Tom is fascinated by his Transfiguration professor. It's not just because he is the most accomplished wizard in the world, but also because Tom feels something akin to shame or disappointment when Dumbledore fixes his implacable gaze, full of doubts, upon him. When Tom understands that Albus Dumbledore is suffering from a potentially fatal ailment following his duel with Grindelwald, he begins to panic. This story raises this simple question: what if Lord Voldemort's quest for immortality had initially been a gift before turning into a relentless and destructive pursuit? Yaoi. Tom Riddle/Albus Dumbledore. In character. Pre-Canon.