Muggle-baiting

Willy Widdershins, notorious Muggle-baiter (seen here heavily bandaged after one of his regurgitating toilets backfired against him during its creation)

George: "Why would anyone bother making door keys shrink?"

Arthur: "Just Muggle-baiting. Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it... Of course, it's very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking--they'll insist they just keep losing it."

— Exchange between George and Arthur Weasley

Muggle-baiting was a term for the practical jokes which wizards and witches sometimes played on unsuspecting Muggles. These pranks typically involved enchanting everyday objects in a way that would confuse or frighten Muggles who encountered them.

History

According to Arthur Weasley, while some in the wizarding community considered Muggle-baiting to be simply a good laugh, it was actually a manifestation of much more serious anti-Muggle sentiments. Considered too trivial for Aurors to handle, the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol was responsible for catching such culprits instead.

The Ministry of Magic kept an official definition of what actions entail "Muggle-baiting". These definitions were "stringent", and some wizards believed more lenient definitions were in order.

During the 1990–1991 school year, a Muggle Artefact Smuggler practised Muggle-baiting by enchanting Muggle artefacts and selling them back to Muggles. He sold a cursed kettle which could severely burn its user to a Muggle, who had to be Obliviated after being burned.

Willy Widdershins was a wizard who regularly engaged in Muggle-baiting pranks, such as jinxing Regurgitating Toilets in Bethnal Green in 1995. He had prior sold Frog Spawn Soap to Muggles in the 1990–1991 school year, and was caught by the British Ministry of Magic for his crimes. He was eventually caught in December of 1995 by Ministry officials, when one of his Regurgitating Toilets backfired on him, covering him in its contents.

Known types of Muggle-baiting

• Biting doorknobs
• Biting kettles
• Cursed kettles
• Regurgitating Toilets
• Shrinking keys

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
• J. K. Rowling's official site (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)