Movies - Professor Quirrell

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Quirinus Quirrell is a fictional character in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first novel in the successful Harry Potter series written by JK Rowling. Quirrell was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during Harry's first year at the school.

Professor Quirrell was played by the British actor Ian Hart in the film adaptation of the book.

Background

Nothing is known of Quirrell's early life before his employment at Hogwarts. Immediately prior to Harry Potter's arrival, Quirrell spent some time travelling in Europe, possibly as part of his research into the Dark Arts. There were rumours that he encountered vampires in the Black Forest. Since his return, his behaviour had become jittery, and he had developed a nervous stutter.

It has not been established whether, or for how long, Quirrell may have been employed at Hogwarts. On Harry's arrival, older students seem familiar with Quirrell, but later in the series it is established that no tutor has held the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts master for longer than a year, leading some fans to speculate that Quirrell had been employed for a year (or more, if in a different capacity) at some point, then spent time travelling, and returned in 1991 for Harry's first year at the school.

Role in the story

Quirrell is first introduced to the reader when he meets Harry and Rubeus Hagrid in the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. His manner is timid and unassuming. (Notably, in the film adaptation, Quirrell avoids shaking Harry's hand as they meet). Quirrell is next seen at Hogwarts conversing with his colleague Severus Snape at the start-of-term banquet, and subsequently during Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. His attire had become more unusual since his return to the school, and he explained that his new purple turban was a gift from an African prince for getting rid of a zombie. His class, their suspicions aroused by Quirrell's unconvincing explanation, did not believe him (note that in the movie, Quirrell is already wearing the turban in Diagon Alley).

Subsequently, at the school's Halloween banquet, Quirrell appears in the Great Hall to warn staff and students that a troll has got into the dungeons. He faints after delivering this bad news. During the confusion which follows, Harry and Ron notice that Professor Snape has been bitten on the leg, and suspect him of trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone, which is guarded by the gigantic three-headed dog Fluffy.

Towards the end of the story, Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger enter secret chambers within the school in order to beat Snape to the Stone, which they believe he wants to steal for Voldemort. In the final chamber, having left Ron and Hermione behind him, Harry encounters not Snape but Quirrell, and learns that he is the real villain.

Revelations

It is revealed that, during his travels, Quirrell had met a barely-alive Voldemort. Voldemort, seeking to restore his physical form, entered Quirrell as a host body, using him in a plan to steal the Philosopher's Stone from vault 713 in Gringotts Bank, where it had been deposited for safekeeping by Albus Dumbledore. Fortunately, Hagrid had removed the Stone from the vault earlier that same day to take it to Hogwarts. This was the occasion on which Hagrid visited the bank with Harry during their trip to Diagon Alley, when they also met Quirrell at the Leaky Cauldron.

To conceal the fact that Lord Voldemort's face was on the back of his head, Quirrell decided to wear the turban, hiding its purpose with a story that it had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie. In order to keep Voldemort alive, he started killing unicorns in the Forbidden Forest and drinking their blood.

On Halloween Quirrell let the troll in as a diversion, and went to the third-floor corridor where the Stone was now hidden. Severus Snape, who already suspected Quirrell, went to the third floor in order to stop him. Snape was bitten by Fluffy.

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