Disclaimer I do not own any characters, places, names or stuff herein that JK Rowling or anyone else for that matter owns. Any similarity between events are coinscidence.

A/N: Im not going to put any more author's notes in as I would like to preserve the magical world of Harry Potter (and I'm naieve in that repect) Please go to my bio page for my comments on it so far. Please R+R and I will release/write more of it

Albus Dumbledore: A Biography

Chapter One

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was born on the 7th September 1837 to one of the most well known couples of that period Ambrosius Dumbledore and Nimué D'amours. Their marriage six years prior to Albus' birth excited both magaenealogists and the general public alike, though for varying reasons. The more traditionally viewed wizards saw it as the combining of two of the greatest pure blood families; Dumbledore being a direct descendant of Merlin and the D'amours having prodigious links to the Russian enchantress and half-veela Vasilisa. However, to the wizarding public it signalled the beautiful D'amours, lead crumpeter (one who plays the crumhorn) of the Hogsmeade Chamber Ensemble was marrying and therefore, unavailable.

Moreover, many wizards at the time frowned at their union as Ambrosius was many years D'amours senior and very wealthy mainly due to his long list of patented charms and spells which, most notably included the Amorus charm. (For a full list please contact the Office for Spell Regulation and Patenting at the Ministry of Magic.) This led to speculation that D'amours was as the saying goes 'Marrying like a Niffler' and led to the rather uncouth nickname of 'Niffler Nimué' and a smear campaign led by the Daily Prophet.

Keen to escape the media frenzy that threatened to engulf their relationship the Dumbledores took the unprecedented decision to abandon the magical world on the birth of their son and live as muggles. The general consensus being that they believed forsaking magic and living anonymously was preferable to raising a son whose existence would be scorned before he could even talk. While the Ministry advised against such a move, the proud family began to make the relevant arrangements and after three months of debate the Ministry approved the move though demanding all wands and other wizarding artefacts were confiscated until their return so as to preserve their identity as muggles.

They chose the little-known muggle village of Brougherton and were installed as Lords of the Manor under a pseudonym. The Office of Misinformation created a team dedicated to the initial move and to smooth over any misunderstanding with the locals. Obviously they were successful in their efforts as no muggle art or writing survives and while small rumours flitted around the townsfolk the Dumbledores had a talking otter they were never suspected of witchcraft. Nevertheless, it soon became apparent that muggles finding the Dumbledores were the least of the Ministry's worries as photographers from all countries and papers started flocking to England eager of the five-hundred Galleon reward some unscrupulous newspapers had put on photos of the elusive couple.

At Albus' birth only his parents and a trained mediwitch were present, while they were forsaking the magical world they, understandably, didn't trust muggle doctors with such a delicate task as childbirth. As the Dumbledores adjusted to their new like they soon came to realise that muggle doctors were the least of there worries and they began to appreciate the difficulties that muggles had to deal with on a daily basis. In his book 'Living as Muggles' Ambrosius describes the inconvenience of not having a wand and therefore having to light candles and fires with dry twigs and firewood rather then a simple incantation, he also writes of the lack of adequate transport and the discomfort of riding a horse and carriage. However this did not stop a zealous Ambrosius from adapting to muggle life to the extent that he was often away on business. There is a rumour that he started the building of the school in the local village though there is insubstantial evidence to support this. Overall the Dumbledores' move confounded critics of their relationship and allowed an insight into muggle life that wizards have always been very cynical of.

Many believe that Albus' empathy with muggles stem from this time as he, himself was home educated in rudimentary muggle skills such as English, Science and Maths not only by his parents but by a muggle governess called Bernadette Fullwater. It is a symbol of how well adapted to muggle life the Dumbledores were that they had many muggle visitors to their manor house and none of them suspected that they were in fact wizards. To pass the time and amuse themselves and their son the adult Dumbledores each played an instrument; Nimué being a professional crumhorn player and alto and Ambrosius being skilled on the pianoforte and harpsichord alike. Young Albus was taught to play the recorder by his Mother and enjoyed both listening to and performing music, a trait that remained till his death.

