Lord Voldemort

Lord Voldemort (December 31, 1926 - May 1998) was the greatest Dark wizard of all time, foe of Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, whose ultimate quest was "to conquer Death".

Early Life
Tom Marvolo Riddle was born in 1926 in an orphanage in London. His mother, Merope Gaunt, a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin, died shortly after his birth. She named him Tom Marvolo Riddle after his father, Tom Riddle Sr., and Marvolo Gaunt, her father. Tom Riddle Sr. was a wealthy Muggle living in the village of Little Hangleton. She tricked him into marrying her by giving him a love potion, which she continued for some time. Thinking he would have fallen in love with her on his own by now, she stopped giving him the potion, but he abandoned her and her unborn child.

Tom Riddle grew up in the orphanage unaware of his Wizarding heritage, though he did discover his innate powers. Tom could move things with his mind, command animals to do his bidding, speak Parseltongue, and, in his own words, "make people hurt". Predictably, the other orphans and the orphanage's carers feared him. After getting into a fight with one boy, he assumably used his powers to hang the boy's bunny on the rafters. On one occasion, he took two orphans, Dennis Bishop and Amy Benson, into a cave where he performed an act so horrifying, that the two orphans were traumatized into silence. (Voldemort later would choose this same cave to be the resting place of one of his Horcruxes, which would stolen by the mysterious R.A.B.. Perhaps this is proof that his liking of coincidences and hidden links started from a young age.) Another of his amusements was stealing from his fellow orphans, and he took to hiding their possessions inside a container which he kept safely in his cupboard, as trophies. Curiously, the cupboard was the same that Dumbledore used a Flame-Freezing Charm on in the Half-Blood Prince.

When Tom was 11, Dumbledore visited the orphanage and invited Tom to join Hogwarts. Not much else is known of his childhood.

Hogwarts Years
Tom Riddle began his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1938, and, as one might guess, was placed in Slytherin. He returned to the Muggle orphanage during the summer break, which he despised. He described himself as "poor, but brilliant, parentless, but so brave, a school prefect, a model student." This opinion was also shared by the Professors, with the exception of Albus Dumbledore, who was the Transfiguration professor at the time.

Tom became obsessed with his past and began researching it, with an insatiable hunger. During his research, he discovered the heritage he shared with Salazar Slytherin, and learned about the Chamber of Secrets under Hogwarts, and the beast within. He also discovered how Salazar Slytherin managed to hide it from the other school founders. It was concealed so that only Salazar's true heir could open it and "purge the school of all those who are unworthy to study magic." Tom then changed his name to Lord Voldemort, so he did not have to be called by the name of his "filthy Muggle father." His new name was an anagram of his given name:

"TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE"

once rearranged, became:

"I AM LORD VOLDEMORT"

The name Voldemort has a further special meaning. Voldemort separated in to three French words, vol de mort, means "flight of death". It was a name he hoped every wizard would some day fear to speak when he became the greatest sorcerer in the world.

In his fifth year, Tom found the secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, and was able to control the Basilisk (the snake-like monster inside) because he was a Parselmouth. Tom turned the beast loose on the school, injuring many. The last victim was a student named Myrtle, who was killed in the girls bathroom when the Basilisk looked her in the eye (any who see its glowing yellow eyes will die instantly). Hogwarts was to be closed, and not wanting to go back to the orphanage, Tom faked the capture of another student, Rubeus Hagrid. Armando Dippet, the current headmaster, was convinced that Aragog was the monster inside the chamber. Hagrid was expelled, and Tom received an engraved trophy for Special Services to the School.

Dumbledore, distrusting Riddle, kept a close watch on him after that. Because it was no longer safe to open the Chamber of Secrets, Tom created a diary to preserve a part of his soul, hoping it would one day lead someone to finish Salazar Slytherin's "noble" work. This diary was one of his six Horcruxes.

