[HPforGrownups] Re: What's with Lockhart, anyway?

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 168465

Bart:
>> The JKR rule of scarily apropriate names should have clued 
>> us that he was phony (as in Gilded) and a sociopath (as in 
>> Locked Heart). But what puts him in a class outside of 
>> psychopathic The Mad Riddler is his being convinced that he 
>> can do what he claims he can do; he doesn't even TRY to hide 
>> his incompetence.
>
>Goddlefrood:
>This would suggest otherwise:
>
>"Harry, Harry," said Lockhart, shaking his head impatiently, 
>"it's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. 
>I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they 
>managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm 
>on them so they wouldn't remember doing it. If there's one 
>thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms. No, it's been 
>a lot of work, Harry. It's not all book signings and publicity 
>photos, you know. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a 
>long hard slog."
>
>CoS - Chapter 16

Bart:
A) He is admitting it only because he intends to wipe Harry's memory anyway.
B) He is admitting that he didn't do the things in his books. He is not admitting that he CAN'T do the things in his books. 
C) There does seem to be quite a bit of self-delusion here. His sociopathic tendencies are showing in that the only negative consequence he can even imagine for his actions is loss of book sales. But, although he decided to make a run for it when real danger reared its ugly head, most of the time, he sets himself up for failure, and appears to be quite surprised when he fails. 

Bart