Knockback Jinx

Warning!

At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Spoilers will be present within the article.

"Knocks objects and creatures backwards."

—Description^[src]

The Knockback Jinx^[1] (Flipendo)^[1] is a jinx that knocks back the target back. While prominently used for duelling, it can also be used to push heavy objects.^[2] It is covered in both Quentin Trimble's The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection^[1] and Miranda Goshawk's The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2.^[2]

History

During the 1984–1985 school year, it was covered by Filius Flitwick in Charms class for first years.^[3]

During the 1991–1992 school year, this jinx was instead taught to first years in the Defence Against the Dark Arts class by Professor Quirinus Quirrell. Students later used it to defeat the various imps, fire crabs, and pixies residing in Hogwarts Castle, as well as helping to protect themselves against the various dangerous and dark creatures that inhabit the Forbidden Forest.^[4]

Effect

The Knockback Jinx feels like a blow to the chest, knocking back a victim or object,^[1] along with "a loud bang."^[5] The jinx also can also break fragile objects.

Known uses

"There was a loud bang and he felt himself flying backwards as if punched; as he slammed into the kitchen wall and slid to the floor, he glimpsed the tail of Lupin's cloak disappearing round the door."

—Remus Lupin uses this spell on Harry Potter^[src]

Caster(s)	Date	Notes
Dobby	30 May, 1993	After Lucius Malfoy realised that Harry Potter freed Lucius' House-elf, Dobby, with a sock, Dobby used magic that sent Lucius flying backwards as the latter was about to curse Harry. As this was accomplished by House-elf magic, without a wand,^[6] it may not have been exactly the same as a traditional Knockback Jinx, but the effect was certainly comparable.
Alastor Moody	18 June, 1996	During the Battle of the Departments of Mysteries, Alastor Moody used this jinx to knock a Death Eater off the ground and hit a large rock before disappearing behind it.
Severus Snape	June 1997	Used this jinx on Harry Potter when escaping Hogwarts Castle alongside the Death Eaters.^[7]
Remus Lupin	1 September, 1997	On 1 September, 1997, Harry had this spell used on him once more, this time by Remus Lupin at 12 Grimmauld Place.^[8]
Draco Malfoy	September, 2020	Used in a Duel against Harry Potter in Harry's house.^[9]

Known practitioners

Etymology

The spell is derived from the English words "flip" and "end," simply meaning "to flip someone onto their end".

Behind the scenes

This jinx can be bought at Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment in Diagon Alley.^[12]
Every time Harry had this jinx used on him, it was because he had called the caster a coward.^[8]^[7]
A spellbook detailing how to cast this spell could be found in Ollivanders.^[4]
In the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) Harry can cast this spell on Flipendo Buttons to activate certain mechanisms such as lifting a portcullis or moving flying platforms.^[4]
In the film adaptations, Stupefy can have the same effects of Flipendo, knocking an opponent over or sending them flying through the air, though it can also simply render the target unconscious or sedated without exerting force on them. The spell also shares similarities with the Disarming Charm, Stunning Spell, Banishing Charm, with that in the films, it is used to knock down or send a target flying, sometimes to the extent of rendering a target unconscious.
In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, the Knockback Jinx is covered in Charms class. This seems unusual, as defensive spells have not been shown as being part of the Charms curiculum, but Defence against the Dark Arts instead. Though jinxes, hexes and curses can be grouped together in a category called Dark charms.