Little Hangleton
At Tom's last year at Hogwarts, he was prefect, Head Boy, and he had received a medal for magical merit. He was one of the most brilliant students Hogwarts had ever had. During the summer of 1945, Tom Riddle took action on his vow of revenge against his Muggle father. Tom went to the small hut where his mother once lived. There he stunned his uncle Morfin Gaunt (the last remaining inhabitant) with a spell and implanted a false memory of him killing the Riddle family inside his head. Later that morning, all three Riddles were found dead in the drawing room of their home. Investigating wizards learned Morfin's wand was used to commit the murders. Because of the alterations to his memory, Morfin confessed to the Ministry he had committed the crimes.

After Hogwarts
Once finished with his education, Tom Riddle asked Armando Dippet for a chance to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, but was deemed too young. He was offered several positions in the Ministry of Magic, but ended up working at Borgin and Burkes for Caractacus Burke, which disappointed and surprised many. His job was to "persuade" people to part with their items (a job which he was very good at). He murdered again, not for revenge, but to gain. He murdered Hepzibah Smith for two of her possessions; Hufflepuff's Cup and Salazar Slytherin's Locket, and once more implanted a false memory into an innocent person - or in this case, a house elf. Hokey, Hepzibah's House-elf, admitted to accidentally putting poison into Hepzibah's cocoa. Tom then took the cup and locket and to turned them into Horcruxes.

Transformation
Tom disappeared for many years. It was during this time that he slipped deeper into the Dark Arts. He travelled extensively, consorted with disreputable people, and underwent many dangerous magical transformations. During this time, Lord Voldemort gathered objects for his horcruxes and implanted his soul fragments into them. Tom appealed once more to the Headmaster of Hogwarts (now Albus Dumbledore) for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, so that he could learn Hogwarts' secrets and recruit followers. Dumbledore denied him, knowing of his plan. The position had since been cursed; teachers (apart from Quirinus Quirrell, who was under Riddle's direct control) only held the position for a year until Riddle's defeat ended the spell.

Riddle's visit to request the position was not fruitless, however; while on the grounds he hid the diadem of Ravenclaw in the Room of Requirement, where he believed it would never be found.

The Rise of the Dark Lord
In the 1970's, Lord Voldemort had gathered a following of witches and wizards. Some were supportive of his cause to rid the world of Mudbloods(Muggle-borns). Others were greedy for power, and yet others joined the Dark Lord out of fear. His followers named themselves the Knights of Walpurgis, but soon changed to Death Eaters. Voldemort considered them more like slaves than friends or family. They freely used the Unforgivable curses and killed mercilessly, often for fun.

Lord Voldemort began taking advantage of the Wizarding World's greatest weakness: the beings and creatures that they had outcast. The Dark Lord recruited Giants, who left the mountains, and Vampires and Werewolves joined him. Many feared the Goblins would join him, seeing as they were restricted from wand use, but it never happened. Aurors were authorized to use Unforgivable curses on Death Eaters, and suspects were sometimes handed over to the Dementors without trial. Many innocents were locked away. Azkaban became an unsafe prison when Dementors switched their allegiance. One of the Wizarding World's few remaining safe places was Hogwarts, under the staunch protection of Albus Dumbledore, the only person Lord Voldemort feared. Albus Dumbledore created the Order of the Phoenix to fight against Voldemort, but they were outnumbered and suffered many casualties. People feared to speak his name, and he was referred to as "You-Know-Who" or "He-who-must-not-be-named."

At the height of his power in 1979, word came from an informant, Severus Snape, in a Hogsmede bar, of a Prophecy, one that predicted his downfall. It went like this...

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...."

- Sybill Trelawney

The Prophecy was made by Sybill Trelawney in the Hog's Head, during a job interview with Albus Dumbledore for the positon of Divination.

According to Albus Dumbledore, Snape only heard half of the Prophecy, the part about Volemort's downfall and who it may relate to. From there he was thrown out by the barman, (Aberforth Dumbledore). He hurried to tell his master what he had heard, for it concerned Voldemort. Trelawney's description of the night's events was a bit different however, as she stated that after feeling "ill" (her "illness" actually being the Prophecy), Aberforth burst into the room with Severus Snape. This is in contrast with Dumbledore's description of events and casts doubt upon his account. In any case, Voldemort, frightened, sprang into action upon learning the first half of the Prophecy from Severus Snape.

