If you can believe it, it has been almost 20 years since the first Harry Potter book hit bookshelves. Since then, the book series has obviously become a huge phenomenon, conjuring up a massive film franchise and immersive theme parks. Fans are more into the Wizarding World than ever, but there is one long-standing question that’s been left unanswered since Sorcerer’s Stone was released… how did Professor Quirrell and Voldemort sleep when they shared the same head?
Harry Potter’s first Defense of the Dark Arts professor wore a purple turban that turned out to be concealing the face of a weak Voldemort. It was a startling reveal to kick off the series and the rivalry between the Dark Lord and The Boy Who Lived. While promoting his latest film Escape To Pretoria, which also stars Quirrell actor Ian Hart, Daniel Radcliffe was asked to weigh in on the discussion. In his words:
What’s that? How did he sleep at night? I would say that the only practical thing to do there would be to sleep on your side, unless Voldemort doesn’t need air, which I’m not sure. As long as there’s breath coming into the body, he’s probably asleep on his front because it would still circulate around the whole thing. I’m guessing back-of-the-head Voldemort could survive off front-of-the-head Ian Hart’s air supply.
A clever response from the Harry Potter actor! Daniel Radcliffe wasn’t exactly expecting the question during his interview with HuffPost but he offered up an interesting take on it. After initially going with the obvious answer of the two-sided head sleeping on its side, he talked about how perhaps if Quirrell slept face up, it wouldn’t smother Voldemort to death because they share the same oxygen.
Considering this is the Dark Lord we are talking about, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made the nervous Quirrell sleep face into his pillow as he remained face up on the bed. Either way, it sounds just unpleasant all around. It’s a funny conversation to come out of the Harry Potter series, and one A Very Potter Musical answered. The parody play created by the likes of American Crime Story’s Darren Criss back in the day made it a hilarious comedy bit. Check it out:
While Daniel Radcliffe is happy to answer obscure questions about the franchise, he’s not rushing to return as the character. He recently said that he feels like the series has “moved on and they’re doing just fine without us." The series’ Grindelwald, Johnny Depp is currently dealing with a libel case that is tied to the Fantastic Beasts movies. J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts 3 is reportedly kicking off production ahead of its release date on November 21, 2021.
