Harry Potter is, as anyone knows, one of the most beloved film and book franchises in the history of entertainment. With its lovable characters, its exciting narrative, and its richly painted world, it has all of the elements of fantasy that fans of the genre dearly love and appreciate.
It’s also the perfect set of films to watch during Halloween, and it has been the inspiration for some truly ingenious Halloween costumes- on top of all of the other ways it has impacted today's culture. It’s also quite fun to think about how the various characters match up to the many different kinds of candy that are very popular and tasty this time of year.
Sweet Tarts - Dumbledore
Dumbledore is one of the most enigmatic and fascinating characters in the entire saga. While he originally appears to be the stereotypical kindly professor, it’s soon revealed that there’s quite a lot about him below the surface, and not all of it’s pleasant. In fact, there’s a bit of an edge to him, one that only becomes obvious once aspects of his character are revealed. This makes him a perfect match for the Sweet Tart, which also is a rather deceptive and enigmatic sort of candy.
Reese’s Cups - Hermione
The thing that makes Reese’s so beloved is that they are truly the blending of two great flavors into one whole. In a similar way, Hermione is the blend of various competing impulses. She’s the daughter of two muggles, and yet she becomes one of the most powerful and talented witches of her generation. She has the love of knowledge of a Ravenclaw, yet she has the heart of a lion of Gryffindor. Small wonder that she was and remains one of the most widely beloved characters in the series.
Hershey Bar - Harry
The thing that makes the Hershey bar such a fascinating piece of candy is that it doesn’t appear to be very much on the outside but, once one takes a bite, it’s soon revealed to be a perfectly blended piece of chocolate. In much the same way, at first Harry doesn’t seem like he’s anything special, and he’s always something of an average wizard in some ways. However, time and again he reveals that he’s exactly what the world needs at exactly the right moment.
Sour Patch Kids - Professor McGonagall
Professor McGonagall is, next to Dumbledore, one of the most beloved members of the Hogwarts staff, and this is because Maggie Smith’s characterization of her is just so incredible. She’s both strict and deeply devoted to her students, and it’s impossible not to love her. As a result, she really does match up quite closely with Sour Patch Kids, which somehow manage to be both very sour and sweet at the same time. It’s an absolutely perfect blend.
Starburst - Neville
The Starburst is an undeniably delicious candy and, while it has many different variations, the original is still undeniably the best. As its name implies, it’s basically a little burst of pleasure and flavor. What better way to describe Neville?
From the moment that he appeared, he had an earnestness about him that made fans love him. And, of course, he ended up becoming quite a lot braver than he, or anyone else, would ever have expected.
Candy Corn - Peter Pettigrew
Candy Corn has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most disgusting members of the Halloween candy family (though there are reports that some people actually like it). It masquerades as being cute and possibly tasty, but just one of them is enough to remind people that it’s truly a gross candy. Peter Pettigrew, the worst Gryffindor, was known for masquerading as the rat Scabbers, the beloved family pet of the Weasleys, before it came to light that he was the one that betrayed the Potters to their death.
Kit Kat - Ron
The Kit Kat is a very reliable sort of candy. It’s not quite as delicious as either the Reese’s or the Hershey’s, but it’s quite tasty when one is in the mood for it. It’s not flashy, but there’s something to be said for stolid reliability.
That’s a perfect way to describe one Ron Weasley who, while not as brilliant or flashy as Hermione or Harry, is nevertheless a key member of the group, and he proves pivotal to their success against Voldemort.
M&Ms - Draco
One of the most amazing things about M&Ms is how adaptable they’ve been. In recent years there’s been a veritable explosion of different types, and now there seems to be an M&Ms variety for almost anyone’s taste, whether that be for a bit of peanut, a dash of almond, or even peanut butter or pretzel. Draco Malfoy also shows that he’s a very adaptable person (a perfect trait for the slippery Slytherin), which allows him to escape from the defeat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters relatively unscathed.
Snickers - Snape
The Snickers is a delicious sort of candy, with all sorts of complex flavors going on- also making it a perfect match for Snape's talent in potion-making. In all of the Potterverse, there’s possibly no character as fascinating and complicated as one Severus Snape, who was something of an enigma in the early books and films but gradually took on more layers and nuance as time went on. As a result, he’s become something of a fan darling, and it could be convincingly argued that it is he, not Harry, who should be regarded as the best character to come out of this fascinating fantasy universe.