Wildfire Whiz-bangs

• Type: Magical Joke Product, Enchanted Fireworks
• Owners: Fred Weasley, George Weasley
• Maker: Fred Weasley and George Weasley (Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes)

Wildfire Whiz-bangs are a line of spectacular and chaotic magical fireworks developed by Fred and George Weasley. They were sold under their Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes brand and came in two main varieties: Basic Blazes for a lower price and the more impressive Deluxe Detonations. When activated, the Whiz-bangs produce a stunning and noisy pyrotechnic display far beyond that of any Muggle firework. They can take on complex and animated forms, such as fire-breathing dragons, whizzing rockets, and gigantic Catherine wheels. Individual fireworks are described in various shapes and sizes, including long, thin, black rockets and fat, pink ones. The sparks they emit can form silver stars or even spell out rude words. The sheer noise and visual chaos they generate are enough to disrupt large gatherings and bring activities to a complete halt.

The most remarkable feature of Wildfire Whiz-bangs is their powerful enchantment for persistence and self-preservation. They were designed to be extraordinarily difficult to remove by magical means, making them a perfect tool for creating lasting mayhem.

• Resistance to Spells: Standard cleaning or removal spells are ineffective and often counter-productive.
  • Casting a Vanishing Spell (Evanesco) on a Whiz-bang causes it to multiply by ten.
  • Hitting one with a Stunning Spell causes it to explode with much greater force.
• Autonomous Behaviour: The fireworks exhibit a degree of sentience. They were known to actively chase individuals, such as Dolores Umbridge and Argus Filch, around Hogwarts Castle.
• Durability: The Whiz-bangs could operate for days on end without fizzling out. Even after they were gone, they left behind scorch marks on surfaces that were similarly resistant to magical cleaning.

Only a highly skilled and powerful wizard, such as Professor Flitwick, was capable of removing them, and even he admitted it was a challenge. He found their magical construction so impressive that he left one Whiz-bang zipping around under a charmed ceiling in a display case to admire the “really good bit of magic.”

Wildfire Whiz-bangs were one of the premier inventions created by the Weasley twins for their planned joke shop. They were perfected during their final year at Hogwarts, while the school was under the oppressive control of High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge. Their most famous use occurred when Fred and George made their dramatic departure from Hogwarts. To create a diversion for Harry Potter and to stage a final act of rebellion, the twins unleashed a massive barrage of Whiz-bangs in the Entrance Hall. This act turned the school into chaos, which Umbridge and Filch were completely unable to contain for weeks. The other professors, who despised Umbridge, did little to help, often giving the impression they were advising the fireworks on new routes. This event cemented the twins' status as Hogwarts legends. After their successful escape, Wildfire Whiz-bangs became a flagship product at their shop in Diagon Alley, advertised as “Fireworks for all occasions!”

The Wildfire Whiz-bangs are a powerful symbol of creativity, joy, and rebellion against tyranny in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Their deployment against Dolores Umbridge served not only as a practical diversion for Harry's mission to contact Sirius Black, but also as a significant morale boost for the students of Hogwarts. The event demonstrated that even under a totalitarian regime, spirit and ingenuity could not be entirely suppressed. The respect shown by Professor Flitwick for the twins' magical talent highlighted that their “pranks” were, in fact, displays of exceptional magical ability.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fireworks display culminates with the fire-breathing dragon chasing Umbridge through the Great Hall and shattering her decorative educational decrees. The fireworks then form a giant, flaming “W” in the sky above Hogwarts as the twins fly away. (film)
• In the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix video game, Wildfire Whiz-bangs are a usable item. The player can set them off to create distractions, allowing them to complete tasks and prank Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad. (video game)