Cockroach Cluster

• Type: Magical Sweets, Confectionery
• Owners: Sold to the public by Honeydukes; Albus Dumbledore was known to keep a personal supply.
• Maker: Unknown, but sold at Honeydukes in Hogsmeade.

Cockroach Clusters are a type of wizarding sweet shaped to look like real cockroaches. They are sold at Honeydukes sweetshop, where they are displayed on large trays. The name and Harry Potter's visceral reaction of disgust to them suggest they are quite realistic in appearance. While the exact taste is not described, they are popular enough to be a staple at Honeydukes and are personally enjoyed by esteemed wizards like Albus Dumbledore, who kept them in a box in his office at Hogwarts.

The primary purpose of a Cockroach Cluster is to be eaten as a novelty sweet. There is no canonical evidence that they possess any significant magical properties beyond their appearance. Their “magic” lies in their creation as a piece of confectionery that faithfully mimics a common pest, a recurring theme among the whimsical and occasionally gross sweets available in the Wizarding World, such as Jelly Slugs and Blood-Flavoured Lollipops. They are consumed for amusement and enjoyment like any other candy.

By 1993, Cockroach Clusters were a well-established sweet sold in Hogsmeade. During their first-ever visit to Honeydukes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ron Weasley pointed them out enthusiastically to Harry Potter, who found the idea of eating them unappealing. In 1995, following the discovery of a delirious Barty Crouch Sr. on the Hogwarts grounds, Albus Dumbledore casually offered a Cockroach Cluster to Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (who was, in fact, Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise) in his office. This highlighted Dumbledore's eccentric fondness for unusual sweets even in tense situations.

Cockroach Clusters play a minor but memorable role in the series, primarily serving as world-building details that enrich the Wizarding World. They help establish the quirky and often bizarre nature of magical culture, particularly its confectionery. Their appearances characterize individuals: Ron's adventurous palate, Harry's more conventional tastes, and Dumbledore's eccentric, grandfatherly personality are all subtly reinforced through their reactions to or consumption of these sweets. The offer of a Cockroach Cluster in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire provides a brief moment of mundane normalcy and character insight just before the dark interrogation of Barty Crouch Jr..

• In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Cockroach Clusters appear as a collectible item that the player can find. (video game)
• While not explicitly featured, props representing Cockroach Clusters can be seen as part of the extensive set dressing within the Honeydukes set in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (film)
• The Wizarding World website confirms that the sweets are indeed shaped to look like cockroaches, a fact implied by their name and the characters' reactions in the novel. (Pottermore)