Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

You would think that the biggest threat to not only the wizarding world, but all life itself, would be cause enough for the Ministry of Magic to take swift and decisive countermeasures to avoid it. 

Alas, you would sadly be incorrect.  

In the wake of the tragic Triwizard competition, Harry returns to Hogwarts to deliver dreadful news that Voldemort has returned. Harry himself narrowly escaped a deadly faceoff with Voldemort and the Death Eaters in his attempts to make it back to Hogwarts. As soon as Harry relays the news, Dumbledore is quick to convey it to Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic. And what does the head of the Ministry of Magic, primary governing body in charge of safeguarding the wizarding world, happen to do about this crisis? 

Deny, deny, deny.

He completely refuses to see that this is possible and denies that Voldemort could ever have the chance to return to power. Even for wizards, it is unheard of that it would be possible to escape death. It is understandable that Fudge would be skeptical of Voldemort somehow rising again from the dead. But, when the lives of so many could be at stake with the return of the darkest wizard to have ever lived, why does he take the chance of being wrong? Rather than outright and continuously denying the claims of Voldemort’s return, why not truly attempt to investigate the claims? Not only is that Fudge’s job, but why does he think that the professors at Hogwarts, especially Dumbledore, would lie to him about such a serious matter?

Fudge’s denial, and the Ministry of Magic’s constant efforts to work against the Order of the Phoenix illuminate an important aspect of human habits. When presented with the choice of leaving behind all that you’ve ever known to face the truth and remaining in blissful ignorance to preserve the comfort of your life, we mostly choose ignorance. The reason we will often choose ignorance rather than face the truth is because of a greater fear of the unknown. In not knowing the outcome of the truth, we cling to the things that are familiar and deny the facts that will bring change to our lives. 

Let’s examine the steps that Fudge, and the Ministry have taken to preserve their comfort. First and foremost, Fudge orders the Daily Prophet to continue writing negative articles about Harry. The newspaper of the wizarding world does everything they can to slander Harry’s name by making him out to be a “deluded, attention-seeking person” who is not to be taken seriously (Order of the Phoenix 74). Now, why would Fudge force the Daily Prophet to deliberately write terrible things about Harry Potter? In effect, he is discrediting Harry’s character. By doing this, it prevents him from coming forth to the public or even other members of the ministry about his interaction with Voldemort, because he would not be believed if he did. As a result, Fudge is able to preserve his fantasy world where Voldemort does not exist, and he does not have to step outside of the confines of his comforting life to work against him.

Another example arrives before Harry even enters Hogwarts. In the summer before his fifth year, he saves both his cousin, a Muggle, and himself from Dementors with the Patronus Charm. Quite swiftly afterwards, he receives a letter from the Ministry of Magic expelling him from Hogwarts for performing underage magic in front of a Muggle. But, when it comes time for his trial, it is made abundantly clear that the Ministry’s primary goal is to have Harry expelled rather than follow any proper rules. Otherwise, they would not have changed his appointment time to three hours earlier without advance notice, hoping that Dumbledore would not show up in time to defend him. They would not have tried to dismiss Harry’s claim so easily. They especially would not have brought in the entire court to hold a criminal trial for a “simple matter of underage magic” (Order of the Phoenix 148). 

According to the Ministry’s own laws, underage magic can be used in extreme circumstances including self-defense in life-threatening situations. It is obvious that Harry should have easily been cleared of his charges because anyone can agree that Dementors on the loose and attacking people is both an extreme and life-threatening situation. But the Ministry uses these underhanded tactics hoping Harry would be expelled. If he had been, they would no longer have to worry that he would cause trouble by speaking of Voldemort’s return. Harry would no longer be in a place where he has the power to convince anyone of this occurrence. The Ministry could then comfort themselves with the lie that Voldemort has not been restored to power, and they would not have to rise together to act against him once again.

The extreme lengths that the Ministry goes to so they can pretend Voldemort has not risen to power is reflective of a human tendency to deny a truth that will undoubtedly have life-altering effects. It is easier to lie to ourselves that something is not happening than to bear the truth and admit being wrong. And we believe those lies because they bring us comfort. We create a perfectly crafted idea of the world in our lives, and any rupture to that idea is met with resistance. Because when faced with change, holding onto what we know is easier than placing ourselves in a situation where we don’t know what comes next.