Features a bad-ass Dumbledore who is not afraid to get the job done. A Dumbledore who tried to do the right thing with Tom and raise him and got knifed in the back as it where. He might be the kindly headmaster of Hogwarts but there is a reason he is deeply feared by his enemies. Rated for disturbing themes.

Take No Prisoners:

Number 4 Privet Drive, June 1986:

Severus Snape looked in horror on the transfigured log that had looked very much like a defeated worn down little boy. He was invisible to the muggles as was Dumbledore who looked grim. The Dursleys had horribly treated Harry Potter and driven him to this drastic measure of suicide, or that is what the neighbors believed. They had all taken part in the abuse and now a bit of a shock would teach them a lesson they would never forget. Harry Potter was fine but they would never know that, all they had seen and heard were screams and fire. Questions would be asked as to why a little boy would even think of doing such a thing.

"Albus was that necessary?" Severus asked his friend and mentor.

"Yes, just as much as the private lessons I gave Sirius Black." Dumbledore said, "at least he never could betray his friends and little Peter, well I never thought he would do what he did. Alas but at least he did not suffer, much."

"You scare me Albus, but will this not be traced back to you, your father, forgive me."

"My father was rash, and attacked head on, I did not, I create the golem and really how was I to know this would happen? I really thought this would not go so far, ah well, at least little Harry is safe."

"Yes, yes he is." Severus replied, "what about the gift I made for you to give to Lucy?"

"He really did not like it that much." Dumbledore replied, "he tried to refuse to take it, but now he cannot harm another."

"Where is he?"

"A baby in America, adopted, he can no longer cause problems, you are his boy's godfather after all."

"Yes, can't kill him or harm him, which I did not with the potion." Severus smirked.

Severus had been all set to join the death eaters when something interesting had happened. Sirius Black had tried to feed him to a werewolf, namely his friend Remus Lupin. Dumbledore had not been amused and could not do a formal punishment so instead he created a very private one with Severus allowed to oversee it. James, Peter and Remus were there and all were scared of Dumbledore. Peter Pettigrew was not scared enough apparently. Sirius would bare the mental scars for life. Oh well he had done wrong, he had married, had a child but had died with James trying to protect Lily, who had died to save Harry and that had ended Voldemort with old pure light mothers magic.

Dumbledore had fought hard, and had destroyed many death eaters himself. He had taken on Bellatrix and Rudolphus and killed him getting his younger brother to sue for mercy and abandon Voldemort. Yes the dark mark could be removed but not with out the loss of the arm it had been on. Oh well, at least he was alive and the Lestrange line would go on. Dumbledore had managed to save Molly's brothers as well at the last minute taking out ten death eaters at once. His quest to end Tom was very personal as he had adopted the boy as one of his own only to be betrayed in the end by the lad. He was going to destroy him and had the power to do so, for now Voldemort was vanquished somewhere far away and a little boy needed love and family. Severus followed him back to Hogwarts where he was head of Slytherin yes, but not the potions master, he taught defense against the dark arts (no curse on the job) and a Robert Jigger taught potions.

"I do hope Harry will be alright." Severus said, "I thought they would love him, they promised to take care of him."

"Well, they took care of him alright." Dumbledore said rage in his voice, "and not in a good or loving way, they will pay, now I have a little boy to find a new home for."

"Sprout has a sister, a kindly woman tucked away somewhere, she would be good for the lad." Severus said and at a look from Dumbledore, "rumor has it she is an earth mage and unspeakable."

"Ah, that would work, but is that not close to the ministry?" Dumbledore mused.

"No, the Department of mysteries is at the ministry but not part of it." Severus replied, "the ministry is only where they are as the department is the one that provides part of the defense wards."

"Very well, Harry will be loved and cared for now." Dumbledore said, "I will see to that."

All little Harry knew is that his uncle had gone too far and came after him with a poker. After the first hit he did not remember anything. He woke up in a comfortable bed in what looked like a hospital room. What was more he could see clearly and did not ache, not even his head which felt great. A tall woman in a starched grey dress and apron with her hair tied up in a bun came over. She looked nice, and not angry like every other adult had in his life so far, well accept Mrs. Figg, she cared about him but no-one else wanted a freak like him. He managed to sit up marveling at the lack of any pain and watched wide-eyed as a tray was set across his lap with toast, cream of wheat and orange juice. How had this kind lady know his favorite foods?

"I spoke with Mrs. Figg, she told me what you liked." The lady said," I am madam Pomfrey, you are safe here and are going to a good home."

"What about my aunt and uncle ma'am?" Harry asked.

"You will not live with them, they were not suitable for you." Dumbledore said walking in.

"Santa?" Harry said his eyes wide taking in the long white hair and beard, the red robes and twinkling blue eyes, "are you Santa?"

"No my dear boy, my name is Albus Dumbledore, and owe you an apology." Dumbledore replied.

"It's okay." Harry said not knowing what this kind man had to be sorry for.

"I had thought your aunt and uncle would love you and treat you as family." Dumbledore said, "I even gave them money to help take care of you. My trust in them, well they betrayed you and myself."

"They got paid to take care of me?" Harry said, "I thought I was a burden!"

