Searching for Wellness by DesertPlanet

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office pouring over the few applications he had for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Another year had come and gone, and with it another capable professor. Poor Deirdre Smythe had gone mad shortly before the end of term and had required hospitalization. The cause of her madness was still unknown, but there was a hole in the teaching roster once again that needed filled.

This year’s application pool was different. A total of five people had applied for the job, that was three more than last year. The reason was obvious, of course. This was the year Harry Potter was to come to Hogwarts. Anyone capable of basic math would know that.

Severus Snape, of course, was right out. He had a child to take care of now, he was in no way fit to take on the famed curse placed on the DADA position. Of the other three, there was a retired giant snail breeder, a private tutor from Ireland with no discernible teaching credentials, and a request from a previous Muggle Studies professor to return to “any open position please if possible.”

‘Ah, Quirinus,’ Dumbledore thought. ‘Has it been a year already?’

Quirinus Quirrell had been an extremely bright student, particularly in the fields of Muggle Studies and Defense. He had been on staff for several years as the Muggle Studies professor, though his true passion was for the theory of the Dark Arts. Last year he had asked to take a short sabbatical to gain some first hand experience of the muggle world as well as study the many historical magical sites on the continent.

While Quirinus was a more than competent professor of Muggle Studies, he was an extremely meek man with a stutter that only got worse with stress. DADA was not a class for the meek, however for all that he lacked in confidence he made up for in knowledge.

Quickly skimming through the man’s updated CV, Dumbledore was surprised to see a mention of vampires in the Black Forest. Perhaps Quirinus had managed to learn more about the highly reclusive species? How beneficial would that be for Mr. Potter!

The decision was made then. Quirinus Quirrell would be coming back to Hogwarts.

A few short letters of rejection later (including one which read simply “No Severus”), Albus stood from his desk and walked over to the floo. Quickly saying the password and throwing in the floo powder, Dumbledore knelt at the hearth and stuck his face in the flames.

On the other side of the fire was Quirrell, sipping a small cup of Turkish coffee while sitting in the sitting room of a small concrete building. The man reached up and adjusted the large, purple turban atop his head before realizing Dumbledore’s head was in his fire and jumping backwards, knocking the coffee to the ground in the process.

“Good morning, Quirinus. I hope I find you well?” Dumbledore said, smiling. The man’s jumpiness had obviously not abated during his time off.

“P-p-p-professor D-d-d-dumbled-d-d-d-ore!” Quirrell stuttered, eyes jumping around the room. “H-h-h-h-how are you?”

“Quite well, actually. I have a question for you, my boy.”

Quirrell’s eyes continued to dart around the room suspiciously. He was going to be found out, he knew it. Dumbledore knew everything. There was no way this plan was going to work.

‘Silence, you fool!’ a voice hissed in his mind. ‘Answer the man’s questions. He’s here to offer you a job.’

“Y-y-yes, sir?” Quirrell said.

“You stated on your application for re-instatement that you would be willing to take any position, is that correct?”

“Y-y-y-y-y-yes sir,” Quirrell stuttered, struggling to control the twitch in his left eye.

“We do have an open position for the upcoming school year, mind you it is quite a bit more dangerous than Muggle Studies. However, it is the only open position at this time. Would you be willing to return to Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?”

Quirrell could have cried with happiness. His master ought to be thrilled with this; a much more fitting position for the Dark Lord. And for him.

“Y-yes! Th-th-thank you s-s-s-sir!” Quirrell said, jumping out of his seat as the wind blew a window shutter open.

Dumbledore smiled. This year would certainly be an interesting one.