Dolores Umbridge

Umbridge Collection

HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-umbridge-office-desk-holding-pencil-web-landscape

Umbridge is sat at her desk in her office and looking up at someone of shot. She is holding a pencil in her hands.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

HP-F5

and the Order of the Phoenix

hp-f5-umbridge-in-classroom-smile-app-article-hero

Summon Umbridge's official Fact File

PROMO-COLLECTION-umbridge-fact-file

Dolores Umbridge Fact File Image dolores-umbridge_2_1800x1248

Fact File dolores-umbridge_2_1800x1248

Six times Dolores Umbridge proved herself to be truly heartless

WEB-FEATURE-six-times-dolores-umbridge-was-truly-heartless

HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-umbridge-sat-at-desk-office-drinking-tea-smug-web-landscape

Dolores Umbridge is sat at her desk in her office, drinking tea and looking smug. Her wall of cat plates in behind her.

six-times-dolores-umbridge-was-truly-heartless-text-section-1

## When she sacked and humiliated Professor Trelawney 
Ok, so Professor Trelawney was hardly the most popular teacher. And yes, her talents as a Seer were questionable. However, when Umbridge sacked and publicly humiliated her in front of the entire school, it was truly heart-breaking. What made it worse was that Umbridge seemed to relish in Trelawney’s pain. 

>‘You didn’t realise this was coming?’ said a high girlish voice, sounding callously amused, and Harry, moving slightly to his right, saw that Trelawney’s terrifying vision was nothing other than Professor Umbridge. ‘Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow’s weather, you must surely have realised that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable that you would be sacked?’
>
>‘You c – can’t!’ howled Professor Trelawney, tears streaming down her face from behind her enormous lenses, ‘you c – can’t sack me! I’ve b – been here sixteen years! H – Hogwarts is m – my h – home!’
>
>‘It was your home,’ said Professor Umbridge, and Harry was revolted to see the enjoyment stretching her toadlike face as she watched Professor Trelawney sink, sobbing uncontrollably, on to one of her trunks, ‘until an hour ago, when the Minister for Magic countersigned your Order of Dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this Hall. You are embarrassing us.’
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-umbridge-trelawney-crying-mcgonagall-comforting-her-filch-courtyard-web-landscape

Professor Trelawney is standing in the courtyard upset after being sacked while Professor McGonagall comforts her. Professor Umbridge and Argus Filch are stood there too

six-times-dolores-umbridge-was-truly-heartless-text-section-2

## When she revealed how she liked to punish her students
Umbridge’s idea of what was an acceptable punishment was truly barbaric. Her ‘special quill’ was nothing more than torture. It was sickening to see how gleeful she was at the prospect of inflicting physical pain on those who were in her care. As a teacher, she was in a position of authority – which only added to the cruelty of this situation.

>She moved over to her desk, sat down and bent over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking. Harry raised the sharp black quill, then realised what was missing.
>
>‘You haven’t given me any ink,’ he said.
>
>‘Oh, you won’t need ink,’ said Professor Umbridge, with the merest suggestion of a laugh in her voice.
>
>Harry placed the point of the quill on the paper and wrote: *I must not tell lies*. He let out a gasp of pain. The words had appeared on the parchment in what appeared to be shining red ink. At the same time, the words had appeared on the back of Harry’s right hand, cut into his skin as though traced there by a scalpel – yet even as he stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over again, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth.
>
>Harry looked round at Umbridge. She was watching him, her wide, toadlike mouth stretched in a smile.
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-umbridge-harry-office-detention-smug-smirking-web-landscape

Harry is serving detention in Umbridge's office. She has her back to him and is smiling smugly.

six-times-dolores-umbridge-was-truly-heartless-text-section-3

## When she was willing to use an Unforgivable Curse on a student 
For Umbridge to even consider using the Cruciatus Curse on Harry was, well, unforgivable. This moment not only showed us that she was truly devoid of a moral compass but also revealed that she had been the one to set the Dementors on Harry during the summer holidays. For someone who was all about making and enforcing rules, she was more than happy to break them if it meant she could get what she wanted.

>Malfoy was watching her with a hungry expression on his face.
>
>‘The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue,’ said Umbridge quietly.
>
>‘No!’ shrieked Hermione. ‘Professor Umbridge – it’s illegal.’
>
>But Umbridge took no notice. There was a nasty, eager, excited look on her face that Harry had never seen before. She raised her wand.
>
>‘The Minister wouldn’t want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!’ cried Hermione.
>
>‘What Cornelius doesn’t know won’t hurt him,’ said Umbridge, who was now panting slightly as she pointed her wand at different parts of Harry’s body in turn, apparently trying to decide where it would hurt most. ‘He never knew I ordered Dementors to go after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same.’
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-umbridge-pointing-wand-at-harry-tied-up-office-web-landscape

Harry is tied to a chair in Umbridge's office looking shocked. She is standing over him, pointing her wand in his face and looks dishevelled and out of control.

six-times-dolores-umbridge-was-truly-heartless-text-section-4

## The way she spoke about Hagrid
Umbridge’s contempt for those who weren’t pure-blood witches or wizards was despicable. She was especially cruel to Hagrid, and her vindictive personality would shine through every time she spoke to or about him. We can just hear the venom in her voice when she referred to him as a ‘great half-breed oaf’.

