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==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' {{1st}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' {{1st}} {{1stID}}
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)]]''
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)]]''
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)]]''
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)]]''

Revision as of 20:50, 21 June 2010

"I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. Since then, I serve him faithfully, although I have let him down many times."
— Quirinus Quirrell[src]

Professor Quirinus Quirrell was a Dark Wizard and the Muggle Studies Professor[1] at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, though he later became the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher during the 1991–1992 school year. While Quirrell travelled around the world, looking for first-hand experience before teaching D.A.D.A, he met Lord Voldemort, and then was spiralled into corruption. He shared his body with Voldemort and became loyal to him, helping him find the Philosopher's Stone, and eventually died while trying to murder Harry Potter, who succeeded in stopping him.

Quick Answers

Why did Professor Quirrell have Voldemort on the back of his head? toggle section
Professor Quirrell had Voldemort on the back of his head because he was possessed by him. During the 1991-1992 school year, Quirrell wore a purple turban to hide Voldemort's face. This possession allowed Voldemort to keep a physical form after his downfall. When Quirrell came into contact with Harry Potter, his skin would burn due to the protective magic Harry's mother left on him.
Provided by: Fandom
Why did Harry Potter's hands burn Quirrell? toggle section
Harry Potter's hands burned Quirinus Quirrell because of the protective magic his mother left in him when she sacrificed herself to save him. This magic acted as a shield and caused Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort, to burn and blister upon physical contact with Harry. This unexpected defense mechanism played a crucial role in preventing Quirrell from seizing the Philosopher's Stone.
Provided by: Fandom
Why did Quirinus Quirrell go in search of Voldemort before teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts? toggle section
Quirinus Quirrell sought out Voldemort before teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts due to a combination of curiosity and ambition. He hoped to learn powerful Dark magic from Voldemort, which he believed would earn him more respect and recognition. Quirrell's quest was not just academic, he also wanted to ensure that no one would laugh at him again, indicating a desire to overcome perceived inadequacies.
Provided by: Fandom

Biography

Early life

Little is known of Quirrell's early life. He was born into the Quirrell family, a wizarding family, possibly one with Muggle ancestry, as he had at least a sufficient knowledge of the non-magic community. It is likely that he obtained his wand from Ollivander's wand shop. It is also likely he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, If he did attend Hogwarts, it is likely that he obtained a high graded O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. in Muggle Studies and possibly Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Work at Hogwarts

Quirrel DADA

Quirrell teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts to a Fifth year class.

At some point, Quirrell took up a teaching position at Hogwarts as professor of Muggle Studies. After teaching for a while, he took a year-long sabbatical in order to gain first-hand experience. Quirrell claimed to have received his turban from an African prince as compensation for disposing of a zombie, and it was rumoured that he encountered vampires in the Black Forest of Albania.

Meeting 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 on his first failure[src]
File:Quirrell Leaky Cauldron.JPG

Quirrell's first encounter with Harry Potter shortly before breaking into Gringotts.

Quirrell did indeed encounter something horrible when he travelled around the world: Lord Voldemort. The barely-alive Dark Lord twisted the gullible Quirrell into his service, seducing Quirrell with the promise of glory.

In 1991, Quirrell attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts Wizarding Bank for Voldemort. Quirrell was unsuccessful because Hagrid had removed the Stone from its vault earlier that same day on Dumbledore's orders. After this first failiure, Voldemort decided to possess him. As Voldemort's face was sticking out the back of his head, Quirrell had to wear a purple turban the entire school year to hide him.

Serving the Dark Lord

"Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"
— Quirrell on Harry's suspicions about Snape after revealing himself[src]
File:Troll in the Dungeon!.JPG

Quirrell interrupts the 1991 Halloween feast, claiming that there was a "Troll in the Dungeons".

