Connecting the dots - how Quirrell fits in (long - part 1)

[constancevigilance]

As Kneasy and Snow have pointed out in this thread, we tend to 
forget the early volumes as we pore over the latest books. As many 
on other lists know, I feel strongly that there is much overlooked 
in the first book. Including one character who has been written 
purposefully to be overlooked, and I think, to our peril.

The previous post was concerned with issues of possession and 
mirrors. How can one not speak of possession or mirrors without a 
mention of my favorite character, Quirrell?

Let's take a quick review of the Q-man.

Throughout the whole first book we are given bits of information 
about him, seemingly designed to inspire boredom and misdirection. 
We first meet him in the Leaky Cauldron where he is introduced as 
the stuttering and terrified teacher of Defense Against the Dark 
Arts. But, just as he starts getting interesting (from SS, page 70, 
editing out stuttering): 

"I've got to pick up a new book on vampires myself." 

Vampires? This IS interesting .. but, no. Our attention is 
immediately taken away:

But the others wouldn't let Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took 
almost ten minutes to get away from them all.

But the storyteller immediately refocuses back to Quirrell:

Hagrid grinned at Harry.

"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor 
Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh ..."

Then we learn some backstory about Quirrell. According to Hagrid, he 
has a brilliant mind. He was a fine teacher while he was teaching 
out of books but then went on sabbatical to get more experience. We 
get an impression of a young and idealistic teacher, possibly with 
concerns of inadequecy, who is willing to invest himself in learning 
even more of his subject matter.

Throughout this book, everytime we hear about Quirrell, we are 
immediately pulled away into another area. Troll in the dungeon! No! 
Let's go find Hermione. Harry's broom is misbehaving! Snape is evil.

Of course, now we all know that we were being set up for the 
surprise in the dungeon. But what if we are being set up AGAIN for a 
big surprise in Book 7? Here's why I think that Quirrell is the key 
to everything:

Let's look at events in the dungeon, especially in light of other 
recent posts about Connecting Dots, and about possession, in 
particular.

Here we have Quirrell, fully possessed by Voldemort and revealed as 
having acted badly the whole year. Notice - his evil activities 
happened only while he was possessed. Prior to that, he was 
apparently frightened, but was never suspected of mischievous 
activity at school.

We know of two others who have been briefly possessed by Voldemort, 
Ginny and Harry. Ginny doesn't remember much of what happened while 
she was possessed. I get the impression that she was sort of a 
walking zombie during those times. Riddle says that he grew stronger 
and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears and darkest secrets. I 
can't help but think of a parallel here between a young girl at 
school and an young teacher in the forest. I can see how an 
impressionable Quirrell could have poured out his secrets and fears 
to a vaporous Voldy in an Albanian forest that Voldymist could have 
gained enough strength to travel to Hogwarts in some manner, 
simultaneously drawing enough strength from the young Quirrell to 
leave him fearful and stammering. Most readers think the stammering 
was an act, but are we certain?

In the dungeon, Quirrell is revealed to be literally the image of 
the Roman two-headed god Janus. In Roman mythology, Janus is the god 
of beginnings. Of gateways, change and transformations. Janus looks 
forward and backward, as a door is simultaneously an entrance and an 
exit. It is significant that the Voldy face is the backward-looking 
face of Janus in Quirrellmort. When Voldy advances, Quirrell walks 
backwards. When Quirrell is facing and attacking Harry, he regains 
some of his fearful and almost stuttering personality:

"Master, I cannot hold him - my hands - my hands!."

Personally, I think that Quirrell's true personality is an 
idealistic teacher with a healthy dose of insecurity. The same 
personal weakness that allowed Riddle to consume Ginny allowed 
Voldymist to consume Quirrell. At first, Quirrell acted as an agent, 
and then allowed Voldy full possession of his body.

So, what really happened in the dungeon? Check part 2 of this post-
series.

~ Constance Vigilance