I like Tom/Albus a lot, and this was a good take on it. It doesn't make Dumbledore outright evil like some fics do, and it makes Voldemort a little more sympathetic. He DID feel love once...but never had any returned.

Great story :).

It has certainly merit as idea but I really truly doubt it was merely a single instance... Or the sole reason to Tom's fail... But I totally agree with you nature its not enough it needs nurture..

Definitely more of a sinner than a saint. Speaks volumes, actually. This was a very interesting AU scenario as to what caused Tom's hatred of love, of what was the final straw, and what inevitably broke him. Nicely written! :)

Wow. I could actually see that as a possible rationale behind why Riddle became Voldemort. And Albus...I think that, under the right circumstances, he would be capable of it...and then he would immediately turn away in disgust, compounding his transgression. Unsettling but appropriate.