Quirrell returned and taught Defence Against the Dark Arts while another wizard replaced him as Muggle Studies Professor. He was acting jittery and nervous, either so people wouldn't be suspicious of him or because he was beginning to crack under the pressure of serving Lord Voldemort. Either way, his lack of confidence had earned very little respect from the students at Hogwarts. A few of his classes included the Curse of the Bogies, the Knockback Jinx, the Lumos spell and the Verdimillious spell. On Halloween, Quirrell allowed a troll to enter Hogwarts as a diversion, and sneaked to a restricted Third Floor Corridor where the Stone was being hidden. Severus Snape, who suspected Quirrell, followed him, and was bitten by the three-headed dog Fluffy in the proces of trying to follow Quirrell.

File:Quirrell counter jinx.jpg

Quirrell performing a jinx to kill Harry.

Later in the year, during a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Quirrell attempted to kill Harry Potter, whom he saw as a threat to him. He jinxed Harry's broomstick in order to try to throw him off. However, Severus Snape interfered again with a counter-curse. It was Hermione Granger who stopped Quirrell by rushing to set fire to the robes of Severus Snape (who she believed was jinxing Harry's broom) with Lacarnum Inflamarae, having previously knocked over Quirrell and causing him to lose concentration on jinxing the broom in the process.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione believed that Severus Snape was trying to intimidate Quirrell into helping him steal the Philosopher's Stone, they tried to be supportive and encouraging to Quirrell whenever possible, such as telling people off for laughing at his stutter, or making encouraging winks whenever they passed him.

Later that year, in order to keep his master alive, he began to prey on unicorns in the Forbidden Forest and drink their blood. To get past Fluffy, Quirrell disguised himself and played a card game with Hagrid in exchange for a dragon's egg. During that game, he managed to draw out the information on how to get past Fluffy, which was to play him music, so that it would fall asleep. Hagrid later assumed that Quirrell in disguise was actually a Dragon dealer. Quirrell then sent a forged letter to Professor Dumbledore summoning him to the Ministry of Magic to get him away from the school. He went after the Stone, but was followed by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger — though they believed their enemy to be Severus Snape.

Battle in the Philosopher's Stone Chambers and death

"What is this magic?!"
— Quirrell's last words.[src]
File:Hgf.jpg

Quirrell with the Mirror of Erised.

Quirrell had penetrated the first six chambers that protects the Philosopher's Stone, including the chamber in which he himself put a Troll in, by easily knocking out the creature himself. Quirrell reached the final chamber, only to find the Mirror of Erised, and unable to figure out how to take the stone from it, going as far as to thinking of shattering the mirror.

Eventually, Harry alone managed to reach the last chamber as well, and was surprised to meet Quirrell instead of Snape. Quirrell non-verbally bound Harry and summoned a wall of fire behind the door to prevent him from escaping, then unbind Harry to force him to see into the mirror, on Voldemort's demand. Harry saw his reflection having the Stone in his own trousers' pocket and felt it indeed being transferred to his real pockets. Quirrell revealed to Harry his master, Lord Voldemort, bound to the back of his head. Voldemort deduced that Harry had the Stone and, in the ensuing struggle to get it, Quirrell was unable to endure Harry's touch. The magic left by his mother's sacrifice was powerful enough to burn Quirrell, and Voldemort, seeing his servant was no longer of any use to him, left him to die. Dumbledore later explained to Harry that Voldemort left as little mercy to his followers as his enemies.

Physical description

File:Quieir.jpg

Quirinus in 1991.

"Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."
Rubeus Hagrid to Harry Potter[src]

In 1991, Quirrell's associates noticed a change in him upon his return from a trip to Albania. He not only began to wear a garlic-scented purple turban, but one of his eyes developed a twitch and he often appeared quite pale and nervous. His voice was stammering, and he often stuttered. He was usually trembling, and was prone to fainting. His nervousness turned out to be something of an act; even though he was terrified of disobeying Lord Voldemort, he was really very cold and calculating.

Near the end of his life, his reason for wearing the turban became clear. Quirrell had joined with Lord Voldemort and agreed to allow Voldemort's fledgling body to latch on to the back of his head. It was only able to grow into a face, and used Quirrell for transportation and sustenance.