Lord Voldemort realized he must kill the child the Prophecy mentioned, though there were two to choose from – Harry Potter, a Half-Blood, and Neville Longbottom, who came from an entirely Pure-Blood family. Both parents had defied him three times, and both children were born as the seventh month died. Voldemort chose Harry. Not Neville the Pure-Blood, but the Half-Blood like himself. Lord Voldemort then learned the Potter family's secret location from Peter Pettigrew, the Potters' friend. Voldemort murdered James and Lily Potter, but when he used the Killing Curse on Harry, it rebounded upon him, ripping his soul from his body and destroying his powers. Lord Voldemort had been defeated by the one-year old boy because Lily's love for her son created an invisible powerful defense in Harry's skin when she died for him.

The Death Eaters were lost. Many claimed they had been under the Imperius Curse, while others stayed true to their master and continued his work, though they were soon all captured.

Missing Years
Lord Voldemort was not dead. He had lost his solid form. He was alive, yet weak, and powerless. His Horcruxes helped him escape death. He retreated to the forests of Albania, expecting one of his faithful Death Eaters to find him and help him. But those still faithful to him were either dead or in Azkaban. He gained a form by inhabiting snakes, which never lived long.

Second Defeat
Fortunately for Lord Voldemort, Professor Quirrell wandered into the forest while on a vacation. Quirrell was young, foolish and gullible, and Voldemort was able to enter Quirrell's weak mind. Voldemort hatched a plan to regain his body. Quirrell would steal Nicholas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone from a vault in Gringotts Bank so he could make the Elixir of Life. However, it had been removed by Hagrid right before Quirrell could steal it. Lord Voldemort took form on the back of Quirell's head, which was concealed by a turban. Quirrell drank Unicorn blood to sustain his master.

Quirrell tricked Hagrid into telling him about Fluffy, the three headed Hound-Dog that was the first guard of the Philosopher's stone at Hogwarts, and that playing music would put it to sleep. Now all they needed was a way to get into the Forbidden corridor. Severus Snape was suspicious, however, and when Quirrell let loose a Troll in the dungeons as a distraction, Snape blocked him off. Voldemort had Quirrell send a fake letter to Dumbledore, asking him to go to the Ministry of Magic, then moved on with their plan. They beat their way through the security enchantments and reached the Mirror of Erised. Quirrell saw himself presenting the stone to his master, but could not get it. It was only when Harry arrived that they could retrieve the stone. "Only those who wanted the stone, but not use it, could get it from the mirror." Voldemort figured this out, and Quirrell attacked Harry, but when he touched Harry his hands blistered. Harry placed his hands on Quirrell 's face, severely injuring him. Lord Voldemort's soul fled, once more without a body.

Second Exile and the Diary
Lord Voldemort returned to the Albanian forest, weaker then ever. He had to wait for another person to help him. The soul fragment he embedded in his Diary was acting on its own accord. Lucius Malfoy had held onto the Diary. He placed it inside Ginny Weasley's cauldron who brought it to Hogwarts. She had been writing in it, and a 16 year-old Tom Riddle was answering. She found comfort in him, not knowing she was being manipulated. Riddle's memory learned all he could about his future self's defeat and Harry Potter. He slowly drained the life away from Ginny Weasley, and put it in himself. He was able to control her actions without her remembering. Under his influence, she opened the Chamber of Secrets and released the Basilisk, killed Hagrid's roosters, and wrote threatening messages on the wall in rooster blood. Gradually, Ginny became suspicious. She knew the Diary was doing something to her, so she threw it away in Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom. Harry and Ron accidentally stumble upon it, and Harry begins communicating with Tom.