>‘It’s hidden in Hagrid’s hut, is it?’ said Umbridge eagerly in Harry’s ear.
>
>‘Of course not,’ said Hermione scathingly. ‘Hagrid might have set it off accidentally.’
>
>‘Yes,’ said Umbridge, whose excitement seemed to be mounting. ‘Yes, he would have done, of course, the great half-breed oaf.’
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-umbridge-hagrids-hut-defiant-web-landscape

Dolores Umbridge is standing in Hagrid's hut and looking defiant.

six-times-dolores-umbridge-was-truly-heartless-text-section-5

## When it was revealed what she kept on her office door at the Ministry of Magic 
This particular instance turned our stomach. Mad-Eye Moody had been killed and somehow Umbridge had come into possession of his magical eye and placed it on her office door for all to see. We have complete sympathy with Harry for being filled with rage at this moment – the lack of respect she had for a fellow human being, and colleague, was disgusting. 

>The witch glanced towards the shining mahogany door facing the space full of pamphlet-makers; Harry looked too, and rage reared in him like a snake. Where there might have been a peephole on a Muggle front door, a large, round eye with a bright blue iris had been set into the wood; an eye that was shockingly familiar to anybody who had known Alastor Moody.
> *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*

six-times-dolores-umbridge-was-truly-heartless-text-section-6

## Becoming head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission 
This particular role was made for Umbridge. It was Dolores in all her horrible glory – where she could thrive on using and abusing her powers. She got to freely act on her bigoted beliefs without any fear of repercussions. The way she smugly taunted the Muggle-borns made our skin crawl. 

>‘A wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the Ministry today, Mrs Cattermole,’ Umbridge was saying. ‘Eight and three- quarter inches, cherry, unicorn hair core. Do you recognise that description?’
>
>Mrs Cattermole nodded, mopping her eyes on her sleeve.
>
>‘Could you please tell us from which witch or wizard you took that wand?’
>
>‘T – took?’ sobbed Mrs Cattermole. ‘I didn’t t – take it from anybody. I b – bought it when I was eleven years old. It – it – it – chose me.’
>
>She cried harder than ever.
>
>Umbridge laughed a soft, girlish laugh that made Harry want to attack her. She leaned forwards over the barrier, the better to observe her victim, and something gold swung forwards too, and dangled over the void: the locket.
>
>Hermione had seen it, she let out a little squeak, but Umbridge and Yaxley, still intent upon their prey, were deaf to everything else. ‘No,’ said Umbridge, ‘no, I don’t think so, Mrs Cattermole. Wands only choose witches or wizards. You are not a witch. I have your responses to the questionnaire that was sent to you here – Mafalda, pass them to me.’
> *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*

HP-F7-deathly-hallows-part-one-umbridge-pius-thicknesse-albert-runcorn-ministry-fountain-web-landscape

Dolores Umbridge, Albert Runcorn, Pius Thicknesse and another Ministry worker stand in front of the fountain in the Ministry of Magic.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

HP-F7

and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

six-times-dolores-umbridge-was-truly-heartless-text-section-7

Do you agree with our choices for Umbridge’s most heartless moments? Or do you think we’ve missed any? Let us know!

feature

main-feed

Why Professor Umbridge’s sickly sweet villainy terrifies me more than Voldemort

WEB-ARTICLE-why-professor-umbridge-s-sickly-villainy-terrifies-me-more-than-voldemort

WB-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-umbridge-and-harry-with-cat-plates

why-professor-umbridge-s-sickly-villainy-terrifies-me-more-than-voldemort-text-section-1

Forget the Hungarian Horntail, Fluffy, Aragog and the scores of other monsters that Harry faces, his biggest foe (alright, apart from the Dark Lord!) is Dolores Umbridge. 

From the very beginning, we are invited to hate her. Not only is she one of the Wizengamot who votes for Harry to be punished for fighting off the Dementors (which she sent in the first place! Not cool Dolores!), but she is described as ‘squat’ and ‘toadlike’. No offence to toads, but they are generally regarded as being repulsive; covered in warts with poisonous skin and a voracious appetite. Umbridge’s lust for power and control knows no bounds, and as for the poison? Every one of her actions is loaded with venom and hatred. 

Visually, Umbridge makes a fantastically unique villain, none of the black, wild, leather and lace imagery that we associate with Bellatrix, who conforms to the more traditional look for a baddie.

Umbridge’s love for everything twee and girlish dominates her look and there is something so chilling about the idea of a grown woman completing every outfit with a frill or a bow while essentially signing the death warrants of Muggleborns. 


WB HP F5 Dolores Umbridge in her office in Order of the Phoenix 

WB HP F5 Dolores Umbridge in Order of the Phoenix 

why-professor-umbridge-s-sickly-villainy-terrifies-me-more-than-voldemort-text-section-2

Also, why does EVERYTHING have to be pink? Less is more, Dolores! Of all of the films’ interpretations of the characters, Imelda Staunton’s portrayal of Umbridge is the best, especially during one of the most shudder-inducing scenes in *Order of the Phoenix*. Detention with Umbridge – three words guaranteed to make the back of your hand itch. The detail in this scene is magnificent: from the mewling, creepy kittens adorning the walls on decorative china plates (which reminds me of the Princess Diana-themed memorabilia found in some elderly Muggle homes), to the framed photograph of her beloved Minister on her desk. Every element is carefully cultivated to drive further home the point that her saccharine persona is actually a front for someone truly vile. 

Staunton totally embraces Umbridge’s obvious excitement about torturing Harry during detention. Her mouth twitches with glee as she listens out for obvious signs of his discomfort when Harry picks up the inkless quill, and her baby blues are wide and innocent when she stares him down, daring him to submit to the pain. The tension between the two adversaries in this scene is potent and ensures that we know never to underestimate Dolores Umbridge.

