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Did the wizarding world ever learn that Gilderoy Lockhart was a fraud?
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Gilderoy Lockhart confessed the reality only in front of Harry and Co. Did the media ever learn the truth? The trio couldn't be credible sources to media, but they could at least tell the truth to Dumbledore (if Dumbledore already didn't know) or others who could spread the word.
Did the wizarding world ever learn that Gilderoy Lockhart was a fraud?
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Gilderoy Lockhart confessed the reality only in front of Harry and Co. Did the media ever learn the truth? The trio couldn't be credible sources to media, but they could at least tell the truth to Dumbledore (if Dumbledore already didn't know) or others who could spread the word.
Did the wizarding world ever learn that Gilderoy Lockhart was a fraud?
harry-potter
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Bellatrix
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up vote
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up vote
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Gilderoy Lockhart confessed the reality only in front of Harry and Co. Did the media ever learn the truth? The trio couldn't be credible sources to media, but they could at least tell the truth to Dumbledore (if Dumbledore already didn't know) or others who could spread the word.
Did the wizarding world ever learn that Gilderoy Lockhart was a fraud?
harry-potter
edited 3 hours ago
Bellatrix
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asked 4 hours ago
user931
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Gilderoy Lockhart confessed the reality only in front of Harry and Co. Did the media ever learn the truth? The trio couldn't be credible sources to media, but they could at least tell the truth to Dumbledore (if Dumbledore already didn't know) or others who could spread the word.
Did the wizarding world ever learn that Gilderoy Lockhart was a fraud?
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Bellatrix
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It doesn’t seem like it was widely known Lockhart was a fraud.
It doesn’t seem like the majority of the wizarding world learned that Lockhart was a fraud. When he’s in St. Mungo’s, Lockhart still receives lots of fan mail. It’d be unlikely if he’d been exposed as a fraud that so many people would be sending him large amounts of fan mail.
“I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a very great deal of fan mail … Gladys Gudgeon writes weekly … I just wish I knew why …’ He paused, looking faintly puzzled, then beamed again and returned to his signing with renewed vigour. ‘I suspect it is simply my good looks …â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
In addition, the healers don’t say anything about him being a fraud who took credit for what other people did, and only say he had once been famous. They don’t show any indication of knowing.
“Listen to him,’ said the Healer, taking Lockhart’s arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year-old. ‘He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be starting to come back.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
Ron’s mother still uses her copy of Lockhart’s book on pests, which suggests she doesn’t know he’s a fraud, and implies she almost certainly doesn’t know Lockhart nearly Obliviated her son.
“Mrs Weasley was bending over to check the page on Doxys in Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to Household Pests, which was lying open on the sofa.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
It seems odd that she’d still be using the book (even though the Weasleys are poor) if she knew the author was a fraud who tried to erase her son’s and his friend’s memories.
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Bellatrix
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The wider wizarding world might not have been aware, but it is likely that quite a few people were, to some extent.
As you mention in the question, Lockhart explicitly admitted to Harry and Ron that he was a fraud. I don't think we find them sharing this with their peers, but it doesn't seem unlikely that they would have.
Additionally, there are many examples of Lockhart publicly demonstrating his ineptitude, such that those present (while perhaps not figuring out that he was a total fraud) might have caught on to the fact that he certainly wasn't quite the wizard he was made out to be. Some examples:
- In the second years' very first lesson his attempt at subduing a
pixie utterly fails.
He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed,
"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and
through it out the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his
own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a
second later as the chandelier gave way.
In response to this incident Harry says:
"Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing –"
Surely other students noticed this at well. Of course, some like Hermione might have been blinded by his good looks, but as the year went on it is likely that even they realized what Lockhart truly was. As all first through fifth years and a good portion of sixth through seventh years take Defense Against the Dark Arts, most of the school was probably exposed to his incompetence in a classroom at some point during the year.
- He failed to fix Harry's arm (and actually made it worse).
“Ah,†said Lockhart. “Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the
point is, the bones are no longer broken. That’s the thing to bear in
mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing — ah, Mr.
Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? — and Madam Pomfrey will
be able to — er — tidy you up a bit.â€Â
In fact, in this case it appears that some students were openly skeptical of his abilities from the outset:
"Why can't I just go to the Hospital Wing?" said Harry through
clenched teeth.
"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help
grinning even though his seeker was injured.
- He made a fool of himself at the dueling club.
