Ton-Tongue Toffees

• Type: Enchanted Confectionery, Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes Product
• Owners: Fred Weasley, George Weasley
• Maker: Fred Weasley and George Weasley

Ton-Tongue Toffees are magical sweets that appear as large, fat toffees wrapped in brightly coloured paper. Their appearance is intentionally mundane to disguise their powerful magical effect from unsuspecting victims.

The primary magical property of a Ton-Tongue Toffee is to cause the tongue of the person who eats it to swell to an immense and unnatural size. The effect is caused by a powerful Engorgement Charm infused into the confectionery. The swelling is rapid and dramatic; in the only observed case, Dudley Dursley's tongue grew to approximately four feet in length within moments of consumption. The effect is not permanent but requires magical intervention to reverse. Arthur Weasley was able to shrink Dudley's tongue back to its normal size, likely using a Shrinking Charm, though the process was painful for the victim. The toffees were designed by the Weasley twins as a prank item for their future joke shop, Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.

The Ton-Tongue Toffees were invented by Fred Weasley and George Weasley during the summer of 1994, prior to their sixth year at Hogwarts. They were among the first products developed for their joke shop enterprise, which they funded with their winnings from a bet placed during the Quidditch World Cup. The toffees were first “tested” during the Weasley family's visit to collect Harry Potter from Number Four, Privet Drive. Upon their departure via the Floo Network, Fred “accidentally” dropped a handful of the toffees. Dudley Dursley, who had been put on a strict diet, immediately ate one, triggering its magical effect. The resulting chaos involved Arthur Weasley having to blast a hole in the Dursleys' boarded-up fireplace and then perform the counter-charm on Dudley's tongue, much to the fury of Vernon Dursley and Petunia Dursley. This event also led to a significant argument between the twins and their mother, Molly Weasley, who was furious about their dangerous experiments.

The appearance of the Ton-Tongue Toffees in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire serves several narrative functions. It firmly establishes Fred and George's ambition and remarkable talent for creating complex magical items, foreshadowing their future success with Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. The incident at the Dursley home provides comedic relief and a moment of comeuppance for Dudley. Furthermore, it highlights the ongoing conflict between the twins' entrepreneurial ambitions and their mother's concerns for safety, a recurring theme throughout the book. The event also starkly contrasts the mundane, restrictive world of the Dursleys with the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the Wizarding world.

The scene involving the Ton-Tongue Toffees is depicted in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The visual effects showcase Dudley's tongue rapidly elongating after he eats the sweet, capturing the comedic chaos described in the novel. (film)