My friend just read the Harry Potter books and we were discussing them one day on the bus. She asked:

How was Quirrel able to shake Harry's hand in the Leaky Cauldron?

We looked and saw indeed he shook his hand. But, we were wondering what proof is there, if any that Voldemort wasn't part of him at that time.

Um...that is an interesting question. He probably had cloth over this hands. As long as he's not touching his skin I guess would be okay. I don't know for sure...

I don't believe Quirell shook Harry's hand in the book. I believe he just stood there talking to him and Hagrid. however in the movie, Harry held out his hand but Quirell politely declined.

I'm afraid I don't remember if Quirrel shook Harry's hand or not in the book either, but I have my imput on the question nonetheless.

Perhaps it was the way he was interacting with Harry. In the Leaky Cauldron it was more polite, no harmful intent at the time. However, in the end of the book when he tried to grab Harry, it was clearly in a hostile manner.

Yeah I don't thinkhe did. Because in the movie when harry wanted to shake his hand Quirrel pulled his away....

The movie is different. In the books they most definately shook hands. I think this is because Quirrel was not yet sharing his body with Lord Voldemort, that happened after the time he and Harry met at the Leaky Cauldron, so he could still touch him. I remember a quote kind of confirming that but I can't look it up right now. But it mentioned needing to keep a closer eye on Quirrel after failing to steal the stone, which happened after they met.

Voldemort didn't go on the back of his head until after he couldn't get the stone from Gringotts, so Quirrel was fine shaking his hand that day, but not later on in the book.

I think, it was because Harry wasn't in danger when Quirrel shoke his hand, the charm only happens when he is in danger. That's my theory

Nat x

Lord Voldemort started sharing the body of Quirrel after he failed to retrieve the Socerers Stone from Gringotts. He failed and the Dark Lord wasn't happy about it, so he wanted to keep a closer eye on him. That's why he was able to shake his hand in the Leaky...the Dark Lord wasn't apart of him yet.

I agree with everyone else. Maybe Voldemort wasn't there with Quirrel at the time. Maybe Voldy was still trying to find a way to get it himself.

voldemort was not on the back of his head untill after he failed to get the stone from gringots he said at the end of the book that he wanted to keep a close eye on him after that

He might have had gloves on.

He wasn't in him at that time.

I didn't think that he did touch Harrys hand. :|

It doesn't actually say in the book whether or not he shakes Quirrell's hand. Just that a "pale young man" comes forward rather nervously (p.55). Its on p. 211 that Quirrell explains that Voldemort does his 'head trick' after he fails at Gringott's to get the Stone.
(Excuse the rather Hermione-ish response...)

(Quote) "P-P-Potter," stammered Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."

U.S. (Scholastic) version, Chapter 5 Diagon Alley


(Quote) Quirrell's voice trailed away. Harry was remembering his trip to Diagon Alley - how, could he have been so stupid? He'd [I]seen[I] Quirrell there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.

U.S. (Scholastic) version, Chapter 17 The Man With Two Faces

That'll teach me to look for "shake hand" in a skim read... ^-^''

interesting question maybe Quirrel wasn't curse yet?

I don't think Voldemort was a part of Quirrel at that time.

I agree with what everybody else seem to be saying, but it is a fair question. Voldemort wasn't part of Quirrell until he wanted to keep a closer eye on him, because he'd failed at his task.
It would have been quite odd if Voldemort had been part of him then; Quirrell would sort of melted in the leaky cauldron.

he did shake harrys hand, but voldy didn't possess quirrell untill he failed to get the stone from gringots when that went wrong he wanted to keep a closer eye on him so no more mistakes could be made

Well, a really good question. I never thought of this before. Maybe it's because Voldemort was a lot more "powerful" in the last chapters than he was in the beginning of the book. Quirrell was drinking the unicorn's blood to make Voldemort more powerful as the school year went on.

You remember very well, Voldemort starts to posses Quirell after he broke in Gringotts with no result, so after Harry met Quirell in the Leaky Cauldron. In the movie they don't shake hands, because Quirell avoids it.