Water Balloons

• Type: Magical Prank Item, Enchanted Projectile
• Owners: Primarily used by Peeves; also associated with pranksters like Fred Weasley and George Weasley.
• Maker: Unknown; commonly enchanted by users.

Water balloons, also referred to as water bombs, are thin, inflatable sacs, typically made of rubber, filled with water. In their mundane form, they are common Muggle toys. Within the Wizarding World, particularly at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they are most often seen as magically manipulated projectiles used for pranks. The poltergeist Peeves appears to be able to conjure them at will, maintaining an endless supply to torment students and staff.

The primary magical property associated with water balloons is their method of deployment. While a witch or wizard could enchant them with various spells, their main function in the series is as a magically targeted nuisance.

• Conjuration/Manipulation: Peeves, being a non-corporeal spirit of chaos, does not carry physical objects. He is able to summon or otherwise magically manifest water balloons to drop on people from a height. This ability is part of his nature as a poltergeist.
• Enchantment: Students can use simple spells to achieve similar effects. A basic Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) could be used to float a water balloon into position before releasing it. The Weasley twins demonstrated a similar, more advanced form of this magic by bewitching snowballs to continuously hit the back of Professor Quirrell's turban.

Their primary use is to be dropped on unsuspecting individuals, causing surprise, annoyance, and soaking them with water.

Water balloons are a recurring minor feature of life at Hogwarts, almost exclusively wielded by Peeves as one of his favourite tools of mischief.

• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, during the period of rebellion against High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge, Peeves takes particular delight in causing mayhem. He is seen gleefully pelting students with water balloons in the corridors, contributing to the chaotic atmosphere encouraged by Fred Weasley and George Weasley.
• In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger are hit by water bombs dropped by Peeves as they make their way through the castle. This occurs shortly after Harry's duel with Draco Malfoy in the bathroom, as Harry is on his way to Albus Dumbledore's office.

• While Peeves and his various pranks are a staple of the Hogwarts environment in the novels, the character and his antics, including the use of water balloons, were completely cut from the film adaptations.