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"At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognised at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower."
— Description of the curse[src]

The Leg-Locker Curse[1] (Locomotor Mortis),[1] also known as the Leg Locking Spell[6] was a curse[1] that bound the legs of the victim together.[1]

History[]

"Today we will learning Locomotor Mortis, also known as the Leg-Locker Curse. Failure to pay attention will leave you in a different sort of bind come exam time."
— Professor Flitwick to his fifth-years[src]

It was most often used by experienced witches and wizards in duels, or in friendly wizard races.[6] This curse was one of the dark charms found in the Dark Arts spellbook Curses and Counter-Curses by Vindictus Viridian.[7] There existed a counter-curse of unknown incantation; Hermione Granger used it to reverse the usage of the curse Draco Malfoy used on Neville Longbottom.[1]

During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this spell was taught to fifth-year students in Charms class by Professor Filius Flitwick, in preparation for their upcoming Ordinary Wizarding Levels.[8]

Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley learned this spell in their first year, to use on Severus Snape if he tried to harm Harry Potter at an upcoming Quidditch match. They did not need to use it, however, as Professor Dumbledore was watching, they found it unlikely Snape would try to hurt Harry.[1]

Known uses[]

Hermione Granger: "Now, don’t forget, it’s Locomotor Mortis."
Ron Weasley: "I know. Don't nag."
— Hermione and Ron preparing to use the spell on Severus Snape if needed[src]

Successful[]

Caster(s) Victim(s) Date Notes
Draco Malfoy Neville Longbottom Early 1992 Used it to bully him.[1]

Unsuccessful[]

Caster(s) Victim(s) Date Notes
Harry Potter Draco Malfoy Early May, 1997 Used it nonverbally, but unsuccessful, because he missed and the spell backfired of the wall behind Malfoy's ear and smashed the cistern, during their duel in the boys' bathroom.[9]
Harry Leg-Locker Curse

Known practitioners[]

Etymology[]

This spell's incantation is derived from the English word locomotor, meaning "of or relating to locomotion"[10] and the Latin word mortis, meaning "death".[11] Overall, the incantation roughly means "killing locomotion" or in other words, stopping someone from moving normally.

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

Charms (class)
PS Wingardium Leviosa feather
Charm-book writers and developers
Blagdon Blay · Daisy Pennifold · Delfina Crimp · Miranda Goshawk · Jarleth Hobart · Basil Horton · Helixa Hyslop · Syna Hyslop · Randolph Keitch · Levina Monkstanley · Orabella Nuttley · Mnemone Radford · Scarpin · Elliot Smethwyck · Felix Summerbee · Violeta Stitch
Professors Fortinbras · Filius Flitwick · Abraham Ronen · Unidentified male professor · Unidentified medieval professor
Textbooks Achievements in Charming · Extreme Incantations · Quintessence: A Quest · The Standard Book of Spells
Charms studied at Hogwarts
Anti-Alohomora Charm · Ascension Charm (Ascendio) · Banishing Charm (Depulso) · Blackboard Writing Spell · Blue sparks · Bombardment Spell (Bombarda) · Box Blasting Charm (Cistem Aperio) · Bubble-Head Charm · Cheering Charm · Cleaning Charm · Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Confundus Charm (Confundo) · Counter-charm for hiccoughs · Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Descendo · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Disillusionment Charm · Drought Charm · Entrancing Enchantments (theoretically) · Eradication Spell (Deletrius) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Extinguishing Spell · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Gouging Spell (Defodio) · Growth Charm · Ice Jinx · Impervius Charm (Impervius) · Knitting Charm · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Leg-Locker Curse (Locomotor Mortis) · Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locking Spell (Colloportus) · Locomotion Charm (Locomotor) · Lumos Solem Spell (Lumos Solem) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Muffliato Charm (Muffliato) · Nonverbal spells · Pack Charm (Pack) · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Scouring Charm (Scourgify) · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Severing Charm (Diffindo) · Shrinking Charm (Reducio) · Silencing Charm (Silencio) · Slowing Charm (Arresto Momentum) · Skurge Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Spell for growing legs · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Vinegar to wine spell · Wand-Extinguishing Charm (Nox) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) · Lumos Maxima · Water-Making Spell (Aguamenti)
Curses and Counter-Curses
Curses-and-counter-curses
Spells included in the book: Full Body-Bind Curse · Leg-Locker Curse · Jelly-Legs Curse · Pimple Jinx · Stickfast Hex · Tickling Hex · Tongue-Tying Curse · Hair Loss Curse

See also[]

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