Title: The Amulet

Author: AeriasAWriter

Disclaimer: I own nothing that you can recognize.

Rating: T (For now)

Warnings: Cursing only so far.

Summary: Harry ran away from the Dursleys after fourth year. He drags along his godfather, Sirius, with him to Austin, Texas where they hid for two years as Allen and Harry Clemons. Now Harry is going to have to go back for his Seventh year, to face old friends, old enemies and a new problem. Does Harry have the skills he'll need to survive the year?

Prologue

"I'm sorry, Headmaster . . . I just can't handle it, any of it. I'll be back . . . I promise you that much at least," Harry muttered sadly. His emerald green eyes scanned the contents of his letter one last time before he proceeded to tie it to Hedwig's out stretched leg. The boy softly stroked the snowy owl's feathers, "Remember to go to Ron's after you deliver the letter, Hedwig. He'll watch you for me until I get back. Now, go."

The white owl hooted softly and flew quickly out of the open window. Harry sighed as he watched his dear friend depart. His only friend during the summer. But now he had more important things to do. The boy-who-lived pulled a wand from his pocket, one that was much different than the darker one that he'd gotten when he was eleven. It also suited him a lot better than anyone knew. This wand he had made himself with a couple of drops of his blood engrained into the core.

He gave a slight flick of his wrist to close the shutters on his window, latching them firmly. He bent to the loose floorboard, pulling it open to retrieve his first wand, his invisibility cloak, and the last of his food stash. Another flick and twist of his new wand, all of his belongings were securely in his truck, shrunken, and placed in the voluminous front pocket of his hand-me-down pants. Harry looked around the room once more.

This house had never really been home to him, but it had been the closest thing he'd had. He ran a hand though his messed up hair in his frustration. The Dursleys' had never welcomed him here, had never cared for him, never loved him.

"Maybe it's a good thing that I'm leaving," he whispered to no one. He crept from his room and down the hall to Dudley's bedroom. He pushed the door open to look at the rather large form of his slumbering cousin. He raised his wand and whispered a single word, "Obliviate."

The teen in the bed moaned and turned over, the bed creaking dangerously under his weight. Harry almost smiled as he closed the door again and crept further down the hall to his aunt and uncle's bedroom. The door was locked and Harry frowned. Another slight flick of his wrist and the door quietly swung open to reveal the dark room. He stepped through the doorway, creeping to the edge of the bed.

"Obliviate. . . Obliviate." The couple in the bed twisted mildly with soft sounds and settled to sleep deeply again. Harry crept from the room just as quietly as he'd snuck in. His bangs fell into his eyes and he brushed them back gently. His steps were quiet on the stairs as he moved forward to open the front door. The shadows hid his face as he peeked out at the front lawn.

All he saw was an empty street glowing in the dim light of the street lamps. His uncle's car was strange and unreal in the deep shadows under the neighbor's fence. But Harry knew that there was someone there. There always was someone there, watching the house and making sure that he was safe. He slid though the door and closed it behind him softly. The slight click was the only noise Harry heard, the only sound that broke the death-like silence. He waited to see if his "guard" had heard it before daring to step away, keeping firmly to the shadows.

He turned the corner to walk down the side of the house towards the alley and lifted his wand before him. He'd stun whoever was there if they tried to stop him from leaving. He knew he'd have to in all probability. Green eyes shifted though the shadows, searching. He felt his breath hitch in his throat as he saw the outline of a large black dog at the end of the alley way.

The dog turned to see him with his wand drawn, a sound halfway between a whimper and a growl escaped it's throat. But it took a hasty step towards the fourteen year old boy, it's ears peaking up as it listened more closely for anything out of the ordinary. Harry felt the corner of his mouth twitch upwards as he slid his wand up his sleeve, where a special pocket for it waited. Then he knelt. The black dog came to sit in front of the teenage boy, licking the boy's face before Harry threw his arms around it's neck.

"Hey, Padfoot," Harry whispered. "I've missed you so much. I'm glad that you were the one watching the house tonight. I was going to go looking for you."

When Harry pulled back he saw the curious look in the dog's eyes and he chuckled softly, "I'm leaving tonight, Padfoot. I going away. . ."

The too-human dark eyes of the dog stared at him as it nipped at his hand. It's posture slightly warning, but questioning. Harry understood the unasked question.

"I can't go back to Hogwarts. Not after what happened to Cedric, not after I had to watch Voldemort come back with the use of my blood. I can't stand the looks that people keep giving me. I just have to go away. But I want you to come with me. Please. . . I need you to help me."

Padfoot's eyes softened slightly and he licked Harry's face again. The warm rough tongue licking away the tears that Harry hadn't even noticed he'd been crying. The dog got on it's hind legs, it's front paws on Harry's chest, and gave a slight, human-like nod. The boy-who-lived smiled, scratching the dog behind it's ears. He pulled out his wand again, casting an untraceable spell over the both of them. Harry got to his feet and with his godfather following him, led the way to the street.

"Go ahead and change back, Siri. I've already cast an illusion charm over you to look different. It'll activate when you start changing. . . Besides it's easier to Apparate as a human," Harry smirked. He watched the dog shift as it grew taller, limbs growing longer. The form that stood beside him was well formed with strawberry-blond hair and sky blue eyes. Sirius looked over himself with the illusion.

"And how would you know about Apparation, pup? And how the hell did you learn to do this?"

Harry snickered at the look on the older wizard's face, but shook his head, "I'll tell you everything once we're safely away. There's only about half an hour left before the whole Order swoops down and tries to find us. I told Professor Dumbledore that I would try to take someone with me so he wouldn't worry so much, but. . . "

The unfamiliar looking older man gave a short nod, "Where are we going to go?"

"Where no one will find us." Harry stated firmly as he wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist. The silence broken then only by a faintly echoing 'pop', but the two wizards were no longer there to hear it.

TBC. . .

AN: I should be posting Chapter I soon. So please Reveiw! They'll help my muse stay busy. She's like a cat. Feed her if you want her to stay!