Portrayal of Light and Darkness through Characters in...

In the novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad uses many literary devices to create, for his readers, a vivid picture of what his definition of light and darkness really is. Conrad suggestively uses a technique whereas for every one character that portrays darkness there is an opposite character that portrays some extent of light. This technique can be explained in the form of comparison and contrast, for instance the â€Å"Harlequin† and the Manager. Though these two characters share few comparisons, their contrasts are one in a plenty. The Harlequins character is said to be a Russian man who has an eccentric taste in fashion, coining him the nickname Harlequin. He is also considered the character Kurtz’s â€Å"disciple†, because as a young boy†¦show more content†¦Conrad’s very creepy way of vividly articulating the Manager, gives the inkling that he is indeed the darkness that the title exclaims. Though, these characters may seem to be the polar opposite of one another, they do share some defining qualities. Conrad depicts both characters displaying very bizarre behavior. The Managers character, as described previo usly, has a very cold disposition. He says very random and oddball things, that are not expected of a manager. The Harlequin displays behavior that is less on the cold side and more on the hyperactive side. He is the bubbly, bouncy character of the novella. Some may go as far to say retarded, due to his child-like nature. Another characteristic that they share is that they often tend to babble, but it is a different kind of babbling amongst them. The Manager just kind of talks out of the side of neck, meaning that his words have no meaning which never leads to a result. He loves to hear himself speak. The Harlequin babbles uncontrollably. He speaks on and on about Kurtz, and how great he is, to the character Marlowe. He chatters so much to the point that Marlowe uses him to gain information about Kurtz. Lastly, the traits that the two share are that they are both extremely obsessed with Kurtz. Though, the Harlequin’s obsession stems more from admiration, and theShow MoreRelatedEssay about Heart of Darkness1745 Words   |  7 Pagesin depth review of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a classical novella that illustrates without bias the motives behind human intentions and the extremes individuals can go to achieve wealth and profits at the expense of others with the aim of shedding insight into the rise of European imperialism, the imperial history, its politics and evil activities in the colonized African tribes along the river Congo during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. The Heart of Darkness is an exceptionallyRead MoreThemes and Literary Techniqes Used in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness688 Words   |  3 Pages Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness A. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has been criticized as a novel filled with blatant racism, because of its dehumanization of the Africans through name calling and portrayal of them as inhuman. I agree that the terms and wording of this novel are racist and very inappropriate for today’s world to use, but we have to remind ourselves of the time period in which this was written. Conrad’s use of racist remarks like â€Å"savages† and the â€Å"N† word to label the Africans inRead MoreJoseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1488 Words   |  6 PagesJoseph Conrad’s s novel Heart of Darkness portrays an image of Africa that is dark and inhuman. Not only does he describe the actual, physical continent of Africa as â€Å"so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness†, (Conrad 154) as though the continent could neither breed nor support any true human life. Conrad lived through a time when European colonies were scattered all over the world. This phenomenon and the doctrine of colonialism bought into at hisRead MoreHeart of Darkness1699 Words   |  7 PagesThe immortality and blindness to a dark continent Joseph Conrad’s s novel â€Å"Heart of Darkness† portrays an image of Africa that is dark and inhuman. Not only does he describe the actual, physical continent of Africa as â€Å"so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness†, (Conrad 2180) as though the continent could neither breed nor support any true human life. Conrad lived through a time when European colonies were scattered all over the world. This phenomenonRead More Characters, Setting, Themes, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness1248 Words   |  5 PagesCharacters, Setting, Themes, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   Deep within the chest of every man, woman, and child beats the heart of darkness. On the surface, mankind has achieved a sophisticated level of civilization. Joseph Conrad forces the reader to peel away the pristine layer of sweetness and see the unaltered truth. Heart of Darkness reveals the true nature that lurks behind every smile, handshake, and conversation. Conrads portrayal of the characters, setting, symbols, and ironiesRead More Symbols, Setting, and Ironies of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1201 Words   |  5 PagesSymbols, Setting, and Ironies of Heart of Darkness   Ã‚   Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, is about many things: seafaring, riverboating, trade and exploration, imperialism and colonialism, race relations, the attempt to find meaning in the universe while trying to get at the mysteries of the subconscious mind. Heart of Darkness is a vivid portrayal of European imperialism.   The book in other words is a story about European acts of imperial mastery (1503)-its methods, and the effectsRead More The Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay969 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Women have taken an increasingly important role in literature. Only recently have authors portrayed women in a dominant, protagonistic light. Sophocles and other classical writers portrayed women more as reactors than heroines. Since the ancient Greeks, however, a trend has been established that gives women characters much more substance and purpose. A definite shift from the antediluvian ways can be seen, and the overall complexityRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s The Heart Of Darkness 1801 Words   |  8 PagesAlly Jones Professor Smith English 1302 November 18, 2014 Female Roles in Joseph Conrad s the Heart of Darkness: In regards to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, many literature reviews focus on the motifs of Imperialism, the symbolism of darkness and fog, or the aspect of racism in Conrad’s work. During the era which Conrad wrote, England was going through the Victorian Era, which was marked by a shift in views on morality. The term â€Å"Victorian morality† is used today to describe values whichRead More The Characters, Setting, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad1780 Words   |  8 Pagesthe brooding nature of his inner self.   Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, is the story of one mans insight into life as he embarks on a voyage to the edges of the world. Here, he meets the bitter, yet enlightening forces that eventually shape his outlook on life and his own individuality. Conrad’s portrayal of the characters, setting, and symbols, allow the reader to reflect on the true nature of man. The two main characters in Heart of Darkness, Marlow and Kurtz are used to show theRead MoreDr. Miller s Heart Of Darkness1936 Words   |  8 Pages Since the publication of Heart of Darkness, it has been the center of a great deal of controversy that revolves around its depiction of the natives of the continent of Africa at the height of European Imperialism. J. Miller argues that we must first read Heart of Darkness if we are to decide whether or not we should read Heart of Darkness. He also believes that Conrad himself is not racist, but rather he is ironically portraying the prevailing thought in Europe at the time of the novel. Chinua Achebe

