Quirinus Quirrell

Professor Quirinus Quirrell was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1991-1992 school year. Outwardly a timid, stuttering wizard, he was secretly a servant of Lord Voldemort, who had possessed Quirrell's body and lived parasitically on the back of his head. As the primary antagonist in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Quirrell's main goal was to steal the Philosopher's Stone to restore his master to a full body and power. His eventual defeat by Harry Potter marked Harry's first direct confrontation with the returned Dark Lord.

Little is known from the novels about Quirrell's life before his fateful final year at Hogwarts. He undertook a Grand Tour after his studies, ostensibly for educational experience. During his travels through the forests of Albania, he sought out what remained of Lord Voldemort, who had been in hiding since his defeat a decade earlier. Quirrell, ambitious and eager to gain power, believed he could control the weakened Dark Lord, but he was easily overpowered. Voldemort possessed Quirrell, latching onto his body as a host and forcing him into servitude. (J.K. Rowling revealed on Pottermore that Quirrell had been a Ravenclaw student who was bullied for his timid nature, which fostered a desire to prove himself, leading him to seek out Voldemort (Pottermore)).

Upon his return to Hogwarts as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Quirrell adopted the persona of a constantly terrified man with a pronounced stutter, a facade to divert suspicion. He wore a large purple turban at all times to conceal Voldemort's face, which had sprouted on the back of his head. He claimed the turban was a gift from an African prince for dealing with a zombie and that it reeked of garlic to ward off a vampire he had supposedly met in Romania. His mission for the year was to acquire the Philosopher's Stone, which was hidden at Hogwarts.

• Gringotts Break-In: On 31 July 1991, Quirrell broke into Vault 713 at Gringotts Wizarding Bank on Voldemort's orders, but found that Rubeus Hagrid had already emptied it earlier that day.
• The Troll Diversion: During the Hallowe'en feast, Quirrell created a diversion by letting a Mountain Troll into the dungeons. While the school was in a panic, he attempted to get past the three-headed dog, Fluffy, guarding the trapdoor to the Stone's chambers, but was thwarted by Severus Snape.
• Quidditch Match Sabotage: During Harry's first Quidditch match, Quirrell attempted to kill him by performing a curse on his broomstick. His efforts were countered by Severus Snape, who performed a counter-curse. Hermione Granger, believing Snape to be the attacker, set fire to his robes, which broke Quirrell's eye contact and ended the curse.
• Drinking Unicorn Blood: To keep his master alive and strong, Quirrell began killing unicorns in the Forbidden Forest and drinking their blood, a monstrous act that sustains a life but leaves it cursed.

Quirrell finally managed to get past the school's defences and reach the Mirror of Erised, the final protection for the Stone. There, he was confronted by Harry Potter. Dropping his stammering act, Quirrell revealed his allegiance and unwrapped his turban to show Voldemort's face. Voldemort, speaking through Quirrell, attempted to persuade Harry to give him the Stone, which had magically appeared in Harry's pocket. When Harry refused, Voldemort ordered Quirrell to kill him. However, due to the lingering magical protection left by Lily Potter's sacrificial death, Quirrell was unable to touch Harry's skin without suffering excruciating, burning pain. When Harry intentionally grabbed Quirrell's face and arm, Quirrell's body began to blister and burn uncontrollably. He was killed by this contact, and Voldemort's spirit fled the body, leaving Quirrell's dead form on the floor.

Quirrell was described as a pale young man who appeared to be in a state of constant nervousness, characterized by a twitch and a stutter. His most notable feature was the large, purple turban he always wore. Underneath the turban, the back of his head was horrifically disfigured by the parasitic face of Lord Voldemort, which was chalky-white with glaring red eyes and snake-like slits for nostrils. While he projected a timid and easily frightened personality, this was largely an act. In reality, Quirrell was cunning, ambitious, and capable of great cruelty, as evidenced by his murder of unicorns. His will was ultimately subjugated by Voldemort, but he was a willing participant in the Dark Lord's schemes until his own life was consumed by his master.

• Defence Against the Dark Arts: Despite feigning incompetence, Quirrell possessed a strong theoretical knowledge of the subject and an academic interest in the Dark Arts.
• Dark Arts: He was proficient enough to perform complex dark curses. He jinxed Harry's broomstick non-verbally, a sign of considerable magical skill. His servitude to Voldemort undoubtedly expanded his knowledge and abilities in this area.
• Non-Verbal Magic: He demonstrated the ability to cast spells without an incantation, as seen during the Quidditch match.
• Handling Magical Creatures: He successfully smuggled a fully grown Mountain Troll into Hogwarts and was tasked by Voldemort with handling unicorns in the Forbidden Forest.

• Turban: His most defining possession was a purple turban, used to hide Voldemort's face on the back of his head and to perpetuate his false narrative of being a fearful traveller.
• Wand: Quirrell possessed a wand, but its specific characteristics (wood, core, length) are not mentioned in the novels.

• Lord Voldemort: This was Quirrell's most significant relationship. Initially seeking power from Voldemort, he became his master's unwilling host and puppet. Voldemort treated him as a disposable tool, a temporary vessel to be used and discarded in his quest to regain a body.
• Severus Snape: Snape despised Quirrell, having suspected his true allegiance from the beginning of the school year. He actively worked against Quirrell, using intimidation, a counter-curse, and his role as a protector of the Philosopher's Stone to thwart his plans.
• Harry Potter: Harry was Quirrell's primary obstacle. While Voldemort was the true enemy, Quirrell was the physical antagonist Harry faced. Conversely, Harry became the instrument of Quirrell's death due to the powerful love-based magic protecting him.
• Albus Dumbledore: Dumbledore suspected Quirrell's corruption and kept him at Hogwarts to monitor him and, by extension, Voldemort. He was the ultimate architect of the protections Quirrell failed to overcome.

• Quirinus: The name may be a reference to the Roman god of war, Quirinus. This serves as an ironic contrast to his timid facade but hints at his true, malevolent purpose. It may also allude to the two-faced Roman god Janus, reflecting the two faces on Quirrell's one head.
• Quirrell: The surname sounds similar to “squirrel,” fitting his nervous, twitchy persona. It also evokes “quiver” and “quarrel,” suggesting both his feigned fear and the internal conflict of being possessed by Voldemort.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Quirrell's death is shown more graphically. Upon contact with Harry's hands, his body turns to stone and crumbles into dust. In the book, he blisters severely before Harry faints, and his death is confirmed later by Dumbledore. (film).
• The film omits several of the teachers' enchantments protecting the Stone, most notably Snape's potion riddle, which Quirrell solves in the book to reach the final chamber. (film).
• Quirrell was portrayed by British actor Ian Hart in the film adaptation. Hart also provided the voice for Voldemort's face on the back of Quirrell's head. (film).