Quirrell would be much less likely to make the whole plot just for Hermione spending a couple of weeks in Azkaban. And as he said, he certainly wouldn’t get Malfoys into it just for her. And so even if Harry failed to lose, he wouldn’t he in a giant debt to Lucius Malfoy (who blames Harry for what happened with Draco). So Quirrell wouldn’t need to kill Hermione for Harry to lose debt.
So Harry will never have a reason to have a discussion about Voldemort. He will not have a glimpse on Voldemort cold mind. He would think that the dark lord being alive is just insanity of Dumbledore, his wrong belief in souls and mistake about who is obvious person behind Bellatrix. Harry will not have any reason to ask where from the enemy plans at all. Because there wasn’t any hand of enemy.
There wouldn’t be Aurors in the castle, no Draco going to forbidden forest, because there are no silver slytherins and because Filch doesn’t think Lucius killed his cat, and also Harry will not closely track him because they are not friends. Harry wouldn’t bring the Aurors (because there are no Aurors), will at most just use his time turner to prevent it all. Or likely just nothing, because kids in forbidden forest will not have the mirrors, and so Quirrell will just memory charm them. No encounter with Firenze and Quirrell killing him. And Harry doesn’t quite realize Quirrell is dying, doesn’t bring him a unicorn and doesn’t discuss whether Quirrell intended to kill Auror, to know before Quirrell dies. He isn’t aware Quirrell is dying, they don’t discuss horcruxes. Quirrell doesn’t make an impression of accepting death, so it isn’t strange when at last Quirrell will ask Harry to go for philosopher’s stone.
Then when Quirrell needs Harry in forbidden corridor, he doesn’t need to ask Harry to avoid Constellation (one of suspicious things in the letter), doesn’t need to say to avoid allies of Life Eaters (hint at Quirrell through parseltongue). Harry doesn’t think to take Lesath because there is no rule about going with older students. And Snape questions him and noble kids less. And generally, Quirrell doesn’t really need to bypass Harry’s guards, because there weren’t framing’s and murders, so Harry is not on high guard. And again, without a glimpse on attacking cold mind, Harry thinks Voldemort is just Dumbledore’s insane idea. So Harry easily trusts Quirrell against Dumbledore.
Since Hermione does not die, Harry doesn’t make a firm decision to bring a friend back at all costs. So Quirrell doesn’t hear a prophecy yet that Harry is destined to bring the end to world where Quirrell lives. So Quirrell doesn’t count Harry as enemy. Doesn’t understand even that Harry’s values are incorrigibly different from his, still has hope that Harry his grow out from it. So Quirrell isn’t desperate to tell Harry all the things before he will be ought to kill Harry.
If Quirrell uses Harry as hostage for mirror, then either Harry is unconscious, or maybe even they both face the mirror and Harry thinks Dumbledore is evil for withholding the stone, and maybe even Dumbledore himself thinks that mirror have triggered on Harry’s presence, and after a lecture from Harry that Dumbledore is evil and Voldemort does not exist, Dumbledore decides that it is he the dark lord whom Harry should defeat, and so gives up.
Quirrell doesn’t show that he is the dark lord, still having hope to bring those news after Harry will let go his quibbles. Maybe, to support the idea that Dumbledore was wrong about everything, Quirrell even ditches the identity of Voldemort and instead imagines new funny role, incorporating new years of experience.
Without Draco plot line there are plenty of cascading subtle changes which sum up to entirely different background. The only thing by which Harry suspects Voldemort is suspicious framing of Hermione. Quirrell doesn’t understand that it is not plausible that Lucius will sacrifice his son, that Harry won’t sacrifice Hermione and that Lucius will not wish to accept money. So for Harry it looks like suspicious unknown enemy with cold mind, and not obvious Lucius attack. And without Draco line, Quirrell will likely invent some different plot to hurt Hermione. Say, when she goes to holidays Jagson kidnaps her for a week, while Harry is happily with his family. And Harry doesn’t know Jagson, he doesn’t need to think there is Voldemort’s hand instead of Jagson, as he believes in Voldemort instead of Lucius.
So, no, I disagree that Draco line has no effect. You would need quite a lot of everything going the same way, despite having different premises. Like, Quirrell says that he killed Hermione to remove Harry’s debt. And that plan against just Hermione wouldn’t include Malfoys. And so without saving those motives, story should not just repeat the very same course.