Tom mislead Harry about who opened the Chamber of Secrets, convincing him it was Hagrid, although Harry eventually learned this is untrue. When Ginny saw that Harry had the Diary, she stole it back for she did not want Harry to find out all the things she had written in the diary and done while under it's influence. When Tom was ready to take his physical form from Ginny's life, he lured her into the Chamber of Secrets. The switch was almost complete when Harry found them. Tom summoned the Basilisk to kill Harry, but Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes arrived and blinded the monster. Fawkes also brought the Sorting Hat, from which Harry withdrew Godric Gryffindor's sword. He killed the Basilisk, then used the Basilisk's fang to stab the Diary, unknowingly destroying one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Rebirth and Second Rise to Power
Peter Pettigrew, suspected dead, was alive. He had been in his Animagi form of Scabbers, Ron's rat ever since his Master's defeat. When he was unmasked, he returned to his Master, now helping him regain a body and his power. Voldemort had a giant snake, Nagini, from who Peter Pettigrew milked venom to sustain his master. Yet when he returned to his master, he did not arrive alone. He brought Bertha Jorkins, a Ministry Official. Peter overheard her talking about a Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts, and Voldemort used a Memory charm to retrieve the information from her. He was surprised to find that someone else had put a memory charm on her. He overpowered it to find out about the whereabouts of a loyal Death Eater, Bartemius Crouch Jr., who Crouch Sr. was forcefully hiding in his home, after freeing him from Azkaban. Bertha had stumbled upon Crouch Jr. while at his home, and Crouch Sr. placed the memory charm on her so that she would not report this. Voldemort had Wormtail carry him to the old Riddle manor house, where they killed the groundskeeper Frank Bryce, and then to the Crouch home where they placed Crouch Sr. under the Imperius Curse, and freed Crouch Jr. They returned to the Riddle home, where Voldemort instructed Wormtail and Crouch Jr. to capture Alastor Moody, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. Crouch Jr. drank Polyjuice potion with a few hairs of Alastor Moody, and went to Hogwarts to help Harry with the Triwizard Challenge. The Fake Moody helped Harry through all the challenges, and when Cedric and Harry grabbed the Triwizard Cup (which, unbeknownst to them, was a Portkey), they were transported to outside the Riddle mansion, where Peter and Voldemort were waiting. Peter killed Cedric, and used Harry's blood in a ritual for his master's rebirth. They made a potion; "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son. Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master. Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe."

-Peter Pettigrew

Voldemort regained his body, and called his Death Eaters. Those who were perhaps most loyal to him, save for those who willingly went to Azkaban in his name, appeared. He then tried to kill Harry, but Priori Incantatem took place. The core wands connected, and those who were killed by Voldemort's wand came out as spectral beings. First Cedric Diggory, then Frank Bryce, followed by Bertha Jorkins, then Harry's parents Lily and James Potter, and many others. They encouraged Harry, while distracting Voldemort. Harry pulled away, and the beings gave him enough time to grab Cedric's body and the Triwizard Cup to return to the Hogwarts grounds. Voldemort now had some of his followers, but Barty Crouch Jr. had been discovered, and was given the Dementors' kiss before he could stand trial, thus leaving the only knowledge of Voldemort's return as Harry's word, which was not taken seriously by most. Due to this, Voldemort was able to operate in secret.

