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"And all along the corridor the statues and suits of armour jumped down from their plinths, and from the echoing crashes from the floors above and below, Harry knew that their fellows throughout the castle had done the same... Cheering and yelling, the horde of moving statues stampeded past Harry; some of them smaller, others larger than life. There were animals too, and the clanking suits of armour brandished swords and spiked balls on chains."
— Description[src]

The Animation Charm[3] (Piertotum Locomotor) was a charm used to bring life to those artefacts that had, previously, been inanimate and unmoving.[1] The target's movements could be controlled by the caster of the charm.[4]

Known uses[]

Ismelda Murk used this spell around Hallowe'en in the 1980s or 1990s to accidentally raise an army of skeletons in Godric's Hollow graveyard that then went on to attack Hogsmeade. Later, during the Hallowe'en feast, it was likely the spell that Dumbledore used to enchant four skeletons to dance as entertainment.[5]

Hogwarts suits of armour and statues

The bewitched statues and suits of armour

On 1 May 1998, during the ousting of Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick used this charm to animate a suit of armour that Snape was hiding behind to subdue him. After this, Minerva McGonagall used this charm to animate the Hogwarts suits of armour and statues to fight in the final battle of the Second Wizarding War, the Battle of Hogwarts.[1] The suits of armour were used to aid the defenders of Hogwarts against Lord Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and the various Dark creatures that had sided with him.[4]

Known practitioners[]

Etymology[]

This incantation may derive from:

  • French "pierre", meaning "stone"[6]
  • Latin "pie", meaning "dutifully" or "affectionately"[7]
  • Latin "totum", which means "everything", "the whole" or "they all"[8]
  • Latin "loco", meaning "position" or "place"[9]
  • Latin "moto", meaning "moves" or "moving"[10]

The whole incantation could, therefore, translate to "The whole position dutifully moves" or "All the stones dutifully moves position" or any other combination of the translations. A less rigid translation: 'I move thee forth, all dutiful [soldiers]'.

Behind the scenes[]

"Next second he had reappeared behind Voldemort and waved his wand toward the remnants of the fountain; the other statues sprang to life too."
— Albus Dumbledore animating the statue in the Ministry Atrium[src]
PiertotumLocomotorPAS

Piertotum Locomotor as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

Appearances[]

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The Harry Potter Wiki has 15 images related to Animation Charm.

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 30 (The Sacking of Severus Snape)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  3. 3.0 3.1 The Animation Charm at Wizarding World
  4. 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 31 (The Battle of Hogwarts)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 3, Side Quest "Pumpkin Johnny Rises"
  6. (see this webpage)
  7. (see this webpage)
  8. (see this webpage)
  9. (see this webpage)
  10. (see this webpage)
  11. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 16 (Through the Trapdoor)
  12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 5 (Weasley's Wizard Wheezes)
  13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 36 (The Only One He Ever Feared)

See also[]

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