I've been following along with this, but not having my copy of CoS here at school prevented me from actually participating. Once again, thanks for doing these, because it provides some real insight and things to think on while waiting (im)patiently for HBP.

Do you really think Lockhart's punishment disproportionate to his crimes? He's spent an unknown number of years taking credit for other people's successes, using Memory Charms (which, incidentally, don't seem to be controlled by the Ministry the way other charms are....hmm) without any apparent discrimination, and when he tries, once again, to take the credit (and let a little girl and possibly two little boys die in the process), he's rendered amnesiac. I think it's perfectly just, almost poetic. It's a lesson, too, for Harry. The fact that we see Lockhart again in OotP, just as Harry's at a place where his anger combined with his desire to be a part of things could drive him to do unethical if not illegal things, suggests to me that Harry's (and maybe not Harry, but someone else - Ron, possibly) meant to take Lockhart's plight as an example. There are a number of lessons like that in the books - Quirrell's death, Snape's childhood, even Sirius' death.

Heh....$.02 I didn't know I was about to contribute ;-)