"Hardly." Another man, tall, clad all in black, with black hair, pale skin and black eyes said, "as if the son of Lily Evans and James Potter could be a burden furthermore your parents were not drunks or anything else, your father was a police officer and your mother was training to become a nurse."

"Oh." Was all Harry could say.

"I am Severus Snape, I will, when you feel up to it take you to your new family." Severus replied.

"Yes sir." Harry said.

He felt sad right now but later he would be angry. For now he was hungry and ate everything and drank his orange juice. Then he was helped up and found despite being a little dizzy at first he was able to walk to the bathroom and had a small funny looking creature clad in a tunic and hose help him bathe. Then he dressed in new blue tee shirt, jeans and trainers. He walked out to see Severus still there smiling at him. Harry walked up and took the hand offered. He was picked up gently and felt a strange sensation, like a hook behind his navel. He giggled, this was fun! When the tug ended he found himself in a garden with lots of flowers and trees. Two people waited for him, a short woman with long brown hair tied in two braids clad in a blue gown and a tall very dark skinned man clad in red shirt and jeans.

"There is the lad!" The man said grinning squatting down on Harry's level, "hello young man, I am Robert Thomas."

"Hello sir." Harry said.

"I am Penelope Sprout Thomas." The woman said, "we are so glad you are here!"

Harry gave a small smile and hesitantly walked into the house with his new family. The house was not overly large, there was a parlor and formal dining room on the main floor with a kitchen, dining and lounge all in one room at the back. Stairs led to three bedrooms, a bathroom and master suite on the second floor. The attic Harry would find out later had a play room and library. He was lead to a room that had a large four poster bed with royal blue curtains around it with matching curtains at the windows. The walls were painted a soft cream color and a rag rug in blue, green and silver was on the floor. There were bookcases that had a few toys and books on them.

"Do you like it?" Penny (short from Penelope) asked.

"Yes, it is brill!" Harry said.

"It is yours." Robert said, "for a good little boy who deserves love and care."

"Now you have had a hard time, why don't you rest, Severus will be staying for a bit to make sure you get better." Penny added.

Harry entered a much better time in his life, he had family now and one that loved him and cared for him. He had his own room, toys to play with and best of all lots of fun books to read. Sure he had to have a tutor and learn school stuff but that was okay because with every new skill he learned, he learned about neat magic. He was still far too young to do fully controlled wand magic of his own, but he was able to learn all about theory. He even ended up with a cool friend in Dean Thomas who was the nephew of Robert Thomas, Robert was a muggleborn and Dean would be classed as one as well. Dean's father who had adopted him when he had married his mother did not have magic.

The next four and a half years were amazing for Harry and Dean, they became close as brothers and Roger, Dean's father who was an Anglican priest had no problem with "magic". Though he saw it as a gift from God to be used wisely and for good. Dean's mother had a doctorate in physics and studied quantum mechanics and thought that perhaps the subatomic realm and a certain "tuning" that magical humans had explained how magic worked. She could not state it was magic she was studying but was not hampered in what she was doing.

Dumbledore continued his war on the death eaters. Judgment and either death, potions or transfiguration was their fate. Mostly death eaters died and died quickly and far too easily though Dumbledore was going to send a message by the quick deaths. Finally, it was all done, the power Voldemort knew not was he, Dumbledore. Vengeance was a power all until itself after all. Harry could live his life as he wished and he would, with loving family and friends around him.

September 1, 1991

Harry grinned as he took the hat off his head and walked to the table of red and gold. Severus nodded to him and gave him a glare, one he knew well that he was to behave himself. Severus had come over to help teach him and warned him to be like his father became, not be like him when he was in Hogwarts. Dean was sorted to Gryffindor and sat by Harry. There was another acquaintance he had met, Hermione Granger and both Harry and Dean decided to take her under their wing.

Dumbledore smiled at his new students, seeing Harry happy and really the children happy made him happy. The dark lord was gone as were all his followers. Real reforms had been pushed through and now all students at Hogwarts learned about good magical traditions alongside muggle history and technology. The magical world was a far better place a Dumbledore was please. He was not sure that Severus liked his gift of a red eyed snake that liked to swear all the time. Oh well, death was too kind for one like Voldemort after all. There were still prejudices to be sure, but so called purebloods were finding they were not the be all end all. No Dumbledore had done what was needed and finished a threat off.

What of the Dursleys? The ones he had trusted Harry with and given him to them to raise and love? After the horror on Privet Drive as it had been called there was a major investigation. The Dursleys, five other families, several police officers and one teacher were arrested and charged with multiple crimes. Marge Dursley had taken custody of Dudley and moved to the states. There it was found out that Dudley was magical and that he had turned out to be a good little boy after what he had seen. He was kind and caring but to make sure he never could harm Harry again, Dumbledore managed somehow to get his and his aunt's British citizenship revoked as soon as they became American citizens and barred from England. All was well, and Dumbledore had his revenge. If his new paperweight could talk he would agree, but then Tom Marvolo would never speak again and the stone shrunken head was all that was left of the betrayer.

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So I thought a Dumbledore out for revenge would be fun to write. I mean what would he do if he had raised Tom Riddle and Tom betrayed him? Probably snap and do something like here.

Do Review!