Cornelius Oswald Fudge is a fictional character from the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He was the Minister of Magic for Great Britain, starting in 1990. In the films, he is played by Robert Hardy.
The character, while first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, first actually appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; he is responsible for sending Rubeus Hagrid to Azkaban when the Chamber of Secrets is reopened. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban he makes a number of appearances; first, he greets Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. Later he inadvertently provides valuable information to Harry; that Sirius Black was James Potter's best friend and supposedly betrayed him to Lord Voldemort.
At the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Fudge refused to accept that Lord Voldemort had returned and in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Fudge orchestrated a smear campaign to discredit Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, whom he believed plotted to usurp him. At the end of the book Fudge was forced to accept that Voldemort had returned. By the next book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Fudge will have been replaced as Minister of Magic.
His first name is possibly a connection to the Roman Dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, and his last name is probably meant to suggest he "fudges" at his job. He wears a pinstriped cloak, a lime green bowler hat, and purple boots. It is unknown whether this attire is traditional for the Minister of Magic or merely Fudge's preferred clothes.
