Gilderoy/Rita
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Gilderoy Lockhart/Rita Skeeter |
| Alternative name(s): | Gilderita, Skeeteroy, Skeethart, Gilderoy/Rita, Lockhart/Skeeter, GL/RS, H.M.S. Up the Creek |
| Gender category: | het, m/f |
| Fandom: | Harry Potter |
| Canonical?: | no |
| Prevalence: | rare |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Gilderoy/Rita is the het rarepair involving Gilderoy Lockhart and Rita Skeeter from the Harry Potter fandom.
Canon
Gilderoy Lockhart and Rita Skeeter do not interact in canon.
According to Pottermore, Rita is thirteen years older than Gilderoy.[1][2]
Fandom
Gilderoy/Rita is often seen as a crack ship, but fans who ship it still have their reasons for doing so. Fans of this pairing point out that Gilderoy and Rita are both incredibly ambitious, willing to do immoral and sleazy things to gain fame, and obsessed with their image and reputation.[3] All these things make them a potentially interesting pairing.
Common Tropes in Fanworks
Given the dearth of canon information on either Gilderoy Lockhart or Rita Skeeter outside of post-publication interviews and JKR’s writings on Pottermore, fans of this rarepair enjoy a lot of creative freedom and flexibility. Gilderoy and Rita are often assumed to be close in age, ignoring the author-stated age gap between them, since this was not information given in the books themselves. Other common tropes and fanon ideas include:
- Crack: Gilderita is often seen as a crack ship, and as such, many fics do not take themselves too seriously and/or engage with funny or ridiculous concepts.
- Since Gilderoy and Rita are often headcanoned as being around the same age, many fics portray them as students attending Hogwarts around the same time.
- Gilderoy is inspired to become a writer and/or lie about his accomplishments from Rita, or he is tutored by her in the art of writing sensationalist works.
- Rita uses the nickname “Gilly” with Gilderoy.
- Gildeory and Rita were previously in a relationship that ended for various reasons.
- Gilderoy and Rita are often either partners-in-crime (friends to lovers) or rivals hellbent on exposing each others’ untruths (rivals to lovers).
- Rita visits Gilderoy in the Janus Thickey ward at Saint Mungo’s after his memory loss.
Example Fanworks
Fanfiction
- Desperate Measures by mellamomuyloco, rated for General Audiences: Gilderoy Lockhart is five years out of school and still a nobody. He's so worthless that even his best friend, who rules the press, can't seem to make a story out of him. A despicable idea comes to mind, one that he's been resisting... but it's foolproof, and he's starved for attention. She wants a story? He'll give her the story of a lifetime. (2013)
- Himbo and Bimbo by Hinnyfied, rated Teen: Gilderoy Lockhart had been in St. Mungo's long-term memory care ward for nearly five years when he received a most unexpected visitor from his past. (2022)
- Swedes and Swedes in the Nightless Night by Kiertorata, rated Mature: Gilderoy is chasing his latest adventure when someone almost compromises his plans. (2019)
Fanart, Graphics, &c
- Gilderoy Lockhart x Rita Skeeter Aesthetic by littlemisseightysixed
- HP - Rita and Gilderoy by the-evil-legacy (2015)
Archives and Links
- Gilderoy Lockhart/Rita Skeeter works at Archive of Our Own
- Gilderoy L. + Rita S. works at Fanfiction.net
- gilderita and skeeteroy tags on Tumblr