I've never really seen this plot be brought forth, so I decided to take up upon it.

For those who have read Half-Blood Prince, Tom (not sure if he's known as Voldemor at this point) returns to Hogwarts, asking his former Professor if he could take the seat as Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Now, instead of Dumbledore refusing granting his former student the job, he conjures the good ol' faith he could never let die down and grants Tom that position. Of course, Tom isn't going to do a complete 180. I planned on him scheming, time after time being frustrated with not being able to find any artifacts.

Okay, here's the problem with that.

• The War, I'd be basically removing almost EVERYTHING that happened during the Era of Marauders and before that.
• Death Eaters, they'd be basically nonexsistant.
• Wizarding World would, I assume, be in a Golden Age after Albus kills Grindelwald.

Then, another thought popped into my head; when would he start to build an army? If I go through wioth his plot, I'd have to build his army during the years of Harry Potter (who becomes an important factor). Now, what's so important about Harry during these times? It's simple, Voldemort is getting old, and he's noticing it. As he sits with the fellow Professors, he notices his ages (mind you, I guess he'd be Head of Slytherin). He needs an apprentice someone who could carry on his legacy (or moreso, transfer his soul to? I dunno). Now, there's something I thought of...

• Harry Potter and his parents are still alive, but they are NOT Professors of Hogwarts. James is an Auror and Lily doesn't work.
• Neville parents in some shape or form are the first "victims" of Tom.
• Tom, as stated before, is Head of Slytherin, therefore, has time to corrupt Harry.
• Harry either "defeats" Voldemort indirectly, thus returning the name "Boy-Who-Lived."

Now, I know this isn't much, but... this is why I posted my idea on the forum. I basically wanted a way to not make the story a complete AU, and not rape the personalities of certain characters because there wasn't any War. I also wanted to know what would be a reasonable year to start the story. (Note; this isn't the final planning, just something's that I wanted to know and such).

 

The first thing you'd have to do, is decide how this should differ from canon.

I mean, how would society have developed with the absent of canon!Voldemort; how stands the muggle/muggleborn conflict. Have pureblods hatred for muggleborns grown stronger or weaker compared to canon? Is the eradication of muggles/muggleborns still Tom/Voldemort first priority, or does he have a new agenda now? etc.

About characters: Some characters would have to be changed a lot to fit this; Did a friendship develop between James and Sirius?, if not then Sirius could be completely different, maybe even on Voldemorts side. Harry would be different, growing up with parents. Maybe you should have him start out arrogant, like James, and have Voldemort play on that, to corrupt him.

But I think you should start developing a time line of events, that differ from canon, from the point of Voldemort becoming professor and forward, and then change characters to fit.

EDIT: Forgot year to start: I think you should dedicate the prologue to a conversation between Lilly and James, on how Harry has changed in the first years of Hogwarts and maybe something about James work, just to get a feel about how Harry and the world is. After that I'd say sixth or seventh year for Harry.

 

Expanding on Kate's edit (about the James/Lily conversation), I'd have them compliment Tom on how he's looked after Harry during school - how Harry may have suffered the first couple of years until he fell under the protective wing of the Head of Slytherin. He doesn't have to be in Slytherin, and it would work well if you go for a shy Harry instead of the obnoxious brat most people go for when he's brought up by his parents... Why people think James continued to be an arrogant prat after Hogwarts I've no idea. Lily didn't go out with him for years for exactly that reason, it wasn't until he mellowed out that they started dating.

On the starting time, I'd have the prologue go over the meeting with Dumbledore, then skip a bit to Tom getting the job as Head of Slytherin, then to James/Lily's conversation (there wouldn't be a prophecy this time I'd imagine, or if there is it would be a lot more ambiguous in its meaning), then a quick overview of Harry's first two/three years, finishing with an introduction to whatever year you start the fic in.

Just a suggestion or two, cause I got a bit carried away in my musings .

Aekiel

 

A Shy Harry? I was thinking of going a long with Kate's idea for Obnoxious!Harry, due to the position of the Potter Family. I mean, James was practically in love with Lily right? Of course he had a reason to mellow. Obnoxious or Shy though... it comes down to what personality. If I go with Obnoxious, Tom/Voldemort could always play on the Power Card, while if I go with Shy Harry, I could go with the Recognition Card?

