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"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."
— Description of the Umbridge family[src]

Umbridge was the surname of a wizarding family that had both Muggle and magical heritage.[1] They were related to the muggle Cracknell family,[1] and may have been related to the pure-blood Selwyn family.[2] A notable member of the family is Dolores Umbridge, who was incarcerated in Azkaban for crimes against Muggle-borns during the Second Wizarding War.

History[]

Early history[]

Orford Umbridge married Muggle Ellen Cracknell, and they had Dolores Umbridge and her Squib brother. Seeing that there was a Squib in the family, both Dolores and Orford blamed Ellen for it, and Orford would later divorce Ellen when Dolores was fifteen. Orford took Dolores with him, and Ellen took Dolores's brother with her to the Muggle world, never to be seen by Dolores or Orford again, and it is unknown what happened to them.[3]

Working at the Ministry of Magic as a floor mopper, Orford was a constant source of embarrassment for his daughter, who, when she began her career as part of the Ministry and rose through the ranks, was able to persuade him to take an early retirement.[4] She also promised a small financial allowance in exchange that he disappear out of public sight. Dolores despised her father so much that when asked if she was related to the Umbridge that once mopped the floors, she would tell people that her father was a deceased member of the Wizengamot.[4]

Recent history[]

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance...There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering... Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
— Umbridge rudely interrupting Albus Dumbledore's start-of-term speech[src]
Umbridge hearing

Umbridge during Harry Potter's Ministry hearing

Dolores was a force to be reckoned with for Harry Potter even before he caught his first glimpse of her. She was a strong proponent of the Ministry’s efforts to discredit Dumbledore and silence Harry, so she eventually took the law into her own hands and sent two Dementors to Little Whinging to attack Harry,[5] presumably knowing that he would either be Kissed, or would use magic and so give an excuse to expel him. When he used a Patronus to defend himself and his cousin, he was brought in for a disciplinary hearing for performing underage magic. Umbridge was at the hearing and argued for Harry to be convicted, but Dumbledore swung the opinions of most of the Wizengamot toward him and he was cleared.[3]

Partly in response to this failure of her plans, she conspired with Fudge to find a way to control both the boy and the Headmaster. Taking advantage of his increasing paranoia, she convinced Fudge that she was "one of the few he could trust",[4] and so managed to install herself at the centre of the Ministry. The Minister assigned her to the job of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher when Dumbledore was unable to find someone to fill the post.[6]

Umbridge speech

Umbridge interrupts Dumbledore in order to deliver her speech

Once at Hogwarts, Umbridge used Fudge's support to force a "reform" of the school. In classic government doublespeak, she told the Hogwarts staff and students: "Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited".[6]

Umbridge teaching

Umbridge teaching a fifth year DADA lesson

Umbridge's true role was to be spy for the Minister Fudge and an agent in his attempt to discredit Harry and Dumbledore, establishing authoritarian control over every aspect of Hogwarts. It certainly wasn't to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts skills; her "carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic" taught no practical skills at all. Students learned theories about duelling and defence but were not allowed to actually practice the spells, even though practical tests were part of their exams.[7] Fudge feared that Dumbledore would raise an army from the students if they were taught "combat" skills.[8]

She singled Harry out for abuse immediately, goading him into arguments and then "triumphantly" punishing him for "spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories" about Voldemort.[9] Harry was forced to write "I must not tell lies" with a black quill that literally cut whatever he wrote on paper into the skin of his hand. Over and over and over again. The scars from this were still there over two years later,[10] and possibly for the rest of Harry's life.

Ironically, Umbridge's tyranny and repression were the catalysts for the formation of Dumbledore's Army, an idea of Hermione's that had a tremendously positive impact on the rest of Harry's fifth year. Harry shined as a leader of his fellow students, a group as disparate as the Weasley twins and Neville Longbottom.

Umbridge inspecting classes OOTPF

Umbridge reviewing and evaluating Hogwarts staff

Umbridge also tried to control the staff, and when her efforts to interfere were rebuffed, she appealed to Fudge who made her the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. This gave her the power "to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch" (quoting Percy Weasley, now a Ministry shill).[11] In this position she bullied other staff, overruling them and browbeating them, and eventually sacking Trelawney and Hagrid. Together, Umbridge and Fudge used underhanded edicts to eat away at Dumbledore's control of Hogwarts. At one point Umbridge formed the Inquisitorial Squad.

