Professor Quirinus Quirrell

Professor Quirinus Quirrell was a half-blood wizard who served as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1991-1992 school year. Outwardly a timid, stuttering man, Quirrell was secretly in service to Lord Voldemort, whose disembodied spirit he hosted on the back of his own head, concealed beneath a large purple turban. As Voldemort's servant, Quirrell was the primary antagonist of Harry Potter's first year, attempting to steal the Philosopher's Stone and restore his master to a physical body.

Little is known of Quirrell's early life from the primary novels. He was a gifted but delicate boy who was likely bullied for his timid and nervous disposition during his own Hogwarts years (Pottermore). Before taking up the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, he had been the Professor of Muggle Studies (Pottermore). He took a year off to travel and gain practical experience, embarking on a 'grand tour' to seek out whatever remained of Lord Voldemort. His intent was partly academic curiosity, and partly a desire for importance.

During his travels, Quirrell located Voldemort in the forests of Albania, where the Dark Lord existed as a weak, non-corporeal entity. The far more powerful and brilliant Voldemort easily overpowered Quirrell's mind, bending him to his will. Not yet strong enough to possess Quirrell fully, Voldemort decided to attach himself to Quirrell's body as a parasite, forcing the professor to become a living host. This turned Quirrell into a temporary, unique form of Horcrux, and allowed Voldemort to direct his actions.

Quirrell returned to Hogwarts to assume the vacant Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position. He adopted an exaggerated stutter and feigned constant nervousness to avoid suspicion. He wore a large purple turban at all times, claiming it was a gift from an African prince who had saved him from a zombie, but its true purpose was to hide the face of Voldemort that protruded from the back of his skull. The turban was also said to be soaked in garlic to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania, a lie to discourage others from getting too close. Throughout the school year, Quirrell worked to steal the Philosopher's Stone on Voldemort's orders.

• Gringotts Break-in: On 31 July 1991, he broke into Vault 713 at Gringotts Wizarding Bank but found that Rubeus Hagrid had emptied it earlier that same day.
• Troll Attack: On Hallowe'en, he let a mountain troll into the Hogwarts dungeons as a diversion while he attempted to get past Fluffy, the three-headed dog guarding the trapdoor to the Stone's chambers. He was thwarted by Severus Snape, who was immediately suspicious of him.
• Quidditch Match: During Harry Potter's first Quidditch match, Quirrell attempted to curse Harry's broom and knock him to his death. His attempt failed because Severus Snape performed a counter-curse, while Hermione Granger set fire to Snape's robes, accidentally knocking Quirrell over and breaking his eye contact.
• Unicorn Slaying: To sustain Voldemort's parasitic life-force, Quirrell ventured into the Forbidden Forest to slay unicorns and drink their blood, a monstrous act that provides a cursed, half-life.

At the end of the school year, Quirrell successfully navigated the enchantments protecting the Philosopher's Stone, only to be confronted by the Mirror of Erised. Unable to procure the Stone himself, as he desired to use it for his master, he was forced to use Harry Potter when Harry arrived in the final chamber. Harry, whose desire was only to find the Stone and keep it safe, was able to retrieve it from the mirror. Quirrell then revealed Voldemort's face and, on his master's command, attacked Harry. However, he was unable to touch Harry's skin without suffering excruciating pain and burns. This was due to the lingering magical protection left in Harry's blood by his mother, Lily Potter's, loving sacrifice. Harry, realizing this, deliberately grabbed Quirrell's face and arm, causing his body to blister and burn beyond repair. Voldemort's spirit fled Quirrell's body to save itself, and the departure of the soul he had been hosting, combined with the catastrophic injuries from Harry's touch, resulted in Quirrell's death.

Quirrell was described as a pale young man with a constant, nervous twitch. During his final year, he wore a large purple turban that gave off a strange smell of garlic. Underneath the turban, the back of his head was horrifically deformed by the presence of Lord Voldemort's face, which was “chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.” His public personality was one of extreme timidity and nervousness, punctuated by a pronounced stutter. This was largely an act, as when he revealed his true allegiance to Harry, he spoke without a stutter in a cold, sharp voice. His original personality was that of a “brilliant but delicate” mind, easily intimidated and with a secret desire for power and recognition. This inner weakness made him a perfect target for Voldemort's manipulation and possession. Despite his subservience, he was capable of cruelty and murder, as shown by his slaying of unicorns.

• Defence Against the Dark Arts: As a professor of the subject, he possessed extensive theoretical knowledge. However, his practical experience was said to be from books rather than real-life encounters prior to meeting Voldemort.
• Dark Arts: Under Voldemort's tutelage, he became proficient enough to perform powerful dark curses. He was able to cast a jinx on Harry Potter's broomstick non-verbally, a sign of considerable magical skill. He also had the ruthlessness to kill magical creatures like unicorns.
• Deception and Acting: Quirrell successfully deceived nearly the entire Hogwarts staff and student body for almost a full year, including Albus Dumbledore to a certain extent, by maintaining his persona as a harmless, stuttering fool.

• Turban: His most notable possession. This large, purple turban was used to conceal Voldemort's face on the back of his head. He falsely claimed it was enchanted with garlic to ward off vampires.
• Wand: Quirrell owned a wand, but no details of its wood, core, or length are known.

• Lord Voldemort: Quirrell served as Voldemort's unwilling host and servant. Voldemort treated him with contempt, constantly berating and tormenting him, viewing him as nothing more than a temporary vessel. Quirrell, in turn, served him out of fear and a twisted ambition for the power he believed his master would grant him.
• Severus Snape: Snape was deeply suspicious of Quirrell from the start of the school year. He actively worked to thwart Quirrell's plans, believing Quirrell was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone for himself. Snape confronted, intimidated, and magically opposed Quirrell throughout the year, never realizing that Quirrell was acting on behalf of Voldemort.
• Harry Potter: Quirrell was Harry's first Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and the first major adversary he faced. He attempted to murder Harry on several occasions at Voldemort's behest, culminating in their fatal confrontation in the final chamber.
• Albus Dumbledore: Dumbledore admitted he knew he was taking a risk by hiring Quirrell, suggesting he suspected Quirrell had been compromised. He kept a close watch on him throughout the year, ultimately allowing events to unfold so that Harry could face Voldemort himself.

• Quirinus: The name of a Sabine (and later Roman) god of war, who was eventually identified with the deified Romulus, the founder of Rome. The name may also allude to the two-faced Roman god Janus, reflecting Quirrell's state of having two faces and two minds in one body.
• Quirrell: This surname is phonetically similar to “squirrel,” which could reflect his nervous, twitchy demeanor. It also evokes words like “quiver” and “quarrel,” hinting at his trembling fear and the internal conflict within him.

• Quirrell's first name, Quirinus, is never mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It was first revealed by J.K. Rowling on her official website and later confirmed on Pottermore.
• According to Pottermore, Quirrell was a member of Ravenclaw House during his time as a student at Hogwarts.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Quirrell, portrayed by Ian Hart, meets Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. During this initial meeting, he does not stutter, foreshadowing that his speech impediment is an act.
• His death in the film is more visually dramatic; direct contact with Harry's hands causes Quirrell's body to turn to stone and crumble into dust. (film)