CS6: Gilderoy Lockhart

"*It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind!*"
— Gilderoy Lockhart

Ron receives a Howler, they learn about mandrakes in Herbology, Colin Creevey asks for an autographed photo, Lockhart is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and they learn about Cornish pixies.

## Calendar and Dates

The entire action of the chapter takes place on the first day of classes of the 1992-1993 School Year. The date is 2 September.

## Interesting Facts and Notes

Unlike many of the chapters named after individual characters (*e.g.*, CS14, CS15, OP10), this chapter isn't the first in which Harry (or the readers) encounter the character face-to-face. Instead, the most spectacular incident of the chapter involves Lockhart's first lesson in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

This chapter introduces Howlers and Mandrakes. It also contrasts Harry's attitude toward fame and adoration (as reflected in his dealings with Colin Creevey) with Lockhart's attitude.

**"Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! ... I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels..."**

Doubtful he was showing her anything, considering the fact that she's battered and bruised and dirty and he's immaculate. More likely he was talking while she did the work. From Lockhart's comment, it appears that the Whomping Willow is not a unique plant, though certainly rare.

**About twenty pairs of different-coloured ear muffs**

The class consists of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, and there are twenty pairs of earmuffs. When the author was planning the background of their books, they invented exactly forty students for Harry's year, ten for each house. Note that the film shows all the first years in this class, including the Slytherins, but that's a film invention.

**The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes.**

We see an example here of the close connection between Herbology and Potions. A similar connection exists between Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, but we can assume that Herbology is more closely connection to common potion magic, as it's taught to all students while Care of Magical Creatures is an elective and not offered until third year. Presumably it is much more likely that the average witch or wizard would be growing magical plants in the front garden than raising magical creatures.

**Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely.**

In other words, they're magical earmuffs.

**He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button**

Presumably this sort of transformation is made easier because a beetle and a button are visually similar and because the words beetle and button both start with the letter "b" and have the letter "t" in the middle.

**"Eat slugs, Malfoy," said Ron angrily.**

This is where the idea gets into Ron's head which translates later into the Slug Curse.

**Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air.**

This is obviously some kind of magical power of the pixies. No one's ears could actually support their weight.

**"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"**

Unlike a real spell, this phrase comes not from Latin but from English. It would seem that Lockhart is saying English words, but trying to make them sound impressive. The words are "pesky pixie, pester no me." It's not unlike someone trying to sound like they can speak another language when all they're doing is talking with a fake accent.

**one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window**

Flick does the same thing to Lockhart's wand before forcing him to accompany her, Ron and Harry into the Chamber of Secrets.

## Exceptional Character Moments

* Hermione, in a situation where her reliance on and trust of books has led her to believe Lockhart's reputation against all direct evidence to the contrary. Because she read about it, she believes it must be true.
* Lockhart, lecturing Sprout (the real expert) on how to do her job, all the while making her late for class - then implying that he is the more expert herbologist in front of the entire class of Gryffindor second-years.

## Memorable Lines

"*Awfully brave chap. Have you read his books? I'd have died of fear if I'd been cornered in a telephone box by a werewolf, but he stayed cool and zap - just fantastic.*"
— Justin Finch-Fletchley on Lockhart