Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

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Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, also known as Weasley & Weasley, was a joke shop located at 93 Diagon Alley founded by Fred and George Weasley.
The shop contained practical joke objects, such as Extendable Ears, a Reusable Hangman, Skiving Snackboxes, and Fred and George's special WonderWitch products, such as Love Potions, Ten-Second Pimple Vanishers, and Pygmy Puffs. There was also a section of Muggle Magic Tricks, which were said to have done steady business, despite not being big sellers. The shop also sold a number of defensive magical objects.
This establishment started out as an 'owl-post service' led by the twins from the Burrow, and later continued from Hogwarts, selling joke-products until the store front was opened.
The shop was the Weasley twins' dream. The seed money for the shop was Harry Potter's Triwizard Tournament 1,000 galleon winnings.
== Location ==
The first official premises of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was at 93 Diagon Alley. The shop's exterior was bright and attention grabbing, when compared to the shops that surrounded it. The front left window was full of products that did a variety of things, the right window was covered with a gigantic poster, purple and emblazoned with flashing yellow letters that referenced U-No-Poo.
In 1997, the founders, Fred and George Weasley were known to be looking at buying Zonko's Joke Shop after it closed. However, due to various complications such as Fred's death and the return of Voldemort, it is unclear if this purchase was made.
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== History ==
=== Starting up ===
: George Weasley: "Harry, you help yourself to anything you want, all right? No charge."
: Harry Potter: "I can't do that!"
: Fred Weasley: "You don't pay here... you gave us our start-up loan, we haven't forgotten. Take whatever you like, and just remember to tell people where you got it, if they ask."
: — Fred and George, with Harry in 1996[src]
While still students at Hogwarts, Fred and George were inspired to develop a number of practical joke products. They initially developed these products in their room at The Burrow. Their initial efforts were sold as mail-order items using owl post. Their mother discovered the orders while cleaning their room one day. She didn't support their wild ambitions, considering that most of the products that they'd created were dangerous. She also wished them to get jobs in the Ministry of Magic, like their father. Even though she burned the orders, her twin sons still maintained their ambition to open a joke shop.
To raise money for their shop they bet their life's savings with Ludo Bagman, on the outcome of the Quidditch World Cup. They won, but Bagman paid them off with Leprechaun gold, which vanished after a few hours, wiping out their savings and putting their dream in peril.
Luckily, the twins got the money for the shop through Harry Potter's unwanted Triwizard Tournament winnings of 1,000 Galleons, while the three were alone before disembarking the Hogwarts Express at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. They reluctantly accepted the winnings only on his insistence, with his only requests being that they not tell Molly where the money came from, and to buy Ron new dress robes without mentioning Harry's name. Since Harry gave them their start-up loan, after establishing their storefront Fred and George in turn insisted that he help himself to whatever he wanted, free of charge.
=== Twin's seventh year at Hogwarts ===
: "We were thinking of buying Zonko's. A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out at weekends to buy our stuff anymore..."
: — Fred thinking of buying Zonko's[src]
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During their last and unfinished year at Hogwarts, Fred and George tested many of their products on fellow students, wishing to determine if everyone responded the same to their products. Gryffindor prefect Hermione Granger did not approve of this. The twins apparently did not warn the younger students what the sweets would do.
Hermione was furious (while fellow prefect Ron Weasley refused to interfere) and she immediately told the twins and Lee off for experimenting on unsuspecting children. George and Lee tried to reassure her that it was not dangerous, while Fred claimed it was fine since they had paid their subjects, but Hermione insisted that they stop. Fred and George initially scoffed at her attempt to stop them, but immediately backed down when she threatened to tell their mother. Hermione was quite annoyed with Ron for not supporting her in standing up to the twins.
After releasing their Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs and Portable Swamp on school grounds and defecting from Hogwarts in order to rebel against Dolores Umbridge's tyrannical rule, the twins left to fulfil their dreams of opening a joke shop.
Prior to their departure, they offered a discount for any Hogwarts students who would swear to use their products to eliminate Umbridge. Fred and George gave Peeves final instructions just before they left the school. Peeves saluted the twins, this was possibly the first time he had knowingly and willingly obeyed a Hogwarts student.
=== The Second Wizarding War ===
: Molly Weasley: "U-No-Poo. They’ll be murdered in their beds!"
: Ron Weasley: "No they won’t! This is brilliant!"
: — Molly and Ron see the shop for the first time[src]
Argus Filch banned all of Fred and George's products from Hogwarts in 1996. However, as no one paid much attention to things Filch banned, this had little effect. The Triwizard Tournament winnings allowed them to purchase a storefront in Diagon Alley shortly after leaving Hogwarts in April 1996, employing a shop assistant named Verity.
They also intended to buy Zonko's Joke Shop in Hogsmeade in order to extend their business. However, because of Hogwarts security being raised to the point that all Hogsmeade trips were cancelled, they saw no point to this. However, they did start selling love potions by Owl Order disguised as cough potions, as Argus Filch couldn’t recognise one potion from the other.