Something particularly frightening about Umbridge is that we never really find out why she is the way she is. We get a whole book pretty much dedicated to Tom Riddle’s past – detailing how and why he became Lord Voldemort – but it is never explained why Umbridge has such a great dislike of those different to herself or what motivates her. As with most things, her hatred seems to be driven by fear; fear of ‘half-breeds’ like Hagrid, werewolves, Muggleborns and, of course, (clippity clop) centaurs. But what sparked that horror? Thanks to the J.K. Rowling canon, we have since been given some insight into [Umbridge’s history and childhood](https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/dolores-umbridge).


PMARCHIVE-DoloresUmbridge WB F5 UmbridgeHarryDetention Still 080615 Land 2egQVSsRXKqogimOSWQseW-b7

DoloresUmbridge WB F5 UmbridgeHarryDetention Still 080615 Land

why-professor-umbridge-s-sickly-villainy-terrifies-me-more-than-voldemort-text-section-3

Apparently, Umbridge’s mother was a Muggle and her brother was a Squib – a source of huge embarrassment for the family. Perhaps their abandonment and retreat back into the Muggle world had such a huge impact on Umbridge that it became the catalyst for her Muggleborn-targeted cruelty later on in life. However, her only ally at Hogwarts is infamous Squib Argus Filch, so evidently she is willing to relax her rules if she has something to gain… 

But what makes Umbridge even more of a threat than Voldemort is how *human* she is. She knows that this isn’t about casting the mightiest spell, or mastering magic that no-one else is capable of understanding. She just needs to know how to manipulate and control others who hold positions of power. 

Cornelius Fudge is happy to let Umbridge massage his ego because of his own insecurities regarding Dumbledore, which (of course) she exploits. When he and his lime-green bowler hat are kicked out of office, Umbridge not only retains her position at the Ministry but claws her way further up the pecking order. Fudge’s successor, Rufus Scrimgeour, allows Umbridge a seat at his table and even worse, uses her knowledge of Harry to try and bribe our hero – ‘Dolores Umbridge has told me that you cherish an ambition to become an Auror.’ As if Harry Potter could be so easily bought. 

Like a cockroach, Umbridge survives the next cull, while Scrimgeour does not. She thrives once again as she is given even more authority to brandish alongside her stumpy wand. She is recognised by the Death Eaters as – if not exactly one of them – then at least as a kindred spirit. But this type of megalomania is sadly not restricted to the magical world  – or indeed people who abuse positions of power for their own agenda. While Voldemort is evidently evil, with his red, snakelike eyes and despotic tendencies, Umbridge’s mode of wickedness feels much more insidious because it flies under the radar... 


PMARCHIVE-DoloresUmbridge WB F5 UmbridgeSittingOnGroundForbiddenForest Still 080615 Land 1xhX863T9yGsc0m2G0kSik-b13

DoloresUmbridge WB F5 UmbridgeSittingOnGroundForbiddenForest Still 080615 Land

Umbridge sitting on the ground of Forbbiden Forest 

why-professor-umbridge-s-sickly-villainy-terrifies-me-more-than-voldemort-text-section-4

So, does that make her even more dangerous?

For all of Dolores’s doling out decrees and detentions and deducting house points, where is *her* punishment?! The last time we see her is in the Ministry, when she is Stunned by a furious Harry during her gleeful interrogation of poor Mary Cattermole. Yes, that moment is *incredibly* satisfying but we need some sort of resolution. 

We obviously don’t see Umbridge at the Battle of Hogwarts, she is not a Death Eater and therefore wouldn’t have rallied around Voldermort. She would *never* have turned to come to fight for Harry in the way that Percy Weasley does, because that would have meant admitting she was in the wrong. 

Dolores Jane Umbridge, ex-Headmistress, ex-High Inquisitor and ex-Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic appears to slip through the cracks, to a fate unknown. In reality, we don’t need one of Sybill Trelawney’s crystal balls to know that she ended up in Azkaban for the rest of her life, and I like to think of her “hem hem”ing crossly to herself in a corner of her cell, while reading Rita Skeeter's salacious takes on our heroic trio in The Daily Prophet. 

How Dolores Umbridge made our skin crawl

PMARCHIVE-How Dolores Umbridge made our skin crawl

WB-F5-umbridge-at-owl-exams-web-landscape

WB-F5-umbridbe-at-owl-exams-web-landscape

PMARCHIVE-undefined 2egQVSsRXKqogimOSWQseW-g0

DoloresUmbridge WB F5 UmbridgeSmiling Still 080615 Land

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-how-dolores-umbridge-made-our-skin-crawl-0

[Dolores Jane Umbridge](/features/dolores-umbridge "Dolores Umbridge") was the witch we all love to hate, or maybe just hate. Here’s how this professor made our skin crawl...

## Interrupting Dumbledore
There we were, with the rest of the [Great Hall](/features/the-great-hall "The Great Hall") in *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, enjoying [Professor Dumbledore’s](/features/albus-dumbledore "Albus Dumbledore") start-of-term notices, when suddenly... ‘Hem, hem.’ 

What’s this? Who is this, daring to interrupt the headmaster? It made [Professor McGonagall’s](/features/minerva-mcgonagall "Minerva McGonagall") mouth go as thin as [Harry](/features/harry-potter "Harry Potter") had ever seen it and we knew then that this woman was trouble.

## No magic allowed
At the start of the first Defence Against the Dark Arts class with Umbridge, no one knew what to expect. By the end, we had a pretty clear idea. From her first patronising, ‘I should like you, please, to reply “Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge”. One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!’ to ‘Your hand is not up, [Miss Granger!](/features/hermione-granger "Hermione Granger")’ this class was nothing but awkward – and the beginning of more bad things to come for Harry.

