Quirrell's tenure (was Re: The DADA curse and Harry)

[quigonginger]

Eustace_Scrubb:
> I wonder...how long was Quirrell the DADA teacher?  We are given the
> impression that he was at Hogwarts teaching prior to Harry's arrival
> in PS.  Hagrid tells Harry after the meeting in the Leaky Cauldron: 
> "Poor bloke.  Brilliant mind.  He was fine while he was studyin' 
outta
> books but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand
> experience...They say he met vampires in the Black Forest and there
> was a nasty bit o'trouble with a hag - never been the same since. 
> Scared of the students, scared of his own subject".  That sure 
sounds
> like he taught DADA for more than one year, although perhaps we 
could
> hypothesize that he taught some other subject "outta books," then 
went
> to get "first-hand experience" when he was given the DADA job and so
> only taught that subject for one year.  But it seems a stretch...
> 
> But by the time HBP rolled around, DD notes that "we have never been
> able to keep a Defense against the Dark Arts teacher for longer 
than a
> year since I refused the post to Lord Voldemort." (exactly when was
> that?  ca. 1970? at the very latest 1979 or 1980-tho' that seems
> highly unlikely)

Ginger:

I've always managed to get the statements to line up by figuring that 
he taught DADA one year (your idea that he had taught something else 
had not entered my mind) and was hit by the curse, which, rather than 
showing up at the end of the school year, followed him to Albania 
where it struck him in the form of Parasite Voldemort (Para!Mour, if 
you use the "silent T" pronunciation).

He then returned, having been once victimized, and taught another 
year, after which he was really, really, truly and solidly nailed by 
it.  

Of course, now that you mention it, he could very well have been the 
Arithmancy teacher (that would have taken a brilliant 
mind ::shuddermathsshudder::) and would have explained why he wasn't 
cursed out of Hogwarts before.

Ginger, wondering if the curse will lift with V's demise, or if they 
should just let the Evil One teach it for a year to get rid of it.  
Hmm, would take a bit out of his Rule The World For Fun And Profit 
exploits.  Maybe not a bad idea to buy some time for the resistance.