======Muggle Artefacts======
=====Definition and Significance=====
**Muggle Artefacts** are objects created by and for non-magical people ([[Muggle]]s). In their original state, they are mundane and lack any magical properties. Within the [[Wizarding World]], these items are often viewed with a mixture of ignorance, curiosity, and sometimes disdain, highlighting the cultural and technological divide between the two societies.
The general wizarding population's understanding of [[Muggle]] technology is extremely limited. This ignorance is a recurring theme, often used for comedic effect, such as [[Arthur Weasley]]'s fascination with the function of a rubber duck or his inability to grasp the concept of [[Muggle]] currency. For some prejudiced pure-blood wizards, like the [[Malfoy family]], any interest in [[Muggle]] items is seen as a sign of being a "blood traitor." Conversely, an interest in [[Muggle Artefacts]], particularly for those in the [[Wizarding World]] who advocate for [[Muggle]] rights, symbolizes an open-minded and progressive viewpoint.
These objects become a matter of magical law when wizards illegally enchant them, which is known as the misuse of [[Muggle Artefacts]].
=====Misuse of Muggle Artefacts=====
The misuse of [[Muggle Artefacts]] involves the illegal enchanting of mundane [[Muggle]] items, which can cause harm, confusion, or disruption if they find their way back into the [[Muggle]] world. To combat this, the [[Ministry of Magic]] established the [[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]], a small and generally underfunded department responsible for confiscating and de-charming such items.
For many years, this office was headed by [[Arthur Weasley]], who ironically harbored a deep personal fascination with enchanting [[Muggle]] objects himself. He famously exploited a legal loophole he wrote into the law to enchant his [[Ford Anglia]], arguing that he had no //intent// of using it, thereby technically not breaking the rule.
Examples of cases handled by this office include:
  * Regurgitating toilets that were bewitched and sold to [[Muggle]]s.
  * Shrinking keys that caused problems for their [[Muggle]] owners.
  * A biting kettle that was placed back into circulation in a [[Muggle]] shop.
=====Notable Enchanted Muggle Artefacts=====
While most misused artefacts are minor nuisances, several significantly enchanted [[Muggle]] objects have played crucial roles in major events.
  * **[[Ford Anglia]]:** A standard [[Muggle]] car that [[Arthur Weasley]] bewitched with a range of magical features, including the ability to fly, become invisible, and expand its interior space. It was instrumental in [[Harry Potter]]'s escape from [[Number 4, Privet Drive]] and his subsequent journey to [[Hogwarts]].
  * **[[Sirius Black's Motorbike]]:** A large [[Muggle]] motorbike that [[Sirius Black]] enchanted to fly. It was loaned to [[Rubeus Hagrid]] to deliver the infant [[Harry Potter]] to the [[Dursley]]s and was later used to transport Harry during the Battle of the Seven Potters.
  * **[[Tom Riddle's Diary]]:** A common [[Muggle]] diary purchased from a shop on Vauxhall Road in London. A young [[Tom Riddle]] transformed it into his first [[Horcrux]], imbuing it with a sentient memory of his sixteen-year-old self.
  * **[[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]]:** A signet ring with a black stone that originally belonged to the [[Riddle]] family, a wealthy [[Muggle]] lineage. After being stolen by [[Marvolo Gaunt]], it became a [[Gaunt]] family heirloom. [[Lord Voldemort]] later turned the ring into a [[Horcrux]] and was unaware that the stone set within it was the [[Resurrection Stone]], one of the three [[Deathly Hallows]].
=====Related Individuals and Organisations=====
  * **[[Arthur Weasley]]:** The most prominent wizard associated with [[Muggle Artefacts]]. His sincere, albeit often incorrect, fascination with them defined his character and career at the [[Ministry of Magic]]. He kept a shed full of [[Muggle]] items, which he would take apart and attempt to make work with [[magic]].
  * **[[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]]:** The [[Ministry of Magic]] department responsible for regulating the illegal enchantment of [[Muggle]]-made items. Besides [[Arthur Weasley]], another known employee was an elderly wizard named [[Perkins]].
  * **[[Lord Voldemort]]:** Showed a profound disregard for the [[Muggle]] origins of his chosen items, yet used a [[Muggle]] diary and a [[Muggle]]-owned ring to house fragments of his soul, creating two of his powerful [[Horcrux]]es.
  * **[[Sirius Black]]:** The original owner of the enchanted flying motorbike, demonstrating that a fascination with modifying [[Muggle]] technology was not limited to [[Arthur Weasley]].
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets//, the Weasleys' car is a turquoise 1962 Ford Anglia 105E. Its role is visually expanded, featuring a dramatic crash-landing into the [[Whomping Willow]]. (film)
  * J.K. Rowling has used [[Arthur Weasley]]'s interest in [[Muggle Artefacts]] to illustrate his curiosity and anti-prejudice stance, which stands in stark contrast to the pure-blood supremacists like [[Lucius Malfoy]], who view anything [[Muggle]]-related with contempt. (J.K. Rowling interview)
  * The Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website further explores the workings of the [[Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office]], confirming its small size and lack of prestige within the [[Ministry of Magic]], which reflects the wizarding establishment's general disinterest in [[Muggle]] affairs. (Pottermore)