PMARCHIVE-DoloresUmbridge PM B5C13M1 DoloresUmbridgeInHerOffice Moment 2iPs4S2lfKCqa6UQkCiK20

DoloresUmbridge PM B5C13M1 DoloresUmbridgeInHerOffice Moment

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-how-dolores-umbridge-made-our-skin-crawl-2

## Insulting centaurs 
As J.K. Rowling acknowledges, ‘Dolores has what amounts to a phobia of beings that are not quite, or wholly, human.’ When the [centaurs](/features/centaurs "Centaurs") challenged her control, her scream of ‘Filthy half-breeds!’ and ‘Beasts! Uncontrolled animals!’ was offensive in the extreme. 

## Humiliating Professor Trelawney 
Umbridge’s arrival in the shadowy Divination room halted [Professor Trelawney](/features/sybill-trelawney "Sybill Trelawney") mid-waft, and put us in the new position of being on Trelawney’s side as Umbridge rudely questioned her. Not content with making the students’ lives a misery, Umbridge took callous pleasure in bullying the easy-to-target teacher. 

> Professor Umbridge’s toadlike smile widened. 
> ‘Of course,’ she said sweetly, making yet another note. ‘Well, if you could just predict something for me, then?’ 
 *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* 

The degradation of Professor Trelawney continued until she was reduced to a sherry-bottle-clutching mess in the Entrance Hall, which was when...

PMARCHIVE-DoloresUmbridge WB F5 InHogwartsCourtyardLookingDisapproving Still 080615 Land 2egQVSsRXKqogimOSWQseW-b3

DoloresUmbridge WB F5 InHogwartsCourtyardLookingDisapproving Still 080615 Land

Umbridge sneers at Professor Trelawney in the Hogwarts courtyard.

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-how-dolores-umbridge-made-our-skin-crawl-4

## The High Inquisitor attempted to make Trelawney homeless

This was so sad to read, as Trelawney pleaded: ‘I’ve b – been here sixteen years! H – Hogwarts is m – my h – home!’ and Umbridge took grim pleasure in her desperation. Well actually, Dolores, it’s not your castle and you do not have the authority to evict teachers – which Dumbledore explained to her quite magnificently, and we punched the air in delight.

## Trying to take on Professor McGonagall
Don’t challenge McGonagall. Don’t ever challenge Professor McGonagall. Especially not when you are a simpering, cowardly, nasty madwoman and she is, well, Professor Minerva McGonagall. [Ron](/features/ron-weasley "Ron Weasley") set up this clash rather wonderfully, when he exclaimed ‘Oh, I can’t wait to see McGonagall inspected’ ... ‘Umbridge won’t know what’s hit her.’ 

Naturally, McGonagall doesn’t let us down, cutting Dolores to the quick and taking absolutely none of her nonsense. 

> ‘I wonder,’ said Professor McGonagall in cold fury, turning on Professor Umbridge, ‘how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking.’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

Professor McGonagall in cold fury? Gulp. Take that Dolores, you have been owned.

PMARCHIVE-DoloresUmbridge WB F5 DoloresUmbridgeCharacterIllustration V1 Illust 080615 Port 2egQVSsRXKqogimOSWQseW-b5

DoloresUmbridge WB F5 DoloresUmbridgeCharacterIllustration V1 Illust 080615 Port

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-how-dolores-umbridge-made-our-skin-crawl-6

## ‘Hem, hem...’
That little throat-clearing cough: the first time it was curious, the second time it was an irritation and every other time it was an annoyance and suggested more madness from Dolores was coming. 

>Professor Umbridge gave her most pronounced cough yet. 

>‘May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?’ Professor McGonagall asked curtly, without looking at Professor Umbridge. 
 *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

This excellent retort from Professor McGonagall signified what everyone else was thinking: ‘Please stop that noise, it’s infuriating.’ 

## Scarring Harry Potter for life

>‘Oh, you won’t need ink,’ said Professor Umbridge, with the merest suggestion of a laugh in her voice.
 *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

Harry Potter’s parents were murdered, his only family kept him in a cupboard under the stairs, he was pursued by a villain so evil the wizarding community couldn’t bear to utter his name, and now he was being forced to inscribe lines into his flesh with a [quill](/features/quills "Quills")? 

This was Professor Umbridge at her very darkest: inflicting searing physical pain on her student, someone meant to be in her care... but instead she tortured him, with a smile stretched on her face. It’s distressing to read and positively unbearable to watch. 

In the film *Order of the Phoenix*, actress Imelda Staunton is flawless in this scene; those eyes and that expression of utter freakish mania will stay with us forever. Stephen King was right. Dolores Jane Umbridge truly is a monster.

Discover the films

Wizarding World Image Crediting

to Fantastic Beasts

The etymology of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor names

PMARCHIVE-The etymology of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor names

PMARCHIVE-QuirinusQuirrell WB F1 QuirrellInClassroomHoldingLizard Still 080615 Land 4yIk80kd1CKSGSIaqI6oO4

QuirinusQuirrell WB F1 QuirrellInClassroomHoldingLizard Still 080615 Land

Quirrell teaching in his classroom with a lizard

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-etymology-of-defence-against-the-dark-arts-professor-names-0

We uncover the interesting etymology of the names of the witches and wizards who took the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

## Quirinus Quirrell  

[Professor Quirrell’s](/writing-by-jk-rowling/professor-quirrell "Professor Quirrell by J.K. Rowling") name has an uncannily accurate connection to his unfortunate run-in with Lord Voldemort.

The word ‘quirinus’ has its origins in Roman mythology and is loosely translated to ‘spear’ or ‘wielder of the spear’. As we know, Quirrell wielded something even more deadly under his turban.

Quirinus was also the name of the Sabine god of war and is referred to as the ‘oak-god’. In short, the name is synonymous with battle and domination: certainly a good fit for Lord Voldemort, the man who dominated him. 

