Muggle Artefacts

Muggle Artefacts are objects created by and for non-magical people (Muggles). 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.

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 Muggles.
• Shrinking keys that caused problems for their Muggle owners.
• A biting kettle that was placed back into circulation in a Muggle shop.

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 Dursleys 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.

• 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 Horcruxes.
• Sirius Black: The original owner of the enchanted flying motorbike, demonstrating that a fascination with modifying Muggle technology was not limited to Arthur Weasley.

• 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)