Well, I'm sick today, so I decided to stay home from school. Can you think of a better opportunity to update this story?

Just a note- a couple of people have asked if I'm going to make this a romance story for Harry. At the moment, I'm not planning on it. This is more a story about Harry discovering his mother and their relationship. It's a Harry/Lily fic, if you will. But not in a romantic way. Eww, you perverts! Don't be dirty ;-)

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the wonderful creation of Mrs. Jo Rowling!

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Tabitha checked her watch. "We'd better get back now. I have to start cleaning sometime, I suppose."

Harry nodded and followed her out of the park, through the iron gates and across the beaten sidewalk. He decided he had had enough of the park earlier when he spotted two children playing with a big black dog. The enormous mutt was rolling happily on the ground and barking as the two five-year-olds petted and rubbed its belly. He realized a little too late that he couldn't take his eyes off the scene, and the children's mother had glared at him. Harry reverted his eyes immediately and started walking with Tabitha.

Sirius seemed to be like a disease on his mind. Harry couldn't stop thinking about him; he was everywhere. A young father playing tag with his kids had a laugh just like his. A stray knocking over trashcans while chasing a tabby down the street ran in the same way. An aftershave model on the back cover of one of those Muggle magazines had the same stormy gray eyes. Even if he wanted to, Harry couldn't escape him.

The idea of being haunted by Sirius' spirit teased him for a while. He could picture it watching him, leaving signs to rub in the guilt. You did this to me, Harry. I would be alive if it wasn't for you… But Sirius would never do that to him; he would never blame Harry for his death. No, Harry was definitely causing his own problems, as usual.

"Harry, are you coming?" Tabitha called from a few yards ahead. Harry realized that he had been walking so slowly that he had fallen behind. He caught up with her and matched her pace.

"So, er, what are you going to clean first?" He asked, partly to get Sirius out of his thoughts and partly to end the awkward silence.

Tabitha laughed at his fake interest. "Well, the kitchen, I suppose, and then I might move on the drawing room. I had a look at it yesterday. Filthy, I tell you. I know your aunt has been tired and all, but what a mess! I even found scorch marks on the door posts!" Tabitha exclaimed.

Harry smiled to himself. The scorch marks Tabitha was referring to had been there since two summers past, when the Weasleys had attempted to Floo into the Dursleys' fireplace and blasted the drawing room apart. Of course, he couldn't tell Tabitha this, but the memory was quite amusing.

They reached Number Four in a few minutes time. Harry saw that the Dursleys were still out. Desolately, Harry trudged over to the cupboard under the stairs. "Harry." Tabitha called suddenly. He turned to face her. She was grinning, and holding up two bottles of orange cleaning spray. "How'd you like to pay me back for that ice cream?"

o-o

Two hours later, Harry was dirty, exhausted, and aching, but happier than he had been for some time. He and Tabitha had spent the rest of the afternoon spraying, wiping, and polishing every appliance and piece of furniture on the first floor until it sparkled like a new cauldron. Now they were relaxing on the sofa, admiring their work.

"Looks nice, doesn't it?" Tabitha peered around the room.

"Sure does." Harry said, leaning his head back. "I didn't think we were ever going to finish that bathroom, though."

Tabitha laughed. "I know! Oh, thanks for taking care of the toilet, by the way." She grinned sheepishly.

Harry grimaced. Tabitha had refused to clean the toilet after she found the gifts from Dudley floating inside it. "Yeah, no problem."

"That cousin of yours really is a disgusting boy." She said, rolling her eyes.

"I've noticed." Harry said flatly.

Tabitha sighed in response. "Oh my, I must have thrown out my back scrubbing those kitchen tiles! I'm aching all over…" She massaged her spine and winced.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Harry gingerly poked his shoulders and rolled them in forward circles. A loud crack sounded through the room as he tilted his head to the side.

"Stiff, aren't you?" Tabitha said pityingly. "Wait here, I'll go get us some hot water bottles. Maybe then we'll be able to move again." Harry laughed weakly and Tabitha disappeared into the kitchen.

Harry leaned back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted, and the sickly fumes from the cleaning spray made him drowsy. Before he knew it, his eyelids were getting dangerously heavy, and started to close…

Harry shook himself awake. If he was going to sleep, he might as well do it in his own bed. He rose and walked into the kitchen to say goodnight to Tabitha, but when he stuck his head through the kitchen entranceway, she wasn't there. Harry blinked; he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing in her place. A man and a woman were in the kitchen instead, talking and leaning over a cradle. The man was thin and tall, with dark, disastrously messy hair that Uncle Vernon would have probably hacked off with a chainsaw if he'd been there. The woman standing next to him was shorter, but with flaming red hair and- when she looked up at the man- dancing, green almond-shaped eyes. The cradle they were hovering over had a tiny baby inside of it.