The Professor’s surname, on the other hand, is also linked with oak from the Middle High German word ‘eichhorn’ or ‘oak horn’. In Old English it was written as ácweorna, which loosely translates to squirrel. In modern linguistics squirrel has several meanings beyond the description of an adorably fuzzy animal – it describes someone who has a limited attention span, and the action of ‘squirrelling away’ food or items for later use. Professor Quirrell was notoriously twitchy and hard to pin down, and you could say he had Voldemort squirrelled away beneath his turban. It is a name as aptly suited to his personality as his actions.

## Gilderoy Lockhart

WB-F2-chamber-of-secrets-lockhart

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-etymology-of-defence-against-the-dark-arts-professor-names-2

[Professor Gilderoy Lockhart](/writing-by-jk-rowling/gilderoy-lockhart "Gilderoy Lockhart by J.K. Rowling") was one of the funniest of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers at Hogwarts. His unending vanity and ridiculous pretences at bravery were pretty much the theme of all of his books. Gilderoy’s popularity with the ladies made his forename very apt indeed: it was also the name of a famous Highland outlaw who had poetry written about his exploits with women and penchant for breaking the law.

*‘Gilderoy was a bonny boy, 
Had roses till his shoon; 
His stockings were of silken soy, 
Wi’ garters hanging doun, 
It was, I ween, a comelie sight 
To see sae trim a boy; 
He was my joy and heart’s delight, 
My handsome Gilderoy.’*

While Professor Lockhart’s first name managed to capture his startling good looks, it was his surname which really sealed the deal. Lockhart is of Scottish origin and is said to mean ‘brave’ and ‘hardy’. Can anyone say irony? 

## Remus Lupin

HP-F3-lupin-neville-web-header-dada

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-etymology-of-defence-against-the-dark-arts-professor-names-4

The most loved of all the Dark Arts professors, [Remus Lupin](/writing-by-jk-rowling/remus-lupin "Remus Lupin by J.K. Rowling") was also one of the most tragic. Cursed from a young age to transform into a werewolf at every full moon, Lupin was as his name suggested: wolfy. Lupin is from the Latin ‘lupinus’ which translates to mean ‘wolfish’, and is also the name given to a series of spiky but brightly coloured flowers called Lupinus. In America, these plants were so named because they were seen as damaging to the soil – wolfish in their need to consume. However, in Portugal this was perceived as an advantage and the plants are used to choke out weeds. For our professor, both the wolfish curse and his utter dedication to rooting out evil defined who he was, just like his surname.

Remus, on the other hand, is from Roman mythology, and the original owner of the name was the brother of Romulus, the son of Mars and one of the founders of Rome. He was also, wait for it, raised by a wolf…

## Barty Crouch Jr.

PMARCHIVE-BartyCrouchJr WB F4 BartyCrouchJrStruggling Still 080615 Land 5PLt1V2j9CWaOKeWaS4wCc-b5

BartyCrouchJr WB F4 BartyCrouchJrStruggling Still 080615 Land

Barty Crouch is apprehended by officials at the Wizengamot.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

HP-F4

and the Goblet of Fire

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-etymology-of-defence-against-the-dark-arts-professor-names-6

Seeing as it technically was not Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody who was the Defence Against the Dark Arts tutor in Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts, we will instead look at the name of Barty Crouch, who stole Moody’s place. 

Barty is a variation taken from a number of different names, the most common of which is Barry. This has Gaelic origins and is often considered to come from the Irish name ‘Ō Beargha’ which means ‘plunderer’. Well, that is pretty appropriate for this so-called professor. 

Crouch is said to be a late 14th-century word with its origins in Old French, and is given to mean ‘become bent or crooked’. And who better to fit the bill for being ‘crooked’ than Barty Crouch Jr?

## Dolores Umbridge

PMARCHIVE-DoloresUmbridge WB F5 UmbridgeAtHerDesk Still 080615 Land 6gaXgkdoOWwaokWoomkW4m

DoloresUmbridge WB F5 UmbridgeAtHerDesk Still 080615 Land

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-etymology-of-defence-against-the-dark-arts-professor-names-8

[Dolores Umbridge](/writing-by-jk-rowling/dolores-umbridge "Dolores Umbridge by J.K. Rowling") was the professor we didn’t just love to hate, we *hated*. She was mean, she was vindictive, she was cruel and she hated children. She did things so nasty that we all shivered with horror. Wasn’t Dolores just the pits – and wasn’t her name just perfect? ‘Dolores’ is taken from the Spanish description of the Virgin Mary — Maria de los Dolores — which translates to ‘Mary of Sorrows’. She definitely created many ‘sorrows’ during her time as Hogwarts High Inquisitor. Her surname, on the other hand, looks very likely to be a variant of ‘umbrage’, and the phrase ‘to take umbrage’ is to be displeased and unhappy about something.

Professor Umbridge was pretty much always upset about something, unless it was said by Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge. However, it is worth mentioning that umbrage hasn’t always meant displeasure – it was originally taken from the Latin word ‘umbra’, which means ‘shadow’. This has an ominous overtone when it comes to Dolores Umbridge and her affiliations with the Dark Lord. Also, we imagine a lot of Hogwarts students threw plenty of shade whenever she was around. 

## Severus Snape

WB-HP-F6-half-blood-prince-snape-alone

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-etymology-of-defence-against-the-dark-arts-professor-names-10

Snape brought sarcasm and wit to the daily grind of the schooling year, but his secret bravery was kept hidden until the very end of the story. His first name, Severus, has its roots in Latin, directly translating to mean ‘stern’ or ‘harsh’. This was exactly the front that Snape put on as he swept down hallways like a bat and berated Harry for every wrong: a stern and harsh façade to hide what lay beneath. It was also an accurate description of the desperately lonely and unhappy childhood he had with a harsh father who didn’t hold back when it came to the whip. 

