Why should Harry be expected to listen to anyone at H...

[KathyK]

No: HPFGUIDX 122858


Uh, er, I'm a little nervous taking on a L.O.O.N.  

Amanda wrote:

>Lockhart was going to erase his and Ron's memories, and then leave 
them to die in the tunnels below Hogwarts. So he *was* trying to 
kill them.<

KathyK:

I disagree.  My brain's a little fuzzy on the details but I had to 
wonder why Lockhart would bother with a memory charm if he were 
going to just leave Harry and Ron to die.  So I double-checked CoS.  

*****
Lockhart says, US paperback p. 303:

"I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I 
was too late to save the girl, and that you two *tragically* lost 
your minds at the sight of her mangled body--say good-bye to your 
memories!"

*****

He doesn't say he'll take the boys with him out of the Chamber but I 
always took it as such because otherwise, "Yes, Potter and Weasley.  
They lost their heads.  Completely useless now, so I thought I'd 
just leave them down there and bring back this lovely snake skin 
instead, useful only to me as proof of what a great hero I am.  Once 
they see the skin, they'll instantly forget I left two children 
wandering confused in the Chamber of Secrets and praise my great 
courage."
 
Lockhart leaving the boys to die in the Chamber makes no sense when 
you look at his plan.  If he wanted them dead he would just leave 
them there and not breathe a word about the Chamber to anyone else.  
But good ol' cowardly yet opportunistic Lockhart will not let pass 
the chance for more glory.  He wants everyone to know *he'd* found 
the Chamber of Secrets and taken on the basilisk.  He'd already 
written off Ginny, but he couldn't go back spouting stories of the 
Chamber at all without Harry and Ron.  Their absence would not go 
unnoticed.  Plus, added bonus of *a* rescue.  "I don't know what 
they were thinking, following me down there.  At least I got them 
out alive."

Yeah, so I don't think Lockhart meant to kill Harry at all. 

KathyK