Prophecy Search
Lord Voldemort kept quiet about his return, and only few believed he was back. Dumbledore started the Order of the Phoenix again, this time with a head start. Voldemort was now after the Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries, to hear the whole thing. He was so bent on it, that Harry had visions of Voldemort, using Legilimency to see into Harry's thoughts, and simultaneously Harry was able to see events in Voldemort's perspective. Voldemort's first attempt at securing the Prophecy was to use the Imperius curse on an Unspeakable--Broderick Bode--and send him in to get it. Bode was seriously injured, and put into a permanent ward at St. Mungo's, where he was eventually murdered by a Devil's Snare plant delivered to his bedside. Voldemort then learned that only the people the Prophecy is about are able to touch it, although understandably he could not risk going into the Minsitry for fear of exposure. During this period of time, many of Voldemort's most loyal followers, such as Bellatrix Lestrange, escaped from Azkaban and returned to his side. Eventually he became aware of Harry seeing through his eyes, so he set up a false vision, one of Sirius at the Ministry, being tortured. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna Lovegood, Ginny and Neville went to rescue him, as Voldemort predicted, and that is where they had Harry take the Prophecy off the shelf. Now all they needed was to get it from him, but they put up a fight; during the course of this, the prophecy was smashed before Voldemort was able to hear it. In the end, Voldemort appeared and did battle with Dumbledore. Voldemort possessed Harry, telling Dumbledore to kill him now, but he fled when Cornelius Fudge and other Ministry officials arrived, who were now convinced of his return. Many of Voldemort's Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy, were incarcerated and sent to Azkaban, though by this time the Dementors had left.

"You're the weak one. And you'll never know love, or friendship. And I feel sorry for you. You're a fool, Harry Potter. And you will lose...everything."

- Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort

Second Wizarding War
The Second War had begun now, and Voldemort no longer needed to keep his actions silent. The Dementors left Azkaban to side with the Dark Lord, who could offer them more scope for their powers; as a result, there were many attacks by the monsters. Mass Muggle killings, as well as the destruction of bridges, were rampant; what was claimed to be a hurricane to the Muggle world was in fact a rampage by the giants, whom Voldemort had sent envoys to earlier. He enlisted Draco Malfoy as a Death Eater, requiring a loyal follower within the school. He instructed Draco to kill Dumbledore, but the boy's attempts were in vain. In the end, Malfoy was able to sneak a group of Death Eaters into the Castle through a pair of Vanishing Cabinets (the second of which was located in Borgin and Burke's), and the Battle of Hogwarts ensued. Voldemort's plans were carried out, as Severus Snape killed Dumbledore. Although the Death Eaters fled Hogwarts, the intrusion of the Castle signified the fact that no longer was there a single place safe from the Dark Lord.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort makes Malfoy Manor his headquarters. During the summer of 1997, he captures the Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts, Charity Burbage, and kills her with the Avada Kedavra before he feeds her to Nagini. He also questions the kidnapped wandmaker, Ollivander, about why his wand reacted so with Harry Potter's wand. Olivander tells him that it was Priori Incantatem and that Voldemort merely needed another's wand and so he takes Lucius Malfoy's wand. When Harry is removed for the last time from Number Four, Privet Drive; Voldemort flies to the scene where his Death Eaters are fighting with Order of the Phoenix airborn. He kills Mad-Eye Moody and then heads straight toward Harry. There Voldemort attemps to duel with Harry, when Harry's wand reacts in a surprising way towards Voldemort, releasing a spurt of golden fire at him and destroying Lucius' wand. Before Voldemort could react, Potter reached the protection of Nymphadora Tonks' parents' home and Voldemort was forced to retreat.

Angrily, he returned to Malfoy Manor and demands Ollivander to answer why Harry's wand yet again reacted towards him, even with a completely different wand. Ollivander tells him truthfully that never in Wandlore has he ever heard of such thing happening. Infuriated, Voldemort tortures him and demands him to tell him everything that he knows about the legendary wand known as the Deathstick, The Wand of Destiny, or the Elder Wand (he has no idea that it is a Deathly Hallow). Realising that he needs this wand to defeat Harry Potter, he sets out to assume mastery of the Elder Wand, knowing that it is more powerful than any other wand.

During the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, Kingsley Shacklebolt announced that the Minister of Magic was dead and that the Ministry of Magic had fallen to Voldemort, giving him control over the entire Wizarding World.