As for his last name, Snape, this comes from the Old Norse word ‘sneypa’ which means ‘to outrage, dishonour, disgrace’: three words that definitely seem relevant to the old [Potions](/writing-by-jk-rowling/potions "Potions by J.K. Rowling") professor.

Ten satisfying moments when wizarding folk got their comeuppance

WEB-FEATURE-2020-ten-satisfying-moments-when-wizarding-folk-got-their-comeuppance

hermione-malfoy-prisoner-of-azkaban-punch-moment-hp3

WEB-FEATURE-2020-ten-satisfying-moments-when-wizarding-folk-got-their-come-uppance-text-section

## That time Harry was sassy with Rita Skeeter...
‘It was Rita Skeeter. She was wearing acid-green robes today; the Quick-Quotes Quill in her hand blended perfectly against them.
‘Congratulations, Harry!’ she said, beaming at him. ‘I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now about the fairness of the scoring?’
‘Yeah, you can have a word,’ said Harry savagely. ‘Goodbye.’ 
And he set off back to the castle with Ron."

## That time Hermione gave Malfoy exactly what he deserved...
‘She had slapped Malfoy around the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.
‘Don’t you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul – you evil –’
‘Hermione!’ said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.
‘Get off, Ron!’
Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backwards. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.
‘C’mon,’ Malfoy muttered, and next moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.’ 

## That time Professor McGonagall told Dolores Umbridge exactly how she felt about her teaching...
"I’m terribly sorry to have to contradict you, Minerva, but as you will see from my note, Harry has been achieving very poor results in his classes with me –’
‘I should have made my meaning plainer,’ said Professor McGonagall, turning at last to look Umbridge directly in the eyes. ‘He has achieved high marks in all Defence Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher."

## That time Lucius Malfoy lost his power over Dobby... 
‘But Dobby didn’t move. He was holding up Harry’s disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure. 
‘Master has given Dobby a sock,’ said the elf in wonderment. ‘Master gave it to Dobby.’
‘What’s that?’ spat Mr Malfoy. ‘What did you say?’
‘Dobby has got a sock,’ said Dobby in disbelief. ‘Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby – Dobby is free."

## That time Hermione decided she’d had quite enough of unfogging the future...  
"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don’t remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly Mundane.’
There was a moment’s silence. Then –
‘Fine!’ said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. ‘Fine!’ she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair. ‘I give up! I’m leaving!"

## That time Harry declined Draco Malfoy’s offer of friendship... 
"You’ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.’
He held out his hand to shake Harry’s, but Harry didn’t take it.
‘I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,’ he said coolly.'

## That time Dumbledore got the better of Fudge in style...
"So,’ sneered Fudge, recovering himself, ‘you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?’
‘Merlin’s beard, no,’ said Dumbledore, smiling, ‘not unless you are foolish enough to force me to." 

## That time Mrs Weasley took on Bellatrix Lestrange...  
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!’
Mrs Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms. Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.
‘OUT OF MY WAY!’ shouted Mrs Weasley to the three girls, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel. Harry watched with terror and elation as Molly Weasley’s wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange’s smile faltered, and became a snarl.' 

## That time Dumbledore told off the Dursleys... 
"Dumbledore paused, and although his voice remained light and calm, and he gave no obvious sign of anger, Harry felt a kind of chill emanating from him and noticed that the Dursleys drew very slightly closer together.
‘You did not do as I asked. You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands. The best that can be said is that he has at least escaped the appalling damage you have inflicted upon the unfortunate boy sitting between you." 

## That time Hermione got real with Ron...
"A slightly stunned silence greeted the end of this speech, then Ron said, ‘One person can’t feel all that at once, they’d explode.’
‘Just because you’ve got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn’t mean we all have,’ said Hermione nastily, picking up her quill again."


medium-quiz

The Umbridge’s worst deeds quiz

WEB-QUIZ-umbridges-worst-deeds

quiz_background

quiz-foreground

2024-08-31-FEED-QUIZ-umbridge-worst-deeds

hp-f5-umbridge-office-desk-holding-pencil-app-landscape

Umbridge had a terrible quill that carved the words the user was writing into the back of their hand. What colour was it? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q1

Which of these teachers did Umbridge sack and try to evict them from Hogwarts? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q2

Which Unforgivable Curse was Umbridge prepared to use on Harry before Hermione intervened? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q3

What object did Umbridge keep attached to her office door at the Ministry of Magic? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q4

What horrible committee did Umbridge head up at the Ministry of Magic when Voldemort regained his power?

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q5

Who did Umbridge call a ‘great half-breed oaf’? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q6

Umbridge introduced many ‘Educational Decrees’ during her time at Hogwarts. Which one disbanded all student organisations? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q7

What punishment did Dolores Umbridge say would befall any student caught with a copy of The Quibbler? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q8

Umbridge gave Argus Filch permission to do what to students as a punishment? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q9

What odious beings did Umbridge send after Harry in Little Whinging at the start of Order of the Phoenix? 

umbridges-worst-deeds-quiz-q10

When it comes to the villains of Harry Potter, there’s one that gives Voldemort a run for his money – Dolores Umbridge. We can’t think of a single saving grace for this toad-like, pink-loving witch but we can recall plenty of her worst deeds. Can you?

