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harry potter - Why did Quirrell stutter?


Why did Quirrell stutter?


Was it an act?


His natural way?


Was it due to effects of carrying around Voldemort in the back of his head, under the turban?



Answer




I agree with System Down who claims it was an act. Let's see some quotes.


In PS chapter 17, when Harry finally meets Quirrel in the stone's hiding place.



It was Quirrel.


‘You!’ gasped Harry.


Quirrel smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.


‘Me,’ he said calmly. ‘I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter.’


‘But I thought – Snape –’


‘Severus?’ Quirrel laughed and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. ‘Yes, Severus does seem that type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrel?’




It's clear that Quirrel has been using stuttering as an act to divert attention from himself, and is giving it up at this point.


I must respectfully disagree with Purefreet who claims Quirrel wasn't stuttering here because Voldemort was in control of him at this point, because he is speaking for himself. Quirrel has a spoken aloud conversation with Voldemort, saying things like ‘Help me, Master!’ and ‘Master, you are not strong enough!’, with Voldemort also replying aloud.



We also learn when Quirrel had started the act. In PS chapter 5, Hagrid says:



‘[…] Even Professor Quirrel was tremblin' ter meet yeh – mind you, he's usually tremblin'.’


‘Is he always that nervous?’


‘Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some frist-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. […]’



Then later, in chapter 17, Quirrel says




‘I met him [Voldemort] when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of riddiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it … Since then, I have served him faithfully, […] 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 …’



The year off and travelling around the world clearly refers to the same trip. Quirrel meets Voldemort and starts serving him immediately. He takes up the act of trembling and stuttering. He tells the lie that he's met vampires to explain the change: in PS chapter 8 we learn that



[Quirrel's] classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. […] for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrel was protected wherever he went.



Quirrel has never actually met vampires. He wasn't serving Voldemort just out of fear, and Voldemort occasionally punishing him wasn't enough reason for him to genuinely tremble of fear all of the time.


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