Justification Of Moral Obligation On The Suffering Of...

What reasons might someone give for caring more about the suffering of people close by than that of those far away? Do these reasons give moral justification for this stance? The question that will be answered within this essay asks why, if justifiable, someone might give preferential care to the suffering of a collective group what are within closer distance than a collective who may be a large distance away. In this essay, I will offer some reasons for why this might be, and attempt to find reason to justify them with reference to external material which tries to find reason and argument about whether this stance can be morally accepted among applied ethical issues. This essay will be split into two main parts, consisting of two intertwining reasons followed by my reasoning for justification of this moral stance. I will argue that - regardless of moral obligation - I believe that we are more justified to care for people closer by, this will be the primary argument of this essay. A reason one might give to only helping someone close, with my assumption that ‘close’ means people within the same society or social contract as the person rescuing, is that as agents within this contract, we have negative rights. Negative rights are liberties that one has, meaning that they are not obligated, but freely allowed to do something within reason. We could void these negative rights if we believe they will benefit our society or community, and should be influenced to do so, butShow MoreRelatedFamine, Affluence, And Morality1991 Words   |  8 Pagesmore interconnected than ever there might be a solution to world hunger by distribution of wealth. Peter Singer, in his article titled, Famine, Affluence, and Morality, takes this concept of unity that we have on a global scale and tries to tackle the issue of world hunger. Before we dive into the article we will focus on utilitarianism to help us understand his perspective better. Following, we will analyze Sing er and his theory, by strongly arguing that famine should be given moral worth. A stanceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Central Of Legal Positivism 3001 Words   |  13 Pagesconferring natural rights, on the basis that the expositions of the system before him were indicative of an attempt at finding moral justifications of the pre-existing law. He further explained that not only did this dangerously conflate two different enterprises vis-à  -vis the issues at hand but also that law were ought to be measured against the standard of utility rather than as an explanation backed by misguided beliefs. For Austin, Bentham’s disciple, there was a distinct difference between whatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The 3303 Words   |  14 PagesDielle Ghislaine Ochotorena American Studies 1/2 Destructiveness of Obedience Alot of people like to believe that the world is generally all good or all evil; however, in reality they are the yin and yang of the human condition, and they are the labels we put on things that either appeal to us or don’t. The biblical story of Lucifer, who before he was banished from Heaven, was God’s favorite angel. Lucifer in the story, defied God which was the ultimate disobedience to authority in everyone’sRead MoreCriticisms Against Ethical Theories8474 Words   |  34 Pages(or, the good) can be something like the happiness of all people or the spreading of peace and safety. Anything which contributes to that goal is right and anything which does not is wrong. Actions are thought to have no moral value in themselves (no rightness or wrongness), but only get moral value from whether or not they lead to the goal. John Stuart Mill was a famous consequentialist. Consequentialists would say that killing people is not right or wrong in itself, it depends on the outcome.Read MoreJurisprudential Theories on IPR13115 Words   |  53 Pages According to Article 27 of the  Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.[32]  Although the relationship between intellectual property and  human rights  is a complex one,[33]  there are moral arguments for intellectual property. The arguments that justify intellectual property fall into three major categories. Personality theorists believeRead MoreEssay on The Plague an Authentic Interpretation3794 Words   |  16 Pages All of Camus writings may be viewed as a quest for meaningful values in a world of spiritual aridity and emptiness. He begins with mans despair, estrangement, fear, suffering and hopelessness in a world where is neither God nor the promise that He will come- the fundamental absurdity of existence- but ultimately affirms the power of man to achieve spiritual regeneration and the measure of salvation possible in an absurd universe. This radicalRead Moreethical decision making16006 Words   |  65 Pages(AIDS). However, there were 100 patients who needed the help. Public health nurses in each district were asked to select patients for the medication program. A terminally ill cancer patient who is in great pain begs the nurse for more medication than the physician has ordered. What should the nurse do? A man was diagnosed and treated for a venereal infection by his family nurse practitioner. He agreed that his wife should also be treated but he did not want her to know that he acquired the diseaseRead MoreMr Benett and the Failures of Fatherhood8365 Words   |  34 Pages452-53. Cassandra and Others, ed. R. W. Chapman (London, 1952), pp. 134, 442-43, 2The arguments that Jane Austen failed to cover a broad enough scope are too well in a general way to be listed here. The defenses which have helped my thinking known are those of David Daiches, and the Aristocratic The Karl Marx, Dance, Jane Austen, An Aspect of American Scholar, D. W. Harding, Hatred: 17 (1948), 284-96; Regulated and Donald indis 8 (1940), of Jane Austen, the Work 340-62; J. Greenes Scrutiny, recentRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesthought of western and eastern philosophies alike. Many people consider existentialism to be a dark and pessimistic philosophy, void of hope. However, the opinions of existentialist thinkers were often optimistic about the future of human beings. Existentialism can also be difficult to understand because it does not consist of a specific dogma, or a set of metaphysical claims. Existentialism is not a definitive claim about the world or the people in it. It is marked, instead, by a set of themes aboutRead MoreEntertainment Media Ethics : Music And Music Videos8248 Words   |  33 Pagesmore young white people became aware of the distinctions that existed in the society. The Hip-hop and rap of the 1980s and 1990s had almost the same effect, awakening in Black Americans a sense of belonging, as it portrayed Black people as a people also capable of sex, alcohol and a life that, only until then, was assumed to be an entitlement of White people (Baran, 2009:210). In Nigeria, the same can be said. Current music and music videos reflect the priorities of young people today. It not uncommon

