Ammunition

• Type: Magical Supplies / Joke Product Components
• Owners: Primarily associated with students of Hogwarts, most notably Fred Weasley and George Weasley.
• Maker: Fred Weasley and George Weasley are the only known creators of a specific type of magical ammunition for their joke products.

The term 'ammunition' is used sparingly in the wizarding world and generally refers to small, magically-imbued pellets or projectiles used in joke items or for creating diversions. The only objects explicitly referred to as ammunition are the small, smoking black pellets developed by the Weasley twins for their fake wands. Other items that function similarly to ammunition, though not explicitly named as such, include:

• Dungbombs: Small, magical spheres that release a large cloud of foul-smelling smoke upon detonation.
• Stink Pellets: Similar to Dungbombs, these are small projectiles designed to create a powerful, unpleasant odor.

Magical ammunition is primarily used for pranks and causing minor chaos rather than for serious duelling or combat.

• Fake Wand Pellets: These pellets are the ammunition for the Weasleys' fake wands. When fired from the wand, a pellet hitting a target, such as a spider, causes the target to instantly enlarge and sprout an excessive number of legs. The effect is designed to be startling and humorous.
• Dungbombs and Stink Pellets: These are typically thrown by hand. Their magical property is the instantaneous and powerful release of a noxious odor, which serves as an effective distraction or simply as a disruptive prank. They are a staple of student mischief at Hogwarts and are on Argus Filch's long list of banned items.

The term ammunition is used only once in the original novels. In their fourth year, Fred Weasley and George Weasley are seen in the Gryffindor common room testing one of their fake wands on a spider. After demonstrating its effect, one of the twins mentions they are out of “ammunition,” referring to the black pellets. This marks an early developmental stage of what would later become a product line for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. While not called ammunition, Dungbombs and Stink Pellets have a longer history of use within the story, frequently employed by pranksters like the Weasley twins and Peeves the poltergeist to cause trouble for students and staff alike.

Ammunition-like objects primarily serve to build the atmosphere of student life at Hogwarts, highlighting the element of mischief and the creative, non-combative applications of magic. They are central to the characterization of Fred Weasley and George Weasley as inventive and rebellious entrepreneurs. Later in the series, these seemingly trivial items prove to have strategic value. During the trio's infiltration of the Ministry of Magic, Harry Potter uses a Dungbomb as a diversion to help Muggle-born witches and wizards escape from their interrogations before the Muggle-Born Registration Commission. This instance demonstrates how a simple prank item can be repurposed for a serious and noble cause during a time of conflict.

The explicit term “ammunition” is notably rare in the wizarding world lexicon, suggesting that projectile-based magical weaponry is not a common concept outside of joke items or minor diversions. Most offensive and defensive magic is channeled directly from a wand in the form of spells.