The only hiccup to occur during Albus' young life was at a family reunion when Albus was six. Held at the manor, Ambrosius and Nimué had told Albus of their true names but he was ignorant to the fact they were wizards. While all of the guests had agreed prior to the occasion to arrive as muggles, Ambrosius' younger brother Kelepticus decided he would take it upon himself to arrive riding a broomstick and start decorating the house with live fairies and a jarvey. He also left bewitched muggle artefacts around the small village that caused havoc. While the Offices of Misinformation and Misuse of Muggle Artefacts managed to get rid of the majority of the local stories the jarvey escaped and wreaked havoc in neighbouring villages until it was caught by a lone photographer on his way to five hundred Galleons. This practical joke cost the Ministry an undisclosed amount of money. In an attempt to reprimand him Kelepticus was sent to Azkaban for two months and fined twenty Galleons and Ambrosius was warned that if this occurred again the Ministry would snap the Dumbledores' wands and force the Dumbeldore's to live as muggles. Apart from this, the day was a success after a few expertly placed memory charms Albus only remembered meeting his other relations in-particular his cousin on his Fathers side Cemmunos McKinnon who was two year Albus' junior.

During the first eleven years of Albus' life he was somewhat quiet and due to his home tutoring had few friends. Though, this didn't seem to bother him as apart from music he would sit it the manor's library for hours on end reading both muggle fiction and non-fiction (provided by the Ministry) to the extent that his Mother wrote:

'It is a curious thing to me how Albus can contain himself merely by reading. Today he told me of a most curious story regarding fairies that spoke in human voices and enchanted the lands around them. I was almost about to scold him for being churlish and that fairies cannot converse with us and are vain beyond all reckoning, but then I realised he is ignorant in the matter.

Oh, I am dreadfully worried for our young Albus, I do hope that we have not caused him any discomfort.

I hope to hear from you soon,

My love as always,

Nimué'

It is clear that Nimué was still worried about her son and possibly the memory charm that had been put on, moreover, the young Albus always felt a connection with his Mother with whom he was unusually close to. Throughout their time hidden Nimué sent letters to her numerous sisters expressing her grief and uncertainty over her and her husband's choice of living as muggles and sometimes she would cry unexpectedly, something that Albus would always notice and comfort her over, especially when his Father was absent.

For their holidays the Ministry set-up a chateau high in the mountains in the south of France near Nimué's birthplace of Lake Annecy. During the summer months the Dumbledores would meet with Nimué's family and the young Albus would play with his cousins, it was here, he first acquired his extremely sweet tooth largely due the unsurpassable French patisseries that his Mother spoilt him with and her sisters' exquisite confectionery (which many believe had been bewitched in secret).

On his eleventh birthday Albus' parents decided to tell him the truth, while biography generally deals in fact I have secured access with Albus' memory and will recount it in the form of prose:

"Albus, son," said the old man, his semi-wrinkled face a picture of uncharacteristic worry. "There's something that you're Mother and I need to talk to you about. Now you know that this is your last year with Miss. Fullwater and that next year you'll be going to secondary school, well eleven years ago your Mother and I made a choice we decided not to tell you."

"Ambrosius, you're waffling." Laughed a beautiful thin woman with long jet black hair sitting next to him, she patted him on the knee. In front of them sat a thin boy, who was above average height for his age with a handsome face framed by glasses that emphasised his already sparklingly blue eyes.

"Yes," flustered Ambrosius, "I suppose I am, look Albus, we did it for the best but you're a wizard, we came into hiding because we, well, we were famous and we thought that it would corrupt you, if there's one thing I learnt it's that children are innocent and if I could preserve you by moving then I would, well I did.' There was a pause after these words, "Sorry."

Silence greeted these words, the soft clicking of the clock in the corner cut through it like a knife.

"I know," the small child replied, "I've known for years, I was scared though, that time with Uncle Kelepticus, when that funny man did something with a stick it didn't work, just that I thought I was going mad, I was too frightened to say anything, I saw how Mother reacted when I talked about fairies so. Oh, I don't know what to think, why are you telling me now?"

The witch started to cry, "Oh Albus, we're sorry but you're going to a magic secondary school, it will help you learn about us, but you don't know the things they said about us about me just wanting gold. I love your Father and I always will, like I love you."

"What about Auntie Bernice and Auntie Fay, are they wizards too?"

"Yes darling," answered the Mother, "all our family our even Cemmunos, but we were special, even for wizards, and people didn't like us because of it. They wanted us to fail but we haven't because we have you, and now you're special too."

"There's a school?"

"Yes, its called Hogwarts, your Father is friends with the Headmistress there and you have a place, it's not till next September now though. You'll be one of the oldest in your year." She added weakly.

The first thing that strikes the reader is how little effect it has on Albus, rather then being surprised it just seems that a weight has been taken off his shoulders, perhaps a glimpse into his independent and understanding disposition.