Premise/Backstory
It is Autumn, 1996, and Harry Potter is about to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his sixth year of tuition.
During the battle at the Ministry of Magic, on June 4th 1996, Harry once again lost any hope of forging for himself a sense of family. In addition, he was to hear the prophecy - a prophecy that would bedevil him constantly in the ensuing months, as he grappled with the decision of whether or not to inform Ron, and Hermione.
Unfortunately for Bellatrix Lestrange, the contents of the prophecy was never revealed to her. It was dashed to pieces, leaving the Dark Lord's 'favorite' with quite some grovelling to do to make it up to her master. In her panic, she ransacked the Ministry, leading a troupe of Death Eaters to one of the most secret, the most sacred of hiding places within the very bowels of the building.
The next day, news surfaced that a powerful and ancient artifact had been snatched from the Ministry, presumed in the hands of the Death Eaters. The amutlet of Andvari - a powerful charm, rumored to possess the power to drain any witch, or wizard, of their inherent magical ability, leaving them little more than a shell of their former selves - a comatose squib. It was written off, by Ministry officials, as an exaggeration of folklore - simply a legend, passed down from generation to generation. And yet, the papers continued to carry the story.
The hype died down for a few weeks, and had all but disappeared, when the seemingly lifeless, unconcious body of Nymphadora Tonks was found in her appartment in Hogsmeade. No potion or charm could rouse her, but tests revealed the worst - she was, indeed, a squib.
The level of panic rose at alarming rates - it seemed clear to everyone that Voldemort, and his Death Eaters possessed the locket, and that it did indeed harbor the powers that legend claimed it held. But all was quiet, again, for several weeks. Voldemort appeared to have switched his attention to neighbouring nations, felling (in rapid succession) the educational institutions of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.
Whilst France and Bulgaria were still fighting to keep their nations under their own rule, many parents began to realise they would have to think of alternative methods of education for their children. Thus, a large number of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were enrolled in Hogwarts for the upcoming term.
What the papers weren't reporting - indeed, what only Albus Dumbledore, and a select few members of the Order of the Phoenix knew - was that Voldemort had targeted Tonks specifically. He was now in possession of her metamorphagus ability...and, in Dumbledore's informed opinion, had used it.
The night before Harry returned to school, Dumbledore confided in him that Voldemort had once again taken on a new face - that of a boy, or girl - school-aged. His design? To infiltrate Hogwarts, and succeed where his most faithful servants had failed.
We begin on the day of the first of September, 1996, on platform 9 3/4. The train is just rolling out of the station. Who is new? Who is absent? Who may be wearing a mask? We invite you to join us on this journey, as the trio fight an evil much harder to identify - an evil that could be anyone, and is, quite probably, the last person you suspect.
The following information is OOC information ONLY. Your character DOES NOT know this:
On the evening of June 4th, Bellatrix Black-Lestrange stole the amulet from the Ministry. It is quite possible she knew of it's power, whilst her Lord had no idea. She presented the trophy to him, as a means of pacifying him slightly for her abject failure to obtain the prophecy.
Voldemort was quick to use the amulet on several of his Death Eaters. When he had established that, yes, indeed, it did work, he set about plotting how best to use it.
Since his 'faithful' Death Eaters had been consistently failing to provide him with anything of use on the Boy Who Lived, over the past few years, he decided it might be best to take on the job himself (with suitable backup, of course - one should never do all the work when one has minions). He was already aware of the auror Nymphadora Tonks, and her unusual abilities. The stage was set.
After he had sapped Tonks of her power, the Dark Lord set about using it for himself. He realised that, much as he had done before, via Diary!Riddle, if he presented to the students and staff of Hogwarts a face that was unfamiliar to them, they were very unlikely to recognise him for who he truly was. And he would afford himself an entire year of first-hand information, and the perfect chance to act immediately on any plans, or plots he may develop.
Unfortunately, his grand disguise went slightly awry. As well as taking on the features and physical attributes of a 17-year-old student, Voldemort also inherited many of the mental, and emotional characteristics. Had he bothered to read up on his refound bauble, he would have realised that whatever ability one gains via the amulet, becomes distorted and perverted when used. After all, it isn't your natural, 'God Given' ability. There are bound to be a few kinks.
Instead of the cold, calculating, blood-thirsty Lord Voldemort, you-know-who found himself grappling with a dual personality - the Dark Lord was in there somewhere, but only as a shadow, at best a projection of what he had been.
He had set out to become a teenager.
Now he really was one.
Ohshit.