Levicorpus

"That one [Levicorpus] had a great vogue at my time at Hogwarts. There were a couple of months where you couldn't move without being hoisted into the air by your ankle."

- Remus Lupin to Harry

Levicorpus is a jinx invented by Severus Snape under the guise of the Half-Blood Prince. It causes a victim to be hoisted into the air and dangle upsidedown. It is better performed nonverbally. The countercurse is Liberacorpus.

Behind the scenes

 * In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game), Levicorpus is a verbal spell that Harry teaches to Dumbledore's Army. Luna Lovegood is seen using it on a Death Eater in the movie, however, the spell is not introduced in the books until Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince as a nonverbal spell.


 * Also, in the film the spell seems to levitate people rather then hanging them by the ankle. In the video game the spell remains like it is in the books.

Etymology
Levare, Latin meaning "to raise," and corpus, meaning body.

Appearances

 * During the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, Harry attempted to use this spell against Severus Snape as he fled from Hogwarts.


 * In 1997, Hermione Granger used this against Harry Potter so that Harry could reach Helga Hufflepuff's Cup at Gringotts, in the Lestrange's vault.


 * James Potter hung Severus Snape in the air, to embarass him in front of his classmates.


 * Tom Riddle suspended Professor Charity Burbage upsidedown in the air, perhaps using this spell to do so.