Untold Secrets: The Real Motives Behind Dumbledore's Choice of Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter

Highlights

Gilderoy Lockhart's false sense of self-importance stems from his pampered childhood and belief in his exceptional talent, which turns out to be untrue.

Lockhart skyrocketed to fame and won the hearts of many by concocting and embellishing tales of his alleged escapades, skillfully wiping others' memories to steal their accomplishments.

Dumbledore, seeing through Lockhart's charade, cunningly appointed him as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor with the intention of unmasking his deceitfulness and unleashing mayhem. However, Lockhart's incompetence and self-centeredness grew more and more evident.

J. K. Rowling once mentioned that she discovered the name 'Lockhart' on a war memorial and found it to be both impressive and shallow, which perfectly suits the character she named in Harry Potter. Gilderoy Lockhart's exaggerated self-importance can be traced back to his childhood. Being the only child in his family with magical abilities, he was favored by his witch mother and received special treatment throughout his formative years. When he arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Lockhart believed that his exceptional talent or his "naturally wavy hair" would impress everyone, but neither turned out to be true.

However, it is not fair to say that Lockhart was completely useless. As a Ravenclaw, he seemed to possess above-average intelligence and magical abilities. However, he failed to develop his potential because he was more focused on appearing impressive rather than actually accomplishing anything. He would boast in front of his fellow students about his far-fetched ambitions, such as creating the Sorcerer's Stone before graduating, becoming the captain of England's Quidditch team, and becoming Britain's youngest Minister for Magic. Lockhart's evident narcissism and ignorance throughout the Harry Potter series raise the question: why did Dumbledore even choose him to teach at Hogwarts?

How Did Gilderoy Lockhart Become Famous?

After graduating, Lockhart embarked on a worldwide journey and penned a series of books detailing his supposed daring escapades, including encounters with sinister wizards and creatures in far-flung locations. In these tales, Lockhart portrayed himself as the quintessential charming hero he always aspired to be, boasting about his triumphs over these dark forces. He went on to release an autobiography entitled "Magical Me," where he emphasized his lifelong dedication to eradicating the forces of darkness.

As his escapades gained widespread attention, Lockhart quickly rose to fame in the wizarding community. He became known as a skilled duelist against dark wizards, a fearless dragon tamer, and a triumphant conqueror of trolls. His accomplishments even earned him the prestigious Order of Merlin, Third Class, and an invitation to become an honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League. His former professors, too, began to reconsider their initial judgments about him.

Why Did Dumbledore Hire Professor Lockhart?

The reality, however, revealed that Lockhart's tales were entirely fabricated, exaggerated, and sensationalized. Restricted to just the mastery of the Memory Charm (Obliviate), he would employ it on courageous and accomplished wizards and witches subsequent to extracting information from them regarding their impressive achievements. By erasing their memories, he could recount their exploits under his own name, evading any repercussions.

Despite Lockhart's successful concealment of his fraudulent actions, Dumbledore was able to uncover the true motive behind his achievements. Being acquainted with two wizards whom Lockhart had stolen credit from, the wise headmaster of Hogwarts planned to expose his deceit by appointing him as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. This prestigious position in a normal school environment would inevitably lead to chaotic and amusing situations. Initially hesitant to accept the role, Lockhart was persuaded by Dumbledore's suggestion that Harry would be joining his second year at Hogwarts, a prospect that could enhance the professor's fame.

The other teachers at Hogwarts, unaware of Lockhart's exploitation of others' experiences, still felt uneasy about Dumbledore's decision. They remembered him as a bothersome student, despite Lockhart's tales of bravery and courage. Professor McGonagall directly questioned Dumbledore about Lockhart's abilities, only to receive the following response: "Even a bad teacher can teach us what not to do and how not to be."

Lockhart's lack of magical prowess became increasingly apparent in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." His first class with the second-year students was a complete disaster, as he released a cage of "freshly caught" Cornish pixies and failed to control them. He resorted to dramatic readings and re-enactments of his own books, which he had assigned for the course. In another embarrassing moment, Lockhart made all the bones in Harry's broken arm vanish instead of healing them after a Quidditch match. Even during the Dueling Club, he was unable to block Snape's Disarming Charm and failed to make a snake disappear. Ron summarized it perfectly: "I haven't learned anything from him except to never release pixies."

Lockhart, in an unsolicited manner, proceeded to offer advice to the remaining members of the staff, confidently asserting that he possessed knowledge of the exact location of the Chamber of Secrets and the true identity of Slytherin's monstrous creation. Upon Hagrid's arrest for the attacks, Lockhart shamelessly declared that he had suspected his guilt all along. Subsequently, when Ginny was taken to the Chamber, the other teachers attempted to rid themselves of Lockhart by encouraging him to rescue her, using his own previous statement that he should have been granted unrestricted authority as justification. In response, Lockhart made a feeble attempt to flee from Hogwarts, only to be intercepted and apprehended by Harry and Ron who finally came to the realization that he had been a fraud all along. Compelled by the two, Lockhart was coerced into accompanying them to the Chamber of Secrets, where he audaciously seized Ron's broken wand and endeavored to cast the Memory Charm on them. His intention was to deceive everyone by claiming that Harry and Ron had succumbed to madness upon witnessing Ginny's "mangled body," which he claimed to have been too late to save. However, the wand backfired, causing Lockhart to inadvertently be struck by his own spell and effectively wiping away all his memories. Later on, Dumbledore derisively remarked to him, "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

What Happened to Lockhart After the Chamber of Secrets?

Instead of exposing Lockhart's secret, Dumbledore decided against it when the charlatan lost his memory. He believed that Lockhart had already paid the price for his deceitful actions and didn't want to incite hatred towards someone who couldn't even recall their crimes. As a result, Lockhart remained blissfully ignorant of his past and took up residence in the Janus Thickey Ward at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. This specific ward catered to patients suffering from permanent spell damage. During their fifth year, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stumbled upon Lockhart during a visit to the hospital. They discovered that he rarely had any visitors, potentially indicating that he had no remaining family. However, Lockhart still received sporadic fan mail, a testament to his previous fame.

After expressing his surprise about once being a professor, Lockhart quickly commented that he must have been the one who "taught you everything you know." He then proceeded to offer the group autographs. In his latest book, titled "Who Am I?", he depicted himself restrained in a white straitjacket, implying his descent into madness.