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"WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO?
YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO
THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!
"
— Sign outside Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes[src]

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes,[1] also known as Weasley & Weasley,[2] 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.[1]

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.[3]

Location[]

"Set against the dull, poster-muffled shop fronts around them, Fred and George's windows hit the eye like a firework, display. Casual passersby were looking back over their shoulders at the windows, and a few rather stunned-looking people had actually come to a halt, transfixed. The left-hand window was dazzlingly full of an assortment of goods that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced, and shrieked; Harry's eyes began to water just looking at it."
— Harry Potter describing the exterior of the shop[src]
Exterior of Weasleys Wizards Wheezes shop

93 Diagon Alley

The first official premises of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was at 93 Diagon Alley.[1] The shop's exterior was bright and attention grabbing, when compared to the shops that surrounded it.

In 1997, the founders, Fred and George Weasley were known to be looking at buying Zonko's Joke Shop after it closed.[4] However, due to various complications such as Fred's death and the return of Voldemort, it is unclear if this purchase was made.

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.[5] 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.[3]

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.[3]

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]

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.[6] The twins apparently did not warn the younger students what the sweets would do.

Skiving Snackbox revealed

The twins setting up their Skiving Snackboxes in the Gryffindor common room

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.[7]

Peeves salutes Weasley twins' departure - PM

The Weasley twins' departure from Hogwarts

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.[8]

Prior to their departure, they offered a discount for any Hogwarts students who would swear to use their products to eliminate Umbridge.[8] 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.[8]

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]
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes 01

Founders Fred Weasley and George Weasley standing in the main room of their shop

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.[1] However, because of Hogwarts security being raised to the point that all Hogsmeade trips were cancelled,[9] 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.[10]

Tumblr ls5c1s1zVN1qbm32lo5 250

The shop in 1996

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.[1] 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.[11] 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.[1]

B6C6M1 inside Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

The trio, Ginny, and Mrs Weasley inside the shop

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.[12] Fred and George both fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, where Fred was killed in an explosion whilst fighting alongside Percy Weasley.[13]

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]

George continued to operate the business after Fred's death, despite never fully getting over the loss of his twin.[14] 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.[14]

By December 2010, some of the products invented for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes including Fever Fudge and the Electric Shock Shake, were also being sold at Zonko's Joke Shop.[15]

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.[1] 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.[1]

Love potions in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes HBPF

Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley at the WonderWitch display

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.[1] 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.[1]

Towards the back of the shop was a stand of Muggle magic tricks. Near the Muggle magic tricks was a tub labelled 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.[1] The packaging on these products were more subdued and less flashy.[1]

Product packaging[]

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]

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes sold a large variety of magical products. These included simple things, objects with advanced magical abilities, and Pygmy Puffs.

Store - Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Advert

A Range of Fireworks. This group of fireworks included the original Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs, as well as a variety of new and creative pyrotechnic products.

Fireworks Price List from the Weasleys'

  • Decoy Detonators – when dropped they run away and explode out of sight, giving the person a diversion if necessary.
  • Jinx-Off
  • Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder – When thrown into the air, this powder covers everything around it in darkness, which cannot be penetrated by spells like the Wand-Lighting Charm or Fire-Making Spell although the Hand of Glory can be used to see through it. It is used by Draco Malfoy against the members of Dumbledore's Army while smuggling Death Eaters into Hogwarts through the Room of Requirement.[11]
  • Shield Hats, Cloaks and Gloves – used by the Ministry of Magic for defence against enemy forces, using a Shield Charm.[1]

  • Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products designed and marketed for witches. The whole display is violently pink.[1] Although they were soon banned from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with the rest of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes products, they could be sent in disguised as ordinary perfume or other such bottled products such as cough potions as a part of the mail order service.[10]

  • Canary Creams – temporarily transfigures the eater into a canary.[16]
  • Candy In a Can – "This product contains candy"
  • Edible Dark Marks "They'll make anyone sick!"
  • Nautious Jumping Snakes
  • Skiving Snackbox – A Skiving Snackbox is a range of sweets to make the user ill. The user develops strange symptoms depending on the type of snack eaten. The purpose of these was to make a student appear unable to stay in class. Most came in two colour-coded parts: one that would cause the malady, and one that would heal the pupil once they had left class. It should be noted that nosebleed nougat is most popular. They include: Fainting Fancies, Fever Fudge, Nosebleed Nougat, and Puking Pastilles.[17]
  • Sugar Hexes
  • Ton-Tongue Toffee – (tested by the Weasley twins on Dudley Dursley) - when eaten, they cause the tongue to rapidly swell and turn purple.[18]
  • Unchewable Chew Chews (UCC)
  • Wakefields Off the Record Glow in the Dark Gum, glow in the dark bubblegum.

  • 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]

    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.[10]

    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.[10] 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.[1]

    Associates[]

    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.[1]

    Behind the scenes[]

    Weasleys Wizard Wheezes 2

    The shop as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

    • 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".[19]
    • 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.[20]
    • 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.
        PAS Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

        The Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes logo

        • 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.

