Dangling Jinx

Levicorpus
Incantation	Levicorpus (leh-vee-COR-pus)
Type	Jinx
Hand movement	Upward flick
Light	Green
Effect	Suspends people by the ankles
Creator	Severus Snape

"Oh, that one had a great vogue during my time at Hogwarts. There were a few months in my fifth year when you couldn't move for being hoisted into the air by your ankle."

— Remus Lupin regarding the popularity of this jinx

Levicorpus is the incantation of a jinx. The spell, which was intended to be cast nonverbally but which can be spoken aloud, causes the victim to be hoisted into the air by their ankle; the counter-jinx for this spell is Liberacorpus.

History

"Pointing his wand at nothing in particular, he gave it an upward flick and said Levicorpus! inside his head... There was a flash of light... Ron was dangling upside down in midair as though an invisible hook had hoisted him up by the ankle."

— Harry uses the spell for the first time on Ronald Weasley

This jinx was invented by Severus Snape and recorded under his pseudonym the "Half-Blood Prince" during his time as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.According to Remus Lupin this spell became quite popular during his school times and students could barely move about without being hoisted up in the air by their ankle, apparently unaware that Snape had invented it.

Known uses

Successful

Caster(s)	Victim(s)	Date	Notes
James Potter	Severus Snape	June, 1976	Used it to bully him after an O.W.L. exam.
Harry Potter	Ron Weasley	12 October, 1996	Used it nonverbally without a clear idea of what the effects would be, after he found the Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potion-Making that contained this spell. Ron dangling in the air
		1 March, 1997	Used it to levitate Ron when he hit him after Harry ridiculed his obsessive feelings for Romilda Vane due eating Harry's chocolate spiked with a Amortentia.
Hermione Granger	Harry Potter	1 May, 1998	Used it to levitate Harry by the ankle in the Lestrange Vault during break-in so that he could reach the Horcrux Cup.
Draco Malfoy		2020	Used it during his duel with Harry.

Unsuccessful

Caster(s)	Victim(s)	Date	Notes
Harry Potter	Draco Malfoy	Early May, 1997	Harry tried and failed to cast this nonverbally on Malfoy in Boys bathroom, but spell was blocked by the Shield Charm.
	Severus Snape	30 June, 1997	Harry tried and failed to cast this on Snape near Hagrid's Hut during Snape's departure from Hogwarts, after he killed Albus Dumbledore.

Possibly uses

Caster(s)	Victim(s)	Date	Notes
Death Eaters	Roberts family	22 August, 1994	Likely used during the attack at the 422nd Quidditch World Cup.

Known practitioners

Severus Snape

BestmainimagejamespotterI.jpg

James Potter

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Draco Malfoy

Lucius Malfoy

Etymology

The incantation can be divided into two separate Latin words; levare means "lift", and corpus is translated to "body". It could also be translated as "Light Body".

Behind the scenes

• The effect of this spell may be a reference to the Hanged Man, a Tarot card that depicts a saint-like figure being hung upside down from his ankle.
• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film), this is a verbal spell taught to Dumbledore's Army; it is used to lift people in this medium, but not by the ankle, as the victim's of the spell are seen being levitated onto the air as long as the user concentrates, as loss of concentration causes the spell to break immediately and the victim to fall to the ground. This was shown when Cho Chang was distractedly looking at Harry while Nigel, who she was levitating, suddenly fell to the floor. However, when Luna Lovegood uses it on a Death Eater in the Ministry of Magic, it sends the Death Eater flying upwards, similarly to Alarte Ascendare, except that the victim does not come back down, suggesting it does suspend him in the air or to the ceiling.
• Also in the film, James Potter levitated Severus off the ground with Impediment Jinx instead of Levicorpus, though Severus still was dangled upside-down.
• It is unclear when Severus Snape invented this jinx, as James Potter knew it in his fifth year, whereas it was noted in Snape's NEWT-level textbook. Furthermore, according to Sirius Black, Snape "knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year."
• In Harry Potter for Kinect Voldemort can use this spell against Dumbledore in the final Duel in the Ministry Atrium as they engage in a normal duel.
• In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, the spell can be unlocked by reaching maximum level friendship with George Weasley.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance) (Appears in flashback(s))
• 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 (First identified as Dangling Jinx)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Indirectly mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (DS/PSP versions)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (DS version)
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery