Quirinus Quirrell

"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

Professor Quirinus Quirrell was a wizard and Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1991–1992 school year. Prior to this position, he was the Professor for Muggle Studies. While Quirrell travelled around the world, he met 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.

Early life
Little is known of Quirrell's early life. He was likely born into the Quirrell line, a Wizarding family, possibly one with Muggle ancestry, as he had at least a sufficient knowledge of the non-magic community. It is likely he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he may have been in Ravenclaw House, as the Hogwarts Gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid said he was a brilliant mind. 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.

Adulthood
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. 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.

Breaking the Gringotts Wizarding Bank
"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 failiure 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.

1991-1992 school year
"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

Quirrell returned and taught Defence Against the Dark Arts while Charity Burbage 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 Voldemort. Either way, his lack of confidence had earned very little respect from the students. A few of his classes included the Curse of the Bogies, the Knockback Jinx and the Lumos 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 process.

Later in the year, during a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Quirrell attempted to kill Harry Potter, whom he saw as a threat. 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 ultimately stopped Quirrell by setting fire to Severus Snape's robe with Lacarnum Inflamarae, having previously knocked over Quirrell and causing him to lose concentration on jinxing the broom.

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.

Death
"What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows."

- Albus Dumbledore to Harry Potter

The three students managed to get past numerous obstacles and ultimately, Harry encountered Quirrell in a final chamber where the Philosopher's Stone was supposedly kept. However, all that was in the chamber was the Mirror of Erised. 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.

Magical Abilities and Skills

 * Creature Expert: Quirrell has no difficulty whatsoever in taming animals, such as iguanas. He is also "quite gifted" with trolls and was somehow able to acquire a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon egg.
 * Non-verbal Magic: Quirrell was skilled with non-verbal magic, conjuring ropes without the incantation.
 * Wandless Magic: Quirrell was able to do wandless magic, conjuring ropes without a wand, although that may have been due to Voldemort's presence.

Physical Description
"Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh - mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

- Rubeus Hagrid to Harry Potter

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
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 intellegence 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 British Ministry of Magic, as he was one of the few to teach age-appropriate magic.

Behind the scenes

 * Like Madame Hooch, Quirrel's first name is different according to the source. The trading cards list his name as Quirinus, whereas the Internet Movie database say that it is Slatero.
 * David Thewlis, who plays Professor Lupin in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 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.
 * 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.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Notes and references
Professor Quirrell Quirinus Quirrell Slatero Quirrell Квиреус Квиррелл