Levitation Charm

The Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) is a charm used to make objects levitate that is taught to first years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

History
The Levitation Charm was first developed in the sixteenth century, and Jarleth Hobart is credited with its creation. On 16 July, 1544, Hobart invited a large crowd of wizards, among which was the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, to witness his "maiden flight" — a public demonstration of his own revolutionary charm on himself. He climbed onto the roof of his local church and, after several speeches and a rousing performance of the national anthem he leapt and, having cast the spell, was left hovering in mid-air. At first, he seemed to have succeeded but, after having spent nearly three minutes watching him hanging in mid-air, the crowd grew impatient to see him move somewhere, and either booed him or threw rotten food at him.

Effects
The Levitation Charm appears to be an improvement on both the Levioso and Locomotor spells, being able to lift objects high in to the air (possibly much higher than Levioso) but also allowing one to magically move them through it as well. It also conveniently defies gravity by lifting objects heavier than a normal person would otherwise be able to carry, as seen when Ron used this on a troll's club, something a First Year Hogwarts student would otherwise never be able to do without Magic.

Etymology
Wingardium is a composite word, based on: English to wing meaning "to fly" (e.g. the plane winged skywards ); arduus (meaning "high, tall, lofty, steep, proudly elevated" ) or arduum (meaning "steep place, the steep" ); and the common Latin ending -ium. Leviosa probably derives from Latin levo, meaning to "raise, lift up", or levis, meaning light (of weight). Altogether, therefore, the incantation could best be read as "lift up high".

Known uses and practitioners
Hermione Granger used it twice; first in 1991, she was the first student in her charms class to master the spell in the first lesson; whilst doing so she attempted to teach Ron Weasley how to correctly cast the spell, much to his annoyance. Then she cast it again six years later to move Ron from wreckage in a house they were visiting after a dangerous artifact exploded. Lee Jordan used this spell twice in 1996 to levitate nifflers into his professor's office to annoy her; however, eventually another of his teachers got blamed for it. Severus Snape may have used this spell in October 1996 so that he could examine a cursed necklace without touching it, though that might have been a Hover Charm. Ronald Weasley used this spell twice; once in 1991 to defeat a troll which Professor Quirrell had let into the school and again seven years later to levitate a twig in order to press the knot on the tree that was trying to beat him up which would freeze the aforementioned tree. . Lastly, Xenophilius Lovegoodsed this spell in 1998 to attempt to clear wreckage on his staircase in order to apprehend Harry Potter during the confrontation at his house.
 * The first use of the spell was that of Hobart using it in 1544 on himself as he leapt from the roof of a local church, remaining suspended in mid-air for a brief period of time before the crowd of wizards gathered to watch his new spell.
 * Harry Potter used this spell in 1992 to levitate two cakes containing a Sleeping Draught. He later used it during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries to attempt to remove some brains from his friend Ron, who they had attacked. Harry used the spell a third time during the Battle of the Seven Potters to levitate the side-car he was sitting in after it was separated from the motorbike it was connected to.

Other practitioners

 * Bellatrix Lestrange
 * Colin Creevey
 * Dean Thomas
 * Filius Flitwick
 * Fred Weasley
 * George Weasley
 * Katie Bell
 * Luna Lovegood
 * Quirinus Quirrell
 * Sirius Black

Behind the scenes

 * Whilst it was originally assumed that this spell and the Hover Charm were the same, they are not; the Hover Charm makes the target hover, whereas this one is always described as making it fly.
 * The fictional character Babbitty may have used this spell to levitate a horse.
 * In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the trio does not use this spell to stop the Whomping Willow from moving, however they know the spell. It is only in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that they use the spell to stop the tree.
 * As a homage to the scene in the movie, the PC version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) had feathers flying out of the wand when the spell was used.
 * A potential variation of this spell is Alarte Ascendare, used by Gilderoy Lockhart to unintentionally send a snake flying into the air.
 * This may have been the spell that Bill and Charlie Weasley used to levitate the tables and have a fight with them.
 * The first question of the 1995 Theory of Charms exam required students to give the incantation and wand movement for a Levitation Charm.
 * In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Reparo is not present, Wingardium Leviosa is used instead as repairing charm. It levitates broken LEGO pieces to form a new or previous object.
 * Although this spell canonically produces no visible effects (apart from its actual spell effect of levitation) - a possible sign of its simplicity - it sometimes does in other HP media. For example, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the spell connects objects and wand via a yellow stream of light continually released from the wand tip whereas in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (GBA version) a blue orb of magical energy is shot at the target. In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 a pink glow appears around the object and levitates it.
 * In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 the Hover charm is also a double up of the Cruciatus Curse for Death Eaters. It works the same way as the Levitation Charm by lifting it's victim off the ground, but instead it causes them to writhe and scream.
 * This spell is Warwick Davis's favourite line.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) 
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
 * Harry Potter: Spells
 * Harry Potter Trading Card Game
 * Wonderbook: Book of Spells
 * Pottermore

Notes and references
Levitation Encantamiento levitatorio Sortilège de Lévitation Siipiirdium lentiusa