Levicorpus

[justcarol67]

Dondee wrote:
> 
> Levicorpus is a **non-verbal** spell that Harry learns in reading
the HBP's potions textbook. This was the spell that he first
accidentally used on Ron hoisting him out of bed by his ankle and then
later deliberately used on Ron when he was under the influence of
Ramilda's drugged chocolates. 
> 
> Harry realises later that this was the spell he saw his father use
on Snape in SWM (in OotP) and that it was the spell the DEs used on
the muggles at the QWC (in GoF).
> 
> None of the DA6 (in canon) know the spell when they face the DEs at
 the end of OotP. Hogwarts doesn't start teaching students nonverbals
 until sixth year. And remember Harry had a hard time, at first, 
learning nonverbals in Charms and Transfiguration.
> 
> In movie!OotP levicorpus is used as a verbal spell that floats
people on their tummys and doesn't hang them unsidedown by the ankle.
The movie people have just been taking liberties again with
time-specific canon information. What a surprise ;)

Carol responds:
I agree with your response in general, but don't think that the DEs in
general were using Levicorpus as the Muggles wern't suspended upside
down by their ankles. It was more like wingardium Leviosa, as
sustained hove charm. One of them spins a child around with an unknown
spell and another flips Mrs. Roberts upside down, exposing her drawers
(underwear, GoF Am. ed. 120). I think that's the only instance of
Levicorpus as used by the DEs. But the, JKR isn't always consistent in
her depiction of spells and she may have misremembered when she has
Hermione state in HBP that they saw the spell at the QWC.

I agree that the movie people took liberties that they shouldn't have
taken, both in using that spell prematurely and in their depiction of
it (making it like Wingardium Leviosa rather than suspending people by
the ankle), and I hope it doesn't cause consistency problems for the
HBP film. (It's clear that they read that book before writing the
screenplay for OoP, so you'd think they'd know to keep the HBP's secrets.)

Carol, hoping that having Steve Kloves back as screenwriter for HBP
will prevent continuity problems of that sort