Childhood values v Adulthood values in Potterverse/Lockhart's incompetence

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 143208

> >>Hickengruendler:
> > But I really think they were just sarcastic here. They obviously 
> > knew that Lockhart did not know, where the Chamber was, and just 
> > wanted to get rid of him. 
> > <snip>

> >>Alla:
> Well, I do agree with you -  they were sarcastic and definitely 
> wanted to get rid of Lockhart as I said in my previous post. BUT I 
> submit that we cannot  be sure what teachers knew about Lockhart   
> and what they did not. Now, sure they saw his striking            
> incompetence in some areas, but he admits at th end to memory      
> charming many people and passing on their achievements as his own, 
> so I think it is reasonable to speculate that teachers may think   
> that something of what he wrote in his books was true, no?

Betsy Hp:
Honestly, no. Not by the end of CoS.  Lockhart's hubris was such 
that he'd act the expert in front of *actual experts*.  He didn't 
brag on his horticulture skills in front of McGonagall, who might 
not know enough to call him on it.  He bragged in front of Prof. 
Sprout, who would know *immediately* that he was completely wrong.  
And his classroom disasters could have hardly been kept secret.  Not 
in the small community of Hogwarts.  

So I do think it's a bit past reason to think any teacher in the 
staff room thought Lockhart competent at anything besides curling 
his hair.  (You can speculate, of course, that there was any respect 
left for Lockhart.  But I think you've got an uphill battle on your 
hands <g>.)

> >>Alla: 
> After all Dumbledore gave him  the job, right and we all know how 
> much all other adults trust Albus? Not necessarily that everybody 
> knew that he was the only candidate for the job, IMO.

Betsy Hp:
But Hagrid knew it at the beginning of the year!  Hagrid!  The king 
of loose lips!  No, I'm quite sure the entire staff room knew 
Lockhart's appointment was one of desperation.  And anyone out of 
the loop was probably quite quickly filled in once Lockhart started 
offending everyone left right and center.  Especially after he 
started digging at Dumbledore.  I doubt McGonagall would have let 
that stand.

> >>Alla: 
> My point is I don't think  they knew with certainty that Lockhart 
> has no clue where Entrance to the Chamber was. JMO of course.

Betsy Hp:
I'd bet that pretty much everyone on staff would have sworn on the 
heads of their sainted mothers that Lockhart knew nothing about the 
Chamber or Slytherin's monster.  Especially after his "deer in the 
headlights" performance that Harry and Ron witnessed.

> >>Alla: 
> Regardless, though my main point was that nobody else was doing 
> anything and that brings me back to my main point.
> The story which JKR writes needs children to be the saviours of   
> the day often enough, NOT adults. And if adults engaged in search 
> of Chambers, it would have been quite a boring story.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
True to the extent that Harry needs to be the protagonist at the 
heart of the adventure.  But in CoS JKR gives Harry an edge 
(parseltongue) rather than making *all* the adults incompetent.  The 
adults were rendered helpless because they didn't know where the 
Chamber was.  Harry had the information because Tom Riddle wanted to 
kill him and because Harry spoke the language.  Not because he had 
some sort of special virtue of childhood all adults lack.

Actually, the very fact Harry and Ron *didn't* see through 
Lockhart's act and chose him as their adult backup showed a childish 
lack of judgement that nearly got them mind-wiped.  In this case, 
being children didn't help Ron and Harry (or Ginny for that matter) 
at all.  IMO, anyway.

Betsy Hp