One of the ongoing patterns in HPMoR is how certain spells require people to believe certain things or to be in certain emotional states. Harry can perform partial transfiguration because he actually believes in timeless physics. Harry can cast Patronus 2.0 because of his beliefs about life and death. Avada Kedavara requires hate (or indifference).
I see no references to the conversation between McGonigal and Quirrell. “Professor Quirrell made a sharp gesture, as though to indicate a concept for which he had no words.” McGonigal reacts. That there is a concept that these two characters know of, but have not actually explained to the reader. I expect this to play a part in the grand finale.
Almost everything related to Quirrell is related to death. There are simply too many instances to list exhaustively; this is just things that immediately come to mind. Voldemort was all about death during his reign; “mort” is in his name. He talks about stars dieing on multiple occasions. He brings the dementor to Hogwarts. He brings Harry to Azkaban. Hermione. Unicorns. The actual outcome of the conversation above that I linked to is that McGonigal whispers to Harry, “I had a sister once,” and then leads to Harry going on his field trip with Lupin, which is about the Peverell brothers, which is about death. He has made his own wasting away prolonged and visible. Over the last few chapters, he has done certain things that would be counterproductive if his goal was to merely obtain the philosopher’s stone.
My final prediction: Everything in the last few chapters which shows him being a sloppy carton villain is a ruse, is being done deliberately to manipulate Harry. Quirrell plays the game One Level Higher Than You. Quirrell’s plot is to manipulate Harry into a certain mental state, which is directly related to the gesture he made to McGonigal, which is one of the major unresolved questions.
As to what end, there I am slightly hazy. My roommate believes that Methods is a retelling of The Sword of Good, and that Quirrell is at minimum the antivillian seeking positive utilitarian gains, possibly by vanquishing death. I think that’s likely but am not confident enough to bet on it.
While we are at it, where are the Deathly Hollows? Quirrell took the Cloak of Invisibility. I presume that he has the Resurrection Stone if he’s plotting something related to death. As far as I know, Dumbledore has the Elder Wand. Hey, didn’t Quirrell say that he had a plan to defeat the Headmaster if he showed up?
First he does it explicitly, during the lesson. Okay, that is not really giving up; it’s rather “pretending to lose, so you survive and have your revenge later”. But even that is difficult for Harry. So maybe learning this lesson is just a first approximation towards really giving up?
“The boy cannot be allowed to continue in this state of mind. He will become dangerous. … It is my professional judgment … that the boy could join the ranks of those whose rituals are inscribed upon the tombstones of countries.”
And recently it seems like Quirrell is taking his time to break Harry psychologically, demonstrating his advantage by overpowered attacks, reminding him about all the hostages he can kill.
The sadness and horror that Harry had pushed down flared up again, and his dark side had no stored patterns for handling the emotions. Why, Professor Quirrell, why are you like this...
Professor Quirrell smiled. “That reminds me. Have you betrayed me yet?”
It seems as if Quirrell wants Harry to betray him. And then he would kill the hostages. And then he would tell Harry: “It’s all your fault.”
Which would be the opposite of what Hermione told Harry. But we already know that Quirrell is trying to push Harry in the opposite direction than Hermione would.
What is he trying to achieve by this? Maybe if Harry gives up, he will lose his ability to cast Patronus 2.0. Why is that important? Because it is the only spell that Harry knows and Quirrell does not; therefore the greatest danger to Quirrell?
Or maybe Quirrell wants Harry to snap and become an efficient ruthless killing machine just like him.
‘”he has power the Dark Lord knows not” could mean that the Dark Lord doesn’t know that the power exists, or it could mean the Dark Lord doesn’t know how to use the power. The prophecy didn’t say ‘he has power the Dark Lord knows not of.’
This isn’t relevant to your comment here, but I was amused in the light of recent events by the following remark in that conversation:
“James Potter,” said Professor Quirrell, his eyes narrowing. “The boy is not much like James Potter. [...]”
Back on topic:
Quirrell’s plot is to manipulate Harry into a certain mental state, which is directly related to the gesture he made to McGonagall
Maaaaybe. But in that conversation it seems to me as if the mental state he’s referring to and gesturing at is something like “determination to do away with death by all means possible” and while Q might be bluffing when he indicates to anyone who’ll listen that Harry’s attempts are likely to have diastrous consequences, I’m more inclined to take him more or less at face value there.
