Harry felt embarrassed when he woke up, realising he had slept on Hermione, though she assured him that it was fine. If she had been annoyed or uncomfortable about it then she would have woken him up and told him to move. Besides, it's not like his position had changed while he was asleep so she had a lot of time to ask him to move.
They, and the rest of the Gryffindors had all of their lessons together, though they didn't have many with Slytherin, which means that Harry wouldn't get to see Draco very often. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner they had to eat in the Great Hall, where everyone was separated into the house tables, and they didn't exactly have long breaks.
"We have potions this afternoon." Hermione noted, sounding a little disappointed.
"My brothers said that Professor Snape is the worst, we should make sure we go through the textbook before the lesson." Ron said, making eye contact with Hermione.
They were quite certain that nothing they did would make Snape like Harry enough to even treat him like a generic student, though it seemed like their year was an especially sore point for the abusive teacher. After Harry's death even people who didn't really know him or care especially about him were sad about his death.
Everyone, except Snape.
He was never a loud person, so it's not like he was cheering from the rooftops, but he had about a week of being kinder to everyone, and if he thought nobody was looking he would occasionally smile in a sickening way. It was like he was eager for Harry's death.
That being said, they could do their best to not let Harry get embarrassed in front of everyone in his first lesson, but it was hardly impossible for Harry to not have memorised the answers or for Snape to ask questions that he hadn't last time if Harry was able to answer correctly.
There were other strict teachers, but other than Snape they were all pretty fair, and wouldn't expect anyone to have memorised anything by the first lesson. They hoped Harry could have a better time at Hogwarts this time around, not having to worry about Voldemort breathing down his neck.
It was then that the owls arrived.
Hedwig flew down to Harry, which was only to be expected, she had always been oddly fond of Harry for an owl, though Harry was also kinder to her than most wixes were to their owls as he saw her as a pet and friend, but what was surprising was that she had a letter. Sure, before the end of the week Hagrid would be writing to Harry, but this was only their first day.
"Hey Hedwig, how are you?" Harry asked, not seeming to have noticed the letter she was holding, and giving her half of a piece of bacon on his plate which she ate quite happily, nuzzling into his hand slightly.
"What does the letter say?" Ron asked, genuinely curious.
"Hm?" Harry asked, looking at Ron before he realised that Hedwig had brought him a letter, looking a little confused. "Oh, yeah it's definitely for me."
Of course the letter was for Harry, Hedwig was one of the smartest owls that Ron and Hermione knew. She would happily fly long distances for Harry, and would always bring letters straight to their recipient. She was the only owl that they knew 100% of the time delivered their letters to Harry, and it seemed like Dumbledore didn't know the contents of the letters sent through her, so she was also good at avoiding interception.
"Well you're not going to know who it's from or what it's about unless you open it." Hermione said, also feeling very eager to know what the letter was about. She was excited to see if it was someone else who remembered the last time.
Harry opened it.
Dear Harry,
I know that you likely don't remember me, but I knew you when you were little, I have been trying to get in contact with you since then, but I don't think you got any of my letters. This evening, your owl came to me so I figured I would try to write to you again.
My name is Remus Lupin, I was a friend of your parents and while I'm not the person who was assigned the role of your godfather, I may as well have been, your parents even called your godfather and myself your uncles.
I don't know if you want to talk to me, but if you do then please send a reply with a time that works for you, we can meet at Hogwarts, I know Professor McGonagall.
Your uncle,
Remus Lupin.
Hermione and Ron made eye contact, both seeming to ask each other the same question 'Does he remember?'
"It... Says it's from my uncle." Harry said, he was pretty sure that Ron and Hermione had read the letter too, after all he had held it in such a way that they could if they wanted to. "But how did he know Hedwig is my owl?"
"Your parents were social people, my parents knew them too, maybe he knows Hagrid. You said he bought Hedwig for you, right?" Ron suggested. Honestly he couldn't remember when Harry told him that, but he didn't think it could matter too much.
