How long were Voldemort and Quirrell "together"?

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 110023

Erin wrote:

Here's something that's been bugging me lately. The timeline of
Quirrell. 
<big snip>
Also in the speech he says "...and after a while, I took possession
of his body, to supervise him more closely as he carried out my
orders." How long is "after a while" for Voldemort? 
<snip>


Neri:

Erin, I agree with practically everything you wrote, but there are 
two points I'd like to add.

First, I'm not sure from your post if you fully realize it, but we 
should be clear on one thing: In the beginning of the SS/PS year, 
when Harry meets Quirrell in The Leaky Cauldron, Quirrell is not 
possessed yet. He does not wear the turban and he shakes Harry's hand 
with no ill effects. So Voldy is "with him" but not possessing him. 
Only after Quirrell failed to steal the stone from Gringotts he was 
possessed:
-----------------------------------------------
SS/PS Ch. 17:
"He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He 
does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the Stone 
from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me 
 decided he 
would have to keep a closer watch on me 
"
-----------------------------------------------

So Voldy could be "with" Quirrell for more than a year before SS/PS, 
but he wasn't possessing him at that time. He only possessed him from 
the beginning of the school year in SS/PS 

The second thing is that in the beginning of CoS year Hagrid says, 
when talking about Lockhart and why DD hired him:

------------------------------------------------
CoS, Ch. 7:
"Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People 
aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's 
jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now." 
--------------------------------------------------

When Hagrid says this he doesn't mean Lockhart, who has only just 
started. So he must be including Quirrell as one (but not the only) 
who didn't last for long. Of course, "last for long" is a relative 
thing. At that time Snape is 11 years in his job, Trelawney is 13 
years and McGonagall is something like 26 years, so Hagrid might 
regard Quirrell's 4 years (with one of them off) as not "long".

Neri