Complete the quote quiz: Dolores Umbridge edition

WEB-QUIZ-complete-quote-umbridge-quiz

WB-HP-F5-order-of-phoenix-umbridge-in-hogwarts-hall-with-portraits

easy-quiz

Complete the quote quiz: Dolores Umbridge edition 

2021-04-24-FEED-QUIZ-complete-quote-umbridge-edition

‘So silly of me. But it sounded for a teensy moment as though you were suggesting that ______ had ordered an attack on this boy!’ 

complete-quote-quiz-umbridge-q1

‘There again, progress for progress’s sake must be ______’ 

complete-quote-quiz-umbridge-q2

‘you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention… extremely dangerous ______’  

complete-quote-quiz-umbridge-q3

‘I want you to write, I must not ______’ 

complete-quote-quiz-umbridge-q4

‘The ______ ought to loosen your tongue’

complete-quote-quiz-umbridge-q5

'So – you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into ______, do you?'

complete-quote-quiz-umbridge-q6

‘Yes, as ______ fresh air must be so difficult to come by,’ 

complete-quote-quiz-umbridge-q7

How well do you remember some of the High Inquisitor’s most infuriating lines?

PMARCHIVE-Dolores Umbridge

PMARCHIVE-BODY-OF-dolores-umbridge-0

Dolores Jane Umbridge was the eldest child and only daughter of Orford Umbridge, a wizard, and Ellen Cracknell, a Muggle, who also had a Squib son. Dolores’s parents were unhappily married, and Dolores secretly despised both of them: Orford for his lack of ambition (he had never been promoted, and worked in the Department of Magical Maintenance at the Ministry of Magic), and her mother, Ellen, for her flightiness, untidiness, and Muggle lineage. Both Orford and his daughter blamed Ellen for Dolores’s brother’s lack of magical ability, with the result that when Dolores was fifteen, the family split down the middle, Orford and Dolores remaining together, and Ellen vanishing back into the Muggle world with her son. Dolores never saw her mother or brother again, never spoke of either of them, and henceforth pretended to all she met that she was a pure-blood.

An accomplished witch, Dolores joined the Ministry of Magic directly after she left Hogwarts, taking a job as a lowly intern in the Improper Use of Magic Office. Even at seventeen, Dolores was judgemental, prejudiced and sadistic, although her conscientious attitude, her saccharine manner towards her superiors, and the ruthlessness and stealth with which she took credit for other people’s work soon gained her advancement. Before she was thirty, Dolores had been promoted to Head of the office, and it was but a short step from there to ever more senior positions in the management of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. By this time, she had persuaded her father to take early retirement, and by making him a small financial allowance, she ensured that he dropped quietly out of sight. Whenever she was asked (usually by workmates who did not like her) ‘are you related to that Umbridge who used to mop the floors here?’ she would smile her sweetest, laugh, and deny any connection whatsoever, claiming that her deceased father had been a distinguished member of the Wizengamot. Nasty things tended to happen to people who asked about Orford, or anything that Dolores did not like talking about, and people who wanted to remain on her good side pretended to believe her version of her ancestry.

In spite of her best efforts to secure the affections of one of her superiors (she never cared particularly which of them it was, but knew that her own status and security would be advanced with a powerful husband), Dolores never succeeded in marrying. While they valued her hard work and ambition, those who got to know her best found it difficult to like her very much. After a glass of sweet sherry, Dolores was always prone to spout very uncharitable views, and even those who were anti-Muggle found themselves shocked by some of Dolores’s suggestions, behind closed doors, of the treatment that the non-magical community deserved.

As she grew older and harder, and rose higher within the Ministry, Dolores’s taste in little girlish accessories grew more and more pronounced; her office became a place of frills and furbelows, and she liked anything decorated with kittens (though found the real thing inconveniently messy). As the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge became increasingly anxious and paranoid that Albus Dumbledore had ambitions to supersede him, Dolores managed to claw her way to the very heart of power, by stoking both Fudge’s vanity and his fears, and presenting herself as one of the few he could trust.

Dolores’s appointment as Inquisitor at Hogwarts gave full scope, for the first time in her life, for her prejudices and her cruelty. She had not enjoyed her time at school, where she had been overlooked for all positions of responsibility, and she relished the chance to return and wield power over those who had not (as she saw it) given her her due.

Dolores has what amounts to a phobia of beings that are not quite, or wholly, human. Her distaste for the half-giant Hagrid, and her terror of centaurs, reveal a terror of the unknown and the wild. She is an immensely controlling person, and all who challenge her authority and worldview must, in her opinion, be punished. She actively enjoys subjugating and humiliating others, and except in their declared allegiances, there is little to choose between her and Bellatrix Lestrange.

Dolores’s time at Hogwarts ended disastrously, because she overreached the remit Fudge had given her, stepping outside the bounds of her own authority, carried away with a fanatical sense of self-purpose. Shaken but unrepentant after a catastrophic end to her Hogwarts career, she returned to a Ministry which had been plunged into turmoil due to the return of Lord Voldemort.

In the change of regimes that followed Fudge’s forced resignation, Dolores was able to slip back into her former position at the Ministry. The new Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, had more immediate problems pressing in on him than Dolores Umbridge. Scrimgeour was later punished for this oversight, because the fact that the Ministry had never punished Dolores for her many abuses of power seemed to Harry Potter to reveal both its complacency and its carelessness. Harry considered Dolores’s continuing employment, and the lack of any repercussions for her behaviour at Hogwarts, a sign of the Ministry’s essential corruption, and refused to cooperate with the new Minister because of it (Dolores is the only person, other than Lord Voldemort, to leave a permanent physical scar on Harry, having forced him to cut the words ‘I must not tell lies’ on the back of his own hand during detention).

Dolores was soon enjoying life at the Ministry more than ever. When the Ministry was taken over by the puppet Minister Pius Thicknesse, and infiltrated by the Dark Lord’s followers, Dolores was in her true element at last. Correctly judged, by senior Death Eaters, to have much more in common with them than she ever had with Albus Dumbledore, she not only retained her post but was given extra authority, becoming Head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission, which was in effect a kangaroo court that imprisoned all Muggle-borns on the basis that they had ‘stolen’ their wands and their magic.

