Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Z is for Zonko's Joke Shop

Zonko's most important role in the Harry Potter series is providing inspiration to Fred and George Weasley for their own joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
They walked down the main street past Zonko's Joke Shop, where they were unsurprised to see Fred, George, and Lee Jordon... (The Order of the Phoenix, 335)
Fred and George began making joke products as a mail order service.  After Harry gave them his Tri-Wizard earnings though, they had much more resources to develop their products and began testing them out at Hogwarts.  Notably, they create the Ton-Tongue Toffee and skiving snackboxes, full of sweets that made a student ill enough to skip class.

When they opened their shop in Diagon Alley, it was wildly successful, despite the dark times:
Set against the dull, poster-muffled shop fronts around them, Fred and George's windows hit the eye like a firework display.  Casual passersby were looking back over their shoulders at the windows, and a few rather stunned-looking people had actually come to a halt, transfixed.  The left-hand window was dazzlingly full of an assortment of goods that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced, and shrieked; Harry's eyes began to water just looking at it. (The Half-Blood Prince, 116)

Zonko's was never forgotten though.  When it closed down, Fred explained that he and George "were thinking of buying Zonko's" to expand their business to Hogsmeade (The Half-Blood Prince, 399).

8 comments:

  1. I love the description of Fred and George's shop! Makes me want to go back and read the books/watch the movies again. :)

    Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
    Minion, Capt. Alex's Ninja Minion Army
    The 2014 Blogging from A-Z Challenge

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    1. I loved the light-hearted fun that Fred and George brought to the books!

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  2. Zonko's surely inspired the twins to pursue their dreams. Thanks again for the fun series!

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  3. Congratulations! WE DID IT :) Thanks for stopping by at mine during the challenge xx

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  4. Zonko's is/was just too cool! Congrats on completing!!

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    1. I think I should reward myself for completing the challenge by going to Orlando and visiting Zonko's and everything else! ;)

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