For that matter, why did he ever bother turning into his snake form? Just to make Harry think he had the limitation of not being able to speak Parseltongue while human, for some reason?
Looks like I misunderstood the relevant passage in Chapter 49--when Quirrell confirms that other snake Animagi can’t overhear them, he isn’t implying that you also have to be a Parselmouth, he’s implying that he can only understand Harry because Harry wills it.
For that matter, why did he ever bother turning into his snake form? Just to make Harry think he had the limitation of not being able to speak Parseltongue while human, for some reason?
Voldemort is the last known Parselmouth, so it would be highly suspicious for Quirrell to also be one.
Looks like I misunderstood the relevant passage in Chapter 49--when Quirrell confirms that other snake Animagi can’t overhear them, he isn’t implying that you also have to be a Parselmouth, he’s implying that he can only understand Harry because Harry wills it.
For an obvious reason—pretend to have more limits than you do, to be underestimated.