 

With Shy Harry: Make Voldemort support him, protect him, and defend him. Let Voldemort help Harry get confidence, and then, when Harry trusts him completely, lead him down the road to corruption.

 

Hm. What plausible way could I get Tom/Voldemort to notice Harry? Maybe perhaps a glimpse of Accidental Magic? Or just sheer similarity and curiosity of the potential? Corruption of the Heir of Gryffindor?

 

If Snape is potions professor, you could always have Snape scare Harry so much, in the first potions class, that Harry accidentally makes himself invisible, and then let the rumor mill do the rest.

 

Lol. I completely forgot about Severus. Hm, I already have an idea for him already, depending on where the story takes me. Should I have Tom/Voldemort boast about Harry's confidence over year by year?

 

As long as it's painful, I'm satisfied. <---- That was about Snape.


EDIT:

Yes, make him really show that Harry is his favorite. It would be cool if there was some subtle competition between Voldemort and Dumbledore, when Dumbledore finds out how much attention Voldemort pays to Harry (If Dumbledore still suspects Voldemort). Both of them trying to gain Harry's affections.

Something like: Voldemort put a hand on Harry's shoulder, smiling victoriously to Dumbledore. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed as he looked at Harry's bright smile.

 

Nah, I see Tom being more subtle than that. Outright competition between him and Dumbledore is something that could easily get out of hand and into outrageously stupid territory. And what can Dumbledore do that could win Harry's affections after Voldemort gives him protection and support? That's not something people take lightly, even as a kid.

On a side note - was Voldemort disfigured at all by his rituals/horcruxes by the time he went to meet with Dumbledore for the job? I have the image of a red eyed Voldemort talking with him in my mind but I don't know if its accurate.

Aekiel

 

About the plot idea: it looks like a very interesting premise, and I'm frankly shocked that this hadn't been done yet.

 

You need a reason for Tom to be interested in Harry right, well heres one. Around 1980 Dumbledore's not feeling to well and has his associate professor's take over the interviewing process. Tom gets stuck with Talweny and hears a prophecy. Doesn't need to be the same one but it involves Harry and Tom is actively looking out for Harry afterwards because of that. Tom would kept the prophecy to himself so there would be no record.

 

Hmm...Tom had already made at least 4 horcruxes by that point, so he is already immortal, and thus not going to die. You'll need a better reason to train Harry than to carry on his legacy.

Perhaps he could train Harry to be his General and the public face of the Death Eaters, thus allowing the war to take place, but with Tom/Voldemort keeping his place as a staff member at Hogwarts. To the public, it would seem that Harry was the Dark Lord, not Voldemort.

 

Or he could use Harry as a political shield? I mean, exposing him as Heir of Slytherin would be beneficial, but I don't think he'd get support. But, revealing Harry as Gryffindor, while corrupting him, could be a good card. Only problem with that... I suck at politics. =/

 

Politics don't have to be too difficult if you pull off the atmosphere right. Make up a couple of old traditions, or steal some from Medieval England - its basically the same thing, mix in some quirky or arrogant purebloods, stir thoroughly for ten minutes counterclockwise and drip in three mudblood rights bills. You now have a working Wizengamot with the necessary racist undertones, the traditional but outdated in the muggle world customs and the push for reform by ambitious muggle-lovers.

Easy enough if you know the recipe .

Just remember that people associate certain archetypes with certain Ancient and Noble houses - much like the Blacks were known to be Dark Wizards, so it was easy to believe that Sirius betrayed the Potters in canon. Conversely you've got the cliché heir of Gryffindor who can do no wrong, is brave to a fault and noble as a hundred year old Duke.

If Voldemort were to play on Harry's ancestry (if he actually has any) it would work well in my opinion. On the one hand you've got a Dark Lord working the background, manipulating the naive and innocent Harry. On the other you've got the wet behind the ears heir to a Noble house who looks to said Dark Lord for guidance and protection... Its got the makings of a good fic .

And I think I got carried away again...

Aekiel