Quirrell's Tenure (WAS: Quirrell)

[Susan Miller]

No: HPFGUIDX 43878

 I started this mess when I wrote:
  
 > My understanding was that Quirrel was the DADA teacher, and
 > presumably a good one, for some years until he decided to go on
 > sabbatical for some practical experience - with the results we all
 > know. Then after he came back as Quirrelmort, we don't know how 
many
 > years prior to Harry's introduction that he taught at Hogwarts.
 
 and Eloise responded:
  
 > This is a thorny one. At least, the evidence is rather 
 > contradictory. The way Hagrid speaks about Quirrell, it does sound 
 > as if he'd been teaching at Hogwarts, went off in sabbatical and 
 > came back. But Hagrid also says that Lockhart was the only 
 > applicant for the post as no one had lasted long for a while and 
 > the job was thought to be jinxed. 
 
Then Phyllis added:
> 
> I was always under the impression that Quirrell was only at 
Hogwarts 
> for one year, based on the following quote from PoA:  "Harry, Ron 
and 
> Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts 
teachers, 
> both of whom had only lasted one year" (Chapter 5 - UK ed., p. 60, 
US 
> ed., p. 75).

I agree with the others who have responded to this thread by pointing 
out that the quote may refer to the "Harry years". And I think that 
Hagrid's comment about Lockhart being the only applicant just means 
that the ww is temporarily skittish about it. Whatever "a while" 
means in Hagrid's speech.

As was pointed out by another poster, Quirrelmort with the bee in his 
bonnet didn't happen until after the episode at Gringotts. But I do 
think that V-mort was nearby at Hogwarts previous, and that Quirrel 
taught at least one year in that condition, because neither Hagrid 
nor Percy call him "the new DADA teacher" or "just returned", which I 
think it would be typical to mention if he were. And furthermore, 
Dumbledore makes it a habit to recognize new staff at the opening 
feast speech. Also, how would Hagrid know that Q was afraid of his 
students if there weren't at least one term where he had students? I 
think we can conclude that Harry's first year is not Q's first year 
post-sabbatical.

Now, to Quirrel's defense.

While I don't have canon quotes to back it up, I think that Quirrel 
must have been a very good teacher. The fact that he wanted to expand 
his skills and knowledge, when he of all people knew that it would be 
at great personal risk, indicates that he cared deeply about his 
subject. In fact, I don't recall anyone saying anything derogatory 
about his teaching, even after he came back. Sure, he was afraid of 
everything, but given his subject, a little humility might be a good 
thing. We have Lockhart as the example of hubris. Granted, the main 
reason was to deflect suspicion from himself, but demonstrating 
respect for the dark arts might well get the attention of the 
students. We just don't have much evidence on how his classes were 
run to come to a conclusion, hence, I assume that his skills and 
passion did not dissipate when he went corrupt.

Oh, yeah, he was out to destroy the world in the name of the dark 
master, but that's only incidental to my point. <g>

Comments?

~ Constance Vigilance