How Harry Potter Fans Really Feel About Umbridge's Punishment
In the world of "Harry Potter," everyone knows that Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is quite the merciless individual. Whether he's Avada Kedavra-ing someone to death or latching himself onto the back of a head, basically nothing the Dark Lord does is good or moral. Despite all of this, most Potterheads feel that another character is far worse.
Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) arrives at Hogwarts in "Order of the Phoenix" to insert a Ministry of Magic-approved regime at the school. Though she boasts an all-pink wardrobe, an affinity for cats, and a sickeningly sweet exterior, she's actually deplorable. From her special quill, which forces the writer to use their own blood as ink, to her refusal to allow defensive spells in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, there are many reasons why she's the worst.
Fans felt some contentment when the perfectly devious plan of Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) sees Umbridge carried off by centaurs through the Forbidden Forest. However, by "Deathly Hallows," she's back at the Ministry. In fact, she's more diabolical than ever as she interrogates Muggle-borns.
Thankfully, creator J.K. Rowling revealed on the official Wizarding World site that, after the Battle of Hogwarts and the demise of Voldemort, Umbridge is held accountable for her actions and sent off to Azkaban. "[She] was put on trial for her enthusiastic co-operation with [Voldemort's] 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)," wrote Rowling.
Let's take a closer look at Umbridge's fate and how "Harry Potter" fans feel about it.
Umbridge is sentenced to a Dementor-less Azkaban
In "Order of the Phoenix," Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his cousin Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling) are attacked by two Dementors mere blocks from Privet Drive. It's evident that these terrifying creatures, which feed on human happiness, have ditched their duties as Azkaban prison guards to join Voldemort. This raises the question, if there are no joy-sucking Dementors surrounding Azkaban when Umbridge arrives, is she truly getting the punishment she deserves?
Following the fall of Voldemort and the promotion of Kingsley Shacklebolt (George Harris) to the position of Minister of Magic, there's no attempt to have the Dementors return to their Azkaban posts. J.K. Rowling shared on Wizarding World, "While it remains in use as a prison, the guards are now Aurors, who are regularly rotated from the mainland. There has been no breakout since this new system was introduced."
However, before it became a prison, the Azkaban fortress used to be home to sorcerer Ekrizdis, who practiced extremely dark magic. The Ministry wasn't aware of the place until after his death, when his concealment charms wore off. Visitors discovered such unnamed horrors that the Dementors seemed like a walk in the park. "Those who entered to investigate refused afterwards to talk of what they had found inside, but the least frightening part of it was that the place was infested with Dementors," she wrote.
Harry Potter fans think Umbridge got exactly what she deserved
On Reddit, a number of Potterheads felt that Umbridge received the perfect sentencing, even if there isn't a swarm of Dementors feeding on her happy thoughts of torturing students and Muggle-borns. In one post, u/IronJedi2 said, "Pottermore [now Wizarding World] has implied that the Dementors were one of the least frightening things about Azkaban. It's never said what's more frightening than a soul-eating nightmare, but Umbridge has to deal with it on a daily basis now."
In another comment, u/madcatter2100 mentioned that Umbridge revels in establishing order and dominance over those she deems less-than. In prison, especially this new brand of Azkaban that's watched over by the Aurors, she's at the bottom of the totem pole. This user further added, "For a person like Umbridge, isolation and forced humility is a worse punishment than Dementors. With Dementors, she would have continued feeling her brand of 'righteous' anger. By herself, no one cares about her and she has no authority."
Similarly, u/WannabeShadowDancer rejoiced that Umbridge can never again implement outlandish rules – something she took to a ridiculous level at Hogwarts with her wall of Educational Decrees. Even actress Imelda Staunton agreed with fans that Umbridge is better off stripped of power. During a 2007 interview, Staunton said, "It's terrifying, those people who will go to any lengths to cleanse and clean and make things how they want them." She later added, "You put yourself inside that person for those scenes and then you walk away saying, 'Ugh, those people, to be given that amount of power is not right.'"