Harry potter and the order of the phoenix dolores umbridge

While audiences have had a lot of criticism for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the performance by Mads Mikkelsen has been reasonably well received, but some fans were disappointed to see that actor Johnny Depp would no longer be playing the role of Gellert Grindelwald. Still, it was hard to deny that Mikkelsen's portrayal brought frightening elements to the character, making him a villain of a different caliber.

Of course, even with Mikkelsen's chilling performance, Grindelwald still does not rank highest among audiences' least favorite Harry Potter villains. That spot has been reserved for Dolores Umbridge. She was prejudiced, cruel, and unfeeling, all while wearing a cheerful, proper mask that effectively made audiences nauseous. However, while the movie version of Umbridge was deplorable, she was even worse in the books. Several of her most rage-inducing moments were cut from the movies, but had her quotes been included, she could very well be even more hated than she already was.

Umbridge's Discriminatory Speech

"The Treasure Trove Of Magical Knowledge Amassed By Our Ancestors Must Be Guarded, Replenished, And Polished By Those Who Have Been Called To The Noble Profession Of Teaching."

Umbridge's speech at the beginning of the school year in Order of the Phoenix told students and audiences alike a lot about the woman's character. However, the quote from her speech in the book also gave a subtle hint about Umbridge's prejudice.

Umbridge believed that only people with wizard ancestry were truly magical. Therefore, by saying "our ancestors," she was deliberately not being inclusive of Muggle-borns. Her views were made evident right from the get-go.

Umbridge's Treatment Of Hermione

"Are You A Ministry-Trained Educational Expert, Miss Granger?"

Part of what made Umbridge so infuriating was the way she belittled the opinions of students. She made it clear that she did not respect children's ideas and had never even stopped to consider that they could have valuable input.

This was demonstrated in the books by her treatment of Hermione, who everyone knew was far cleverer than the passive-aggressive teacher. Harry Potter's best friend was used to a certain level of respect from her teachers, and Umbridge's condescension caused many readers to shake with rage.

Umbridge's Attempted Sweetness

"Come Here, Mr. Potter, Dear."

Had Professor Umbridge been aggressively cruel like the Death Eaters, she likely wouldn't have been near as despised as she was. Instead, she behaved with a syrupy sweetness that set everyone's teeth on edge. Even before Harry had been exposed to her evil nature, he knew he didn't like her just from her voice.

However, the Order of the Phoenix movie saw Dolores immediately treat Harry with more contempt than the other students. This was not the case in the books, where the teacher kept her sticky sweet nature going for every moment, even frequently calling Harry "dear."

Umbridge's Argument With McGonagall

"Well, Then, I Am Confused... I'm Afraid I Don't Quite Understand How You Can Give Mr. Potter False Hope."

Everyone loved seeing Professor McGonagall stand up to Professor Umbridge in the movie, but the situation was very different in the books. In a book scene where McGonagall was offering Harry career counseling, Umbridge sat in and observed, but it didn't go well.

Umbridge ended up stating that Harry would never be able to work as an Auror, as she found him lacking the required talent. This led to a satisfying moment in which McGonagall came to Harry's defense and said the nicest things about him she ever had. The moment was great for Harry and audiences but less so for Dolores Umbridge.

When Umbridge Banned Harry From Quidditch

"Yes, Mr. Potter, I Think A Lifelong Ban Ought To Do The Trick."

Umbridge did her best to remove any joy from her students' lives. In the movie, she is seen ending Fred and George's harmless game involving a magical spark, and she forbade students from being in any organization. In the book, Umbridge was all too pleased to take away the one thing that Harry enjoyed most.

After Harry and his friends are seen retaliating against Malfoy, Harry, Fred, and George are all banned from playing Quidditch for the rest of their school careers, leading the twins to begin planning their great escape and the memorable fireworks scene in Hogwarts's Great Hall. As this was half the Gryffindor Quidditch team, McGonagall was likely even more furious than the boys. Of course, no one, even a teacher, could do anything about it, which made the situation all the more infuriating.

Umbridge's Favor For Draco Malfoy

"Excellent, Draco, Excellent, Oh, Very Good — Fifty Points To Slytherin!"

It's no surprise that Draco was immediately on Umbridge's side since she had made her position on Harry clear from their very first lesson. However, the movies never show how highly Umbridge thought of Draco and the Malfoy family.

The books reveal that, like most powerful people in the Ministry, Umbridge was good friends with Lucius Malfoy. It was a disturbing truth in the wizarding world of Harry Potter that the government was full of shady characters, but this gave Draco a great position with the new teacher, who loved lavishing him with praise and attention. This did not bode well for Harry, who found Draco even more challenging as a result.

Umbridge's Suspicions About Sirius

"Very Well. In That Case, You Will Kindly Tell Me the Whereabouts Of Sirius Black.

In the Harry Potter movies, the Ministry's search for Sirius Black came to a complete halt after the events of Prisoner of Azkaban. However, the search continued in the books until Sirius's death, when he was proven innocent.

This meant that Umbridge was even more of a problem as she had deduced that Harry had reconnected with his godfather. She searched his mail and resorted to Veritaserum to find out the truth. Thankfully, Harry had known that Umbridge would never give him tea out of the goodness of her heart, so he dumped it out while she wasn't looking (also, Snape had provided her with a fake potion anyway).

Umbridge's Loss Of Control

"No... I Mean, Yes — You're Right, Shacklebolt — I— I Forgot Myself."

In the Order of the Phoenix book, Umbridge was much better at keeping her cool than in the movies. The entire idea of her character was that no matter what she did wrong, she could always hide behind her composure and knowledge of the rules to keep her safe.

However, in the book, Umbridge briefly showed what she was truly capable of. In Dumbledore's office after the DA had been found out, Marietta Edgecomb had begun to refuse to give any more information about the organization. In her frustration, Umbridge grabbed her and began to shake her violently. Everyone, including Fudge, reacted in alarm, and Umbridge had to backpedal quickly.

Umbridge's Pure-Blood Mania

"Oh Yes — An Old Family Heirloom. The S Stands For Selwyn. I'm Related To The Selwyns."

When the Golden Trio had to yet again come face to face with Dolores Umbridge in Deathly Hallows, Harry knew he would have a difficult time keeping it together. The woman had a way of grinding at his bones, and her participation in the new Ministry would only worsen matters.

Ultimately, it was Umbridge's lie about where Slytherin's locket had come from that set him off. Although Dolores Umbridge was born to a Muggle mother, she still tried to pretend she was pure blood. Harry ended up attacking her, causing chaos during their attempted escape.

Umbridge's Truly Infuriating Statements

"Oh No, No, No, No. This Is Your Punishment For Spreading Evil, Nasty, Attention-Seeking Stories, Mr. Potter, And Punishments Certainly Cannot Be Adjusted To Suit The Guilty One's Convenience."

Dolores Umbridge frequently called Harry a liar in the Order of the Phoenix movie, but she was much more colorful about it in the book. Almost every time she talked to him, she called him names and insulted his character, which only furthered Harry's outbursts.

Her accusations that Harry was "evil" and "nasty" just further influenced Harry's uneasy feelings that year and his anxieties that there was something wrong with him. He had to fight to convince himself that he wasn't as "crazy" as everyone said, and Dolores' comments in the books made that even harder.

NEXT: The Worst Thing That Happens To The Harry Potter Villains