Kit Harrington steps in as Nicholas Hoult exits 'Harry Potter' role

Kit Harington is stepping into the wizarding world as Gilderoy Lockhart.

The Game of Thrones star will replace Nicholas Hoult in the role for season 2 of HBO’s Harry Potter series, according to Deadline.

Harington will play the famously vain Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in the season based on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in J.K. Rowling’s novel series.

Deadline reported that Hoult exited the project due to scheduling conflicts with two other commitments.

The role marks a natural next step for Harington, who already voiced Lockhart in Audible’s Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions last year.

“I think there’s a little bit of Gilderoy in all of us...The main thing with him is to come in and have fun. He’s having such a fun time all the time. He’s loving being Gilderoy Lockhart. That was my main job, really,” Harington said in a featurette for the audiobook.

Kenneth Branagh famously played Lockhart in the 2002 film adaptation of Chamber of Secrets.

Season 1 of HBO’s eight-episode Harry Potter series premieres on Christmas Day, while production on season 2 will start filming this fall.