Which would be a great way of wrecking something like a train...cast it on the drive wheels and let inertia do the rest, especially if going downhill at the time.

 

I don't think that would work because the curse was specifically called the Leg Locker Curse (I just checked). So the target would have to be something with legs.

Though the train's wheels could be thought of as 'legs'...

 

It may only be the leg-locker curse when used on legs though. Use the same spell on wheels and it becomes the wheel-locking curse.

Or maybe it's just for legs, and a different suffix/customisation would be needed for wheels.

 

The incantation suggests it just stops the ability to produce motion, thus it targets the legs on a human but would target the wheels on a train.

 

But the meaning of the spell goes way beyond legs. Now since it is classified as a 'curse' could that also imply that it is somewhat 'Dark' in nature?

The full body bind is just a jinx, isn't it? Wouldn't Petrificus (substitute something Latin for ) legs do the same thing?

 

*amused*
Was JKR really this creative? I might end up having to take back what I said about lack of creativity in the spells...

I think so. Once again the same principle applies. The jinx can be varied based on the intent. Instead of performing the entire spell the caster could just use Petrificus and focus on what part of the body he wishes to petrify...

Edit: Damn Taure, you could write a thesis based on this: Spell Structure and Creation in Harry Potter

 

If this is working out the way I think it is and she did it intentionally, then she really is brilliant. But, why do I have a feeling it was something she accidentally stumbled her way into...

 

I find this thread ironic: I've suggested the idea before, to a much colder reception:

http://forums.darklordpotter.net/showthread.php?t=7562

Also see here for my latest, most developed, writings on the subject.

 

Probably, but if there was a curse already designed to do that, why invent a new one?

 

We have seen two different spells that can have the same effect as each other if used in a certain way. For example, the "Wingardium Leviosa" Levitation charm and the "Mobili-suffix" levitation charm.

There are slight differences, in that Wingardium Leviosa appears to be more "floaty", allowing less movement and more levitation, whereas Mobili-suffix appears to be the opposite: allows more movement of the object but less levitation.

However, they could be used to the same effect.

I just thought of another interesting thing about spells: sometimes they can be shortened as well as lengthened. For example, Finite does the same thing as Finite Incantatum. Though I suppose this could be explained as the mind subconsciously supplying a non-verbal "Incantatum" after the word "Finite".

 

The nature of the effect. The Locomotor spell locks the legs preventing motion. But the Petrificus spell would 'cause to become stiff or stonelike; deaden' (from online dictionary).

So the legs would become frozen in the position they previously were in. I can think up some funny uses for this that cannot happen with the Locomotor spell (the canon interpretation is against this I think, not too sure).

 

Finite would be the 'base' spell..."turn off" or "stop". The incantatum would be specializing it somewhat. Going by what you've come up with so far, Finite car would turn off the ignition.

I've always thought of the 'mobli' spells more like putting the item/person on a wheeled platform to move it around and the 'levi' spells as being true levitation.

 

Yeah, I think that in canon the spell works by locking the legs together, like a Petrificus Totalus that only works on the legs.

As I say, there are differences, but in some cases you could achieve the same effect with either charm.

 

Especially when one is at the top of a cliff...

But there is also overlap with the locomotor spells, too. Now could the mobili spells be intended for horizontal or near horizontal movement and the levi for vertical?

Combining the three could explain how Voldemort 'flew' without an obvious means of flying or how a broom flies (or anything for that matter).

 

Now there's an idea...that would demystify the whole dark lord persona so thoroughly poor Voldemort would never live it down...

 

Hmm if Voldemort is flying through the use of levi/mobili spells, it would require a wand to direct his flight. From the books we know that mobilicorpus is cast and then directed by a wand. The same is seen with the wingardium leviosa spell. With a banishment spell, one simply casts the spell with the target in mind. Voldemort is able to fly and attack at the same time which suggests that it's not as simple as it seems.

 

Sorry to necro, everyone.

It seems that some of the qualifiers for spells, such as the Locomotor Trunk that Moody used, have the target in English with the actual spell in Latin. So possibly that applies to Conjuration as well, where Inanimatis Conjuris Shield might work instead of Inanimatis Conjuris Scutum (or Clipeus) wouldn't be necessary unless you actually wanted one like the Roman Legionnaires used.

This also has the bonus of making Tonks' "Pack! spell a little more sensible - The actual spell (Locomotor? or Mobili? uncertain) was silent, and the 'Pack' was some kind of qualifier. Though that example isn't quite perfect, it makes more sense than anything I've heard in relation to Tonks' spell other than "JKR was too damn lazy to look it up" (Though I believe it to be Colligo). How does this sound, Taure?

Also, for the Voldemort flying thing, I think it might have been something similar to the spell that conjured the golden anti-gravity mist in the Third Task. Cast something like that on your person, perhaps gravity-nullifying instead of anti-gravity, and you'd be flying in the same direction from inertia until you changed it (not taking into account wind) with another Mobili or Locomotor charm, so you'd be somewhat free to cast at enemies. Not a perfect solution, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

I've been trying to write more canonical stories lately, so I just love threads like this. Nice work, Taure!

Kevin

 

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