Bookends

Here is another reason I think that Harry will be the 7th and lasting DADA (Defense Against the Dark Arts) teacher at Hogwarts: Using "bookends" is a common device - I noted it in the post on Religion and Love in Tolkien concerning his use of the midsummer's eve date to connect and contrast the attack of the Nazgul and the courtly love of Aragorn an Arwen. Thus, if I'm saying Harry is going to be the final DADA teacher, it would be good to see who the first DADA teacher in the series was and see if it makes sense as an opposing bookend. And who would that be? Actually ... it is Voldemort (from the back of Quirrels head). I am planning soon to go back and re-read the books quickly for the purpose of re-experiencing them through what I have learned since first reading, so I am not sure but from what I remember we do not get too much on Quirrel in book 1 - on his qualifications, teaching content etc - but by the end of the book we find out he has Voldy in him and has had him there all year. Combined with what we learned in HBP we know that Voldy did manage to "thwart" DD's authority by actaully teaching DADA "covertly" through Quirrel - as the opening "bookend" to the DADA class progression. By this time Voldy has much more important plans, like getting a body, but I think he probably saw a delicious irony in teaching DADA covertly onlong the way. So who would be a more fitting final bookend than Harry?