Serpensotia spell. Was:Underage magic (was: Re: Silent/Wandless Magic?)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 101998

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett" 
<bard7696 at a...> wrote:

Alla:
> > Is there any evidence in canon that any other Slyhterin knows 
this 
> > spell. I always assumed that Snape told Draco this spell right 
> before 
> > the duel. I think that Snape suspected that Harry is a 
Parselmouth 
> > and wanted to test his suspicion.

Darrin:
> Snape just wanted to get his rocks off by making Harry squirm in 
> front of a snake and taught Draco the spell on the spot.
> 
> Either way, I agree that Snape taught him the spell on the spot.

Geoff:
I dug out an intriguing little bit of trivia this morning. I finally 
emerged triumphantly from the archive a few days ago clutching my old 
Latin dictionary and grammar book to my chest.

On this question of spells, browsing round in them showed me that 
many of JKR's spells remind me of the computer's attempt in "Hitch 
Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" to make a cup of tea which was described 
as being something like tea but not quite tea. Her Latin incantations 
are often something like Latin but not quite Latin...

However, when I came to have a look at "Serpensortia!" I was 
fascinated. We already know that the Latin word "Draco" means snake 
or dragon - "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" - "never tickle a 
sleeping dragon". However, when I analysed the above spell command, 
it is basically correct Latin, meaning "cast a snake" - cast as in 
casting a spell. So the Latin word "serpens" is another word for 
snake, but - it is also the Latin name for the constellation Draco.

Probably trivia but the sort that fascinates my tiny mind....