Disclaimer: All things you recognize from the seven Harry Potter books belong to J.K. Rowling. I am merely borrowing for my own entertainment and do not earn anything for writing this story.

Hi! This is the update for February 2021.

School is beginning soon, and I'll try to be sure to update every month. Maybe there'll be two updates next month because the fifth chapter seems rather lame to me. It's a needed chapter from my point of view, but it's a bit boring all the same. But it's for the sixth chapter, so . . . bear with me, if you will!

Another thing is - and I'm not sure how many of you have skipped this stuff by now - please do review! I want to know if my story's good or bad, please! Thanks for reading anyway and stay safe!

2021.2.13.

A Bloody Hand: Things Just Seem to Happen Together

Chapter 4

Harry yawned as he sat in the common room, reading his Charms essay over. He thought he had done a fairly good job—he was confident he would get an "E," at the very least.

Hermione, who was currently reading over Ron's Astronomy essay with a slightly disapproving frown, looked up and said, "Maybe you should clear up, take a shower, and go to bed, Harry. You've finished nearly all of your essays—you only have the Transfiguration one from Professor McGonagall and your Divination homework from Trelawney left, plus Professor Jimson's essay from today's class, because you're done with your Charms essay, right?"

"Yeah," said Harry, "I think so." He thought it over then smiled at her. "Yes, that's right. I'm done with this one—Charms—and I can do the other three tomorrow."

Hermione nodded, looking pleased, then turned to Ron, who whined childishly, "But why can't I go to bed as well?"

"I didn't say that," said Hermione, calmly, "but you really should work for a bit longer. You're only done with this one I'm checking—and there are many mistakes, too—and you took five hours doing it."

Ron scowled at her. "It's not my fault Harry's gone all bookish," he replied. "I'm not going to go all strange."

Harry, who had been rolling up his Charms essay and putting away his quill and spare parchment, looked up. "I haven't 'gone all strange,'" he told Ron, feeling slightly hurt. "I'm just trying to learn something and get good grades, that's all. Maybe Snuffles will be proud of me, and it will definitely help me when I have to face Voldemort."

Ron jumped. "Don't say his name!" he snapped, annoyed.

Harry ignored him. They had had many discussions and arguments about this before, and always with the same result: Harry blatantly refusing to stop saying "Voldemort" and Ron walking off in a huff about it. "Well, good night, Hermione, Ron," he said, and picking up his bag, walked back to the dorm.

Hermione called, "Good night, Harry!," but Ron said nothing. He stood up and turned away from Hermione, going over to Seamus, who had been scowling at them all evening and was currently writing his Astronomy essay, which was the one Ron had been doing earlier on—though judging by the scowl of displeasure on his face, it wasn't going very well.

Ron walked right up to Seamus, who said nothing and stared at Ron, looking both angry and smug. "Hey, Seamus," said Ron, after a slight pause. "You busy?"

"Hey, Ron," said Seamus. He had been watching the three and now said, "See, I told you, Potter's mad."

Ron shrugged and said, "Fancy a game of chess, Seamus?" He just needed to cool off. He was so annoyed with Harry and Hermione right now.

Seamus grinned. "Do you still believe him now?" he asked. He obviously thought Ron would say "no."

Ron hesitated. He still wanted to be friends with Harry and Hermione. "Well—just maybe," he finally muttered.

Seamus scowled slightly. He could tell Ron still wanted Harry's friendship. "Okay, fine," he said. "So, about that game of chess . . ."

Ron grinned and went to fetch his set. Hermione watched him disappear into the fifth year boys' dorm and frowned slightly, glancing at the smug look on Seamus's face. "I hope this isn't going to be like last year," she thought worriedly, remembering when Ron had been jealous of the attention Harry got in the beginning of the Triwizard Tournament.

XXX

On Saturday, Ron finally came out of his sulk and rejoined Harry and Hermione. Hermione hadn't yet told Harry that Ron had played chess with Seamus on Thursday night, and decided not to tell Harry anything for now. After all, Ron was back with them now, right? And he hadn't spoken to Seamus again after the game of chess, so it should be alright, shouldn't it?

As they walked toward the Great Hall for breakfast, Dean, who was still on speaking terms with Harry and so was still speaking to Hermione and Ron, came hurrying up. "Hey!" he said, an air of excitement about him.

"Hi, Dean," said Harry with a small smile. "What's up?"

"Have you heard?" asked Dean excitedly. "Some people are saying Snape's dead or dying or something like that!"

Harry, Hermione, and Ron blinked. "That's silly," said Hermione with a touch of scorn.

"Yeah. Crazy, right? He's probably on vacation—maybe on a nice island or living in a hotel?" suggested Dean, after a pause.

"That's your vacation," snorted Ron. "Snape's probably in a cave like a bat or something."