Appearances

Notes and references

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 Pottermore
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (PS2 version)
↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 1
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 ^4.5 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
↑ This is evident, because Dobby can cast wizard's spells, such as the Hover Charm, the light was blue, and Malfoy appeared to be simply knocked backwards.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28 (Flight of the Prince)
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 11 (The Bribe)
↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act Two, Scene Thirteen
↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
↑ ^11.0 ^11.1 ^11.2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
↑ LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Charms (class)

Charmbook writers and developers
Delfina Crimp · Miranda Goshawk · Jarleth Hobart · Basil Horton · Randolph Keitch · Levina Monkstanley · Orabella Nuttley · Mnemone Radford · Scarpin · Elliot Smethwyck · Felix Summerbee · Fred Weasley · George Weasley
Professors	Fortinbras · Filius Flitwick
Textbooks	The Standard Book of Spells · Achievements in Charming · Quintessence: A Quest
Charms studied at Hogwarts
Banishing Charm (Depulso) · Cheering Charm · Cistem Aperio · Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Exploding Charm (Bombarda) · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Growth Charm · Hardening Charm (Duro) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo)· Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locomotion Charm (Locomotor) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Nonverbal spell · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Seize and Pull Charm (Carpe Retractum) · Severing Charm (Diffindo) · Shrinking Charm (Reducio) · Silencing Charm (Silencio) · Slowing Charm (Arresto Momentum) · Skurge Scouring Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Spell for growing legs · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Vinegar into Wine · Wand-Extinguishing Charm (Nox) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) · Water-Making Spell (Aguamenti)

Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.)

D.A.D.A. at Hogwarts
Classroom 3C · Temporary Classroom · Hogwarts Turris Magnus · Teacher's Office · Storeroom · Staircase · Lesson Cup · Race Cup · Dumbledore's Army
Professors
Arsenius Jigger · Albus Dumbledore · Galatea Merrythought · Patricia Rakepick · Quirinus Quirrell · Gilderoy Lockhart · Remus Lupin · Bartemius Crouch Junior (as Alastor Moody) · Dolores Umbridge · Severus Snape · Amycus Carrow (as Dark Arts teacher)
Textbooks
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection · Break with a Banshee · Gadding with Ghouls · Holidays with Hags · Travels with Trolls · Voyages with Vampires · Wanderings with Werewolves · Year with the Yeti · The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts · Defensive Magical Theory · Dark Arts Defence: Basics for Beginners · Confronting the Faceless · Magical Drafts and Potions
Spells studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Aqua Eructo Charm · Boggart-Banishing Spell · Counter-curses · Counter-jinxes · Curse of the Bogies · Defensive Charms · Disarming Charm · Freezing Spell · Full Body-Bind Curse · Green Sparks · Hex-Breaker· Hex-deflection · Hex Zapper · Homorphus Charm · Impediment Jinx · Knockback Jinx · Knockback Jinx Duo · Melofors Jinx · Nonverbal spells · Orbis Jinx · Patronus Charm · Red Sparks · Reductor Curse · Revulsion Jinx · Seize and Pull Charm · Shield Charm · Smokescreen Spell · Stunning Spell · Tickling Charm · Tongue-Tying Curse · Ventus Jinx · Verdimillious Charm · Verdimillious Duo Spell · Verdimillious Tria · Wand-Lighting Charm · Wand-Lighting Charm Duo · Cruciatus Curse · Imperius Curse · Killing Curse
Creatures studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Acromantula · Banshee · Boggart · Cornish Pixie · Dementor · Erkling · Ghost · Ghoul · Grindylow · Gytrash · Hag · Hinkypunk · Iguana · Imp · Inferius · Kappa · Lethifold · Nocturnal beasts · Red Cap · Troll · Vampire · Vampire bat · Werewolf · Yeti · Zombie

[PM-0] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 Pottermore

[CSVG-1] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (PS2 version)

[2] Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 1

[PSVG2-3] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 ^4.5 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)

[4] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[5] This is evident, because Dobby can cast wizard's spells, such as the Hover Charm, the light was blue, and Malfoy appeared to be simply knocked backwards.

[HBP28-6] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28 (Flight of the Prince)

[DH11-7] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 11 (The Bribe)

[8] Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act Two, Scene Thirteen

[9] Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

[PAVG-10] 11.0 ^11.1 ^11.2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)

[LEGO-11] LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

FANDOM