Animation Charm

Animation Charm
Incantation	Piertotum Locomotor (peer-TOH-tuhm loh-kuh-MOH-tor)
Type	Charm
Hand movement	Hold wand aloft or wave (when animating multiple things)
Light	None
Effect	Animated target

"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

The Animation Charm (Piertotum Locomotor) was a charm used to bring life to those artefacts that had, previously, been inanimate and unmoving. The target's movements could be controlled by the caster of the charm. It was one of the favourite spells of Professor Minerva McGonagall, along with Endless Sandwiches and the Bird-Conjuring Charm.

The use of this spell on a skeleton was one of the two ways to create a charmed skeleton, with the only other way being through necromancy. Only a charmed skeleton created through necromancy would be considered Dark magic, despite the result being near-identical.

History

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.

The charm was mentioned on the 1990–1991 school year N.E.W.Ts.

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. The suits of armour and statues were used to aid the defenders of Hogwarts against Lord Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and the various Dark creatures that had sided with him.

Known practitioners

Ismelda Murk

Albus Dumbledore

Filius Flitwick

Minerva McGonagall

Etymology

This incantation may derive from:

• French "pierre", meaning "stone"
• Latin "pie", meaning "dutifully" or "affectionately"
• Latin "totum", which means "everything", "the whole" or "they all"
• Latin "loco", meaning "position" or "place"
• Latin "moto", meaning "moves" or "moving"

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

• In the books before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, there are instances where some magical effects resemble that of Piertotum Locomotor, however they haven't been confirmed to be this exact spell. The introduction of this spell on HarryPotter.com also only lists Deathly Hallows and the film Deathly Hallows: Part 2 as the spell's appearances, suggesting the aforementioned effects are possibly not generated by this spell. These include:
  • The enchantment cast by Minerva McGonagall on the Chessboard Chamber in the Underground Chambers prior to the events of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
  • The enchantment cast by Molly Weasley on the knives that cut up potatoes while preparing dinner in The Burrow garden in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
  • The spell cast by Albus Dumbledore to animate the statue of the Fountain of Magical Brethren to protect Harry Potter, immobilise Bellatrix Lestrange and block a Killing Curse cast by Voldemort during the duel in the Ministry Atrium in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the spell only animates the giant suits of armour statues in the Entrance Hall, while in the book, all the suits of armour and statues in Hogwarts were animated, including statues depicting animals.

Piertotum Locomotor as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

• In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, when Professor McGonagall performs this spell and gives her orders, her voice makes an echo throughout the night, most likely for dramatic effect.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Peter Pettigrew uses possibly this spell to animate the Angel of Death statue to trap Harry Potter instead of tying him up with ropes against Tom Riddle's Gravestone.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, Professor McGonagall does not bring the statues and suits of armour to life onscreen.
• In Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, the player can use this charm if they draw the spell card from a pack, but otherwise they do not use it in the story. The effects of this spell in gameplay are having two suits of armour conjured out of nowhere, as opposed to only animating suits of armour nearby.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (PS1 only) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance) (First identified as Piertotum Locomotor)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• HarryPotter.com (Mentioned only) (First identified as Animation Charm)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy

See also

• Bly's animation spell