Personality and traits

Hermione Granger: "So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?"
Ronald Weasley: "It'll be gone by next Tuesday."
Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in 1992[src]

Much of Quirrell's personality before he met Lord Voldemort in Albania is unknown; Quirrell usually acted very incompetent and although when he revealed himself as a servant of the Dark Lord, at which time he acted very cold and aggressive, it is possible that he only took on this personality when Voldemort was inside of him, although it is known that he had at least some skill and intelligence before hand. It is also possible that not all of Quirrell's act of insecurity was false, and that he did sometimes display true terror, as Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid commented that he was usually stammering.

According to Dolores Umbridge, Quirrell was the only teacher at Hogwarts that would have passed an inspection by the Ministry of Magic, as he was one of the few to teach age-appropriate magic (theory based).

Magical abilities and skills

Rubeus Hagrid once claimed that Quirrell was a brilliant mind, suggesting that he was an intelligent and powerful wizard. After being possessed by Lord Voldemort, Quirrell gains much more power due to their bond.

  • Creature Expert: Quirrell has no difficulty whatsoever in taming animals, such as Iguanas.[2] He is also "quite gifted" with trolls[3] and was somehow able to acquire a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon egg to give to Hagrid.
  • Transfiguration: Quirrell was apparently skilled with conjuration, a difficult branch of Transfiguration. He could conjure both fire and ropes, nonverbal and wandless.
  • Dark Arts: Quirrell was apparently skilled with Dark Arts. He jinxed Harry Potter´s broomstick and even had the ability to cast a wandless Killing Curse.
  • Flying: Quirrell was shown to be able to fly clear across a chamber without an object, defying the rule that wizards cannot fly without an object. This ability most likely came from Lord Voldemort, who had devised the method himself. He shares this ability with Severus Snape and Quirinus Quirrell.

Relationships

Lord Voldemort

VoldemortQuirell

Quirrell sharing with body with Lord Voldemort.

"I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. Since then, I serve him faithfully, although I have let him down many times."
— Quirinus Quirrell[src]

Quirinus Quirrell first met Lord Voldemort in 1991, at a forest of Albania, when he travelled around the world. Voldemort managed to find his weaknesses and turned him into a faithful servant, by offering him power (and possibly immortality). After Quirrell left the forest, Voldemort ordered him to rob Gringotts bank, in order to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Quirrell did so, but the vault they robbed was empty.

Some time after that, Quirell started to share his body with Voldemort, in order for the Dark Lord to be sure that Quirrell would not do any mistakes, while following Voldemort's orders. Then Voldemort ordered Quirrell to kill Harry Potter; Quirrell's attempts, however, failed, but Harry himself went at the Philosopher's Stone Chamber, only to see Quirrell in front of the Mirror of Erised. Quirrell, under Voldemort's orders, wanted the boy to give him the stone, but Harry refused. Quirrell and Voldemort then tried to convince him that power was more important than his beliefs about good and evil, and more important than love. Quirrell then attemped to kill Harry, but when he touched him, his body started to burn and he was killed, since neither he nor Voldemort were able to understand love, while Harry's mother had died to protect him. Although Voldemort possibly thought Quirrell was a loyal servant, didn't try to save him, but let him die, while he fleed away from his body.

Three years later, after his return, Voldemort told his Death Eaters that Quirrell was a foolish person, and that he only allied with him because he was a professor at Hogwarts.

Harry and quirrell

Harry Potter and Quirinus

Harry Potter

"What is this magic?"
— Quirrelll, unable to understand the power of love.[src]

Quirrell first met Harry Potter in 1991, at Diagon Alley. Then, Harry's opinion of Quirrell was that he was a friend of Rubeus Hagrid who was very glad to meet Harry, the “Boy who lived”. Harry learned by Hagrid that Quirrell was a professor at Hogwarts. He thought it was funny that Quirrell was trembling and seemed to quite like him. During his years at Hogwarts, Harry thought that Severus Snape threatened Quirrell in order to learn information about how to get into the Philosopher's Stone chamber. That made the boy try to encourage Quirrell not to give Snape the information.