Voldemort travels to Bulgaria, where at the valley of surrounding mountains, lies a small town and goes in search of the wandmaker, Gregorovich. Eventually, after murdering people who got in his way, Voldemort finally finds Gregorovich, who informs Voldemort that the Wand was stolen from him. Voldemort then performs Legilimency on him and sees a blonde young man perched on the windowsill of Gregorovich's workshop who steals the Wand and disappears in the darkness. Voldemort demands Gregorovich to reveal the identity of the thief and when he can't, Voldemort kills him. When Harry Potter and Hermione Granger go to Godric's Hollow, Nagini manages to capture Harry, and calls Voldemort. Harry escapes shortly before Voldemort arrives however, and Voldemort finds not Harry, but a picture of the thief at the scene.

Voldemort realises that the thief is none other than the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, the wizard whom Albus Dumbledore defeated. He breaks into the prison where Grindelwald was being held, where Grindelwald proceeds to tell him to kill him, for he welcomed death, but that it would not bring about what Voldemort sought, and that there was so much Voldemort did not understand. Voldemort kills Grindelwald and steals the Elder Wand from the tomb of Albus Dumbledore.

Following this, Voldemort becomes aware that Harry Potter and his friends are seeking his Horcruxes. With fury, he realises that three of his Horcruxes have been stolen, with another destroyed.

Voldemort returned to Hogwarts following these revelations, to quell a revolution sparked by the arrival of Harry Potter. He rounds up his entire army of Death Eaters, giants, dementors and Acromantulas and an hour later, commands them to fight the Aurors, teachers, and older students of Hogwarts, in the Second Battle of Hogwarts. Voldemort himself is not present at the Battle; he is investigating why the Elder Wand does not work any differently than his old wand. He comes to the conclusion that Severus Snape is the true master of the Elder Wand and orders Nagini to murder him.

Voldemort then calls a one-hour armistice, requesting Harry Potter in exchange for peace and no further deaths. Unbeknownst to Voldemort, Harry carried within him a seventh Horcrux, formed when Voldemort failed to kill him. When Harry meets Voldemort, Voldemort hits him with a Killing Curse almost immediately, but only destroys the Horcrux within. Harry was knocked to the ground and feigns death.

Voldemort then marched to Hogwarts, proclaiming the death of Harry Potter and his victory. Neville Longbottom, instead of surrendering, charged at Voldemort, and the Battle recommenced.

Neville pulled the sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat and decapitated Nagini with it, destroying the last of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Enraged, Voldemort attempted to kill Neville, but Harry interfered and cast a protection charm between them before the former could raise a wand. Voldemort entered the battle and tried to strike down everyone within his reach.[24] He, with his now weakened army, forced his way into Hogwarts and began to duel against Minerva McGonagall, Horace Slughorn, and Kingsley Shacklebolt all at once. When he saw Bellatrix Lestrange killed at the hands of Molly Weasley, he turned his wand on her, intending to kill her, but Harry revealed himself then to be alive, forcing the battle to stop, and the pair faced each other in the Great Hall.

Following the Second Battle of Hogwarts, when the two men are facing one another, Harry proceeds to tell Voldemort that he has magic that Voldemort knows not and a weapon more powerful than his. Goading him by using his real name, Riddle, Harry tells him that Snape's loyalty was with Dumbledore all along, that Dumbledore's death was planned and that Snape was not the master of the Elder Wand; Draco Malfoy was.

Originally shocked, Voldemort proceeded to tell Harry that it makes no difference, and that after he has killed Harry, Draco could be disposed of. Harry then states that if the Elder Wand is aware that Harry overpowered Draco in Malfoy Manor, then Harry himself is the true master. Refusing to believe this, Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at Harry, but Harry was indeed the master.

Voldemort fires Avada Kedavra at Harry, and at the same time Harry fires Expelliarmus at Voldemort. The Elder Wand refuses to kill its master and the spell rebounds, killing Voldemort.

