The Harry Potter movies notoriously cut some key moments from the books, including one in The Order of the Phoenix that explains what happened to Gilderoy Lockhart. First introduced in The Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart was an arrogant wizard who was famous for his various feats of bravery. He became the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, only for everyone to notice that he wasn’t quite as brave or honest as he seemed.
It was revealed that Lockhart lied about everything he did as he’d erase the memories of actual brave wizards and pᴀss off their heroics as his own. He attempted to do the same to Harry and Ron in the Chamber of Secrets, only for the curse to backfire and wipe his own memory. In the film, Lockhart is never really mentioned again and his fate, other than having lost his memory, isn’t explained, but the books handle it differently.
Harry & The Weasleys See Gilderoy Lockhart At St. Mungo’s Hospital In Order Of The Phoenix
Lockhart Is A Patient At The Hospital
With his memory wiped, Gilderoy Lockhart couldn’t return to his former life, and with his mind unstable, he was moved to St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. During the events of The Order of the Phoenix, Harry and the Weasley family run into Lockhart at the hospital when they visit Arthur after he was placed there following an attack by Nagini.
They note that while he doesn’t know who he is, he seems to recall being famous…
Lockhart doesn’t recognize Harry, Ron, or anyone he previously knew. It seems as if his crimes weren’t revealed to the public as even the nurses at the hospital talk about him fondly. They note that while he doesn’t know who he is, he seems to recall being famous and one of the first things he manages to do properly again is write in cursive to sign his name. Ron felt bad since it was his wand that backfired on Lockhart and caused this but Harry was less sympathetic.
Harry recalled that Lockhart tried to wipe their memories so what happened to him was his fault. It also didn’t help that Lockhart, despite the memory loss, seemed to not have changed much. He was still full of himself and had he remembered what he did, he likely wouldn’t have been remorseful.
St. Mungo’s Is Also Where Neville Longbottom’s Parents Are
The Longbottoms Reside There After Bellatrix Tortured Them
Although what happened to Lockhart is somewhat sad, he was guilty and ultimately not a good person. Along with seeing Lockhart, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys came across a much more tragic situation. They spotted their classmate Neville Longbottom, who was there with his grandmother, visiting his parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom. When Neville was just a baby, the Longbottoms were tortured to the point of insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange.
In many ways, it’s a fate worse than the Potters.
Frank and Alice were skilled Aurors who were part of the original Order of the Phoenix who battled Voldemort during the First Wizarding War. Bellatrix, along with her husband Rodolphus, her brother-in-law Rabastan, and Barty Crouch Jr., used the Cruciatus Curse to get information out of the Longbottoms. They refused to reveal anything and they ended up in St. Mungo’s. In many ways, it’s a fate worse than the Potters.
Even more tragic was how Neville was embarrᴀssed at having his friends see his parents. However, his grandmother stepped in and said that he should be proud of who his parents were and that he should admire their bravery. Neville ultimately proved that was the case and that too was brave given how he was able to use Gryffindor’s sword to kill Nagini during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Harry Potter
- Created by
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J.K. Rowling
- First Film
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
- First TV Show
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Harry Potter
- Cast
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Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alfred Enoch, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, Warwick Davis, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Katie Leung, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen
- TV Show(s)
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Harry Potter
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