One of the ongoing patterns in HPMoR is how certain spells require people to believe certain things or to be in certain emotional states. Harry can perform partial transfiguration because he actually believes in timeless physics. Harry can cast Patronus 2.0 because of his beliefs about life and death. Avada Kedavara requires hate (or indifference).
I see no references to the conversation between McGonigal and Quirrell. “Professor Quirrell made a sharp gesture, as though to indicate a concept for which he had no words.” McGonigal reacts. That there is a concept that these two characters know of, but have not actually explained to the reader. I expect this to play a part in the grand finale.
Almost everything related to Quirrell is related to death. There are simply too many instances to list exhaustively; this is just things that immediately come to mind. Voldemort was all about death during his reign; “mort” is in his name. He talks about stars dieing on multiple occasions. He brings the dementor to Hogwarts. He brings Harry to Azkaban. Hermione. Unicorns. The actual outcome of the conversation above that I linked to is that McGonigal whispers to Harry, “I had a sister once,” and then leads to Harry going on his field trip with Lupin, which is about the Peverell brothers, which is about death. He has made his own wasting away prolonged and visible. Over the last few chapters, he has done certain things that would be counterproductive if his goal was to merely obtain the philosopher’s stone.
My final prediction: Everything in the last few chapters which shows him being a sloppy carton villain is a ruse, is being done deliberately to manipulate Harry. Quirrell plays the game One Level Higher Than You. Quirrell’s plot is to manipulate Harry into a certain mental state, which is directly related to the gesture he made to McGonigal, which is one of the major unresolved questions.
As to what end, there I am slightly hazy. My roommate believes that Methods is a retelling of The Sword of Good, and that Quirrell is at minimum the antivillian seeking positive utilitarian gains, possibly by vanquishing death. I think that’s likely but am not confident enough to bet on it.
While we are at it, where are the Deathly Hollows? Quirrell took the Cloak of Invisibility. I presume that he has the Resurrection Stone if he’s plotting something related to death. As far as I know, Dumbledore has the Elder Wand. Hey, didn’t Quirrell say that he had a plan to defeat the Headmaster if he showed up?
I think Quirrell wants to teach Harry to give up.
First he does it explicitly, during the lesson. Okay, that is not really giving up; it’s rather “pretending to lose, so you survive and have your revenge later”. But even that is difficult for Harry. So maybe learning this lesson is just a first approximation towards really giving up?
And recently it seems like Quirrell is taking his time to break Harry psychologically, demonstrating his advantage by overpowered attacks, reminding him about all the hostages he can kill.
It seems as if Quirrell wants Harry to betray him. And then he would kill the hostages. And then he would tell Harry: “It’s all your fault.”
Which would be the opposite of what Hermione told Harry. But we already know that Quirrell is trying to push Harry in the opposite direction than Hermione would.
What is he trying to achieve by this? Maybe if Harry gives up, he will lose his ability to cast Patronus 2.0. Why is that important? Because it is the only spell that Harry knows and Quirrell does not; therefore the greatest danger to Quirrell?
Or maybe Quirrell wants Harry to snap and become an efficient ruthless killing machine just like him.
But quirell knows that Harry possesses the power which kills dementors, so it can’t be related to prophecy from his perspective
‘”he has power the Dark Lord knows not” could mean that the Dark Lord doesn’t know that the power exists, or it could mean the Dark Lord doesn’t know how to use the power. The prophecy didn’t say ‘he has power the Dark Lord knows not of.’
“like” doesn’t really get to the point. There a reason he calls him Tom.
So far, Harry is able to describe how to be an efficient killing machine, but he didn’t kill anyone yet. Didn’t even try.
This isn’t relevant to your comment here, but I was amused in the light of recent events by the following remark in that conversation:
Back on topic:
Maaaaybe. But in that conversation it seems to me as if the mental state he’s referring to and gesturing at is something like “determination to do away with death by all means possible” and while Q might be bluffing when he indicates to anyone who’ll listen that Harry’s attempts are likely to have diastrous consequences, I’m more inclined to take him more or less at face value there.