Abilities and traits
Lord Voldemort is one of the most powerful wizards in the world. Even at a young age he had many unusual magical powers.
 * Tom can already perform magic full grown wizards cannot, without a wand.
 * Here we see Tom's need for power as he envies Dumbledore's wand.
 * Tom, we see, is keeping the other orphans' things as prizes, which leads us to suspect that he has done the same with his Horcruxes.
 * Tom likes to do things on his own, and does not like to get attached to others, as we see when he heads to Diagon Alley alone. Many Death Eaters say they are close to Lord Voldemort, and understand him, but none of them are anywhere near as close as they believe.
 * Lord Voldemort is a Parselmouth, meaning he can speak Parseltongue, or snake language. He often uses Parseltongue to communicate with his serpent, Nagini.
 * He is one of the most powerful legilimens in the world (alongside Dumbledore)
 * He can fly without the use of a broom.

Death and resurrection
"I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality."

- Lord Voldermort

In order to make himself immortal, Voldemort is believed to have crafted some Horcruxes. Dumbledore says he may be the only one who crafted more than one. Voldemort's goal was to split his soul in seven fragments, so he must craft six Horcruxes. Thanks to Severus Snape, Voldemort knew part of the prophecy. He decided to kill Harry Potter and his father James Potter. He offered to have mercy of Lily Potter's life if she didn't interfere, but she thrice refused to let him kill her child while she was alive, so Voldemort killed her despite his word to Snape that he would spare her.

Thanks to his horcruxes, Voldemort was not killed; however, part of his soul transferred to young Harry Potter, unknowingly making Harry a horcrux. Voldemort then became an errant spirit. According to Dumbledore, he could not be killed in this form, as he was unliving. He went into hiding in Albania and awaited his chance to become whole once more. Voldemort could have a real body by two ways : using possession on someone else (a power he used on rats, easier than humans to possess) or with a complex potion involving unicorn's blood.

Voldemort's first attempt to ressurrect was to try to obtain the philosopher's stone. It would have given him a body stronger than before, but not making him immortal for eternity.

In Harry Potter's second year, a memory from Lord Voldemort possessed the young Ginny Weasley. In the book, the memory only wanted to avenge the real Voldemort and kill Harry Potter. But in the film version, the memory claims that when all life force from Ginny's innocent soul will be drained, Voldemort will rise again, stronger than ever. It implies that he would have had his young body and his experimented mind. So the memory would probably have merged with the errant spirit.

The second method the real Voldemort use to come back was a complex potion involving the flesh from a servant (Wormtail's hand), the bones from his father Tom Riddle and the blood from his worst enemy, Harry Potter. Any of his enemy's blood could have been used but Voldemort thought Harry's blood would make him stronger than anyone else's blood would have.

Voldemort says that this potion is "traditional dark art", so he's not the first to use it. The explanation is given in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where we learned that other wizards used horcruxes long ago. So it's possible that he's not the first one to resurrect this way.

Appearance
As a child, Tom Riddle was a handsome boy. He was described as having jet black hair, and dark eyes. He was pale, tall, and had a voice always filled with interest and curiosity – which was a farce to gain Hogwarts's respect. As he grew, and became more involved in the Dark Arts, he was deathly pale, his face waxy and oddly distorted, and the white of his eyes now had a permanently bloody look. He continued to go through many transformations, until he became what he is today. He is tall, and skeletally thin. His face is an almost opaque texture, with deep, dark scarlet eyes set in slits, like a cat's gleaming in the dark. His nose is as flat as a snake's, leaving small incisions for nostrils, and his fingers are unnaturally long, like a spider's legs. He can usually be seen wearing his black hooded cloak that always covers his face.

In translation
In the Latin translation, his coded name "You-Know-Who" is translated as "Quidam" = "a certain man".

In real life
Voldemort may have been based on Adolf Hitler, as he tries to get rid of all muggles and muggle-born wizards and witches, and he himself had a muggle parent. Hitler admired blond haired, blue-eyed Germans even though he was far from that description, and was rumored to have been part Jewish himself.

Voldemort's increased murderous insanity and insistence to stick to his own plan and not listen to his advisors toward his end mirrors Hitler's behavior at the end of his life; Hitler had many of his formerly trusted inner circle killed and also ignored suggestions from cooler heads that would've improved his position in the World War.