Albus Dumbledore: "Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him? It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you. And that kind of act leaves a mark... This kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin."
Harry: "What is it?"
Albus Dumbledore: "Love, Harry. Love."
Albus Dumbledore to Harry Potter.[src]

In fact, Quirrell disliked Harry; as he was a servant of Voldemort, he wanted to kill the boy. When they were met for the last time at the Philosopher's Stone chamber, in front of the Mirror of Erised, Quirrell tried to make Harry give him the stone. Harry then refused to do so. Quirrell was possibly surprised, as Harry (unlike Quirrell) preffered to side with the “good”, instead of siding with Voldemort and getting much power. When Quirrell attacked the boy in order to kill him, his hands started to burn as he was touching Harry; as Harry's mother, Lily Evans, had died in order to protect him, people like Voldemort and Quirrell, who could not understand love, were unable to harm him. This led to Quirrell's death.

Hogwarts staff

Snape and quirrell

Snape and Quirrell

Quirrell had a good relationship with the most professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Some of them were Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout, Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid often thought highly of Quirrell and considered him to be a very clever and talented wizard. However, Quirrell didn't show his true personality and possibly disliked them all.

Quirrell, however, had a bad relationship with Severus Snape, the Potions professor. Snape appeared to dislike Quirrell, mainly becuase he was Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, a position that Snape wanted. Then, Snape possibly guessed that Quirrell served Tom Riddle, as he told him to "decide where his loyalties are". Harry Potter and his friends believed that Snape was threatening Quirrell in order to get information about how to get into the Philosopher's Stone chamber. Years later, Snape called Quirrell greedy and worthless, in front of Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy.

Although Albus Dumbledore was a highly intelligent and powerful wizard, he didn't appear to know that Quirrell served Voldemort. When Quirrell was fighting with Harry Potter, Dumbledore helped Harry defeat Voldemort and Quirrell. Then he expressed his opinion to Harry, that Quirrell, much like Tom Riddle, did not understand about "good and evil", and only wanted power.

Behind the scenes

  • Like Madam Hooch, Quirrell's first name is different according to the source. The trading cards list his name as Quirinus, whereas the Internet Movie database and Famous Wizard Cards say that it is Slatero.
    Quirin

    Quirinus as a Lego minifigure.

  • David Thewlis, who plays Professor Lupin in the film adaptations, was considered for the role of Professor Quirrell, however Ian Hart was eventually cast.
  • In the novels, Quirrell doesn't appear to have his turban until after his failed attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts. In the film however, Quirrell has his turban before the robbery. This change is indicated by the fact that he shakes Harry's hand at the Leaky Cauldron in the novel, but doesn't wish to in the film. However, not wanting to shake Harry's hand cannot be due to Voldemort's posession of him, because as he dies, he does not understand what is happening to him (He yells, "What is this magic?!")
  • Quirrell is notable as being one of few wizards capable of performing intricate magic, like Dumbledore, without a wand; he can fly without a wand, conjure ropes by snapping his fingers, etc. It is possible that he had this ability because of Voldemort's possession of him, although Hagrid's high opinion of Quirrell suggests that Quirrell was a talented wizard.
  • In a list of students in Harry Potter's year displayed by J. K. Rowling in Harry Potter and Me, a student named Quirrell is listed, possibly meant to be a relative of Professor Quirrell. The existence of this student is unlikely to be actual canon.
  • It should be noted that Quirrell is unique among Voldemort's followers as one of the few who use Voldemort's name. While the Death Eaters call Voldemort "The Dark Lord" when referring to him, Quirrell openly uses Voldemort's name when talking to Harry. This could be explained by the fact Quirrell was not a Death Eater and that he was also possessed by Voldemort at the time and Voldemort could be influencing Quirrell's speech as Quirrell was complimenting Voldemort.
  • Quirrell is a playable character in Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4. Despite dying in the first year, he can be still be played in the other years.

