Charms! Flipendo

The Knockback Jinx^[1] (Flipendo)^[1] was a jinx that knocked the target backwards. While prominently used for duelling, it can also be used to push heavy objects.^[2] It is covered in Quentin Trimble's The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, a Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook.^[1]

During the 1984–1985 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Filius Flitwick taught his first-years how to cast this jinx in Charms class.^[4]

During the 1991–1992 school year, this jinx was instead taught to first years in the Defence Against the Dark Arts class by Professor Quirinus Quirrell, who were taught how to cast the spell both defensively and practically.^[5]

A spellbook detailing how to cast this spell could be found in Ollivanders.^[5]

This spell was heavily used by volunteer members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force to help knock back beasts that were guarding various Confoundables, such as Gnomes, Pixies and Trolls, to overpower the strange artefacts and return them to their rightful place.^[3]

^{The Knockback Jinx, depending on the point of impact, might feel like a blow to the chest, knocking back a victim or object,[1] or it might feel like being knocked over the head with a frying pan, leaving the victim a bit disoriented. A "loud bang." is also emitted when cast.[6] The jinx can also break fragile objects.[5][2]}

^{The spell is derived from the English words "flip" and "end," simply meaning "to flip someone onto their end".}

Hand movement