11 Harry Potter spin-off series we want to see (or not)

11. Magical Gilderoy

Before Gilderoy Lockhart became a celebrity (and one of the worst Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers Hogwarts ever had, which is saying something), he was an average half-blood Ravenclaw student. We know he was four years below the Marauders. He promised he would create the Philosopher’s Stone. He claimed he would become England’s youngest Quidditch captain AND Minister for Magic. His ego knew no bounds, and even as a teenager he must have caused his fair share of trouble.

In short, he’s a good comic character to build a show around. Perhaps it could be an anthology, with Gilderoy reading chapters from his various best-selling books and retelling accounts of his (fake) adventures. Maybe he’s just re-reading them from his hospital bed at St. Mungo’s, not fully realizing those are his books. Or maybe he’s all healed and recording audiobooks, and we get to be in his head when he imagines what didn’t happen.

It’s unlikely Kenneth Branagh would reprise his role as an adult Gilderoy Lockhart from 2002’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but we can dream. I could even tolerate a cameo from a young Lily Evans and James Potter if they were giving detention to a third year Gilderoy Lockhart who somehow keeps redirecting everyone’s love letters to himself on Valentine’s Day.