Gilderoy Lockhart
| Gilderoy Lockhart | |
|---|---|
| Wizarding World character Harry Potter character | |
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Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, O.M.[lower-alpha 1] is a fictional character featured in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World franchise, first appearing in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998). He also appeared in the fifth novel of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003). Lockhart made his debut in the second Harry Potter film (2002), although did not appear in later installments. He was portrayed by Kenneth Branagh.
Within the fictional universe, Professor Lockhart is an outspoken wizard of great accomplishments, who wrote books based on his adventures and encounters with dark forces and unique creatures of the wizarding world. After the death and defeat of Professor Quirinus Quirrell at the end of the 1991-1992 school year, Professor Albus Dumbledore offers Lockhart a position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, unaware of Dumbledore's ploy. Upon his first few weeks of teaching, it becomes quite noticeable by the students of Hogwarts that Lockhart may not be entirely as great as he seems, with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley questioning his past work. At the end of the 1992-1993 school year, Ginny Weasley is supposedly kidnapped by the "monster" hiding in the Chamber of Secrets, with some of the other staff at Hogwarts believing Lockhart's claims of his knowledge of the chamber's whereabouts. With this information, Harry and Ron attempt to obtain the professor's help, only to realize that he is a fraud who stole other wizards' accomplishments and claimed them as his own before wiping their memories with profound memory charms. Once finding and entering the Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart attempts to wipe Harry's memory with Ron's broken wand, only to have the spell rebound onto him, causing Gilderoy to lose his memories in the process, and eventually becomes a permanent resident at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries after the defeat of Tom Riddle and the Basilisk and being rescued by Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes.
Over the years, the character of Lockhart has garnered a large positive reception, and is often regarded as one of the best and more popular characters of the Harry Potter franchise, in both the books and films. Outside the franchise, Gilderoy Lockhart has become a staple in pop culture, becoming a popular subject through online memes, artwork, and merchandise. Lockhart is frequently featured on "top ten" and "top twenty" best Harry Potter character lists.
Character overview
Concept and creation
According to J. K. Rowling, Gilderoy's first name came to the author after reading through Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, which mentions two highwaymen with the name being described as handsome. For his last name, Rowling found the name on a war memorial near a church in Edinburgh, calling it a "hollow kind of name," which she described as fitting for the character.
Storyline
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter films
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Other appearances
Video games
Lockhart appeared in the 2011 video game, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, and its sequel, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (2011).
Other literature
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
In popular culture
Merchandise
Reception
Notes
- ↑ O.M. stands for "Order of Merlin," a classification for witches and wizards in the wizarding world, bestowed upon individuals who had accomplished honorable and great things. Lockhart is ranked Third Class.
References
This article "Gilderoy Lockhart" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Gilderoy Lockhart. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
