Ron was being attacked by food as he slid the length of the house table.

Potatoes smashed into his ear, roast beef soiled his shirt, chicken splattered across his pants, and pork chops were clinging to his hair. One fist was still dripping yorkshire pudding as his momentum ended and he came to a halt, his other hand knocked over the gravy tureen while trying to get upright, and for some reason there was a peppermint humbug up his nose.

Plates clattered around Harry, a fork jammed itself into Hermione's hair she spent ages untangling out, Neville face planted a bowl of peas, and Malfoy landed in Dumbledore's chair with a face full of shepherd's pie.

They were in the Great Hall, they all realized, and apparently interrupted the start of term feast as the Hat was nowhere in sight. Tonks fell over a bench as she tried to get back upright and somehow hit a butter knife that sailed into the air and cut down the Hufflepuff banner above that floated down over Padfoot, covering him like a shroud.

Remus watched for a long time by where he'd landed at the closed doors, and started laughing. Shoulders shaking, gasping for breath, all seven watched in mild concern to see him utterly falling to pieces as he stayed slumped against the door with mirth at their expense.

Padfoot shook the yellow cape off easily enough and bounded over, panting happily and wishing so very much he could change back right now and throw a bowl of carrots over him, instigate a food fight and keep his old friend smiling like this, something he hadn't seen since his release.

He was still out to prove a point though, and with a weary look at the Longbottom boy, just nudged old Moony and coughed his own laugh that was still far more muted to him like this than he would have liked, but Remus understood as he wiped at his eyes and ruffled his ears and somehow still smiled wider at him keeping his head, making it even more worth it.

Tonks came over without another disaster with a dazzling smile. "You should laugh like that more," she said at once as she offered a hand up. "I've known you for months Remus, and that's the first time I've ever seen that."

"I have my moments," he said fondly as he looked around his old home again. All the Gryffindors crawled off the table and sat in the seats proper, Harry spending a few moments wiping ketchup off his glasses, Ron shrugging and reaching for the fries and using them to carefully scrape the worst of the food off his person as he ate them.

"Glad to see you lot loosen up," Harry told them cheerfully as all three came and sat down with them, while Malfoy stayed at the head table, crossing his arms and glowering at the ceiling. "You were starting to freak me out, always prowling around the edges and muttering."

"Still best to be on our guard Harry," Tonks lightly chastised as she reached for a steak with silverware that magically hadn't been knocked to the ground. "Just because you lot think you know what's going to happen doesn't mean we're out of the woods on everything else dangerous that could be happening."

"She spends too much time around Moody," Ron mock whispered and explained to Neville, causing him to snort in delight.

Hermione clucked her tongue at the boys as well, fully agreeing with the adults as they continued watching the floating candles and doors expectantly even as they still smiled just a bit when she summoned the book and began reading again.

Sirius hopped up on the bench beside the others just to amuse himself, his tail wagging over the side and licking Neville in delight as he was passed several sausages again. Harry gave him a guilty look and mouthed 'sorry,' from across him, but he huffed and began lapping up some of Tonks's pumpkin juice happily enough, the joy for imagining McGonagall having a cow with him doing this sustaining him enough as she gave Harry the exact same speech she'd once given his group of first years, he'd swear it.

He listened with such pride to Harry's childhood wonder of the magical singing hat and the great castle he started to worry Neville may actually suspect he wasn't some normal dog as he kept watching his godson. It was so silly and delightful he was afraid of his coming sorting when, for the first time since his release, he could finally remember his own back in this room. James had shoved his way to the front of the crowd and been so disappointed to go in alphabetical order, he'd bowed when the hat had been on his head for seconds to put him in Gryffindor, his best mate had been such a spectacle from the very beginning.

The teenagers were all smiling with nostalgia for their sorting, Neville even got an old laugh at himself for running off with the hat still on his head like that, but Harry was getting quiet again already and flattening his hair with a look of unease as Hermione called for his name next. Those green eyes looked at him and away, towards the Slytherin banner, and he began picking at his nails and prodding at his empty plate with a restless energy.

He whined uneasily and longed to make a joke he didn't think dessert was coming to help ease him up at least some for whatever could be upsetting him, but Neville interrupted before Hermione could say, "hey Harry, what's this dog's name?"

He was mostly looking at Remus though and blushing faintly, clearly wanting to have addressed his old teacher but some of his nerves were still there and apparently not up for asking why they'd even been there at the start, but being back in school seemed to have brought the question up.

"Oh, err," Harry seemed happy for the brief distraction even as he scrambled madly for a moment and settled on a smile at him, "Snuffles."

He coughed out another laugh and wagged his tail harder as Remus snorted into his sleeve and tried to pass it off as a sneeze but was laughing again none the less, this time everyone joining in.

Neville smiled hopefully at Professor Lupin, but when no explanation was forthcoming he thanked Harry and went back to his meal. He, Seamus, and Dean were well used to Harry and Ron always getting up to their own thing. For once he'd been there at the beginning and was just happy to have been included in Dumbledore's Army. He wasn't sure what yet had him being in the mix of this mess, but he wasn't going to ask for details of Harry's private life yet, like why he seemed so familiar with an old teacher.

The Granger mudblood went back to reading and Draco frowned at the puke inducing little group all over there laughing like brainless idiots. He ate greedily at the head table and even stuffed bits of food into his pockets as he shifted impatiently in place for this nonsense to be over now. He nearly choked on a bite of spotted dick as he heard the news Potter had been encouraged by the hat and he'd still stubbornly turned down the offer, like he was actively trying to make himself as dense as Longbottom by refusing the house of the cunning like every pure blood should dream for?

It was even oxymoronic he supposed, if one had the smarts to be offered the greatest of rewards, how could one be stupid enough to think of throwing it away? Potter had actively been sabotaging his future in the magical world from the get-go with no signs of remorse. He'd see though.

The fool who thought he could best the Dark Lord by a lucky happenstance of another getting the killing blow before he'd weaseled his way free, he had no idea what he'd squandered away by choosing to defy him rather than join.

Sirius hopped off the bench and went back to sprawling across Harry's feet, the closest thing he could do to a hug like this as Harry knelt down to stroke his fur in thanks when he figured out his worry. He wished he could tell Harry the hat had wanted to put him in Slytherin too, that old thing had actually fought madly with him over the subject even longer than Harry's, he'd been the longest hat-stall of his group, but he had won in the end too.

He'd had questions about his horrible house for ages; his parents had always punished him rather than answer satisfactorily. James had been the first human being to ever make him laugh at a joke that held no insult in the punchline and had spoken of nothing but Gryffindor for half the train. He'd already been desperately looking for an escape and sought out the lion's tower just like his godson on the word of his best friend alone that first night.

The description of the feast was passed over except for poor Ron tensing up all over again at the mention of his Prefect brother. Sirius nudged his knee in commiseration for that feeling and he stopped eating for a moment to reach down and pat him clumsily on the head.

Hermione warned the chapter was almost done as Harry crawled into bed, but to their surprise a very ominous dream played out instead. It was short but clear, and he shifted all of his weight to lean against Harry as he shivered in remembrance for something he'd apparently forgotten all about as well as they were pulled away again.