When it comes to Harry Potter's Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, the Boy Who Lived didn't have much luck. Quirinus Quirrell tried to kill him, Alastor Moody turned out to be a Death Eater named Barty Crouch Jr., Dolores Umbridge attempted to bully him into submission and Severus Snape ... was Severus Snape. When it comes to Gilderoy Lockhart, however, Harry encountered a teacher who was inept, incompetent and conniving.
Lockhart was played by Kenneth Branagh in his only movie appearance in The Chamber Of Secrets. While the actor did a good job of playing the teacher, not every piece of information about the scammer made it onto the big screen.
His Lessons Were All About Him
In the Chamber of Secrets movie, Lockhart's uselessness is there for all to see. He's forced to flee from Cornish Pixies when they sabotage his classroom, leaving Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to clean up his mess. That's all fans get to see, however, with Lockhart's other lessons not featured.
In the source material, they're outlined in far greater detail. He gave pupils a 54-question quiz in one, with Hermione getting every single question correct - much to Ron's annoyance. He also reads out of his own books, which makes it pretty dull for those not under his spell. As for homework ...
His Homework Was Shocking
All students have to do homework at some point - and it's not necessarily fun, but one can't complain too much after reading the second Potter book and learning of the tasks Lockhart dishes out to his own students.
One such example is when he tells pupils to write a poem about his achievements, with a signed copy of his autobiography as the prize on offer. This obviously wouldn't benefit anyone other than Lockhart and his own self-inflated ego, so Harry and his friends could be forgiven for giving this one a miss.
He Embraced Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day can be good for some people and bad for others. As a teenager, it can be particularly torturous. But that doesn't stop Lockhart from making it a special event during his sole year at Hogwarts, decorating the Great Hall on February 14.
Lockhart has dwarfs walking around to deal out letters, mortifies Snape by urging students to get the Potions Master to teach his students Love Potions and strolls around the Hall wearing repulsive, colorful robes. Harry finds the whole occasion tedious and is left feeling awkward when Draco Malfoy suggests he received a card from Ginny Weasley. Lockhart himself, meanwhile, received 46 cards from his admirers - Hermione among them.
Rubeus Hagrid Couldn't Stand Him ...
Rubeus Hagrid is the very definition of a gentle giant. He may look rough and tough, especially with his long matted hair and beard, but he's soft on the inside. He defends every Hogwarts teacher to the hilt, much to Harry's annoyance. But Lockhart is the one exception.
Hagrid leaves Harry, Ron and Hermione stunned by being openly critical of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher after Lockhart tried to convince him to buy his books. Furthermore, the famous wizard is left infuriated when Hagrid informs him Harry is more famous than he'll ever be. And Hagrid wasn't the only teacher who had an issue with the man ...
... And Neither Could Pomona Sprout
Pomona Sprout doesn't see much action during the eight Potter movies. Just one Herbology lesson features and that's in the Chamber of Secrets when she teaches pupils about Mandrakes and their uses. In the books, her character gets more time in the spotlight, though, and in the second novel, is left infuriated after a conversation with Lockhart before class.
Lockhart suggests he's more informed than Sprout about her subject, something that leaves her feeling understandably cross. And she's further angered when he takes Harry out of her class for a talk about fame, shutting the door in her face before she can give an answer. Way to go Gilderoy, way to go.
Lockhart Personally Fought To Put Harry In Detention
Lockhart loves Harry. He's a publicity goldmine and, therefore, he feels obliged to impart some wisdom on fame and how to deal with it (albeit in a boastful and arrogant way). Fans see Lockhart giving Harry some advice during detention, but their alliance there isn't a coincidence.
That's because, in the source material, it's revealed that Lockhart actually fought hard to ensure he could have some one on one time with the Boy Who Lived. He thought Harry would be happy about this but, actually, that isn't the case at all ...
... And Harry Hated It
Harry, in the second movie of the series, tolerates Lockhart. There's the odd rolling of the eyes and confused glance but that's it. Close followers of the books, however, know the Boy Who Lived actually makes a huge effort to stay out of Gilderoy's way during his time at Hogwarts.
For his detention, Harry actively begs Professor McGonagall to let him clean the trophy room with Argus Filch - rather than be subjected to hours of tedious time with Lockhart. Unsurprisingly, she declines, letting him know that Gilderoy had asked for him personally. He's left with no choice but to attend to help Lockhart respond to fan mail.
He Got The Trio The Book They Needed
During the early Potter movies, Harry spends some time sneaking around in the Restricted Section. He does this because younger students aren't allowed to access the books within and they're closely guarded by Irma Pince, a fierce woman who won't let the treasured items out of her sight without permission.
When it comes to brewing Polyjuice Potion, Harry, Ron and Hermione need somebody to approve their request. So they woo Lockhart, who happily signs an autograph. He doesn't have many uses but, when it comes to just this one task, he definitely pulls through.
He Ended Up In St Mungo's Hospital
Fans of the big-screen Potter adventures never see Lockhart again after he accidentally erases his own memory. He's last seen beaming at the sight of Fawkes pulling him, Ginny and Ron out of the Chamber of Secrets following Tom Riddle's defeat. Yet things are different in the source material.
In the Order of the Phoenix, Harry and his friends visit Arthur Weasley in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. There, they bump into Lockhart. He's back to his cocky old self but can't remember a thing about his old life, only that he was famous and still receives fan mail, years after leaving Hogwarts. Tragically, the gang is informed that Lockhart will have to spend his remaining days on a ward because he can't be trusted by himself.
He Ultimately Failed Because The Job Was Cursed
There were a few reasons why Lockhart failed during his time at Hogwarts. He was useless, self-centered and didn't care about furthering the minds of young students. But there's also another one: the job he took was actually cursed by Lord Voldemort many years prior to his appointment.
This is revealed in the Half-Blood Prince book. The Dark Lord sat down for a job interview with Albus Dumbledore years after leaving Hogwarts and, when he didn't land the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, he jinxed it. No teacher ever stayed in the post for longer than a year afterward, but the curse is eventually lifted when Voldemort dies during the events of the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.