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Rufus Scrimgeour is a fictional character in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series. Scrimgeour is described as looking 'rather like an old lion' with 'streaks of gray in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows'. He wears wire-rimmed spectacles and walks with a 'rangy, loping grace' despite his slight limp. (HBP Ch.1)

Prior to the summer of 1996, Rufus Scrimgeour headed the Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic. During June of that year Lord Voldemort was revealed to wizarding Britain as unquestionably alive and active again (OP Ch.37). The Ministry of Magic led by Cornelius Fudge had insisted for the entire previous year that reports of his reappearance were false. Now that everyone knew he was back, Voldemort moved out into the open, declaring open war on both the magical and Muggle populations of Britain. For his entire year of inaction and ineptitude, Cornelius Fudge was forced out of office and replaced by Rufus Scrimgeour (HBP Ch.1).

It was observed by many, including Harry Potter, that Rufus Scrimgeour was heavily battle-scarred from his years of service as an Auror, giving him an appearance of shrewd toughness. No doubt these qualities caused the magical world to choose Scrimgeour to succeed Fudge as minister, especially as a war leader.

While seemingly more capable than Fudge, and perhaps with the best interests of Britain's wizarding population at heart, Minister Scrimgeour appeared to be intent on following the tradition of past Ministers and Ministry officials, placing appearances over truth and justice. One instance of this was the imprisonment of an innocent albeit foolish young man, Stan Shunpike, in Azkaban for Death Eater activity in order to give the impression that progress was being made against Voldemort's forces.

Another example was Scrimgeour's determination to raise the wizarding population's morale by asking Harry, who has been labeled as the 'Chosen One', to be seen visiting the Ministry. He wanted the public to believe that Harry supported the Ministry's actions against Voldemort, to counteract the lack of notable success. When first elected Minister, Scrimgeour's desire to use Harry to improve morale was a source of contention between the Minister and Albus Dumbledore who did not support this idea. Harry also rejected this role primarily because he objected to the imprisonment of Stan Shunpike, although he was also deeply aware of the injustice the Ministry inflicted on him previously.

At the end of Half-Blood Prince it appeared that Rufus Scrimgeour has not changed his approach, still choosing appearances over the truth. He repeats his request that Harry show support for the Ministry. Harry again rejects the Minister's proposal, which he sees as morally compromising. Potter declares himself 'Dumbledore's man, through and through.'

Luna Lovegood mentioned to Harry Potter that Scrimgeour is a vampire. Her father was going to publish an article about it in his magazine, The Quibbler. Apparently, the Ministry forced Mr. Lovegood not to publish this claim. The claim is probably untrue anyway, as most people scoff at the unlikely and often outrageous stories which are published in The Quibbler.

Cormac McLaggen said that his father used to go on hunting trips with Scrimgeour before he became Minister.

JK Rowling has also mentioned a Brutus Scrimgeour in Quidditch Through the Ages.

Origins and possible influences

JK Rowling may have drawn the name Scrimgeour from the poem by William Topaz McGonagall, widely hailed as the worst poet in the English language and from whom Rowling also derived the name of Hogwarts's deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall.

Category:Harry Potter characters Scrimgeour, Rufus

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