Lockhart's incompetence

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 143215

>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.

Orna:
I have been thinking about this. I don't understand how come, that 
Lockhart, whose expertise should be to be able to fool people, and 
convince them of his nonexistent talents, would brag about his 
skills, in front of the wrong persons. I mean, to get the results he 
got – many books, with practical information about how to get rid of 
various creatures, he must have some capability to win the trust of 
the people involved, and that would include not bragging in front of 
people about things they are likely to spot. 
So, either, he was relying more and more on his memory charms, and 
so got reckless habits by now (like in the duel club with Snape, or 
when he told Harry and Ron that he was a fake. I mean, why tell them 
something, he will have to obliviate in a few seconds?). Or, perhaps 
that self-defying strategy has something to do with the DADA-curse? 
Perhaps the DADA curse let's every person get carried away with his 
secret, or some characteristic trait, thus being destructed by it, 
in a way? I mean – it seems that no DADA-teacher looses his job, 
just by wishing to retire, or even by some unfortunate accident. It 
seems connected to some dark/secret/characteristic point in the 
person.

Lockhart with his arrogance, Lupin with his being a werewolf and 
forgetting it in crucial moments, Umbridge with 
 just anything from 
stupidity, arrogance, cruelty – you name it. And Snape – with his- 
being a double –spy: I mean whatever Snape is; he can't function in 
book 7 as a double-spy in the sense, that both parties trust him, 
and think he belongs to them. Perhaps this curse-overconfidence made 
him take the UV, thinking he will be able to handle it in a way, 
which won't compromise his double position. I phrase it this way, 
because I tried not to glide into the Snape-discussion. But it seems 
the DADA curse works very strong – I'm right back in it
. 

I can't fit as easily Moody and the late Quirrel, but I can try: 
Quirrel got killed because of his being secretly possessed by 
Voldermort. 

Remain Moody, whose "constant vigilance" and paranoid thoughts, were 
ridiculed and confirmed at the same time, not giving him the chance 
to teach at all. And, paradoxically, his paranoid habit of drinking 
from his hipflask enabled Crouch jr. to perform his Polyjuice-
cheating.


Orna