The Works of Gilderoy Lockhart

• Type: A series of autobiographical books
• Owners: Authored by Gilderoy Lockhart; required textbooks for Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts during the 1992-1993 school year; owned by numerous witches and wizards.
• Maker: Gilderoy Lockhart (author); Obscurus Books (publisher) (Pottermore)

The books written by Gilderoy Lockhart are characterized by their ostentatious and self-aggrandizing presentation. Each cover prominently features a large, moving photograph of Gilderoy Lockhart himself, often winking, beaming, or displaying a variety of charming expressions. The books are typically bound in appealing pastel colours, such as turquoise or lilac, with the titles and the author's name embossed in gold lettering. The entire collection was famously displayed in the window of Flourish and Blotts upon the release of his autobiography, Magical Me.

While the books themselves do not possess inherent magical properties in the way an enchanted object might, their content and purpose are deeply rooted in the use of powerful magic. The primary function of these works was to build and maintain Gilderoy Lockhart's celebrity status. The narratives within are entirely fraudulent. Gilderoy Lockhart's method was to seek out witches and wizards who had genuinely performed heroic deeds, interview them to learn every detail of their accomplishments, and then cast a highly effective Memory Charm (`Obliviate`) on them to erase their memories of the event. He would then return and claim the courageous act as his own in his next bestseller. As such, the books were used for entertainment and as a tool for public deception. In the 1992-1993 school year, they were mandated as the required course material for Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. However, they contained no practical defensive knowledge and served only to promote Lockhart's own fabricated legend. A quiz given by Lockhart to his second-year students was based entirely on personal information found within his books rather than any useful magic.

The collected works of Gilderoy Lockhart represent the peak of his fame prior to his downfall. Each title details a supposed adventure where he single-handedly defeated a dangerous Dark creature or navigated a perilous situation. The entire scheme was exposed when Lockhart attempted to use a Memory Charm on Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets. The spell, cast with Ron's broken wand, backfired, permanently destroying Lockhart's own memory and ending his career. The known published works of Gilderoy Lockhart are:

• Break with a Banshee
• Gadding with Ghouls
• Holidays with Hags
• Travels with Trolls
• Voyages with Vampires
• Wanderings with Werewolves
• Year with the Yeti
• Magical Me (autobiography)

Gilderoy Lockhart's books are central to the plot of `Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets`. They serve as the primary vehicle for introducing his character as a famous, yet ultimately incompetent and fraudulent, celebrity wizard. The purchase of the complete set places a significant financial burden on the Weasley family, highlighting their humble circumstances. Throughout the school year, the content of the books stands in stark contrast to Lockhart's actual abilities, providing a running source of irony and a key clue for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger that their professor is a charlatan. The books embody the novel's themes of manufactured fame versus authentic heroism, contrasting Lockhart's self-promotion with Harry's genuine but unwanted renown.

• In the film adaptation of `Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets`, the book covers feature the likeness of actor Kenneth Branagh, who portrayed Gilderoy Lockhart. The moving photographs are depicted as described in the novel. (film)
• According to the Pottermore website, Gilderoy Lockhart's publisher is Obscurus Books, a publisher of many other titles in the wizarding world. (Pottermore)
• J.K. Rowling revealed that Lockhart once tried to launch his own line of hair-care products to capitalize on his fame, but the venture was a commercial failure. (Pottermore)