Okay, I got it! Apparently DZK/Indinera put that thing there to prevent a possible glitch from completing the quest before you actually got it. All you have to do is get to rank 2 in the Mage Guild, and then go up the left staircase and speak to Tara, the red-haired woman to the south, and she will give you the quest, which magically deactivates the gate!