The storms, when they came, were swift, brutal, and completely unpredictable. Some were small, spinning up in a space only a dozen feet across, and some spanned the size of entire villages. They brought with them vicious, high speed winds and blinding rain and lightning. They occurred only in magical places, and were held at bay by strong wards, like those of Hogwarts or of ancient pureblood estates. During the storms, things changed. Sometimes people changed. People looked different, with random memories intertwined with their own , as if they'd lived another life in parallel with the one they knew before, memories that matched the changes to their bodies. Creatures appeared during the storm, including ones never seen before in the magical world.
People began gathering more and more in those places which were warded most strongly, some pureblood manors opening up to create new "villages" upon their grounds in order to protect those who sought that protection.
It is now spring of 2004, coming up on the sixth anniversary of Voldemort's death. The storms continue to rage at seemingly random times. Change is upon the wizarding world, and it seems that all roads lead back to Hogwarts.