Stinking Pellet

• Type: Joke Object
• Owners: Fred Weasley and George Weasley (as part of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes stock)
• Maker: Unknown, but sold by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

A Stinking Pellet is a small, throwable magical object designed for pranks and diversions. While their exact appearance is not described in detail, they are presumably small and pellet-like, making them easy to conceal and throw. Their primary and most defining feature is the powerful and deeply unpleasant odour they release upon activation, likely on impact. The smell is described as a “foul” stench, potent enough to cause significant disruption and discomfort. When used repeatedly in the corridors of Hogwarts, the smell was so pervasive that students began to believe it was the natural odour of Peeves the poltergeist.

The sole magical function of a Stinking Pellet is to create an intensely malodorous cloud of gas. They are used primarily for the following purposes:

• Pranks: Their main use is as a practical joke, causing targets to flee from the smell.
• Diversions: The overpowering stench serves as an effective distraction, allowing the user to create chaos or slip away unnoticed.
• Disruption: In a more organised fashion, mass use of Stinking Pellets can render an area temporarily uninhabitable and disrupt normal activities, as demonstrated during the resistance against Dolores Umbridge.

Stinking Pellets are functionally very similar to Dungbombs, another popular joke item that also releases a foul smell.

Stinking Pellets were a known joke product in the wizarding world prior to their commercial sale by Fred and George Weasley. The twins first mentioned them in 1993, threatening to use one on Draco Malfoy at Hogwarts. By the 1994–1995 school year, Stinking Pellets were included on an order form for the twins' burgeoning mail-order joke business, which would eventually become Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. This list was discovered by their mother, Molly Weasley, much to her displeasure. During the 1995–1996 school year, Stinking Pellets became a key part of the Weasley twins' campaign of creative chaos against the oppressive regime of High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge. They, along with Dungbombs, were let off so frequently in the school corridors that the smell became a constant presence. After the twins' dramatic departure from Hogwarts, they presumably became a staple product at their successful joke shop at 93 Diagon Alley.

Stinking Pellets are a minor but representative magical object in the series. They serve to characterize Fred and George Weasley, showcasing their talent for mischief, invention, and commerce. More significantly, their use during the events of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix elevates them from simple prank items to tools of rebellion. They symbolize how humour and disruption can be used as a form of resistance against tyranny, embodying the twins' unique contribution to the fight against Dolores Umbridge and the dark forces she represented.

• In the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban video game, Stinking Pellets are a usable item. The player can collect them and throw them to create diversions, which is particularly useful for distracting prefects. (video game)
• While not explicitly named, Stinking Pellets and similar joke products are presumably among the vast and colourful inventory seen inside the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes shop in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. (film)