If you ever thought you had a bad day at school or work, I can guarantee that Harry Potter has had it worse. Every year, without fail, Voldemort tried to kill him. Sure, he was considerate enough to at least wait until after the kid’s exams, but it really helps to put things into perspective.
Voldemort is the worst Harry Potter villain for a number of obvious reasons, but he’s far from the only baddie in the films. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we got a glimpse into the corrupt political system underpinning the wizarding world. But you probably know it better as the Ministry of Magic.
Dolores Umbridge is arguably the worst Harry Potter character and most frustrating Harry Potter villain, but she isn’t the only one in the Ministry making lives difficult. Fans on Reddit still can’t believe the audacity of Cornelius Fudge in the fifth Harry Potter movie.
We are, of course, talking about the Minister of Magic himself. Speaking on the Harry Potter subreddit, the Redditor remarked that “the fact that Fudge honestly believed he could buy Harry’s loyalty after the end of Order of the Phoenix shows not only what an idiot he was, but also how he never truly understood Harry’s character.”
As the user explains, shortly before his dismissal as Minister, Fudge approaches Dumbledore in the Half-Blood Prince and begs him to get Harry to publicly back him as a last-ditch effort to save his job.
“After Umbridge [led] a smear campaign against Harry for an entire year, Harry has persisted in telling the truth, being loyal to Dumbledore, and resisting the Ministry and Fudge still thinks Harry can be easily bought,” the fan despaired. “What a pathetic character.”
If you think about it, Fudge is actually the most relatable Harry Potter villain of them all. Look at how many politicians are proven to be incompetent and duplicitous in the real world! It creates an intriguing dichotomy because while Harry Potter is definitely a fantasy movie, this realism-inspired politician helps keep the saga firmly grounded in the real world.
For Pottermore (pun intended) on the best movie saga of all time, check out our articles on the Harry Potter TV series, the Harry Potter cast, the potential new movie Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and all the Harry Potter plot holes you may have missed. Or, try something different with our guide to new movies like Deadpool 3.