First he was roundly defeated by Snape:
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at
their opponent; Snape cried: "*Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling
flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew
backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to
sprawl on the floor.
Later he is ineffective at dealing with Malfoy's snake:
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and
there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, few ten feet
into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged,
hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley
and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Based on the above public spectacles, it is highly possible that most or all of the students suspected that Lockhart wasn't quite who he claimed to be. These students may have also spread the word to their families (who may or may not have believed them).
Additionally, it would seem that many of the staff were aware of Lockhart's ineptitude:
- Madame Pomfrey explicitly referred to Lockhart as inept after he removed the bones from Harry's arm.
Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam
Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down
some water.
Similarly, in the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry fainted from the Dementor, Madam Pomfrey again insinuated that Lockhart was sub-par:
"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "so we've finally got a
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"
- It seems that Dumbledore was at least somewhat aware of Lockhart's chicanery.
First of all, he's Dumbledore. As Harry so eloquently said at the end of Philosopher's Stone:
I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know.
Furthermore, Dumbledore's comment to Lockhart at the end of Chamber of Secrets seems to indicate that he was aware of something:
"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained
quietly to Dumbledore.
"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache
quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"
- He was clearly wrong about Mrs. Norris.
In the presence of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape (as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione) Lockhart stated:
"It was definitely a curse that killed her – probably the
Transmogrifian Torture – I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I
wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved
her...."
This was shown to be incorrect several moments later:
At last Dumbledore straightened up.
"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.
- By the end of Chamber of Secrets it seems that all the teachers had
caught on.
Witness the scene in the staffroom where all the teachers seem to be poking fun at Lockhart's alleged exploits, and specifically McGonagall's comment once Lockhart leaves:
The staff room door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was
sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.
“So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?â€Â
He didn’t seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him
with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.
“Just the man,†he said. “The very man. A girl has been snatched by
the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your
moment has come at last.â€Â
Lockhart blanched.
“That’s right, Gilderoy,†chipped in Professor Sprout. “Weren’t you
saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance
to the Chamber of Secrets is?â€Â
“I — well, I —†sputtered Lockhart.
“Yes, didn’t you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?â€Â
piped up Professor Flitwick.
“D-did I? I don’t recall —â€Â
“I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn’t had a crack
at the monster before Hagrid was arrested,†said Snape. “Didn’t you
say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have
been given a free rein from the first?â€Â
Lockhart stared around at his stony faced colleagues.
“I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —â€Â
“We’ll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy,†said Professor McGonagall.
“Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We’ll make sure
everyone’s out of your way. You’ll be able to tackle the monster all
by yourself. A free rein at last.â€Â
Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue.
He didn’t look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and
in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak chinned and
feeble.
“V-very well,†he said. “I’ll — I’ll be in my office, getting —
getting ready.â€Â
And he left the room.
“Right,†said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared,
“that’s got him out from under our feet.
- It is even possible that Umbridge (and by extension the Ministry) was somewhat aware of Lockhart's incompetence.
When Umbridge describes their previous teachers in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson in Order of the Phoenix she says:
"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this
school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "
but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this
class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention," she gave a nasty
little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
In fairness, though, Umbridge's definition of irresponsible may simply mean allowing magic to be done.
It thus appears that both the students and staff of Hogwarts were well aware that Lockhart was something of a fraud. This knowledge may or may not have spread even beyond the confines of Hogwarts. There doesn't seem to be any mention, though, of anyone specifically knowing that all of Lockhart's books were lies. Indeed, in Order of the Phoenix when the Daily Prophet specifically criticizes Dumbledore's staff choices, it mentions issues with Lupin, Hagrid, and Moody, but says nothing about Lockhart. If Lockhart's fraudulence was widely known in the greater wizarding world, the Prophet would likely have mentioned it as well.
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It doesn’t seem like it was widely known Lockhart was a fraud.
It doesn’t seem like the majority of the wizarding world learned that Lockhart was a fraud. When he’s in St. Mungo’s, Lockhart still receives lots of fan mail. It’d be unlikely if he’d been exposed as a fraud that so many people would be sending him large amounts of fan mail.
“I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a very great deal of fan mail … Gladys Gudgeon writes weekly … I just wish I knew why …’ He paused, looking faintly puzzled, then beamed again and returned to his signing with renewed vigour. ‘I suspect it is simply my good looks …â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
In addition, the healers don’t say anything about him being a fraud who took credit for what other people did, and only say he had once been famous. They don’t show any indication of knowing.