    Appearances[]

    Wiki
    The Harry Potter Wiki has 248 images related to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

    Notes and references[]

    1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 6 (Draco's Detour)
    2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
    3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 37 (The Beginning)
    4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 19 (Elf Tails)
    5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 5 (Weasley's Wizard Wheezes)
    6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 12 (Professor Umbridge)
    7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 13 (Detention with Dolores)
    8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 29 (Careers Advice)
    9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 18 (Birthday Surprises)
    10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 15 (The Unbreakable Vow)
    11. 11.0 11.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 29 (The Phoenix Lament)
    12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 25 (Shell Cottage)
    13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 32 (The Elder Wand)
    14. 14.0 14.1 J.K. Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, July 30, 2007
    15. Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, Where's Wolf
    16. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 21 (The House-Elf Liberation Front)
    17. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
    18. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 4 (Back to The Burrow)
    19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) DVD 2nd-disc Special Feature: Close-Up with the cast of Harry Potter - Art with Bonnie Wright.
    20. 'Harry Potter': 20 Surprising Facts About Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Shop
    London's wizarding quarter
    England, Great Britain
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    Diagon Alley
    Shops

    2nd Hand Brooms · Amanuensis Quills · Badeea Ali's uncle's tea shop · Bats! Bats! Bats! · Belcher's Bottled Beers · Bernie Balls Fireworks · Blinkhorn's workshop · Boogermongers · Boot and Shoemaker for Witches and Wizards · Brigg's Brooms · Bufo's · Broomstix · Broom Brakes Service · Broom Shop · Caput Mortuum · Cauldron Workshop · Cranville Quincey's Magical Junkshop · Creepy Scrawlers Stationers · Crispa Culpepper's Drugs & Preparations · Diagon Alley Arts Club · Diagon Alley cafés · The Diagon Dispensary · Eeylops Owl Emporium · Fine Enchanting Cauldrons · Flail & Hyde Furriers · Floo-Pow · Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour · Florist's stall · Flourish and Blotts · Gaberlunzie Garments · Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop · Grandma Gramercy's Grandiloquent Gramophones · The Harpy's Bazaar · Healer Shop · Herbert's Sherbets · J. Pippin's Potions · Janus Galloglass · Jimmy Kiddell's Wonderful Wands · The Junk Shop · Krakens · Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions · Madam Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions · The Magic Lantern · Magical Menagerie · Mandrake Mufflers · Marcus Minucius Myomancer · Mourning & Starr Armourers · Mr Milvus Grizedale, Kitemaker · Mr Mulpepper's Apothecary · Mr Trismus, Mouth Magician · Mulligrubs Materia Medica · Nell's Bells · Nollikins for Scrolls & Skins · Noltie's Botanical Novelties · Obscurus Books · Oldknowe Books · Ollivanders · Owl Post Office · Pettichaps · Potage's Cauldron Shop · Praedico Predico · Quality Quidditch Supplies · Rosa Lee Teabag · S. Starling · Scribbulus Writing Implements · Second-Hand Bookshop · Second-Hand Robes · Shrew & Scold's Bridal Wear · Slug & Jiggers Apothecary · Spindlewarps Wool Shop · Sugarplum's Sweets Shop · Surgical and Dental Operator · Tangle & Noils Wigmakers & Perruquiers · Tatoo Artist · The Three Sheets · Trading Card Shop · Tut's Nuts · Twilfitt and Tattings · Twinkle's Telescopes · Unidentified shop · Vietch's Leeches · Wand Showroom · Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes · What Larks! Songbird Specialists · Whizz Hard Books · Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment · Wynch & Tugg Movers · ZA Coffee

    Other services

    Brews and Stews · Daily Prophet's main office · Diagon Alley stalls · GalleLoans · Gold Pole · Gringotts Wizarding Bank · The Ministry Press · Ollivanders Wand Repair and Re-Tooling · Peter Boat · TerrorTours

    Locations

    1 Diagon Alley · 129b Diagon Alley · 18a Diagon Alley · 275 Diagon Alley · 343 Diagon Alley South · 521 Diagon Alley · 59 Diagon Alley · 92 Diagon Alley · 93 Diagon Alley · 94 Diagon Alley · Penny Haywood's flat

    Known residents and shop employees

    Archibald Bennett · Broom Shop shopkeeper · Badeea Ali · Badeea Ali's uncle · Clutterbuck Crispe · Cranville Quincey · Daily Prophet personnel · Edwin Avarus · Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour attendant · Fred Weasley · Garrick Ollivander · George Weasley · Healer · Jimmy Kiddell · J. Pippin · Penny Haywood · Penny Haywood's flatmate · Madam Primpernelle · Manager of Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop · Mulpepper · Podric Batworthy · Ronald Weasley · Shimmy Hardoteer · Sugarplum · Unidentified florist in Diagon Alley · Verity · Villanelle

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    Attractions:

    Dragon ChallengeFlight of the HippogriffHarry Potter and the Escape From GringottsHarry Potter and the Forbidden JourneyHagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike AdventureHogsmeade StationOllivander's Wand Shop

    Shops:

    Borgin and BurkesDervish and BangesFilch's Emporium of Confiscated GoodsHoneydukesMadam Malkin's Robes for All OccasionsMagical MenagerieOllivander'sOwl PostQuality Quidditch SuppliesWands by GregorovitchWeasleys' Wizard WheezesWiseacre's Wizarding EquipmentZonko's Joke Shop

    Restaurants:

    Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream ParlourLeaky CauldronThe Fountain of Fair FortuneThree Broomsticks Inn

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