Quirrell would be much less likely to make the whole plot just for Hermione spending a couple of weeks in Azkaban. And as he said, he certainly wouldn’t get Malfoys into it just for her. And so even if Harry failed to lose, he wouldn’t he in a giant debt to Lucius Malfoy (who blames Harry for what happened with Draco). So Quirrell wouldn’t need to kill Hermione for Harry to lose debt.
So Harry will never have a reason to have a discussion about Voldemort. He will not have a glimpse on Voldemort cold mind. He would think that the dark lord being alive is just insanity of Dumbledore, his wrong belief in souls and mistake about who is obvious person behind Bellatrix. Harry will not have any reason to ask where from the enemy plans at all. Because there wasn’t any hand of enemy.
There wouldn’t be Aurors in the castle, no Draco going to forbidden forest, because there are no silver slytherins and because Filch doesn’t think Lucius killed his cat, and also Harry will not closely track him because they are not friends. Harry wouldn’t bring the Aurors (because there are no Aurors), will at most just use his time turner to prevent it all. Or likely just nothing, because kids in forbidden forest will not have the mirrors, and so Quirrell will just memory charm them. No encounter with Firenze and Quirrell killing him. And Harry doesn’t quite realize Quirrell is dying, doesn’t bring him a unicorn and doesn’t discuss whether Quirrell intended to kill Auror, to know before Quirrell dies. He isn’t aware Quirrell is dying, they don’t discuss horcruxes. Quirrell doesn’t make an impression of accepting death, so it isn’t strange when at last Quirrell will ask Harry to go for philosopher’s stone.
Then when Quirrell needs Harry in forbidden corridor, he doesn’t need to ask Harry to avoid Constellation (one of suspicious things in the letter), doesn’t need to say to avoid allies of Life Eaters (hint at Quirrell through parseltongue). Harry doesn’t think to take Lesath because there is no rule about going with older students. And Snape questions him and noble kids less. And generally, Quirrell doesn’t really need to bypass Harry’s guards, because there weren’t framing’s and murders, so Harry is not on high guard. And again, without a glimpse on attacking cold mind, Harry thinks Voldemort is just Dumbledore’s insane idea. So Harry easily trusts Quirrell against Dumbledore.
Since Hermione does not die, Harry doesn’t make a firm decision to bring a friend back at all costs. So Quirrell doesn’t hear a prophecy yet that Harry is destined to bring the end to world where Quirrell lives. So Quirrell doesn’t count Harry as enemy. Doesn’t understand even that Harry’s values are incorrigibly different from his, still has hope that Harry his grow out from it. So Quirrell isn’t desperate to tell Harry all the things before he will be ought to kill Harry.
If Quirrell uses Harry as hostage for mirror, then either Harry is unconscious, or maybe even they both face the mirror and Harry thinks Dumbledore is evil for withholding the stone, and maybe even Dumbledore himself thinks that mirror have triggered on Harry’s presence, and after a lecture from Harry that Dumbledore is evil and Voldemort does not exist, Dumbledore decides that it is he the dark lord whom Harry should defeat, and so gives up.
Quirrell doesn’t show that he is the dark lord, still having hope to bring those news after Harry will let go his quibbles. Maybe, to support the idea that Dumbledore was wrong about everything, Quirrell even ditches the identity of Voldemort and instead imagines new funny role, incorporating new years of experience.
Without Draco plot line there are plenty of cascading subtle changes which sum up to entirely different background. The only thing by which Harry suspects Voldemort is suspicious framing of Hermione. Quirrell doesn’t understand that it is not plausible that Lucius will sacrifice his son, that Harry won’t sacrifice Hermione and that Lucius will not wish to accept money. So for Harry it looks like suspicious unknown enemy with cold mind, and not obvious Lucius attack. And without Draco line, Quirrell will likely invent some different plot to hurt Hermione. Say, when she goes to holidays Jagson kidnaps her for a week, while Harry is happily with his family. And Harry doesn’t know Jagson, he doesn’t need to think there is Voldemort’s hand instead of Jagson, as he believes in Voldemort instead of Lucius.
So, no, I disagree that Draco line has no effect. You would need quite a lot of everything going the same way, despite having different premises. Like, Quirrell says that he killed Hermione to remove Harry’s debt. And that plan against just Hermione wouldn’t include Malfoys. And so without saving those motives, story should not just repeat the very same course.