“Listen to him,’ said the Healer, taking Lockhart’s arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year-old. ‘He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be starting to come back.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
Ron’s mother still uses her copy of Lockhart’s book on pests, which suggests she doesn’t know he’s a fraud, and implies she almost certainly doesn’t know Lockhart nearly Obliviated her son.
“Mrs Weasley was bending over to check the page on Doxys in Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to Household Pests, which was lying open on the sofa.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
It seems odd that she’d still be using the book (even though the Weasleys are poor) if she knew the author was a fraud who tried to erase her son’s and his friend’s memories.
answered 3 hours ago
Bellatrix
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up vote
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down vote
accepted
It doesn’t seem like it was widely known Lockhart was a fraud.
It doesn’t seem like the majority of the wizarding world learned that Lockhart was a fraud. When he’s in St. Mungo’s, Lockhart still receives lots of fan mail. It’d be unlikely if he’d been exposed as a fraud that so many people would be sending him large amounts of fan mail.
“I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a very great deal of fan mail … Gladys Gudgeon writes weekly … I just wish I knew why …’ He paused, looking faintly puzzled, then beamed again and returned to his signing with renewed vigour. ‘I suspect it is simply my good looks …â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
In addition, the healers don’t say anything about him being a fraud who took credit for what other people did, and only say he had once been famous. They don’t show any indication of knowing.
“Listen to him,’ said the Healer, taking Lockhart’s arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year-old. ‘He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be starting to come back.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
Ron’s mother still uses her copy of Lockhart’s book on pests, which suggests she doesn’t know he’s a fraud, and implies she almost certainly doesn’t know Lockhart nearly Obliviated her son.
“Mrs Weasley was bending over to check the page on Doxys in Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to Household Pests, which was lying open on the sofa.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
It seems odd that she’d still be using the book (even though the Weasleys are poor) if she knew the author was a fraud who tried to erase her son’s and his friend’s memories.
answered 3 hours ago
Bellatrix
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add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
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up vote
4
down vote
accepted
It doesn’t seem like it was widely known Lockhart was a fraud.
It doesn’t seem like the majority of the wizarding world learned that Lockhart was a fraud. When he’s in St. Mungo’s, Lockhart still receives lots of fan mail. It’d be unlikely if he’d been exposed as a fraud that so many people would be sending him large amounts of fan mail.
“I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a very great deal of fan mail … Gladys Gudgeon writes weekly … I just wish I knew why …’ He paused, looking faintly puzzled, then beamed again and returned to his signing with renewed vigour. ‘I suspect it is simply my good looks …â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
In addition, the healers don’t say anything about him being a fraud who took credit for what other people did, and only say he had once been famous. They don’t show any indication of knowing.
“Listen to him,’ said the Healer, taking Lockhart’s arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year-old. ‘He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be starting to come back.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
Ron’s mother still uses her copy of Lockhart’s book on pests, which suggests she doesn’t know he’s a fraud, and implies she almost certainly doesn’t know Lockhart nearly Obliviated her son.
“Mrs Weasley was bending over to check the page on Doxys in Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to Household Pests, which was lying open on the sofa.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
It seems odd that she’d still be using the book (even though the Weasleys are poor) if she knew the author was a fraud who tried to erase her son’s and his friend’s memories.
answered 3 hours ago
Bellatrix
56k11260292
It doesn’t seem like it was widely known Lockhart was a fraud.
It doesn’t seem like the majority of the wizarding world learned that Lockhart was a fraud. When he’s in St. Mungo’s, Lockhart still receives lots of fan mail. It’d be unlikely if he’d been exposed as a fraud that so many people would be sending him large amounts of fan mail.
“I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a very great deal of fan mail … Gladys Gudgeon writes weekly … I just wish I knew why …’ He paused, looking faintly puzzled, then beamed again and returned to his signing with renewed vigour. ‘I suspect it is simply my good looks …â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
In addition, the healers don’t say anything about him being a fraud who took credit for what other people did, and only say he had once been famous. They don’t show any indication of knowing.
“Listen to him,’ said the Healer, taking Lockhart’s arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year-old. ‘He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be starting to come back.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
Ron’s mother still uses her copy of Lockhart’s book on pests, which suggests she doesn’t know he’s a fraud, and implies she almost certainly doesn’t know Lockhart nearly Obliviated her son.