Appearances

Notes and references

Hogwarts faculty
Hogwartscrest
Founders Godric Gryffindor · Helga Hufflepuff · Rowena Ravenclaw · Salazar Slytherin
Headteachers Giffard Abbott · Walter Aragon · Phineas Nigellus Black · Elizabeth Burke · Antonia Creaseworthy · Dilys Derwent · Armando Dippet · Albus Dumbledore · Mordicus Egg · Everard · First Headmaster · Niamh Fitzgerald · Dexter Fortescue · Basil Fronsac · Brian Gagwilde · Limebert · Minerva McGonagall · Eupraxia Mole · Edessa Sakndenberg · Brutus Scrimgeour · Phyllida Spore · Severus Snape · Amrose Swott · Quentin Trimble · Dolores Umbridge · Fytherley Undercliffe · Vindictus Viridian · Vulpus · Heliotrope Wilkins · Gimlet-eyed Headmistress · Headmaster (1568) · Headteacher (1792) · Unidentified Headteachers
Deputy Heads Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Minerva McGonagall · Matilda Weasley
Heads of House Muldoon Cragg · Filius Flitwick · Godric Gryffindor · Gryffindor lady · Gryffindor man (II) · Gryffindor man (III) · Gryffindor man (IV) · Gryffindor Seeker · Helga Hufflepuff · Neville Longbottom · Minerva McGonagall · Valeria Myriadd · Uric Oapley · Podric Piles · Pink-faced Headmaster · Prendergast · Rowena Ravenclaw · Abraham Ronen · Horace Slughorn · Salazar Slytherin · Severus Snape · Pomona Sprout · Tobias Stump
Teaching staff Bartholomew · Bathsheda Babbling · San Bakar · Herbert Beery · Cuthbert Binns · Brindlemore · Charity Burbage · Herodiana Byrne · Camelia · Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Bartemius Crouch Junior (disguised as Alastor Moody) · Clodagh Dromgoole · Albus Dumbledore · Archibald Eagleton · Eleazar Fig · Firenze · Filius Flitwick · Fortinbras · Mirabel Garlick · Mirabel Garlick's predecessor · Jakub Gorski · Olivia Green · Rubeus Hagrid · Dinah Hecat · Rolanda Hooch · Bai Howin · Arsenius Jigger · Igor Karkaroff's Yule Ball partner · Silvanus Kettleburn · Chiyo Kogawa · Gilderoy Lockhart · Neville Longbottom · Remus Lupin · Elspeth MacGillony · Mazoni · Minerva McGonagall · Galatea Merrythought · Isidora Morganach · Mudiwa Onai · Prendergast · Quirinus Quirrell · Percival Rackham · Patricia Rakepick · Abraham Ronen · Charles Rookwood · Concordia Rowle · Luna Scamander · Satyavati Shah · Aesop Sharp · Arif Sikander · Aurora Sinistra · Horace Slughorn · Severus Snape · Pomona Sprout · Swoopstikes · Sybill Trelawney · Trocar · Dolores Umbridge · Septima Vector · Matilda Weasley · Matilda Weasley's predecessor · Unidentified professor · Charms professor (medieval) · Potions professor (16th century) · Holidaying professor (before 1890s) · DADA professor (1984–1985) · DADA professor (1985–1986) · DADA professor (1986–1987) · DADA professor (1987–1988) · DADA professor (1989–1990) · DADA professor (1990–1991) · Muggle Studies professor (1990s) · Music professor · DADA professor (1998–?) · Potions professor (21st century) · Charms professor (?th century)
Hogwarts house-elves Bilm · Boil-ridden house-elf · Cooky · Cosa · Deek · Dobby · Feenky · Filk · Gimkey ·Krafty · Kreacher · Nonsuch · Pitts · Retch · Ringkull · Rooky · Vekey · Wigby · Winky · Wooby · Unidentified house-elf (I) · Unidentified house-elf (II)
Support staff Phineas Nigellus Black's secretaries · Noreen Blainey · Rancorous Carpe · Argus Filch · Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank · Rubeus Hagrid · Rolanda Hooch · Hankerton Humble · Gladwin Moon · Ogg · Irma Pince · Poppy Pomfrey · Apollyon Pringle · Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus · Agnes Scribner · Wainscott · Carriage driver (1890s) · Gamekeeper (1890s) · Unidentified Healers · Librarian (?th century) · Librarian (21st century)