Gilderoy Lockhart, Agent of Lord Voldemort?

[Eric Oppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 59580

One thing that occured to me, rereading CoS, is that Lockhart's activities
could have had a darker rationale than helping him sell Lotsa Books.  What
if he had a secondary purpose, namely, eliminating the very wizards and
witches who'd be the most useful to the Good Guys, before Lord Voldemort
came back?

Think about it:  He goes around finding wizards and witches who've
successfully battled Dark creatures---and destroys their memories.  I don't
know if the Memory Charm would absolutely render someone amnesiac, but from
what he says in the outer part of the Chamber, I suspect so.  And we know
that an amnesiac wizard or witch can't cast spells, or even remember that he
or she is magical; Gilderoy's amazed at magic after he Obliviates himself.

Now, wouldn't this sort of thing be just the way to prepare the way for a
return of the Dark Lord?  I mean, eliminating the very people the other side
would find the most useful would be something _I_ would think was a good
plan, and I don't doubt that for all his megalomania, Lord V. (or his
puppet-masters; remember my post earlier about how it's possible that Lord
V. is an unwitting front-man for people like Lucius Malfoy?) is smart enough
to think of it for himself.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Lord V. hissing in OoP that "One
reason I hate Harry Potter is because, thanks to him, one of my best agents
is now a gibbering idiot in St. Mungo's!"

I wonder what sort of acronym I can use for a theory that Gilderoy Lockhart
is Lord Voldemort's agent?  I'll have to think...