“Mrs Weasley was bending over to check the page on Doxys in Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to Household Pests, which was lying open on the sofa.â€Â
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
It seems odd that she’d still be using the book (even though the Weasleys are poor) if she knew the author was a fraud who tried to erase her son’s and his friend’s memories.
answered 3 hours ago
Bellatrix
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answered 3 hours ago
Bellatrix
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answered 3 hours ago
Bellatrix
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answered 3 hours ago
Bellatrix
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up vote
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down vote
The wider wizarding world might not have been aware, but it is likely that quite a few people were, to some extent.
As you mention in the question, Lockhart explicitly admitted to Harry and Ron that he was a fraud. I don't think we find them sharing this with their peers, but it doesn't seem unlikely that they would have.
Additionally, there are many examples of Lockhart publicly demonstrating his ineptitude, such that those present (while perhaps not figuring out that he was a total fraud) might have caught on to the fact that he certainly wasn't quite the wizard he was made out to be. Some examples:
- In the second years' very first lesson his attempt at subduing a
pixie utterly fails.
He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed,
"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and
through it out the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his
own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a
second later as the chandelier gave way.
In response to this incident Harry says:
"Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing –"
Surely other students noticed this at well. Of course, some like Hermione might have been blinded by his good looks, but as the year went on it is likely that even they realized what Lockhart truly was. As all first through fifth years and a good portion of sixth through seventh years take Defense Against the Dark Arts, most of the school was probably exposed to his incompetence in a classroom at some point during the year.
- He failed to fix Harry's arm (and actually made it worse).
“Ah,†said Lockhart. “Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the
point is, the bones are no longer broken. That’s the thing to bear in
mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing — ah, Mr.
Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? — and Madam Pomfrey will
be able to — er — tidy you up a bit.â€Â
In fact, in this case it appears that some students were openly skeptical of his abilities from the outset:
"Why can't I just go to the Hospital Wing?" said Harry through
clenched teeth.
"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help
grinning even though his seeker was injured.
- He made a fool of himself at the dueling club.
First he was roundly defeated by Snape:
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at
their opponent; Snape cried: "*Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling
flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew
backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to
sprawl on the floor.
Later he is ineffective at dealing with Malfoy's snake:
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and
there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, few ten feet
into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged,
hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley
and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Based on the above public spectacles, it is highly possible that most or all of the students suspected that Lockhart wasn't quite who he claimed to be. These students may have also spread the word to their families (who may or may not have believed them).
Additionally, it would seem that many of the staff were aware of Lockhart's ineptitude:
- Madame Pomfrey explicitly referred to Lockhart as inept after he removed the bones from Harry's arm.
Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam
Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down
some water.
Similarly, in the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry fainted from the Dementor, Madam Pomfrey again insinuated that Lockhart was sub-par:
"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "so we've finally got a
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"
- It seems that Dumbledore was at least somewhat aware of Lockhart's chicanery.
First of all, he's Dumbledore. As Harry so eloquently said at the end of Philosopher's Stone:
I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know.
Furthermore, Dumbledore's comment to Lockhart at the end of Chamber of Secrets seems to indicate that he was aware of something:
"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained
quietly to Dumbledore.
"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache
quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"
- He was clearly wrong about Mrs. Norris.
In the presence of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape (as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione) Lockhart stated:
"It was definitely a curse that killed her – probably the
Transmogrifian Torture – I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I
wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved
her...."
This was shown to be incorrect several moments later:
At last Dumbledore straightened up.
"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.
- By the end of Chamber of Secrets it seems that all the teachers had
caught on.
Witness the scene in the staffroom where all the teachers seem to be poking fun at Lockhart's alleged exploits, and specifically McGonagall's comment once Lockhart leaves:
The staff room door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was
sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.
“So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?â€Â
He didn’t seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him
with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.
“Just the man,†he said. “The very man. A girl has been snatched by
the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your
moment has come at last.â€Â
Lockhart blanched.
“That’s right, Gilderoy,†chipped in Professor Sprout. “Weren’t you
saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance
to the Chamber of Secrets is?â€Â
“I — well, I —†sputtered Lockhart.
“Yes, didn’t you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?â€Â
piped up Professor Flitwick.
“D-did I? I don’t recall —â€Â
“I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn’t had a crack
at the monster before Hagrid was arrested,†said Snape. “Didn’t you
say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have
been given a free rein from the first?â€Â
Lockhart stared around at his stony faced colleagues.
“I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —â€Â
“We’ll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy,†said Professor McGonagall.
“Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We’ll make sure
everyone’s out of your way. You’ll be able to tackle the monster all
by yourself. A free rein at last.â€Â
Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue.
He didn’t look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and
in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak chinned and
feeble.
“V-very well,†he said. “I’ll — I’ll be in my office, getting —
getting ready.â€Â
And he left the room.
“Right,†said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared,
“that’s got him out from under our feet.
- It is even possible that Umbridge (and by extension the Ministry) was somewhat aware of Lockhart's incompetence.
When Umbridge describes their previous teachers in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson in Order of the Phoenix she says:
"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this
school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "
but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this
class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention," she gave a nasty
little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
In fairness, though, Umbridge's definition of irresponsible may simply mean allowing magic to be done.
It thus appears that both the students and staff of Hogwarts were well aware that Lockhart was something of a fraud. This knowledge may or may not have spread even beyond the confines of Hogwarts. There doesn't seem to be any mention, though, of anyone specifically knowing that all of Lockhart's books were lies. Indeed, in Order of the Phoenix when the Daily Prophet specifically criticizes Dumbledore's staff choices, it mentions issues with Lupin, Hagrid, and Moody, but says nothing about Lockhart. If Lockhart's fraudulence was widely known in the greater wizarding world, the Prophet would likely have mentioned it as well.
answered 39 mins ago
Alex
5,47511638
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
The wider wizarding world might not have been aware, but it is likely that quite a few people were, to some extent.
As you mention in the question, Lockhart explicitly admitted to Harry and Ron that he was a fraud. I don't think we find them sharing this with their peers, but it doesn't seem unlikely that they would have.
Additionally, there are many examples of Lockhart publicly demonstrating his ineptitude, such that those present (while perhaps not figuring out that he was a total fraud) might have caught on to the fact that he certainly wasn't quite the wizard he was made out to be. Some examples:
- In the second years' very first lesson his attempt at subduing a
pixie utterly fails.
He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed,
"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and
through it out the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his
own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a
second later as the chandelier gave way.
In response to this incident Harry says:
"Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing –"
Surely other students noticed this at well. Of course, some like Hermione might have been blinded by his good looks, but as the year went on it is likely that even they realized what Lockhart truly was. As all first through fifth years and a good portion of sixth through seventh years take Defense Against the Dark Arts, most of the school was probably exposed to his incompetence in a classroom at some point during the year.
- He failed to fix Harry's arm (and actually made it worse).
“Ah,†said Lockhart. “Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the
point is, the bones are no longer broken. That’s the thing to bear in
mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing — ah, Mr.
Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? — and Madam Pomfrey will
be able to — er — tidy you up a bit.â€Â
In fact, in this case it appears that some students were openly skeptical of his abilities from the outset:
"Why can't I just go to the Hospital Wing?" said Harry through
clenched teeth.
"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help
grinning even though his seeker was injured.
- He made a fool of himself at the dueling club.
First he was roundly defeated by Snape:
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at
their opponent; Snape cried: "*Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling
flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew
backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to
sprawl on the floor.
Later he is ineffective at dealing with Malfoy's snake:
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and
there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, few ten feet
into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged,
hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley
and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Based on the above public spectacles, it is highly possible that most or all of the students suspected that Lockhart wasn't quite who he claimed to be. These students may have also spread the word to their families (who may or may not have believed them).
Additionally, it would seem that many of the staff were aware of Lockhart's ineptitude:
- Madame Pomfrey explicitly referred to Lockhart as inept after he removed the bones from Harry's arm.
Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam
Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down
some water.
Similarly, in the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry fainted from the Dementor, Madam Pomfrey again insinuated that Lockhart was sub-par:
"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "so we've finally got a
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"
- It seems that Dumbledore was at least somewhat aware of Lockhart's chicanery.
First of all, he's Dumbledore. As Harry so eloquently said at the end of Philosopher's Stone:
I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know.
Furthermore, Dumbledore's comment to Lockhart at the end of Chamber of Secrets seems to indicate that he was aware of something:
"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained
quietly to Dumbledore.
"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache
quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"
- He was clearly wrong about Mrs. Norris.
In the presence of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape (as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione) Lockhart stated:
"It was definitely a curse that killed her – probably the
Transmogrifian Torture – I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I
wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved
her...."
This was shown to be incorrect several moments later:
At last Dumbledore straightened up.
"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.
- By the end of Chamber of Secrets it seems that all the teachers had
caught on.
