Fred and George Weasley

Fred and George Weasley (both born April 1, 1978)http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=7http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/faq_view.cfm?id=63 are fictional characters in the Harry Potter series of novels, created by J. K. Rowling. They are the twin sons of Arthur and Molly Weasley. They are younger brothers of Bill, Charlie and Percy. They are older brothers of Ron and Ginny, who are both members of Harry Potter's close group of friends. As the rest of the Weasleys, they have flaming red hair.

Related Topics:
April 1 - 1978 - Fictional character - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling - Arthur - Molly Weasley - Bill - Charlie - Percy - Ron - Ginny - Harry Potter

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fred and George were the school clowns, more interested in making new jokes than studies. It is, therefore, not surprising that their birthday is April 1st, April Fool's Day. They are supremely popular characters among fans and many of their jokes and pranks are legendary both in the stories and in the real world. They were the beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team before they were banned by Dolores Umbridge and consequently quit Hogwarts. They now own a joke shop on Diagon Alley. Much to their mother's disappointment, they are her only sons who weren't made prefects (though it is important to note that neither was their younger sister, Ginny). Their appearance and personality are so indistinguishable that they can fool even their mother, who once sent them sweaters monogrammed "G" and "F." The twins switched sweaters and called themselves "Gred" and "Forge."

Related Topics:
April Fool's Day - Gryffindor - Quidditch - Dolores Umbridge - Prefect - Mother

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Fred and George begin selling their own jokes by mail order, under the name "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes". They play a prank on Harry's first cousin Dudley Dursley by "accidentally" dropping several Ton Tongue Toffees—Dudley, a glutton on a forced diet, soon has a foot-long tongue protruding from his mouth; at the Quidditch World Cup they impress Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic with their fake wands.

Related Topics:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes - Dudley Dursley - Ludo Bagman - Ministry of Magic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite their mother's wish that they should follow their father in working at the Ministry of Magic, their ambition in life has always been to run their own joke shop. Harry (who had inherited more than enough money for his needs) makes this possible by giving them his winnings from the Triwizard Tournament.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The pair provide Harry with useful assistance throughout the series; in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban they give him the Marauder's Map, and in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix they provide distractions so that Harry can use the Floo system unmonitored in Dolores Umbridge's office. They were members of Dumbledore's Army, a group started by Harry, Hermione, and Ron to provide the practical instruction in Defence Against the Dark Arts, which Umbridge had removed from that course's curriculum. Later in that year, they are banned from Quidditch and decide to give up formal education; they do not, however, leave before paying tribute to Dumbledore by waging a virtual war against Umbridge. Eventually threatened with flogging for conjuring a "portable swamp" in a corridor, they depart on broomsticks, informing their fellow students of their new shop in Diagon Alley and offering discounts to students who will likewise harass Umbridge. Their departure is widely regarded as one of the emotional high points of Book 5, an often bleak book. The swamp, meanwhile, remains for some time, since Umbridge is unable to remove it and no other teacher particularly wishes to. After Professor Umbridge is driven from the school, Professor Flitwick removes almost all of it, leaving a bit as a tribute to the Weasley twins.

Related Topics:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Marauder's Map - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Dolores Umbridge - Dumbledore's Army - Hermione - Defence Against the Dark Arts - Swamp - Diagon Alley - Professor Flitwick

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In The Half-Blood Prince, Fred and George continue to run their very successful joke shop out of Diagon Alley. At the beginning of the school year, they have a large advertisement for a potion called "U-No-Poo," poking fun at the common euphemism for Lord Voldemort in the wizarding community. Their import item, Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, plays a (negative) role in the Battle of Hogwarts in that book, being used by Draco Malfoy to escape the detection of the former DA members. It is unclear if Fred and George have joined the Order of the Phoenix like they wished to during the previous book, although their absence from the battle at Hogwarts suggests they have not. However, many speculate that, although they may not be official members of the Order, they probably still lend it occasional support and information in or around Diagon Alley.

Related Topics:
The Half-Blood Prince - Lord Voldemort - Battle of Hogwarts - DA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~