Harry Potter is one of the most popular fantasy franchises ever. It owes its success to interesting characters whose journey the readers got to watch during seven books and the subsequent eight films. But even though the Harry Potter heroes face a lot of danger, one of those they never had to fight with was zombies.
Reading about how Harry and his friends and others would deal with a zombie apocalypse would certainly be interesting. But imagine finding yourself in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Which Harry Potter hero would make for the best ally, and which one wouldn’t make the cut?
Wouldn’t: Harry Potter
Harry is the main hero of the series, and as such, the viewers get to see the story throughout his eyes. That might lead to the perception that Harry is much more capable when it comes to wizardry than he actually is.
However, if you consider the whole saga and a rich plethora of characters it offers, you could do better than Harry when facing zombies. Harry is sometimes temperamental, impatient, can make serious mistakes in judgment a might, and therefore, get everyone in danger if he let his emotions control his head. Plus, he usually uses only one spell: “Expelliarmus!” and one has to wonder how effective would it be against zombies.
Would: Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger comes from a muggle family which means that her parents weren’t wizards. You wouldn’t be able to guess it if you looked at Hermione, though. This girl is more talented and resilient than many pureblood wizards and witches. She’s highly intelligent, resourceful and has read many books so she has extensive theoretical knowledge.
As she grows older in the series, she also becomes better at handling highly stressful situations. And finally, since Hermione knows both the muggle world and the wizarding world, she is able to combine useful ideas from both. The chances at survival would rise up significantly if Hermione was on the team.
Wouldn’t: Ron Weasley
Just like his best friend Harry, Ron Weasley is no dummy. That being said, he’s nowhere near as clever as Hermione, which made some fans wonder why exactly Hermione chose Ron as her lifelong partner and the father of her children.
Ron is a loyal friend and would most likely fight for someone until he died. But he also has the unfortunate tendency to sometimes freeze up in dangerous situations and he can be hysterical when he’s facing a serious threat. So while he might be helpful from time to time, he would most likely become a burden in the end.
Would: Albus Dumbledore
Who said that only young people have to fight against the zombies? Albus Dumbledore is one of the most talented wizards and would present a great advantage if anyone had his assistance. Of course, Dumbledore died in the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but for the sake of this hypothetical scenario, let’s pretend he’s still alive.
Dumbledore might not look like it at first, but he has many great tricks up his sleeve, like his phoenix that can help him and you get to safety if things go seriously wrong. And he’s the only person who’s likely to always have some candy at hand, which should also count for something.
Wouldn’t: Voldemort
Speaking of talented but (unfortunately) dead wizards… similarly to Dumbledore, Tom Marvolo Riddle AKA Voldemort is, or rather was, a truly gifted sorcerer. And a highly charismatic one of the top of that, which secured him a lot of followers.
Voldemort, unfortunately, decided to use his gifts for evil, and is responsible for one of the most serious and tragic wars in the history of the wizarding world. If he was facing the zombie apocalypse, Voldemort could potentially be an asset… but only if he saw some advantage in helping others.
Would: Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall is one of the most reliable characters in the whole series. She might seem strict and unforgiving, but she also has a softer side and a subtle sense of humor which she shows only occasionally.
She starts out as the main trio’s professor but as the series progresses, the readers eventually get to know more about professor McGonagall. And when the time finally comes to fight Voldemort and his followers when they attack the wizarding school Hogwarts, McGonagall proves that she’s a formidable opponent. It’s difficult to say how the whole fight would end up without her, but it’s safe to say that she’s a useful witch.
Wouldn’t: Peter Pettigrew
Is it truly necessary to explain this one in greater detail? Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, is a talented Animagus, which means he can turn into an animal, just like his former three best friends could – James Potter, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
Peter turns into a rat which might be useful in a zombie apocalypse, for example if someone needed to do recon outside – nobody notices a rat, not even zombies. Unfortunately, just like Voldemort, Peter cannot be trusted. He betrayed his closest friends and caused the death of Lily and James Potter, so it’s better to just stay away from him.
Would: Sirius Black
This was a close race between Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, but in the end, Sirius would probably be better choice. While Remus can turn into a werewolf, a formidable opponent against zombies, he only does so once a month and could accidentally hurt someone or even draw the zombie’s attention since he can’t control himself very well in his animal form.
Sirius, on the other hand, changes into a large black dog, which is useful in a fight and would serve as a perfect form of distraction. Plus, he’s very resourceful, since he managed to escape the highly guarded wizarding prison Azkaban.
Wouldn’t: Gellert Grindewald
One basic rule you can take away from reading this article would be: Don’t trust evil sorcerers (and their servants) in a zombie apocalypse. Gellert Grindelwald was another disaster for the wizarding world and he terrorized it for many years until Dumbledore eventually managed to beat him in the 1940s.
Grindewald is clever but ruthless and cunning, which would most likely not end well for anyone – unless they’re his followers, of course, and even then he might decide to throw anyone to the zombies if it gave him any kind of advantage.
Would: Severus Snape
Did anyone really believe someone as important as Severus Snape wouldn’t be on this list? Severus Snape is the perfect example of an antihero who manages to cross the line between the good and the evil more than one time in the series and fans still love him despite this (or because of this).
Even though it seems that Severus is the bad guy, Harry and his friends eventually realize that he’s been on their side the whole time. Plus, he’s a potion master, a brilliant one, so he could use his remarkable skills to everyone’s advantage.