Harry moved closer, shaking. He peered into the cradle. The baby was laughing- the woman was tickling the bottom of its plump foot- but Harry could hear nothing. It was like someone had hit the mute button in his mind. Harry watched the baby's face, seeing the jet black fuzz on the top of its head. The baby stopped laughing suddenly, and opened its eyes wide. Harry started to tremble more violently when he saw them. They were emerald green. He looked back up at the couple next to the cradle. The woman's eyes were the exact same as her baby's. Sinking realization started to hit Harry, and the woman smiled at him as if she knew. When he looked towards the man, he found that his space was empty. It was just the redheaded woman, silently playing with her baby, but with no smile, a more hollowed look in her eyes and tiny wrinkle in her forehead.

Harry's eyes snapped open. He sat up quickly and looked around. With a wave of shock, he realized that he was out of breath and drenched in sweat, as if he had just run a mile. He stood up and raced into the kitchen. "Tabitha, I actually don't feel all that well. I'm going to go have a lie-down in my room." He lied smoothly, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure she could hear it.

Tabitha looked concerned. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Yes, fine." With a wave of his hand, Harry vanished into the cupboard and shut the door firmly behind him.

Once he was lying on his bed, he was able to think more clearly. What had that dream been about? Why had his parents come to visit him while he was sleeping at a time like that? He half-wished he had been dreaming about Voldemort or Sirius instead. At lest those thoughts made sense.

But the Potters? Harry rubbed his temples and sighed. They didn't belong in his dreams. It was too confusing to think about. The dream itself made sense; it first started out as the happy family of James, Lily, and he, Harry. But when he looked away, James was gone. Well, I get that part. He thought to himself. Dad disappearing symbolizes his death. But what about Mom-

A sharp fluttering of wings against his window interrupted Harry's thoughts. He looked up, and a large brown barn owl hooted at him. Harry flopped off his bed and moved to open the latch. The large bird flew inside, dropped a letter on his bed, and flew back out. Harry could tell from its business-like manner that it was one of the school owls. He picked up the letter and read the front.

Mr. H Potter

The Cupboard Under The Stairs (again)

#4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging, Surrey

NOTE: O.W.L. RESULTS ENCLOSED

Harry undid the wax seal on the back with shaking hands. He slipped a careful hand into the envelope and pulled out three pieces of heavy parchment inside.

Dear Mr. Potter

Attached are the results of the Ordinary Wizarding Level tests you took last June. A class list is also enclosed. We congratulate you on your hard work and hope you will continue to make your school proud in the years to come.

Sincereley,

Griselda Marchbanks

Head Examiner

Harry threw the paper away and looked at his results next.

Astronomy…………………………………………A

Care Of Magical Creatures…………………… O

Charms…………………………………………… E

Defense Against The Dark Arts……………… O

Divination…………………………………………D

Herbology…………………………………………A

History Of Magic…………………………………P

Potions…………………………………………… E

Transfiguration………………………………… E

It took Harry several minutes to register what he had read. He had done extremely well, much better than he had expected. Of course, the two failing grades were to be expected; Harry was far from gifted at Divination, and due to circumstances out of his control, Harry was not able to complete his History of Magic examination. Thinking back to that particular day, Harry realized with a pang that he would not be able to tell Sirius about his scores…

To take his mind off his godfather, Harry looked back at his scores and skimmed down to one he had missed- Potions. An Exceeds Expectations was better than he had expected, but Harry's mood sank lower when he realized what it meant. Professor McGonagall had told him that Snape only accepted Outstanding students, and nothing less. He wouldn't be able to take Advanced Potions class, and therefore wouldn't be able to become an Auror.

Pushing aside bitter thoughts of the Potions Master, Harry reached for the past piece of parchment, the list of his classes.

Mr. Harry Potter,

Your sixth year classes will be as follows: Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Charms, Advanced Defense Against The Dark Arts, Advanced Potions, and Advanced Astronomy. Your elective class will continue to be Care Of Magical Creatures, as it is the elective you passed. A more precise schedule will be given upon your arrival at Hogwarts.

Best Wishes,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Harry did a double take when he reached the part about Advanced Potions. Surely, it had been a mistake? He hadn't met Snape's expectations and received an O. So how was it that…?

Another, smaller, piece of parchment that Harry hadn't noticed before fell onto the bed. He picked it up and read the short message.

To All Students Who Received An 'E' Or Higher On Their Potions O.W.L.: After discussion with the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Snape has agreed to lower the acceptance grades into his N.E.W.T. class. As of now, any student who received at least an 'E' will be able to take Advanced Potions.

Grinning, Harry folded all three pieces of paper and put them on his night side table. He would be able to become an Auror after all! Deciding to sleep on that thought, Harry shut off his lamp and rolled over, drifting off not long after, without a thought of his parents or the strange dream he had had earlier.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

So, what did you all think of the O.W.L. results? It took me a while to decide what grades Harry should get. I'm pretty sure I got the classes right, but review and let me know if you see a mistake.

Trivia question: Okay, this involves a bit of digging, people! Special mention in the next chapter goes to any reviewer who can figure out what food I have mentioned in both Au Pair and A Hogwarts Tale! Good luck!

Thou shalt review, or be condemned to feel my wrath!

May The Force Be With You,

LaRohaZeta