"I guess that makes sense. Would you two be okay being with me when we meet?" Harry asked. He wanted to meet this mysterious uncle of his, he would be willing to meet anyone who had the ability to take him away from the Dursleys, how often had he dreamed of that? But he was someone famous in this new world, surely it would be a bad idea to meet a stranger alone.
"Of course we'd be happy to." Hermione said, smiling brightly, it would give her and Ron a chance to check if Remus remembered, and they liked him anyway.
Ron didn't respond immediately, distracted by looking up at the teacher's table. Dumbledore's expression was odd as he stared at the letter in Harry's hands, like he wanted to rip it from Harry's grasp from the moment he got it. Honestly, while it was a look that was mostly in his eyes it was unsettling to Ron, he didn't trust Dumbledore, not after his pathetic response to Harry's death, but still.
"Ron." Hermione said, elbowing him lightly to get him to pay attention.
"Oh, yeah, sorry mate, of course I'll be there if you want me." Ron said, his grin a little lopsided, looking back at Dumbledore showed that the man was no longer looking at the trio.
"Thanks, does Saturday work for you two?" Harry asked. Sure, he could ask to meet during lunch or the evening, but he wanted to be able to have a proper conversation, like why this man's letters hadn't reached him before, when he started writing to Harry, and why he had never come looking for him in person.
"I think we should ask Professor McGonagall before anything, but it's not like we have Saturday lessons." Hermione said, Hedwig being the last owl to fly away as lessons were about to start.
"If we don't want to be late we should get going." Ron said, looking around at everyone else who were also grabbing their things and filing out the Great Hall.
-----
They had Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall second, just before a break, which would be extremely convenient for Harry to ask about meeting Remus, and convenient for Ron and Hermione to ask her if she remembered last time.
Of course for their first lesson Harry and Ron had been late to class as they had gotten lost after the stairs moved while they were at the back, but this time Harry was going with two people who knew Hogwarts like the back of their hands, they weren't going to get lost, and were, in fact, the first people to arrive at the classroom.
"Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, come in, get yourself prepared as you wait for the rest of the class." McGonagall said, they might be imagining things, but they were sure that she was much softer to them than she had been last time, and that her eyes were kind and almost sad as they lingered on Harry.
They just got more sure that she was being softer to them than normal when they heard how she was talking to the next lot of people who came. She still seemed softer than last time, but was definitely more so with them.
While she was teaching she walked around the classroom, and when she was in front of Harry she subtly put a wrapped chocolate biscuit on his desk, sliding it towards him slightly. That definitely caught their attention.
About half way through the lesson Crookshanks came in and started making a racket at the trio, clearly wanting them to follow him. McGonagall couldn't get through a full sentence without Crookshanks interrupting her.
"Sorry Professor." Ron said, standing up before Hermione could. "I'll deal with him. Sorry for the disruption."
McGonagall looked Ron up and down for a moment, realistically she had no way of knowing whose cat Crookshanks was, but she seemed to know that he was actually Hermione's, but maybe that was because of her animagus. "Alright, calm down the cat and then come back in Mr Weasley. I will not accept another interruption like this." She then immediately went back to her lesson.
Crookshanks ran off a short ways, staying close enough to Ron that he could still see the cat, waiting for Ron to get close enough before running on again. Crookshanks let out a loud, angry noise whenever he lost sight of Ron. Ron didn't exactly love the cat, sure, he knew when an animal was actually a person, but he had scratched the boy a lot too, and he just didn't like cats much, though he had to admit that Crookshanks was slowly growing on him, so he knew this was for something important, and he had a feeling he knew what was going on.
Sure enough, Crookshanks led Ron outside, to the Whomping Willow to be exact, and pressed the knot that caused the branches to stop trying to kill Ron, allowing the boy through the passageway.
It was much easier to fit through now he was in first year, and it was only now that he was following the cat that Ron realised how horrible it must have been for Remus every month. Maybe he would have been able to fit through fine first year, maybe even second year, but Remus was hardly a short man, and he was also accompanied by a teacher. This short and claustrophobic tunnel leading to the dilapidated shack he went through so much pain alone.
