Quirinus

'Quirinus was the name given after his deification to Romulus.'

—Dictionary of Classical Mythology

'I say, Professor Quirrell,' said the Ravenclaw, 'how did you' (with the obvious implication of 'a coward like you') 'happen to go into the Dark Arts?'

Professor Quirinus Quirrell coloured violently. 'Ah... er... well, now... I happened to have had, er, a friend — someone I was rather close to — whose elder brother had the misfortune to be ... bitten. By a werewolf. The poor chap.' He gave a curious sort of strangled giggle, and continued. 'Of course the poor little lad's parents responded magnificently — they were wonderful, wonderful people, so intelligent, so humane, so loving. They did everything, everything they could, for him. And of course, Defence Against the Dark Arts, possible cures, counterspells, every conceivable aspect of combating Dark Magic, naturally became a topic almost of ... er ... obsession in that household. Everything revolved around that boy and his curse. It used to tell on my ... my friend's nerves a great deal. I confess, I used to feel rather sorry for him — he was such a pleasant, intelligent boy, I always felt they rather neglected him, in favour of the elder brother. I used to spend quite a lot of time alone with him in that house, that house obsessed with the Dark Arts — so, naturally, as a matter of course, hearing about the subject all the time, all the time, I became rather ... er, interested with it, myself. Of course, they've never found a cure for werewolfery. They spent everything, everything that family had, but it was all for nothing.'

'Professor,' said the Hufflepuff (who, being a Hufflepuff, was inclined to be sympathetic), 'whatever happened to your friend?'

'My fr— ? Oh, yes, my friend. I was forgetting him, wasn't I? But then, poor fellow, nearly everyone did. He wasn't quite so charming as the werewolf brother, you know. Finally his parents decided — "for his protection," they said — to send him away, to be brought up by another family. They even changed his name, "to give him a fresh start," they said. So he lost everything, even who he was, all because of that werewolf and his bite. Poor Romulus...'

'You were very fond of him,' said the Hufflepuff (who, being a Hufflepuff, was inclined to be sentimental), 'weren't you, Professor?'

Qurrell gave her a wan, rather embarrassed sort of smile. 'I rather think, my dear, that's why I went into the Dark Arts. To avenge that boy against that werewolf. But here, I say, we're, er, rather neglecting our lesson, aren't we? Miss Bones, what is the principal method of defence against the Kappa?'

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In the hall outside the Defence class, the Ravenclaw was pontificating, as Ravenclaws do. 'Old Quirrell the Squirrel knows his stuff well enough, but golly! what a funk! Did you see how he was shaking all that time he was talking about the werewolf? And green as a Grindylow's belly!'

The Hufflepuff demurred. 'I don't think he was green so much as white — '

'— same thing —'

'... and I don't think he was frightened so much as angry. He hated that werewolf, you could tell he did. And all because it ruined his friend's life. I think it's rather sad.'

'D'you think he's a fairy?'

'Oh, honestly!' hissed the Hufflepuff, and brained him with her copy of Fantastic Beasts.