Piertotum Locomotor

"And now — Piertotum Locomotor! Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries, protect us, do your duty to our school!"

- Minerva McGonagall casts this spell on the school's suits of armour, in preparation for the Battle of Hogwarts.

Piertotum Locomotor is a spell used to animate previously inanimate suits of armour to do the caster's bidding.

Known uses
"I've always wanted to use that spell."

- Minerva McGonagall


 * Professor Minerva McGonagall used this spell to animate the suits of armour and statues within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and ordered them to defend the castle against the oncoming Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998.

Possible uses

 * It may have been used by Albus Dumbledore to enchant the Fountain of Magical Brethren in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic in 1996 during his duel against Lord Voldemort.
 * It may have been used nonverbally by Filius Flitwick to animate a suit of armour during his attempt to expel Severus Snape from Hogwarts. After Snape used the suit to shield himself from Professor McGonagall's daggers, Professor Flitwick tried to capture him within the grip of the animated suit of armour.

Etymology
Pier could come from the French word pierre "rock", totum refers to "the whole" or "total", and locomotor means "the movement of". Another possible etymology for Piertotum is a combination of the Latin words piē "dutifully" and tōtum "all, the whole thing".

Behind the scenes

 * Professor Quirrell possibly used this spell in the PS1 Version of Philosopher's Stone to make four suits of armour attack Harry Potter. He didn't use wand or incantation, he only used his hands to create green fireballs to shoot at the suits.
 * In the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Peter Pettigrew animates a statue in the Little Hangleton graveyard to restrain Harry Potter. However, in the novel, he conjures ropes to bind him to a tombstone.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)

Notes and references
Piertotum locomotor