The twins were strict with their businesses, as they threatened a boy for attempted shoplifting and charged their younger brother Ron full price for all the products. However, they allowed Harry to take anything he wanted for free, as he was their investor. They also accepted patronage from Draco Malfoy (whom they hated), allowing him to buy Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, which he would use against Dumbledore's Army later, something Ron would resent the twins for. Their mother, despite not initially approving their dream, was glad to see they managed to make such success and joy in their career.
Although much of their products were meant for fun and games, when the Ministry bought 500 Shield Hats for staff protection, the twins decided to expand their products to a more serious line of Defence Against the Dark Arts, as many bureaucratic employees could not cast so much as a decent Shield Charm. They also made a mockery of Lord Voldemort by placing one of their product's slogan on the front window: U-No-Poo, which led their mother to fear for their lives, but Ron to laugh.
In 1996 the store was packed with customers. When Harry visited he could not get near the shelves. In the summer of 1997, the Death Eaters seized control of the British Ministry of Magic.
In the spring of 1998, it was discovered that the Weasleys had been helping the fugitive Harry Potter, and the family went into hiding. Although forced to close the shop in Diagon Alley, Fred and George continued to sell their products via mail order while at their Aunt Muriel's. Fred and George both fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, where Fred was killed in an explosion whilst fighting alongside Percy Weasley.
=== After the war ===
: "In the immediate aftermath of the battle Weasley, whose famous ginger hair appears to be thinning slightly, entered into employment with the Ministry of Magic alongside Potter, but left only two years later to co-manage the highly successful wizarding joke emporium Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Was he, as he stated at the time, ‘delighted to assist my brother George with a business I've always loved'?"
: — DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY REUNITES AT QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP FINAL[src]
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George continued to operate the business after Fred's death, despite never fully getting over the loss of his twin. Two years after Ron became an Auror, he left the job, stating that he wanted to help his brother George with a shop he had always loved. Already a highly successful emporium, together they were able to turn Weasley's Wizard Wheezes into an even more gigantic money-spinner.
== Products ==
The shop was filled with boxes that were piled to the ceiling. When entering the shop the boxes that were in sight were the Skiving Snackboxes. The Nosebleed Nougat were the most popular, only one battered box was left on the shelf. Within sight of the door on the way to the counter were bins full of trick wands. Near the trick wands there was boxes of quills.
There were reusable hangmen located at the counter. Patented Daydream Charms were a large display near the counter. The WonderWitch products were near the daydream charms next to the window. The WonderWitch products were a array of violently pink products that attracted the attention of girls. A cage of Pygmy Puffs was located there as well.
Towards the back of the shop was a stand of Muggle magic tricks. Near the Muggle magic tricks was a tub labeled edible dark marks. The more serious products that focused on Defence Against the Dark Arts were located in the back behind a certain out of sight. The packaging on these products were more subdued and less flashy.
=== Product packaging ===
Dungbomb
Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs
Demon Dung
Boxing telescope
Thor's Thunder Cracker
U-No-Poo
Sticky Trainers
Jinx-Off
WonderWitch
Diabolic Dare Devils
Fred Weasley's Basic Blaze Box
Bombtastic Bomb
George's Compendium Box of Pyrotechtrix
Screaming Yo-yo
Peace Disturbers
Weather in a Bottle
Comb-a-Chameleon
Bang Bang Boggart Banger
Loonar Loop Luminators
Silver Sparkling Snakes
Electric Shock Shake
Feathery Flamingo Flame Fuzzer
Miraculous Mystic Mayhem Makers
Skiving Snackbox
=== Items sold ===
: Fred Weasley: "That's three Galleons, nine Sickles, and a Knut. Cough up."
: Ron Weasley: "I'm your brother!"
: Fred Weasley: "And that's our stuff you're nicking."
: — Fred and George wouldn't cut Ron a deal on their products[src]
* Joke products
* Explosive Enterprises
* Muggle Magic
* Defence objects
* WonderWitch
* Sweets
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes sold a large variety of magical products. These included simple things, objects with advanced magical abilities, and Pygmy Puffs.
* Anti Gravity Hats – "Ruin a gentleman's day by making his hat fly away!"
* Aviatomobile – a flying toy car. Costs 3 sickles and 11 knuts. Possibly made in the likeness of their father's flying car.
* Boxing telescope – when squeezed, gives the user a black eye which is almost impossible to remove (Hermione Granger was a victim of one in 1996). Costs 12 sickles and 26 knuts.
* Broom Broom kit
* Bruise removal paste
* Bubble machine
* Canary Cream 7 Sickles
* Comb-a-Chameleon
* Creepy Crawlies
* Demon Box
* Dungbombs
* Electric Shock Shake
* Extendable Ears – used to hear voices at the other end of the ear.
