Today, The Grandma wants to talk about one of the villains of Harry Potter's series, Professor Quirinus Quirrell, who appears in the first book of the saga, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Professor Quirinus Quirrell (26 September, 1970 or earlier-4 June, 1992) was a half-blood wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was Sorted into Ravenclaw House. He was the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts, though he later became the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor during the 1991–1992 school year.
Before teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, Quirrell went out in search of Voldemort, believing he could achieve recognition for finding him and could learn things that would ensure that no one laughed at him again. However, Voldemort, after finding out that he taught at Hogwarts, took over his body, though Quirrell put up some feeble resistance. He died when trying in vain to murder Harry Potter.
More information: Wizarding World
Quirinus Quirrell was born presumably before 26 September, 1970, somewhere in the British Isles, to at least one magical parent. He also had some muggle heritage. Quirinus attended Hogwarts, where he was Sorted into Ravenclaw House. It is likely that he acquired his wand from Ollivanders when he was eleven.
After teaching Muggle Studies for some time, he took a year-long sabbatical in 1990 in order to gain first-hand experience, though in reality he had taken a Grand Tour around
the world in order to hopefully find whatever remained of Voldemort
after his first defeat, partly out of curiosity, partly out of that
unacknowledged desire for importance from his childhood.
Quirrell also adopted a turban for everyday use after this sabbatical, claiming to have received it from an African prince as compensation for disposing of a zombie. It was also rumoured that he encountered vampires in the Black Forest, in Albania, and had a nasty bit of trouble with a hag.
More information: Wizarding World
Quirrell spent his last year of life attempting to procure the Philosopher's Stone for Voldemort, who used his nervous disposition to his advantage, as his perceived lack of confidence had earned very little respect from the students at Hogwarts and consequently diverted suspicion away from his plans.
Quirrell was able to penetrate the first six chambers that protected the Philosopher's Stone, including the chamber in which he himself put a troll. He reached the final chamber only to find the Mirror of Erised, and was unable to figure out how to take the stone from it, going so far as to consider smashing the mirror.
Quirrell's life ended then, when Voldemort forced him to attempt the murder of Harry Potter, figuring out Harry had the Stone and being unable to persuade him to give it willingly. Unfortunately, the body Quirrell and Voldemort were both sharing manifested in burns and blisters during his fight with Harry due to the protective charm Harry's mother left in his skin when she died for him.
Harry collapsed from the pain in his scar, but Quirrell's body was burnt so horribly that Voldemort
dispossessed his body and left him to die. However, despite being
effectively turned into a living Horcrux for the last year of his life, Quirrell
did not ultimately lose his soul, having even tried to put up feeble
resistance on occasion, in spite of the fact that Voldemort was far too
strong for him.
Quirrell was known to have a brilliant mind and had an excellent aptitude for theoretical learning, particularly when it came to Defensive Magic, though was less competent in the application of that knowledge.
The name Quirinus is possibly derived from the Sabine word quiris meaning spear. Quirinus was a Sabine and Roman god who was later identified with Mars. The name was also borne by several early saints.
Quirinus is also associated to the Roman god Janus, as in Janus Quirinus. Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions, is often depicted as two-faced, with one visage looking forward, to the future, and one looking back, to the past. This image is reminiscent, of course, of Voldemort's face set opposite Quirrell's own.
More information: Bustle
P-P-Potter, c-can't t-tell you how
p- pleased I am to meet you.
Professor Quirinus Quirrell
