Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Travels with Trolls====== =====Book Information===== * **Type:** [[Book]] * **Author:** [[Gilderoy Lockhart]] * **Genre:** [[Autobiography]] (claimed) * **Publisher:** [[Obscurus Books]] (Pottermore) =====Synopsis and Content===== //Travels with Trolls// is an autobiographical work by the celebrated author and celebrity [[Gilderoy Lockhart]]. The book purports to recount a heroic adventure in which Lockhart confronts and defeats a dangerous [[troll]]. The narrative serves to bolster Lockhart's public image as a brave and highly accomplished [[wizard]] with extensive experience in handling Dark creatures. However, the events described in the book are entirely fraudulent. As Lockhart later confessed to [[Harry Potter]] and [[Ron Weasley]], he never performed the heroic acts he wrote about. His method was to find the actual [[witches]] and [[wizards]] who had accomplished these feats, interview them to learn every detail, and then erase their memories using a [[Memory Charm]] ([[Obliviate]]). He would then publish the stories as his own, taking full credit and reaping the rewards of fame and fortune. Therefore, the true protagonist of the events in //Travels with Trolls// is an unnamed [[wizard]] whose memory was wiped by Lockhart. =====History===== Published prior to 1992, //Travels with Trolls// became a bestseller in the [[wizarding world]], cementing [[Gilderoy Lockhart]]'s status as a beloved public figure. In the summer of 1992, the book was added to the required reading list for second-year students at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], as Lockhart had been appointed the new [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor. Along with his other works, it was prominently displayed at the [[Flourish and Blotts]] bookshop in [[Diagon Alley]], where Lockhart held a very popular book signing event before the start of the school term. =====Role in the Story===== //Travels with Trolls// is one of the seven required textbooks for [[Harry Potter]]'s second year, as detailed in his booklist from [[Hogwarts]]. [[Harry]] first encounters the physical book at [[Flourish and Blotts]], where [[Molly Weasley]] expresses her admiration for the author. During a publicity stunt, Lockhart presents [[Harry]] with a complete, signed set of his works, including //Travels with Trolls//, free of charge. The book, along with Lockhart's other publications like //[[Year with the Yeti]]// and //[[Holidays with Hags]]//, is crucial in establishing his character as a vain and self-obsessed fraud. Its content serves as a stark contrast to his actual incompetence, which becomes increasingly evident throughout //[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]//. The eventual revelation that the entire premise of his literary career is built on stolen stories and [[Memory Charms]] marks the complete collapse of his public persona and serves as a key plot point in the climax within the [[Chamber of Secrets]]. The book exemplifies the story's themes of fame versus true ability and the deceptive nature of appearances. =====Behind the Scenes===== * In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]//, the cover of //Travels with Trolls// features a large, theatrically posed photograph of [[Gilderoy Lockhart]] winking. (film) * //Travels with Trolls// is part of a collection of alliteratively titled autobiographies by Lockhart, which also includes //[[Gadding with Ghouls]]//, //[[Break with a Banshee]]//, //[[Holidays with Hags]]//, //[[Voyages with Vampires]]//, //[[Wanderings with Werewolves]]//, and //[[Year with the Yeti]]//.