* Fanged Flyer
* Fanged Frisbee
* Happy Bubble Box
* Headless Hats – make the wearer's head invisible (along with the hat itself).
* Loonar Loop Luminators costs 1 Galleon 6 Sickles 3 Knuts
* Lucky Dip
* Magical Moustache Miracle Stubble Grow
* Mega Box
* Mysterious Midnight Moon Madness
* Nose Biting Teacup
* Otters Fizzy Orange Juice
* Out to Lunch Fake Moustache
* Penelope's Purple Pussy Cats
* Portable Swamp – creates a swamp when used.
* Quality Weasley Goods
* Quills – in Smart Answer, Self Inking and Spell Checking varieties.
* Reusable Hangman – "Spell It Or He'll Swing."
* Rubby O’Chicken
* Screaming Yo-yo 5 Galleons
* Self-propelling Custard Pies
* Self-Writing Quill
* Shimmering Silver Salt Drops
* Sticky Trainers
* Sunny Spells
* Tiny Twister
* Trick wands – turn into a variety of unexpected things when waved. The cheapest into rubber chickens or briefs when waved, the most expensive beating user around the head.
* U-No-Poo – a causative product with a name meant to parody "You-Know-Who" (causes constipation).
* Umbridge on Unicycle
* Unlucky Dip
* Weasley Authentic
* Weasley Joke Box
* Weasley's Snowstorm
* Weasley's Wet Weather
* Weasley’s Wonderous Wands
* Weasleys' Dragon Roasted Nuts
* Weather in a Bottle
== Additional services ==
: "Well, we haven’t had a chance to get premises yet, so we’re running it as a mailorder service at the moment. We put advertisements in the Daily Prophet last week."
: — Fred and George's startup business was mailorder[src]
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Owl Order Service was used by various business in order to deliver their products to buyers. The Daily Prophet used this service to deliver their newspapers and so does Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to deliver a wide range of products. The twins would send them disguised as perfumes and cough potions.
Fred and George Weasley did this in order to smuggle banned items from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They did this under the nose of caretaker Argus Filch, disguising the products as perfumes and cough potions. Information regarding this service was explained on the back of the WonderWitch products the twins showed Hermione Granger and their sister Ginny in the summer of 1996.
== Associates ==
Harry Potter (Investor)
Fred Weasley † (Founder)
George Weasley (Founder/Co-Manager)
Ron Weasley (Co-Manager)
Verity (Employee)
== Uniform ==
All employees at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes wore a magenta robe. Harry Potter noted that these robes clashed magnificently with Fred and George's red hair.
== Behind the scenes ==
* Filch's ban on the store's products did not span to Pygmy Puffs, as Ginny Weasley takes her Pygmy Puff, Arnold, into Hogwarts.
* The Half-Blood Prince film's graphic designer, Eduardo Lima revealed that there are more than 300 names of products they had invented just for the film adaptation of "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes".
* Because Harry did not give his Triwizard Winnings over to Fred and George onscreen in the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it is not clear just how the Weasley twins were able to establish Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in the first place in the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
* The cash register used in the sixth film was bought off of eBay.
* Despite the rebellious nature of some of these products, the twins were nevertheless subject to certain Ministry regulations.
* Fred and George's latter skill with their shop was actually foreshadowed in the video game versions of the series.
** In the PC/MAC version and console versions of the Philosopher's Stone the twins trade Harry Bertie Bott's Beans for Famous Wizard trading cards; the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube versions in particular they set up a shop in Gryffindor tower, which is only open at night in a secret bathroom (past a portrait with a password) that must be accessed by sneaking through the Study Room past Percy. The Game Boy versions had the boys setting up shop in Classroom 5B with two shops; Weasley Supplies Bargain Basement and Weasley Candy Emporium.
*** This is the only time in the games where the boys have two shops with individual names.
*** In the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube versions, there is also a chest that Harry can pay beans to for a random item, good or bad.
** The PC/MAC version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has the boys set up an economic system of merchants throughout the school, while the other console versions the location is the same as before (only the randomization chest is removed). In the GBC version it is a shop in Diagon Alley and not connected to the Weasleys in any way.
*** Ironically the boys would end up opening their own shop there four years later.
** In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the twins' shop somewhat differs; in the console versions, it is a similar bathroom on the sixth floor, only much larger with a challenge room beyond it for the Marauders' Map; while on the GBA version, it is instead a shop similar to the GBC games that can be accessed on the seventh floor instead. Their inventory has expanded significantly from the second game, including Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, Passwords for the portraits around the castle, and special Chocolate Frog Cards.
*** Most notably, at the back of the shop is a card with the wizard's image blocked out, which Fred and George promise to give Harry for free if he collects all other cards in the set. Collecting all of the Wizard cards unlocks Harry's own wizard card and opens the Bean Bonus Room with an unlimited timer. This is the only time in the series Fred and George have displayed the ability to access the room.
Category:Places