Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Look up that little gem and you might find Dolores Umbridge's picture right next to it. Umbridge might appear to be just a kitten-loving bureaucrat from the Ministry of Magic, but she makes it clear pretty quickly that she's determined to seize control of Hogwarts.
She's working on behalf of Cornelius Fudge who's worried about losing his own authority in the wizarding world. These guys are so caught up in their own power trips that they don't notice the guy who's plotting to take over everything—Voldemort. He's the one character in The Order of the Phoenix who scares us more than Umbridge.
Questions about Power
- Why do you think Fudge is so threatened by Dumbledore's authority?
- How does the Ministry attempt to control students at Hogwarts? In what ways do modern governments use education to exert power over students today?
- How does Umbridge's love of power and authority eventually get her into trouble? (Hint: it's with a certain group of centaurs.)
Chew on This
Sirius has been wrongly imprisoned for years and must remain in hiding even now, which causes him to feel powerless and useless…even as a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Umbridge's overly girlish, passive-aggressive act hides the truth about her—she's a ruthless, immoral, sociopath who will stop at nothing to maintain her own personal power.