Worse, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), has appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the unforgiving, dictatorial Professor Dolores Umbridge (Vera Drake's Imelda Staunton), a pink-clad villain who rules with an iron fist.

Harry fears this will leave them unprepared to defend themselves against Lord Voldermort's (a superbly malevolent Ralph Fiennes) Dark forces gathering, so at the prompting of his friends, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), Harry takes matters into his own hands, leading a small, secret group of students calling themselves Dumbledore's Army. Harry teaches them defense techniques against the Dark Arts, preparing the young wizards for the wicked battle that lies ahead.

Apart from his old pals, about the only support Harry gets is from a clandestine cabal of wizards —among them his godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), and “Mad-Eye” Moody (Brendan Gleeson) — who help our boy make his way through the treacherous ways of wizardly deceit.