How Dumbledore Knew That Quirrell Was Voldemort - Harry Potter Theory

Hey everyone,

Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In this video, we’re going to be discussing Hogwarts professor Quirinus Quirrell- his appointment as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor- and whether or not Dumbledore knew that Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort all along.

Quirinus Quirrell was an english half-blood wizard born sometime in the 1960s. When he was of age he began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, at which point he was sorted in to Ravenclaw house. Quirrell was a highly unusual and delicate, but talented student, and was teased profusely at school- making the anxious Quirrell even more anxious. His feelings of inadequacy led to him taking a particular interest in the dark arts- a highly complicated and dangerous field of magic that could perhaps garner Quirrell the attention and respect that he always longed for. For the duration of his studies he showed a particular affinity for the dark arts, and he ended up graduating from Hogwarts with impressive grades across the board.

It wasn’t very long after he himself had graduated that he was able to secure a job as muggle studies professor at Hogwarts. It’s not actually known how long Quirrell was in that particular position for, but during his time working as a professor at the school he had a reputation for being extremely neurotic. This likely originally stemmed from his childhood bullying- and it’s unfortunate that it followed him in to adulthood- as it had a profound effect on the actions that he would take as a grown man.

In the year 1990, Quirrell took a year-long sabbatical. He told his peers that the sabbatical was an opportunity for him to gain ‘first-hand’ experience in the field- where in reality his objective was to find Lord Voldemort- exceedingly curious about what had happened to the dark lord who tyrannized the wizarding world for years on end. It was a trip that would change Quirrell- and destroy what was left of a man haunted by his youth. Quirrell always wanted to be noticed and acknowledged. He wanted to earn people’s respect, and he felt that, if he was the one to track down Lord Voldemort- then he could finally earn the attention that he longed for. And find Voldemort he did, however, things didn’t go exactly according to plan.

Voldemort recounts his first meeting with Quirrell:

"A wizard – young, foolish and gullible – wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of ... for he was a teacher at Dumbledore’s school ... he was easy to bend to my will ... he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders."

And when Quirrell returned to Hogwarts school after travelling, the other professors seemed to notice that he wasn’t...quite the same.

Hagrid recounts Quirrel’s nature after returning home from his travels:

“Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience........ They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag -- never been the same since."

When Quirrell began teaching again at Hogwarts, he didn’t resume his previous role as Muggle Studies professor. Instead, he began his new role as defence against the dark arts professor. Quirrell being assigned to this role was a questionable decision, particularly as the far more suited professor Snape would have snapped it up in a second. It was Quirrell’s first year in the role, and it was subject to controversy stemming from Quirrell’s apparent incompetency and meak demeanour. While teaching, his lack of confidence was apparent, even to the student body- so, WHY on earth did Dumbledore appoint Quirrell as DADA professor? Isn’t Dumbledore supposed to be the wise old all-knowing wizard that never makes a mistake? How could he have made such a glaringly obvious error in judgement? Did he suspect something else of Quirrell?


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