The point: there is knowledge for which money cannot substitute. Even if Louis XV had offered a large monetary bounty for ways to immunize himself against the pox, he would have had no way to distinguish Benjamin Jesty from the endless crowd of snake-oil sellers and faith healers and humoral balancers. Indeed, top medical “experts” of the time would likely have warned him away from Jesty.
But Quirrel Points are issued by a wizard of significant knowledge and skill. A currency which comes with the advisement of that sort of expertise can bypass this sort of problem.
As well, if you look at the character’s behavior, they’re far more motivated by acquiring more Quirrel Points than they are by acquiring more galleons; they’ve recognized it as a more important source of power.
It is certainly possible that Quirrell Points are a better investment than lack-of-debt-to-Lord-Malfoy, but if so I would expect Harry to explicitly realize this rather than just entirely ignoring the option of exchanging them!
In What Money Cannot Buy, johnswentworth points out:
But Quirrel Points are issued by a wizard of significant knowledge and skill. A currency which comes with the advisement of that sort of expertise can bypass this sort of problem.
As well, if you look at the character’s behavior, they’re far more motivated by acquiring more Quirrel Points than they are by acquiring more galleons; they’ve recognized it as a more important source of power.
It is certainly possible that Quirrell Points are a better investment than lack-of-debt-to-Lord-Malfoy, but if so I would expect Harry to explicitly realize this rather than just entirely ignoring the option of exchanging them!