On the other side, however, there is the fact that, in a marginally subtler way, Quirrell is NOT Voldemort. Everything we are told about Voldemort in MoR (at least part of which comes from reliable accounts) matches canon Voldemort and suggest an equally cartoonesque villain composed mostly of questionable motives, self-defeating pettiness and pointless cruelty, with zero PR skills and awful fashion sense, not to mention a certain fondness for the Idiot Ball.
Eliezer has previously written that a supervillain (meant to be defeated) might do more for world unity than just about anything else. (If the words “I did it thirty-five minutes ago” mean anything to you, you get the idea.)
It’s plausible that MoR Voldemort was a facade put up by Quirrell as part of a strategy to bring the wizarding world together and face the very real threat of Muggleborne nuclear war– and both his speech to Hogwarts and his private discussion with Harry make this more plausible.
If Voldemort’s plan was to cause Britain to unite under a Mark of Britain killing Yermy Wibble and his family was a funny way to accomplish it.
Voldemort may have been operating under the same false assumption that Wibble was (that Wibble’s martyrdom would legitimize his ideas), but a villain that clever could have at least done some better PR work on Wibble during the seventies.
Note, too, that if V knew he could ‘die’ and then possess someone, and if he also believed his followers could only lose to a dictator who united magical Britain against them, then he likely figured it didn’t matter if they won or not.
Eliezer has previously written that a supervillain (meant to be defeated) might do more for world unity than just about anything else. (If the words “I did it thirty-five minutes ago” mean anything to you, you get the idea.)
It’s plausible that MoR Voldemort was a facade put up by Quirrell as part of a strategy to bring the wizarding world together and face the very real threat of Muggleborne nuclear war– and both his speech to Hogwarts and his private discussion with Harry make this more plausible.
However, it looks like the Boy-Who-Lived ruined his original plan somehow, and he’s trying Plan B now by mentoring Harry.
If Voldemort’s plan was to cause Britain to unite under a Mark of Britain killing Yermy Wibble and his family was a funny way to accomplish it.
Voldemort may have been operating under the same false assumption that Wibble was (that Wibble’s martyrdom would legitimize his ideas), but a villain that clever could have at least done some better PR work on Wibble during the seventies.
Note, too, that if V knew he could ‘die’ and then possess someone, and if he also believed his followers could only lose to a dictator who united magical Britain against them, then he likely figured it didn’t matter if they won or not.