect towards each other. But despite this when Cornelius had begun his campaign against both Albus and Harry, misusing his power, attempting to twist the laws and even threatening to dismiss members of the ministry who supported them, Amelia's trust and respect for him began to diminish.
During Harry's disciplinary hearing, Amelia finally saw Cornelius for who he truly was: an arrogant, cowardly, corrupt, dishonorable, delusional, dishonest, incompetent, selfish, and tyrannical hypocrite. Amelia was completely enraged and disgusted by Cornelius' mistreatment of Harry who was falsely accused and wrongfully expelled from Hogwarts for alleged underage use of magic in the presence of a muggle.
Despite Cornelius' attempts to intimidate and purge anyone at the ministry who supported Albus or Harry, Amelia successfully maintained fairness and impartiality during the trial, she did so by disregarding Cornelius' threats and ensuring that Harry was given a voice, countering the biased accusations stemming from his past actions and behavior at school. Also, Amelia did not allow Cornelius to dismiss Arabella Figg's testimony simply because she is a squib, as Cornelius had hoped to discredit Harry's claims about Voldemort's resurrection.
Unfortunately for Cornelius, Amelia had coldly reminded him about the operational guidelines of the wizarding world laws, she had highlighted the accused's entitlement to speak up provide witnesses, and present evidence in their defense, also, Amelia had made it clear that Harry's past actions and behavior at school were not relevant to the current trial, she had proved that Harry's use of magic in the presence of a muggle was purely an act of self-defense. Amelia had further pointed out the laws of the wizarding world which had allowed underage wizards or witches to use magic in the presence of muggles if the circumstances were presented as a threat to everyone's safety.
Afterward, almost all the other members of the ruling court including Amelia herself had voted in favor of Harry's complete exoneration from the accusations. Cornelius, who was left with no other choice, was compelled to reluctantly acquit Harry since he, Umbridge, and a few other members of the court were completely out-voted, much to Cornelius's complete dismay and humiliation.
After the trial, Amelia completely lost any trust and respect that she once had for Cornelius particularly because she knew that Albus and Harry were being honest about Voldemort's return, well Cornelius had delusionally constructed stories to protect his reputation, Cornelius had claimed that Albus was after his job and that Harry was an attention-seeker, Cornelius' baseless claims were nothing but complete and utter nonsense, as he knew deep down that Voldemort had indeed returned especially considering evidence like Severus Snape's dark mark becoming active once again. He still ignored the truth because he had prioritized his position as the Minister for magic over the safety of the wizarding community.
After Voldemort's public revelation of his return, Cornelius was ousted from office as the Minister for magic, and his reputation was completely damaged beyond repair, Amelia did not have any compassion, empathy, or sympathy towards the ex-Minister. As far as Amelia was concerned, Cornelius got exactly what he deserved for his misdeeds.
Sometime later, after Amelia had died in a battle against Voldemort, Cornelius was saddened by her death. He had viewed Amelia's passing as an immense tragedy implying that he still had respect left for her despite the role that Amelia had played in his humiliation during Harry's disciplinary hearing.
====Albus Dumbledore====
Albus was Cornelius' ex-friend turned perceived enemy and rival.
====Bartemius Crouch====
Bartemius was Cornelius' enemy and rival.
====Harry Potter====
Harry is Cornelius' acquaintance turned enemy.
===Tom Riddle===
Tom was Cornelius' enemy.
==Trivia==
*Fudge's behavior at the end of Goblet of Fire and throughout Order of the Phoenix mirrored former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, before World War II and during its first eight months as both men ended up being pressured into resigning, then they temporarily acted as advisers to their successors. However, there are major differences:
**Chamberlain was a pacifist while Fudge was a coward.
**Chamberlain was a proper politician while Fudge was corrupt and abused his power in his final year in office.
**Chamberlain tried to negotiate with Hitler for Peace while Fudge denied the truth.
**Chamberlain used the time provided to secretly start rearming, whilst Fudge tried to deny the citizens the skill sets needed to combat their enemies.
**Chamberlain took responsibility for his actions while Fudge only did so after realizing that Harry and Dumbledore were telling the truth upon witnessing Voldemort in the Ministry.
**Chamberlain resigned with integrity while Fudge attempted to stay in power by asking Dumbledore to arrange a meeting with Harry so he could lie to the Wizarding World and say that the Ministry was winning the war. Dumbledore refused as he knew that Harry would also refuse and Fudge was kicked out of office in disgrace.
*While the scenes of Fudge refusing to believe the truth were cut from the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the only hint that Fudge wished to cover up the truth was during Dumbledore's memorial speech for Cedric when he says "The Minister does not wish for me to tell me this."
*In the novels, Fudge's resignation wasn't revealed until the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In the films, Fudge's intentions were revealed in the final scenes of The Order of the Phoenix from a Daily Prophet headline.
*In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Fudge states that he was 'sacked' rather than resigned of his own accord. This could be an oversight on Rowling's part or an indication that Fudge was ordered to leave his office on a set date by a more powerful wizarding authority, such as the Wizengamot. Then again this could also be how Fudge viewed his dismissal in the eyes of the people.
*Fudge is often considered to be one of the worst characters in the Harry Potter/Wizarding World franchise.
**He endangered the entire world by denying Voldemort's return
**He insulted Harry and Dumbledore by starting a smear campaign against them.
**He sent Dolores Umbridge to Hogwarts so that she could act as his spy and further prevent anyone from spreading the word of the Dark Lord.
**In the end, it seemed that Fudge cared more about his reputation and status than the community that he was assigned to protect.
*It's also likely that he promoted Percy Weasley to be his Junior Assistant only to keep tabs on the Weasley family and by extension Harry and Dumbledore, which caused a rift between Percy and his family.
*In the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, a banner of Fudge is shown in the Ministry Atrium and it depicts the Minister in the style of 1930s posters from the former Soviet Union. During Dumbledore and Voldemort's duel in the atrium, the broken shards of glass tear the Banner apart, foreshadowing Fudge's term as Minister ending in disgrace.
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