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Oct 25, 2012 · Quirrell was not yet possessed by Voldemort at the time when he shook Harry's hand in the Leaky Cauldron. Quirrell spent the 1991-1992 school year – Harry’s first at Hogwarts – working on an attempt to steal the Philosopher’s Stone, and thus bring Voldemort back to life. His first attempt to steal it, from Gringotts, was thwarted whe
Voldemort tells Quirrell that Harry is lying. Wishing to speak directly to Harry now, Voldemort tells Quirrell to unwrap his turban. Harry is shocked to find Voldemort’s face on the back of Quirrell’s head—Voldemort is a shape-shifter and has been using Quirrell’s body. Voldemort tries to persuade Harry to give him the stone, which he ...
The philosophy that Quirrell and Voldemort espouse is the most direct argument that Rowling makes associating power and greed with evil. Even though Quirrell says that there is no such thing as evil, the fact that he is possessed by a wizard who kills anyone who stands in his way, and the fact that Harry does not believe this philosophy, demonstrates that Rowling too does not truly espouse ...
- Overview
- Biography
- Physical description
- Personality and traits
- Magical abilities and skills
- Possessions
- Relationships
- Etymology
- Behind the scenes
"I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it... Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times."
— Quirrell's faithful service to Lord Voldemort
Professor Quirinus Quirrell (26 September 1967 or earlier – 4 June 1992) was a half-blood wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was Sorted into Ravenclaw House. He was the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts, though he later became the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor during the 1991–1992 school year.
Before teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, Quirrell went out in search of Voldemort, believing he could achieve recognition for finding him and could learn things that would ensure that no one laughed at him again.
Early life
"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience.... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject —" — Rubeus Hagrid regarding Quirrell's youth and travels Quirinus Quirrell was born on 26 September before or in 1967 somewhere in the British Isles, to a magical and a Muggle parent. It is likely that he acquired his wand from Ollivanders when he was eleven.
Hogwarts years
Quirinus attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was Sorted into Ravenclaw House. In his youth, he was a gifted student, but also a delicate young wizard who was frequently teased by his peers because of his timidity and nerves. Feeling inadequate and wishing to prove himself, he eventually developed what began as a solely theoretical interest in the Dark Arts. The feelings of insignificance and worthlessness that this bullying fostered embittered him; forging a latent desire to make the world sit up and notice him. Minerva McGonagall was a professor during this time, and was very kind and helpful to the young Quirrell, encouraging him to value knowledge. He was very grateful towards her, and admired her bravery, wisdom, thirst for knowledge and kindness. He also most likely obtained a high-graded O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. in Muggle Studies and Defence Against the Dark Arts, since not only did he go on to teach both but was also noted to have had a gift for the theory of Defensive Magic.
As the Muggle Studies professor
Sometime after he graduated from Hogwarts, Professor Quirrell returned to the school as a teacher, becoming the school's new Muggle Studies professor. During the special Teacher Appreciation Celebration at Hogwarts in the 1985–1986 school year, Merula Snyde was given the task to interview and learn about Quirrell, though she was not too pleased about this due to him being the Muggle Studies professor at the time. Jacob's sibling also went to visit him to learn more about Minerva McGonagall. During their meeting, Quirrell asked them their opinion of Merula, wondering whether they thought she was good or bad or somewhere in between. He also revealed that Professor McGonagall's influence during some of the difficult times in his Hogwarts years were the "reason he is a teacher today".
"Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."
— Quirrell's nervous deposition
Quirinus Quirrell was a young man with pale white skin.
When Quirrell returned from his sabbatical in Albania, one of his eyes developed a twitch and he appeared quite pale and anxious and frequently stuttered. At the start of the term, he was wearing a purple turban.
"He didn't realise that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."
— Albus Dumbledore explains Quirrell's demise
In his youth, Quirrell was gifted, but emotionally fragile. He became interested in travelling as well as pressing wild flowers, stemming from his early enthusiasm in academia, and continued to do so in his adult years. By his own admittance, he was "full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil".
As a young boy, he was teased and neglected for his timid nature, and came to develop a latent desire for recognition and greatness, cynical feeling for society, and was seduced by the Dark Arts, no matter how subtle the lure appeared at first. This led him to foolishly search out for Voldemort's remains in the hopes of fame and knowledge, while exposing his impressionable and naive side to the fallen Dark Lord. Quirinus' journey to capture Voldemort showcased his own overestimation of his own skills, possibly a slight arrogance, as Voldemort easily overpowered him.
When Quirrell met Voldemort, he arrived at the conclusion that "there is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it". Meeting Voldemort made Quirrell admit himself as a "foolish young man [he] was then", apparently looking down on his past self, showing his gullibility, and weak will, and was easily corrupted. Quirrell generally did his best to serve Voldemort, though he admitted that his attempts were not always successful, seeing as he was being given rather tall orders.
Dumbledore considered Quirrell to be greedy, hateful and ambitious, a reason why Quirrell could not understand the powerful magic of love, which was what heavily injured him during the battle with Harry Potter. Despite Quirrell's continuous descent into corruption, he did not completely submit his existence to Voldemort as he attempted to resist the Dark Lord's soul of possessing his body, feeble and futile though it may have been.
"Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic — no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."
— Rubeus Hagrid unknowingly commenting on Quirrell's impressive abilities in dark magic
Quirrell was known to have had an excellent aptitude for theoretical learning, particularly when it came to Defensive Magic. Even so, as Professor McGonagall later pointed out that teachers of Hogwarts generally speaking were rather good at magic, it can be assumed that he also possessed a considerable amount of magical ability.
•Intellectual giftedness: Quirrell was known while still a student for being highly intelligent, possessing a brilliant intellectual mind. His intelligence was great enough to locate Voldemort, which the British Ministry of Magic had failed to do. He was also intelligent and cunning enough to successfully forge a convincing letter to Albus Dumbledore, supposedly being from the Ministry, in order to deceive him and send him away from the school.
•Charms: Whilst the true extent of Quirrell's expertise in this area is unknown, he was able to conjure a non-corporeal Patronus, a very advanced piece of magic, which means he must have possessed a considerable amount of ability in charms. He also was able to skilfully perform and thoroughly teach on how to cast many other charms such as the Verdimillious Charm and the Wand-Lighting Charm, giving his students in his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes full understanding on how to use them effectively. He was also capable of casting the Deprimo charm, which was capable of blasting holes in the ground. Furthermore, Quirrell was capable of animating objects, such as gargoyles and suits of armour, and conjuring a protective barrier around himself.
•Dark Arts: Quirrell had at least a reasonable amount of knowledge and ability in dark magic, and could adequately use it and thoroughly explain the function of jinxes, hexes and curses, such as the Knockback Jinx and Curse of the Bogies, teaching his first-years the knowledge of how to perform both spells effectively. He was able to effectively jinx Harry Potter's Nimbus 2000 during a Quidditch match, which made his broom go haywire in an attempt to throw him off and kill him, something that Hagrid noted required considerable skill in the Dark Arts. He nearly succeeded with this powerful jinx, as even Severus Snape was unable to counter-curse the jinx completely, and was only thwarted when Hermione Granger indirectly made him lose focus. He was also capable of locking the exit to the Dungeons with four sets of curses, making it so that the only way to exit the Dungeons was to undo all the curses with a curse-dependent locking spell. He also possessed considerable skill in the handling and presumably also the understanding of dark magical artefacts and cursed objects. He also displayed the ability to shoot balls of destructive green energy, and cast an unknown destructive dark charm that he charged in his wand before unleashing it.
•Wand: Quirrell owned a wand made of alder wood with a unicorn hair core.
•Turban: During the 1991-1992 school year, Quirrell wore a turban to hide his master's face on the back of his head, for which he claimed was gifted to him by an African prince.
•Office: While teaching Defence against the Dark Arts, Quirrell occupied an office on the second floor where he kept books, skulls and masks.
•Lumos spellbook: Quirrell owned a spell-book about the Wand-Lighting Charm that he used while teaching.
•Vault 998: Quirrell owned this vault in Gringotts Wizarding Bank, containing many valuables and personal items.
•Telescope: Quirrell owned a telescope, which he kept in his office during the 1991–1992 school year.
Lord Voldemort
"When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me... decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me..." — Quirinus Quirrell to Harry Potter regarding his first failure Quirinus Quirrell first met Lord Voldemort in 1991, in the forests of Albania, where Voldemort subjugated Quirrell into servitude. Quirrell brought him back to Britain, and eventually to Hogwarts. The Dark Lord planned to obtain the Philosopher's Stone and fabricate the Elixir of Life to acquire a body. Quirrell attempted to infiltrate Vault 713 of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, in order to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Quirrell managed to break in, but found the vault had been emptied by Rubeus Hagrid and Harry Potter earlier that day. Following this failed attempt, Voldemort began a parasitic relationship with Quirrell, in which he attached himself to the back of Quirrell's head, to ensure his plans were being followed precisely; throughout the year, Quirrell attempted to resist the possession, feeble and futile though his efforts were. Voldemort ordered Quirrell to kill Harry Potter, though Quirrell's attempts to do so were thwarted by Severus Snape and Hermione Granger. Harry penetrated the Philosopher's Stone Chambers in pursuit of Snape, or so he believed, only to find it was Quirrell in front of the Mirror of Erised. Quirrell, under Voldemort's orders, demanded Harry draw the Stone from the Mirror; though Harry was successfully able to retrieve the stone, he attempted to conceal the fact by lying about what he saw in the mirror. Quirrell revealed Voldemort, who tried to manipulate Harry into handing over the Stone by offering him the chance to see his parents, and upon Harry's refusal, ordered Quirrell to take the stone by force. Quirrell, sharing his body with Voldemort, found himself unable to touch "a person marked by something so good" (referring to Lily Potter's sacrificial protection). Voldemort separated his soul from Quirrell's body to escape the pain, and left Quirrell to die, as Albus Dumbledore noted, showing him as little mercy as he did to his enemies. Three years later, Voldemort told his Death Eaters that Quirrell was a fool, and that he only allied with him for his position. It should be noted that despite his fear of Voldemort and that he was not a Death Eater, Quirrell was one of Voldemort's only followers who referred to him by name, the others being Bartemius Crouch Junior and Peter Pettigrew.