Dean grinned. "Maybe. Some people say he's visiting family—and I've heard some Puffs say he got eaten by the squid in the lake."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't think the giant squid would be interested in him, Dean," she said. "Maybe he's just on holiday."

"Yeah," agreed Dean. "But all these stories are much more fun, you know. And I kind of want him to be hurt or something. Git." He shrugged at the glare Hermione gave him. "Well, I'm going to go eat breakfast." He left their company and hurried off.

The three best friends looked at each other, and Hermione sighed. "Everyone's making such a big deal about this," she said, shaking her head and sighing.

"Yeah," said Ron. "Dean's right though, it's much more fun to pretend Snape's dead or something."

Harry rolled his eyes. He knew the truth, but hardly thought that anyone would believe him. After all, he wouldn't believe it if just anyone said Snape was sick—it was only because it was McGonagall who had told him that he believed it. "I think he's probably on Order business," he told Hermione and Ron, and Hermione nodded in agreement. "Or maybe sick," he added, not wanting to hide the truth from his friends but not wishing to talk about his hand and Umbridge at the same time.

Hermione considered his opinion. "Well, it actually sounds crazy when you say he's sick, but Snape's human too, you know. But I think, probably Order business," she said, after thinking. "McGonagall didn't tell Jimson why Snape can't teach right now, but maybe she didn't because it's top secret," she suggested reasonably.

Ron scowled. "This is no fun. Just think, maybe Snape's on vacation or dead. That's much more interesting!" He added, "I hope he's dead."

Hermione looked horrified. "That's really mean, Ron!" she cried. "I don't like Snape, but I don't want him to die." She looked at Harry for support.

Harry hesitated, then said, "Well, I don't want him to just die either," he agreed. "He hates me and I don't like him because he's always insulting my dad, but I don't wish he'll die."

"Hmm," said Ron. "Then maybe he's seriously hurt. Relax, Hermione," he added, as Hermione opened her mouth, frowning, "we're just making life interesting, okay?"

"Maybe," said Hermione, "but if he's really hurt, then he can't do stuff for the Order!"

"That's a good thing!" argued Ron. "He's probably a real Death Eater. Now he can't give them information!"

"Dumbledore trusts him, Ron," snapped Hermione. "Don't you trust Dumbledore?"

"Well, yes," said Ron. He sighed. "Fine. Let's just go have some breakfast, okay?"

The three walked into the Great Hall, Harry relieved that the two hadn't been very loud so no one had heard the conversation.

They each ate huge amounts of food, Ron the most, and after breakfast, Ron found Fred and George, who were looking bored. Ron asked them to play chess with him, and the twins agreed eagerly.

Hermione glanced at Harry as the three brothers settled down. "Do you want to play, Harry?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "I was thinking we could do our homework and review a bit in the library," he suggested.

Hermione brightened at once. "Alright!" she happily said. "Go get your stuff, I'll meet you in the library in fifteen minutes."

XXX

The two of them got quite a bit of homework and reviewing done that day, as Ron was occupied with Fred and George—apparently, the three had played chess for a bit and then gone to the Quidditch pitch to fly with a bunch of other people for the rest of the day. Hermione insisted they have a short break and eat something near lunchtime, and then the two went back to their reviewing. They went back to the Gryffindor common room to put their things away when it was nearly time for dinner, and as they entered the Great Hall and sat down, realized rumors about Snape had flown wild.

Ron, Fred, and George, on the other end of the table, moved to sit with them when they had sat down, Fred saying with a grin, "You hear 'em?"

"You mean the rumors?" asked Harry, frowning slightly.

"And the students," added George with a slight smirk.

"Yeah," said Hermione, rolling her eyes and nodding.

"Crazy, aren't they?" said Fred, chuckling. "These rumors about old Snape—"

"—are just full of imagination," chimed in George, shaking his head.

"Yeah, some of the ones we've heard are just—"

"—totally crazy and insane, completely wacky—"

"And utterly barmy," finished Fred, scowling when George rolled his eyes and said, "Can't you come up with something better?"

Harry and Hermione both laughed, and Ron, who had been busily eating, looked up from his plate and said, "What do you mean, the rumors are crazy?"

"Where have you been, little bro?" asked Fred, rolling his eyes. "You were with us all day, and you ask us what we mean?" Then he turned to his twin. "You explain."

"Well, there's one about Snape getting married, another about him on honeymoon, and some people are saying his wife has given birth to a boy so he's gone to see them," explained George, an exasperated look on his face.

Fred rolled his eyes and grinned. "The things people come up with," he said. "Does Snape have a wife, even?"

They all laughed and shrugged before tucking into the food.

Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it. Please leave a review if you have the time, thanks.

Also, I seem to be ending chapters mostly with food, and I'm sorry for that, but it can't be helped. If you guys want though, I might try to put in a cliffhanger—but I don't really like cliffhangers myself, especially if the writer doesn't update soon or finish the story. So, what do you guys think?