Garlicky musings, article on the fall of Nancy

[Tabouli]

No: HPFGUIDX 28692

David
> Quirrell smells of garlic, presumably 
to keep Snape off.  I am also not a supporter of the Snape-vampire 
theory, but I have never understood this.  At the risk of a deluge of 
we-discussed-this-to-death-in-1978 posts, may I ask, why does 
Quirrell smell of garlic?  Is it the result of Voldemort's Evil 
Overlord bad breath?  Did he get smeared in garlic by accident, 
crawling about the forest drinking unicorn blood?  Or does he just 
like the taste (definite proof of villainy in the UK)?<

Yes, I've always found this odd too.  I think the default option has to be that Voldemort has a distinctive odour, because otherwise Quirrel smearing his head with garlic would only draw attention to his turban, which is surely hardly the idea.  Either Voldemort smells of garlic (like those filthy Continentals who actually eat the stuff, by Jove), which would make it hard for him to sneak up on people (As Frank let himself into the cavernous kitchen, he noticed a strange odour, one that reminded him of the Italian takeaway that had briefly attempted to establish itself in Little Hangleton), or he has some other characteristic smell, nice or noxious, (at least when living on the back of someone's head) which can be covered up with garlic.

Actually, the more I think about this, the more bizarre possibilities come to mind.  Maybe Quirrel bought his purple turban secondhand from an Indian garlic farmer!   Voldemort's face-on-the-back-of-Quirrel's-head had a mouth, didn't it?  Perhaps the only sustenance it could take directly was garlic!  Perhaps being inhabited by an Evil Overlord is a draining feat which can only be achieved by bathing regularly in garlic juice!  Or perhaps it induces a garlic craving, leading to Quirrel's entire body (sweating regularly from stress) exuding garlic-scented sweat!  Maybe the smell of garlic attracts unicorns and lulls them into a false sense of security, making them believe Quirrel wasn't a unicorn-vampire out to lure them over and suck their blood.  How did Quirrel wash his hair with Voldemort on his head?  Maybe the big V demanded that he use only garlic-flavoured shampoo!  

Though hang on.  In PS/SS, I'm pretty sure it just said that a "funny smell" hung around the turban, not specifically garlic.  His classroom smelt of garlic.  Hmm.  I suppose that scuppers my shampoo theory, but we're still left with the funny smell.  What do people think Voldemort smells like?  The mind boggles...

Heidi (on Prancy Nancy):
> New York Times says:"Her lawyer has dropped her. Reviewers have ignored
her. Her books are not selling."

I chuckle gleefully, but have as yet failed to access the article, ever after attempting a search on the NYT site.  Could you please resend the URL, so I can keep up to date with the nullifying of Nancy?

Tabouli (who likes garlic, but as she's Touched With The Tar Brush this is hardly surprising)


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