Harry Potter
"I'm going to kill you tonight. You're too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school on Hallowe'en like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone." — Quirrell threatening to murder Harry Potter in the Underground Chambers Quirrell first met Harry Potter in 1991, at the Leaky Cauldron, in Diagon Alley. Quirrell greeted Harry in the same way most of the wizarding community did, seeming thrilled to meet "The Boy who Lived". Though Harry found Quirrell's twitchy behaviour odd, he was generally pleased to meet Quirrell, as a friend of Hagrid's and as his soon-to-be Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. Harry eventually came to believe that Severus Snape was attempting to threaten Quirrell into helping him penetrate the defences surrounding the Philosopher's Stone, for Voldemort. As it seemed like the only thing standing between Snape and a means of restoring Voldemort to power was Quirrell's will, Harry did what he could to encourage Quirrell and help build his confidence. As it turned out, Quirrell was a servant of Voldemort, and it was he, not Snape, who was aiming to steal the Philosopher's Stone for the Dark Lord, and, if possible, kill Harry along the way. When they met for the last time in the final of the Philosopher's Stone Chambers, Quirrell's connection to Voldemort rendered him unable to touch Harry without experiencing unbearable pain, due to the enduring power of Lily Potter's sacrificial protection, and he died attempting to steal the stone from Harry by force. About four years after this, when Dolores Umbridge commented positively on Quirrell's teaching methods, Harry sarcastically agreed before pointing out the deceased professor's duplicity. A year after that, when Snape finally took over as the Defence teacher, Harry made a snide comment of Quirrell dying on the job, and hoped that Snape would also die.
Hogwarts staff
With the exception of Severus Snape, Quirrell generally got along well with most of the faculty at Hogwarts, including Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout, Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid seemed to think highly of Quirrell, and considered him to be a very clever and talented wizard for his extensive world travels and experience fighting the Dark Arts. However, as Quirrell didn't show his true personality, it is possible he did not like all of them, and it is probable they were all disgusted by Quirrell's actions once his true nature was revealed. Quirrell additionally took advantage of Hagrid's love for magical creatures through getting him drunk and giving him an illegal Dragon egg so that he revealed the secret of getting past Fluffy. Hagrid afterwards was horrified when he learnt of Quirrell's true nature and the fact that he manipulated him for his own ends, calling him an "evil git" when he visited Harry in the Hospital Wing after Quirrell's death.
The name "Quirinus" is possibly derived from the Sabine word quiris meaning "spear". Quirinus was a Sabine and a Roman god who was later identified with Mars. The name was also borne by several early saints.
Quirinus is also used as an epithet for the Roman god Janus, a god with two faces similar to Quirrell after he was possessed by Voldemort. This could be a clue to the malevolence of his character. Janus was the god of beginnings, and Quirrell was the first one to find Voldemort in Albania, thereby beginning the Dark Lord's return to power, in a way, and was the first Dark Wizard that Harry ever directly confronted.
•Quirrell's story about encountering the prince and being gifted with the turban is an early hint that he is not what he makes himself out to be.
•It is remarked in the story that the turban smells foul, and most presume it is to protect Quirrell from a vampire he encountered in the Black Forest. It is later revealed that Voldemort was possessing Quirrell, with the smell possibly owing to him.
•Ironically, Quirrell's story about a vampire is in some respect true, as Voldemort existed in a state between life and death and he himself admitted that he was living parasitically off of Quirrell and forced him to do parasitic actions, like drinking the blood of the unicorns in the Forbidden Forest to keep him alive, likewise to how a vampire survives by drinking the blood of living beings.
•In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Quirrell isn't seen wearing his trademark turban, though he does wear a hat during his encounter with Jacob's sibling. He even asks Jacob's sibling whether this hat suits him. Within the timeline, he hasn't acquired his turban yet, as the books suggest he received it as a gift during his 1990 sabbatical. The truth of his claims regarding how he acquired it is unknown.
•He would later start wearing the turban after his return in the final chapter of Year 7, which takes place shortly before the 1990–1991 school year ended, with the implication of his possession by Voldemort having taken place at that point.
•Given that he seemed familiar with the rivalry between Severus Snape and James Potter, it's possible that he was at Hogwarts at the same time as them, although it's unconfirmed.
After crossing the platform, Harry, Ron, and Hermione say goodbye. Mr. Dursley comes to pick Harry up and as Harry's leaving, he tells his friends that being able to do magic will make the summer break way more tolerable. Join today and never see them again. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Chapter 17 summary.
Nov 11, 2024 · Voldemort orders Quirrell to seize Harry, but Quirrell's skin burns and blisters when he touches Harry. As Quirrell is about to perform a deadly curse, Harry grabs his opponent's face, leaving Quirrell in too much pain to utter the incantation. By now, the pain in Harry's scar is so intense that it renders him unconscious.
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Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the Stone.[Harry's parents disappear from the mirror]Harry: "[screams]" You liar!Voldemort: Kill him