Harry Potter: All 7 Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers ranked

6. Professor Dolores Umbridge

While Amycus Carrow arguably did more heinous things to Hogwarts students, Dolores Umbridge wasn’t much better. When Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was in denial about the return of Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book in the series, he shoehorned Umbridge into the Defense Against the Dark Arts job without Dumbledore’s consent so he could have a mole inside Hogwarts. Fudge was blinded by the irrational fear that Dumbledore was trying to take his place as Minister of Magic.

Following Fudge’s lead, Umbridge did everything she could to avoid teaching students how to defend themselves against the dark arts. Her ministry-approved curriculum was an effort by Fudge to stop Dumbledore from training a wizard army to overthrow the ministry, which was just a silly thing to fear. Students who spoke against Umbridge’s useless lessons were punished by Umbridge, most notably Harry, who was forced to write the phrase “I must not tell lies” in his own blood over and over again.

After a while, Fudge created a new position called High Inquisitor to give Umbridge more power at Hogwarts. She enacted a series of ridiculous decrees like disbanding all student groups. However, Harry did the opposite and formed Dumbledore’s army, which was effectively a Defense Against the Dark Arts club. The club met in the Room of Requirement and learned from Harry how to use practical defensive spells. That is until Umbridge found out and tried to have Harry expelled. Dumbledore took the blame for the club and disappeared from Hogwarts before he could be captured.

Umbridge then became the headmistress of Hogwarts, whereupon she fired Hagrid because he was half giant. Many of Umbridge’s policies flowed out of her prejudice against beings of mixed heritage.

Umbridge was eventually ousted from Hogwarts when the ministry could no longer hide the fact that Voldemort indeed had returned. However, she resumed her work for the ministry soon after and even stayed aftern Voldemort took over. After the war was over though, Umbridge was thrown into Azkaban for her crimes against muggle-borns.