is a
Fictional Character in the ''
Harry Potter '' series of novels by
J. K. Rowling . He was the
Minister For Magic of Great Britain.
His first name is possibly a connection to the
Roman Dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla , and his
Last Name suggests that he "fudges" his job. His standard outfit includes a pinstriped cloak, a lime green bowler hat, and purple boots.
In the films, he is played by
Robert Hardy .
Cornelius Fudge is the
Minister For Magic from
1988 to
1996 , i.e. from to
Fudge first appears in ''
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets '', but is first mentioned in ''
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone ''.
Fudge initially seems sympathetic to Harry, and inadvertently provides some valuable information, namely that
Sirius Black was
James Potter 's best friend and betrayed him to
Lord Voldemort .
Subsequently, however, Fudge refuses to accept that Lord Voldemort has returned, and in ''
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix '' Fudge orchestrates a
Smear Campaign to discredit Harry and
Albus Dumbledore . As Minister for Magic, Fudge is also responsible for having
Rubeus Hagrid imprisoned in
Azkaban . His later hostility towards Harry and Dumbledore can be attributed to two reasons. He desperately wants to maintain the status quo; if Harry is to believed, Voldemort is back, which means that the relative peace and prosperity of the last 14 years is over. He also harbors a paranoid (and baseless) suspicion that Dumbledore is stirring up trouble so that he can usurp Fudge as Minister of Magic.
When his failure to admit Voldemort's return comes to light, Fudge is sacked as Minister for Magic and replaced by
Rufus Scrimgeour in
Harry Potter And The Half-blood Prince .
