A/N: A tribute to my OTP - In this AU fic set in Potterverse, Albus was born in 1915, 12 years older than Minerva who was born in 1927. It has been a long while but I felt that I should expand my ideas in "Magic Works" and finish telling the story of ADMM which I always thought could have happened, if only the ship was stronger in canon. I never saw why Albus could not be bisexual.

There may be some parts which are slow and dull and some parts which are simply too dramatic, but please bear with me, it is after all AU and only my imagination which stops and doesn't move or overflows with melodrama and crazy ideas at times. :)

All the characters and major events are taken from Potterverse, and I have tried to keep to the original timeline as much as possible. In fact, I would appreciate it if you could read it with the original story in mind as most of the parts should fit in nicely. My intention is for this fic to be as realistic as possible, running parallel and in addition to the original story.

Chapter 1: Hogwarts' once-in-forever genius [1926, Autumn - 1931, Summer]

"Albus Dumbledore!" called Deputy Headmaster Armando Dippet. Albus walked to the three-legged stool confidently. He knew that he would do well no matter which house the Sorting Hat placed him in. Even so, he had a preference towards Gryffindor as he was aware of its positive reputation and influence across society.

"Greatness... yes, I see," the Sorting Hat mused. "Ambition too... this definitely calls for a Slyther... no? You would prefer to be in Gryffindor? Well... I don't see why not... lots of courage and loyalty here as well... if you are sure then, GRYFFINDOR it is!"

Albus beamed and hopped off the three-legged stool, seemingly unaware of the hushed chatter that had arisen all around him.

"Wait, isn't he the son of Percival Dumbledore? The one who was prosecuted for attacking Muggles?"

"I heard he is just as bad. Did he not just attack some other students on the Hogwarts Express?"

"Did the Sorting Hat really exclaim 'Gryffindor'? I thought I heard 'Slytherin'!"

"That was the one before him."

Dismissing the chatter, Albus strode over to join Elphias Doge at Gryffindor's table.

"I'm sorry, Albus," Elphias sniffled. "They are calling you names because you stood up to the bullies who laughed at me on the train."

"Don't worry about it, Elphias. They would have called me names anyway, seeing what my father did."

Albus Dumbledore was an exceptionally talented wizard. However, his childhood was marked by tragedy. His younger sister, Ariana, lost her mind when she was attacked by three Muggle boys who were frightened of her magic. His father was sentenced to Azkaban for going after those boys and he died in Azkaban subsequently. The Dumbledores moved to the village of Godric's Hollow and lived in isolation thereafter.

Nevertheless, none of the tragic events prevented Albus from ambition. He studied magic on his own and honed his skills. By the time he started school at Hogwarts, his abilities were remarkable. He hexed two third-year students during his first ride on the Hogwarts Express for laughing at Elphias Doge. Elphias had contracted dragon pox which left him with a pockmarked face, and nobody wanted to befriend him. The incident, coupled with the poor reputation of the Dumbledores due to what his father did, explained why Albus was treated with hostility during his first few months at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

xxxxx

Those who spoke ill of Albus found out very quickly that they were wrong. By the end of his first year, he was never again known as the son of a Muggle-hater, but nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at the Hogwarts. In his third year, he won the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting, the youngest wizard ever to do so. In his fourth year, he became the British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot. He was well-loved by both his teachers and peers.

"Mr Dumbledore, are you ready for your trip?" Professor Dippet asked, as Albus stepped into his office. Albus was supposed to go to Cairo to receive his gold medal at the International Alchemical Conference. He had invented a method to liquefy spells into potions, something which had impressed Nicolas Flamel, the legendary alchemist, himself.

"Yes, sir, I am. But I wanted to discuss about it with you. You see, over the last weekend, my mother had been taken ill, and she had hoped for me to go back earlier during the holidays to look after my younger siblings."

"Oh dear, I'm very sorry to hear about your mother's illness. But Albus, everyone is expecting you at the conference! Nicolas Flamel himself insisted for your presence and personally made sure that the VIP tickets were delivered straight into your hands!"

Nicolas Flamel, always one for flamboyance, had sent two golden falcons which swooped right into the Great Hall during dinner time and caused a stir as they defecated right over the Headmaster's dinner.

"I'm flattered, Professor."

"Do I take it as a yes, then?" Professsor Dippet implored.

Albus nodded. He was secretly pleased that Nicolas Flamel had insisted on his presence at the conference. He would have hated it if he had to spend the first week of his holidays looking after his brother and sister, and miss the golden opportunity for international recognition.