Do we like them?

Do we like Dolores Umbridge?

A character from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003 (book), 2007 (f)

Our score: 0 out of 10. No. She smiles and wears pink while she bullies children and abuses her power, and she does it because she thinks she is right.

Dolores Umbridge first appears in the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The Ministry of Magic refuses to believe that Voldemort has returned. It sends her to Hogwarts as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She speaks softly, dresses in pink, and keeps kitten plates on her office walls.

Her classes teach only theory, so students can't practise defensive magic. She gains more and more power over the school through a series of Ministry decrees. She bans clubs, limits what teachers can do, and treats any student who disagrees, especially Harry, as a threat. Her detentions are cruel and are used to force obedience.

She scores a 0 because her cruelty is deliberate and she feels no guilt. She shows no remorse, and she uses her position to hurt people who can't fight back. Many fans find her more hateful than Voldemort, because she is the sort of petty official people have actually met.