How long were Voldemort and Quirrell "together"?

[Erin]

No: HPFGUIDX 110028

 Neri wrote:
> I'm not sure from your post if you fully realize it, but <snip>: In 
the beginning of the SS/PS year, when Harry meets Quirrell in The 
Leaky Cauldron, Quirrell is not possessed yet. 

Erin:
Yes, I do realize it, sorry that wasn't clear enough in my previous 
post!  

Neri:
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 

Erin:
Exactly.  This is the point that I was trying to make, that Vapormort 
could have been hiding out at Quirrell's place for quite a while 
before joining Quirrell inside his head.   (Incidently, where does 
one store a disembodied evil overlord?  In the linen closet?  Under 
the bed? If Quirrell, like all the other teachers to date, had 
lodgings at Hogwarts was Vapormort right there under Dumbledore's 
nose?  The mind boggles.)

This extra time between the Albanian pick-up and the possession was 
what allowed Quirrell to perfect his fearful, stuttering act and what 
allowed everyone around him to get used to the new Quirrell.  We see 
that "everyone"-- all the students-- already has an explanation for 
why Quirrell's classroom smells of garlic, but only the twins are 
commenting on the new factor; the turban.


Now, you also brought up Hagrid's comments in CoS about the jinx 
making it difficult to find anyone for the DADA job and how no one 
has lasted long in the position.  Another poster, Brenda, spotted the 
same thing:

Neri wrote:
>  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. 

Brenda wrote:
Assuming your logic is correct, then it must be only recently that 
the DADA job got its reputation of 'jinxed'. The word spread pretty 
fast though, seeing how Lockhart was the only applicant for the job.


Erin:
Never fear, I have an explanation for this also!  Let's go with the 
four-year model again.

Year 1:  Quirrell's first year of teaching, the year he is fine 
while "studyin' outta books" according to Hagrid.  Suppose, however 
that there was an incident near the end of the year, a nasty incident 
(perhaps involving a Dark Creature) that convinces Quirrell he needs 
to travel in order to get some firsthand experience.  That would be 
viewed as a part of the jinx.

Year 2:  Quirrell is traveling, and there's a substitute DADA 
teacher.  (S)he comes to a sticky end.  That's viewed as part of the 
jinx. 

Year 3:  Quirrell returns, only now he's "scared of the students, 
scared of his own subject".  He trembles and stutters all the time.  
His new fearfulness is viewed as part of the jinx.

Year 4:  Quirrell dies when Voldemort leaves his body.  This, of 
course, is viewed as part of the... ah well, you get the idea.


Even if you reject the year one incident (pure speculation, there's 
no canon for it), I'd think years two through four would be enough to 
get the idea of a jinx going.

---Erin