Witness the scene in the staffroom where all the teachers seem to be poking fun at Lockhart's alleged exploits, and specifically McGonagall's comment once Lockhart leaves:
The staff room door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was
sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.
“So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?â€Â
He didn’t seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him
with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.
“Just the man,†he said. “The very man. A girl has been snatched by
the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your
moment has come at last.â€Â
Lockhart blanched.
“That’s right, Gilderoy,†chipped in Professor Sprout. “Weren’t you
saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance
to the Chamber of Secrets is?â€Â
“I — well, I —†sputtered Lockhart.
“Yes, didn’t you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?â€Â
piped up Professor Flitwick.
“D-did I? I don’t recall —â€Â
“I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn’t had a crack
at the monster before Hagrid was arrested,†said Snape. “Didn’t you
say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have
been given a free rein from the first?â€Â
Lockhart stared around at his stony faced colleagues.
“I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —â€Â
“We’ll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy,†said Professor McGonagall.
“Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We’ll make sure
everyone’s out of your way. You’ll be able to tackle the monster all
by yourself. A free rein at last.â€Â
Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue.
He didn’t look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and
in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak chinned and
feeble.
“V-very well,†he said. “I’ll — I’ll be in my office, getting —
getting ready.â€Â
And he left the room.
“Right,†said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared,
“that’s got him out from under our feet.
- It is even possible that Umbridge (and by extension the Ministry) was somewhat aware of Lockhart's incompetence.
When Umbridge describes their previous teachers in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson in Order of the Phoenix she says:
"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this
school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "
but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this
class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention," she gave a nasty
little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
In fairness, though, Umbridge's definition of irresponsible may simply mean allowing magic to be done.
It thus appears that both the students and staff of Hogwarts were well aware that Lockhart was something of a fraud. This knowledge may or may not have spread even beyond the confines of Hogwarts. There doesn't seem to be any mention, though, of anyone specifically knowing that all of Lockhart's books were lies. Indeed, in Order of the Phoenix when the Daily Prophet specifically criticizes Dumbledore's staff choices, it mentions issues with Lupin, Hagrid, and Moody, but says nothing about Lockhart. If Lockhart's fraudulence was widely known in the greater wizarding world, the Prophet would likely have mentioned it as well.
answered 39 mins ago
Alex
5,47511638
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
The wider wizarding world might not have been aware, but it is likely that quite a few people were, to some extent.
As you mention in the question, Lockhart explicitly admitted to Harry and Ron that he was a fraud. I don't think we find them sharing this with their peers, but it doesn't seem unlikely that they would have.
Additionally, there are many examples of Lockhart publicly demonstrating his ineptitude, such that those present (while perhaps not figuring out that he was a total fraud) might have caught on to the fact that he certainly wasn't quite the wizard he was made out to be. Some examples:
- In the second years' very first lesson his attempt at subduing a
pixie utterly fails.
He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed,
"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and
through it out the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his
own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a
second later as the chandelier gave way.
In response to this incident Harry says:
"Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing –"
Surely other students noticed this at well. Of course, some like Hermione might have been blinded by his good looks, but as the year went on it is likely that even they realized what Lockhart truly was. As all first through fifth years and a good portion of sixth through seventh years take Defense Against the Dark Arts, most of the school was probably exposed to his incompetence in a classroom at some point during the year.
- He failed to fix Harry's arm (and actually made it worse).
“Ah,†said Lockhart. “Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the
point is, the bones are no longer broken. That’s the thing to bear in
mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing — ah, Mr.
Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? — and Madam Pomfrey will
be able to — er — tidy you up a bit.â€Â
In fact, in this case it appears that some students were openly skeptical of his abilities from the outset:
"Why can't I just go to the Hospital Wing?" said Harry through
clenched teeth.
"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help
grinning even though his seeker was injured.
- He made a fool of himself at the dueling club.
First he was roundly defeated by Snape:
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at
their opponent; Snape cried: "*Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling
flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew
backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to
sprawl on the floor.
Later he is ineffective at dealing with Malfoy's snake:
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and
there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, few ten feet
into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged,
hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley
and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Based on the above public spectacles, it is highly possible that most or all of the students suspected that Lockhart wasn't quite who he claimed to be. These students may have also spread the word to their families (who may or may not have believed them).
Additionally, it would seem that many of the staff were aware of Lockhart's ineptitude:
- Madame Pomfrey explicitly referred to Lockhart as inept after he removed the bones from Harry's arm.
Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam
Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down
some water.
Similarly, in the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry fainted from the Dementor, Madam Pomfrey again insinuated that Lockhart was sub-par:
"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "so we've finally got a
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"
- It seems that Dumbledore was at least somewhat aware of Lockhart's chicanery.
First of all, he's Dumbledore. As Harry so eloquently said at the end of Philosopher's Stone:
I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know.
Furthermore, Dumbledore's comment to Lockhart at the end of Chamber of Secrets seems to indicate that he was aware of something:
"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained
quietly to Dumbledore.
"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache
quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"
- He was clearly wrong about Mrs. Norris.
In the presence of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape (as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione) Lockhart stated:
"It was definitely a curse that killed her – probably the
Transmogrifian Torture – I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I
wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved
her...."
This was shown to be incorrect several moments later:
At last Dumbledore straightened up.
"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.
- By the end of Chamber of Secrets it seems that all the teachers had
caught on.
Witness the scene in the staffroom where all the teachers seem to be poking fun at Lockhart's alleged exploits, and specifically McGonagall's comment once Lockhart leaves:
The staff room door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was
sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.
“So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?â€Â
He didn’t seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him
with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.
“Just the man,†he said. “The very man. A girl has been snatched by
the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your
moment has come at last.â€Â
Lockhart blanched.
“That’s right, Gilderoy,†chipped in Professor Sprout. “Weren’t you
saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance
to the Chamber of Secrets is?â€Â
“I — well, I —†sputtered Lockhart.
“Yes, didn’t you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?â€Â
piped up Professor Flitwick.
“D-did I? I don’t recall —â€Â
“I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn’t had a crack
at the monster before Hagrid was arrested,†said Snape. “Didn’t you
say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have
been given a free rein from the first?â€Â
Lockhart stared around at his stony faced colleagues.
“I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —â€Â
“We’ll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy,†said Professor McGonagall.
“Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We’ll make sure
everyone’s out of your way. You’ll be able to tackle the monster all
by yourself. A free rein at last.â€Â
Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue.
He didn’t look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and
in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak chinned and
feeble.
“V-very well,†he said. “I’ll — I’ll be in my office, getting —
getting ready.â€Â
And he left the room.
“Right,†said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared,
“that’s got him out from under our feet.
- It is even possible that Umbridge (and by extension the Ministry) was somewhat aware of Lockhart's incompetence.
When Umbridge describes their previous teachers in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson in Order of the Phoenix she says:
"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this
school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "
but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this
class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention," she gave a nasty
little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
In fairness, though, Umbridge's definition of irresponsible may simply mean allowing magic to be done.
It thus appears that both the students and staff of Hogwarts were well aware that Lockhart was something of a fraud. This knowledge may or may not have spread even beyond the confines of Hogwarts. There doesn't seem to be any mention, though, of anyone specifically knowing that all of Lockhart's books were lies. Indeed, in Order of the Phoenix when the Daily Prophet specifically criticizes Dumbledore's staff choices, it mentions issues with Lupin, Hagrid, and Moody, but says nothing about Lockhart. If Lockhart's fraudulence was widely known in the greater wizarding world, the Prophet would likely have mentioned it as well.
answered 39 mins ago
Alex
5,47511638
The wider wizarding world might not have been aware, but it is likely that quite a few people were, to some extent.
As you mention in the question, Lockhart explicitly admitted to Harry and Ron that he was a fraud. I don't think we find them sharing this with their peers, but it doesn't seem unlikely that they would have.
Additionally, there are many examples of Lockhart publicly demonstrating his ineptitude, such that those present (while perhaps not figuring out that he was a total fraud) might have caught on to the fact that he certainly wasn't quite the wizard he was made out to be. Some examples:
- In the second years' very first lesson his attempt at subduing a
pixie utterly fails.
He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed,
"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and
through it out the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his
own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a
second later as the chandelier gave way.
In response to this incident Harry says:
"Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing –"
Surely other students noticed this at well. Of course, some like Hermione might have been blinded by his good looks, but as the year went on it is likely that even they realized what Lockhart truly was. As all first through fifth years and a good portion of sixth through seventh years take Defense Against the Dark Arts, most of the school was probably exposed to his incompetence in a classroom at some point during the year.
- He failed to fix Harry's arm (and actually made it worse).
“Ah,†said Lockhart. “Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the
point is, the bones are no longer broken. That’s the thing to bear in
mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing — ah, Mr.
Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? — and Madam Pomfrey will
be able to — er — tidy you up a bit.â€Â
In fact, in this case it appears that some students were openly skeptical of his abilities from the outset:
"Why can't I just go to the Hospital Wing?" said Harry through
clenched teeth.
"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help
grinning even though his seeker was injured.
- He made a fool of himself at the dueling club.
First he was roundly defeated by Snape:
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at
their opponent; Snape cried: "*Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling
flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew
backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to
sprawl on the floor.
Later he is ineffective at dealing with Malfoy's snake:
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and
there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, few ten feet
into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged,
hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley
and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Based on the above public spectacles, it is highly possible that most or all of the students suspected that Lockhart wasn't quite who he claimed to be. These students may have also spread the word to their families (who may or may not have believed them).
Additionally, it would seem that many of the staff were aware of Lockhart's ineptitude:
- Madame Pomfrey explicitly referred to Lockhart as inept after he removed the bones from Harry's arm.
Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam
Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down
some water.
Similarly, in the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry fainted from the Dementor, Madam Pomfrey again insinuated that Lockhart was sub-par:
"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "so we've finally got a
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"
- It seems that Dumbledore was at least somewhat aware of Lockhart's chicanery.
First of all, he's Dumbledore. As Harry so eloquently said at the end of Philosopher's Stone:
I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know.
Furthermore, Dumbledore's comment to Lockhart at the end of Chamber of Secrets seems to indicate that he was aware of something:
"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained
quietly to Dumbledore.
"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache
quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"
- He was clearly wrong about Mrs. Norris.
In the presence of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape (as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione) Lockhart stated:
"It was definitely a curse that killed her – probably the
Transmogrifian Torture – I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I
wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved
her...."
This was shown to be incorrect several moments later:
At last Dumbledore straightened up.
"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.
- By the end of Chamber of Secrets it seems that all the teachers had
caught on.
Witness the scene in the staffroom where all the teachers seem to be poking fun at Lockhart's alleged exploits, and specifically McGonagall's comment once Lockhart leaves:
The staff room door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was
sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.
“So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?â€Â
He didn’t seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him
with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.
“Just the man,†he said. “The very man. A girl has been snatched by
the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your
moment has come at last.â€Â
Lockhart blanched.
“That’s right, Gilderoy,†chipped in Professor Sprout. “Weren’t you
saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance
to the Chamber of Secrets is?â€Â
“I — well, I —†sputtered Lockhart.
“Yes, didn’t you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?â€Â
piped up Professor Flitwick.
“D-did I? I don’t recall —â€Â
“I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn’t had a crack
at the monster before Hagrid was arrested,†said Snape. “Didn’t you
say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have
been given a free rein from the first?â€Â
Lockhart stared around at his stony faced colleagues.
“I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —â€Â
“We’ll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy,†said Professor McGonagall.
“Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We’ll make sure
everyone’s out of your way. You’ll be able to tackle the monster all
by yourself. A free rein at last.â€Â
Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue.
He didn’t look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and
in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak chinned and
feeble.
“V-very well,†he said. “I’ll — I’ll be in my office, getting —
getting ready.â€Â
And he left the room.
“Right,†said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared,
“that’s got him out from under our feet.
- It is even possible that Umbridge (and by extension the Ministry) was somewhat aware of Lockhart's incompetence.
When Umbridge describes their previous teachers in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson in Order of the Phoenix she says:
"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this
school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "
but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this
class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention," she gave a nasty
little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
In fairness, though, Umbridge's definition of irresponsible may simply mean allowing magic to be done.
It thus appears that both the students and staff of Hogwarts were well aware that Lockhart was something of a fraud. This knowledge may or may not have spread even beyond the confines of Hogwarts. There doesn't seem to be any mention, though, of anyone specifically knowing that all of Lockhart's books were lies. Indeed, in Order of the Phoenix when the Daily Prophet specifically criticizes Dumbledore's staff choices, it mentions issues with Lupin, Hagrid, and Moody, but says nothing about Lockhart. If Lockhart's fraudulence was widely known in the greater wizarding world, the Prophet would likely have mentioned it as well.
answered 39 mins ago
Alex
5,47511638
edited 8 mins ago
answered 39 mins ago
Alex
5,47511638
answered 39 mins ago
Alex
5,47511638
answered 39 mins ago
Alex
5,47511638
5,47511638
add a comment |Â
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