It was as she sat in judgement of another innocent woman that Harry Potter finally attacked Dolores in the very heart of the Ministry, and stole from her the Horcrux she had unwittingly been wearing.

With the fall of Lord Voldemort, Dolores Umbridge was put on trial for her enthusiastic co-operation with his regime, and convicted of the torture, imprisonment and deaths of several people (some of the innocent Muggle-borns she sentenced to Azkaban did not survive their ordeal).

## Author’s note

Once, long ago, I took instruction in a certain skill or subject (I am being vague as vague can be, for reasons that are about to become obvious), and in doing so, came into contact with a teacher or instructor whom I disliked intensely on sight.

The woman in question returned my antipathy with interest. Why we took against each other so instantly, heartily and (on my side, at least) irrationally, I honestly cannot say. What sticks in my mind is her pronounced taste for twee accessories. I particularly recall a tiny little plastic bow slide, pale lemon in colour that she wore in her short curly hair. I used to stare at that little slide, which would have been appropriate to a girl of three, as though it was some kind of repellent physical growth. She was quite a stocky woman, and not in the first flush of youth, and her tendency to wear frills where (I felt) frills had no business to be, and to carry undersized handbags, again as though they had been borrowed from a child’s dressing-up box, jarred, I felt, with a personality that I found the reverse of sweet, innocent and ingenuous.

I am always a little wary when talking about these kinds of sources of inspiration, because it is infuriating to hear yourself misinterpreted in ways that can cause other people a great deal of hurt. This woman was NOT ‘the real Dolores Umbridge’. She did not look like a toad, she was never sadistic or vicious to me or anyone else, and I never heard her express a single view in common with Umbridge (indeed, I never knew her well enough to know much about her views or preferences, which makes my dislike of her even less justifiable). However, it is true to say that I borrowed from her, then grossly exaggerated, a taste for the sickly sweet and girlish in dress, and it was that tiny little pale lemon plastic bow that I was remembering when I perched the fly-like ornament on Dolores Umbridge’s head.

I have noticed more than once in life that a taste for the ineffably twee can go hand-in-hand with a distinctly uncharitable outlook on the world. I once shared an office with a woman who had covered the wall space behind her desk with pictures of fluffy kitties; she was the most bigoted, spiteful champion of the death penalty with whom it has ever been my misfortune to share a kettle. A love of all things saccharine often seems present where there is a lack of real warmth or charity.

So Dolores, who is one of the characters for whom I feel purest dislike, became an amalgam of traits taken from these, and a variety of sources. Her desire to control, to punish and to inflict pain, all in the name of law and order, are, I think, every bit as reprehensible as Lord Voldemort’s unvarnished espousal of evil.

Umbridge’s names were carefully chosen. ‘Dolores’ means sorrow, something she undoubtedly inflicts on all around her. ‘Umbridge’ is a play on ‘umbrage’ from the British expression ‘to take umbrage’, meaning offence. Dolores is offended by any challenge to her limited worldview; I felt her surname conveyed the pettiness and rigidity of her character. It is harder to explain ‘Jane’; it simply felt rather smug and neat between her other two names.

Which chapter quiz: Order of the Phoenix edition

WEB-QUIZ-which-chapter-order-phoenix-nativequiz

WB-HP-F5-harry-wand-order-of-phoenix-web-landscape

2022-12-10-FEED-QUIZ-which-chapter-order-phoenix

hp-f5-harry-wand-department-mysteries-dumbledores-army-app-square

When did Harry discover that the Dursley’s neighbour Mrs Figg was a Squib? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q1

What was the name of the chapter when Harry first personally encountered Kreacher?  

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q2

In which chapter did Ron and Hermione become prefects? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q3

When did Sirius first use the Gryffindor Common Room fire to talk to Harry? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q4

What was the name of the chapter when Hedwig was injured? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q5

In which chapter did Harry, Fred and George receive a ‘lifelong' Quidditch ban? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q6

When was Harry’s interview published in The Quibbler? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q7

What was the name of the chapter when Umbridge replaced Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q8

In which chapter did Hermione trick Umbridge into following them into the Forbidden Forest? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q9

When did Harry discover that Trelawney’s prophecy might have applied to Neville? 

which-chapter-quiz-order-of-the-phoenix-q10

There were some dark times in Harry’s fifth year – but hey, at least we got to meet Luna Lovegood. So were you paying as close attention to Order of the Phoenix as Hermione was to Umbridge’s first speech in the Hogwarts Great Hall? 

The ultimate Slytherin quiz 

WEB-QUIZ-ultimate-slytherin-quiz 

WB-HP-F4-slytherins-in-grounds-web-landscape

Hem, hem... High Inquisitor and Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, Dolores Jane Umbridge demands your full attention. Delve into the world of the sickly sweet sadist with the frilly pink wardrobe, who could give Voldemort a run for his Galleons when it comes to villainy.

TRENDING SEARCHES

Dolores Umbridge

Hem, hem... High Inquisitor and Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, Dolores Jane Umbridge demands your full attention. Delve into the world of the sickly sweet sadist with the frilly pink wardrobe, who could give Voldemort a run for his Galleons when it comes to villainy.

Inside the Machiavellian mind of Dolores Umbridge

In-quiz-itorial Squad

The Umbridge’s worst deeds quiz

Complete the quote quiz: Dolores Umbridge edition

Dolores Umbridge

Which chapter quiz: Order of the Phoenix edition

The ultimate Slytherin quiz

The Ministries of Magic quiz