When the D.A. was caught, Dumbledore took the blame and left the school, and Umbridge became the Headmistress. By this time, however, the students and staff had begun to fight back and Umbridge found herself facing a low level mutiny, led joyfully by the Weasley twins and Peeves.[12][13] The more she cracked down, the more the rebellion took hold and flourished. In the end, Umbridge’s battle with the students took her into the Forest where she was carried off by centaurs.[5] She left Hogwarts castle in disgrace some days later, chased by Peeves along with hoards of cheering students.[14]

Second Wizarding War[]

Muggle-born Repression Commission[]

Alderton: "No, no, I'm half-blood, I tell you! My father was a wizard, he was, look him up, Arkie Alderton, he's a well known broomstick designer, look him up, I tell you — get your hands off me, get your hands off —"
Dolores Umbridge: "This is your final warning. If you struggle, you will be subjected to the Dementor's Kiss. Take him away."
— Umbridge's behaviour at the Death Eater controlled Ministry towards accused muggle-borns[src]
Fallen Ministry

Umbridge as a high ranking member of the Ministry's new regime

Umbridge returned to the Ministry from her stint at Hogwarts "shaken but unrepentant"; the chaos of Voldemort's return meant that she faced no retribution for her actions during the previous year as new Minister Rufus Scrimgeour had many more pressing concerns.[4] When the Death Eaters took over the Ministry, Umbridge found herself among like-minded people. She developed the policy of sending Muggle-born wizards to Azkaban and chaired the Muggle-born Registration Commission.[2] Umbridge may have had worries that her own ancestral background would not stand up to scrutiny, as she purchased the stolen Slytherin locket from Mundungus and passed it off as a Selwyn family heirloom.[15][2]

She mat have even personally authored the Ministry advice pamphlet on "Mudbloods and the Dangers They Pose to a Peaceful Pure-Blood Society", and she must have had connections to Death Eaters to acquire the magical eye of Mad-Eye Moody, which she stuck in her office door and used to spy on her employees.[2]

After the war[]

After the war, she was arrested and charged with crimes against Muggle-borns. She was convicted by the Wizengamot of imprisonment, torture and the deaths of several people, and sent to Azkaban.[4]

Known family members[]

Member(s) Notes
Orford Umbridge Retired Ministry of Magic employee, worked at the Magical Maintenance Department, husband of Ellen Cracknell (later separated), father of Dolores and a son.[1]
Ellen Cracknell A Muggle and the wife of Orford and the mother of Dolores.
Dolores Jane Umbridge Daughter of Orford and Ellen, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic,[1] Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts School,[7]ex-Hogwarts High Inquisitor,[11] and Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission.[2] Later imprisoned in Azkaban for crimes against Muggle-borns.[16]
Dolores Umbridge's brother Second child of Orford and Ellen, a Squib who lived in the muggle world.[1]

Family tree[]

 
Orford Umbridge
 
Ellen Cracknell
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dolores Jane Umbridge
 
Unidentified squib
 


Behind the scenes[]

  • Dolores claimed that Slytherin's Locket had belonged to the Selwyn family and that she was related to them.[2] It's unknown if she was actually related to the Selwyns through her father.

Etymology[]

  • The name Umbridge comes from the expression "to take umbrage", which means offence or insult.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Dolores Umbridge" at Wizarding World
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 13 (The Muggle-Born Registration Commission)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 8 (The Hearing)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Pottermore
  5. 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 32 (Out of the Fire)
  6. 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 11 (The Sorting Hat's New Song)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 12 (Professor Umbridge)
  8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 14 (Percy and Padfoot)
  9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 13 (Detention With Dolores)
  10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 18 (The Life & Lies of Albus Dumbledore)
  11. 11.0 11.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 15 (The Hogwarts High Inquisitor)
  12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 28 (Snape's Worst Memory)
  13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 29 (Career Advice)
  14. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 38 (The Second War Begins)
  15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 10 (Kreacher's Tale)
  16. J.K. Rowling Web Chat
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