"Crookshanks, why did you force me to go here?" The rough, much fiercer voice of Sirius Black came after the cat entered the room, Ron not yet visible. It seemed the cat had arranged the whole thing.
"I'm guessing so he knew where you were to fetch me or Hermione." Ron said, climbing up into the room, making Sirius jump slightly. "Hello Sirius."
"Ron?" Sirius looked surprised, and a little scared and excited. "I- I know what's in the paper about me but-"
"Sirius! I know you didn't kill Peter, the muggles, or Harry's parents. I also know you didn't break out to kill Harry, though if it was you almost managed it when you broke out in third year." Ron shivered as he remembered Harry's limp body falling from his broom that match. To be fair it was the dementors more than Sirius, but the dementors were only there because he had escaped.
"Then... Wait, you know about me breaking out in your third year?" Sirius deflated a little, looking relieved but also confused.
"Yes, Hermione, Neville, Malfoy, and my family except Percy remember. Bill and Charley don't remember all the details but they do remember some. It looks like Remus and Professor McGonagall might remember too. We're going to have a meeting in Gryffindor tower tonight after lights out to discuss everything. Hermione and I solved his murder before time reversed. You can wait in Gryffindor tower as Snuffles, the only people who would recognise you would know everything." Ron explained, leaning on the wall as Sirius sat on the broken bed.
"Where's Peter?" Sirius asked, he looked exhausted, he probably was, and likely more tired now that he knew he wasn't alone.
"At the Burrow, in an unbreakable jar while dad tries to find an auror not in Dumbledore's pocket to handle your case. He's pretty big evidence that you're innocent." Ron explained, going back to the entrance. "We need to head back now, I still have lessons, and you should sleep somewhere warm."
Sirius transformed into a dog, and the three left the Shrieking Shack, Ron gave Sirius the password to get into the Gryffindor common room, and Ron ran back to the Transfiguration classroom. Unfortunately his seat with Harry and Hermione was near the front, so it was impossible to sneak in.
"Sorry I took so long Professor." Ron said, but McGonagall barely gave him any response.
"I'll give you my notes later." Harry whispered to Ron, he was sitting between Ron and Hermione by their choice.
"Thanks." Ron whispered back. Of course, he knew everything that had happened in this lesson, or had at least internalised it, but he couldn't tell Harry that.
Ron had missed most of the lesson, Hogwarts was not a small building after all, so when he got back there were only 2 minutes before the class ended.
"Um, Professor," Harry said, feeling awkward and uncomfortable as he headed the opposite direction of everyone else, towards McGonagall's desk rather than the door. "I got this letter, but I think I need permission before I do anything with it."
McGonagall took the letter and skimmed it, her eyebrows raising slightly as she read through it, but she read it quickly before handing it back.
"Well I can confirm that is Remus Lupin's handwriting, that I know him, that he was close to your parents, and that he was called your uncle. You have my permission to invite him here to talk, let me know if you need my help to arrange anything." McGonagall said.
"Thank you." Harry said, starting to feel a little shy. The only uncle he knew was Vernon, and that was not the kind of person he ever wanted to be around, but Vernon was his mother's sister's husband, so his relationship with Remus must be different.
"Harry, you go on ahead, we have something to ask Professor McGonagall." Hermione said, smiling at Harry and making sure he took the biscuit McGonagall had given him. Harry nodded, but he was just waiting by the door.
"If you two are going to ask me why I gave him the biscuit and nobody else then now is not the time, and if you really can't tell then read more books." McGonagall said, her voice now as strict as they remembered it.
"No, well, it is related to that, but it's not that." Hermione said, scrambling to try to find the right words. For all the books she read she wasn't actually good at finding the right words sometimes.
"We're trying to ask if you remember when Harry died." Ron finished for her.
"You- you two remember as well? Oh you poor things." McGonagall said, looking distressed as she rushed around her desk to pull the two onto a hug. "I am so sorry that you two had to go through that, and I am sorry that you remember it too."