Egyptian Religion free essay sample

The Egyptians took great care of their dead because of their religious beliefs. According to John Catoir, author of â€Å"World Religions: Beliefs Behind Todays Headlines,† Egyptians believed that an afterlife involved a full human existence, not a mere spirit life, therefore the soul must join the body in heaven. It was hoped that by preserving their bodies from decay they would enhance the process of resurrection and provide themselves with a decent start in the new life. The priests who performed the mummification were thought of as acting in the role of Anubis, the god of the dead.The organs, excluding the heart would be removed, and the mouth would be broke open. This allowed for the testimony and the weighing of the heart when attempting to gain entrance into the underworld (afterlife). According to Geoffroy Parrinder, author of â€Å"World Religions: from Ancient History to the Present,† the whole embalming of the body seems to have implied an imitation of what was done (in the legend to Osiris by Anubis in Abydos) so the dead person was thereby identified with Osiris: charms were usually placed within the wrappings of the mummy, and special importance was attached to the heart scarab which was placed on the chest. We will write a custom essay sample on Egyptian Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Because of the Egyptians belief that the body and soul unite again in the underworld, their response to cremation would not be a positive one. Since the soul and the body meet up in heaven again, the body would be destroyed, making it impossible to meet up with the soul. In addition, the heart will not have an opportunity to be weighed and the mouth would not be able to testify. After a king died, Osiris would personally identify the king.The motive behind the identification of the dead king with Osiris was to ensure the perpetuation of the king’s rule after death: by becoming Osiris the dead pharaoh would rule over the realm of the dead (Parrinder). According to Roveri Donadoni, author of â€Å"Egyptian Civilization: Religious Beliefs,† a dead Pharaoh lived in the heavens as a star and a new pharaoh came to power as a new incarnation of the divine power of Ra, the Sun God. The stars appeared as minor suns illuminating the night sky, each one the lasting impression of a former earthly pharaoh.Rituals involved the everyday life of the typical Egyptian. According to Christopher Moreman, author of â€Å"Beyond the Threshold: Afterlife Beliefs and Experiences in World Religions,† ritual performance was necessary to ensure that the spirit of the dead would not be lost but would continue in association with the sun after an arduous journey through the underworld. † Every day and several times within the day, the god was the object of ritual activity similar to that which would be accorded to an earthly prince (Donadoni).Distinctive rites were naturally found in the special festivals of the pharaoh and of the gods (Parrinder). The king’s jubilee-festival, called the Sed, re-enacted ritually the unification of Egypt under Menes, and its climax was a dance performed by the king in a short kilt with an animal’s tail hanging behind it. A procession or ‘coming forth’ was usually a conspicuous feature of the festivals of the gods, whose statues were carried by priests to other sacred places in order to visit other deities or in order to enact a mythological episode connected with these places (Parrinder).

Response To Millennial Cults Essays - Apocalypticism,

Response To Millennial Cults Two themes I found throughout these essays included the views of the cults towards society as a whole and views pertaining to governmental tyranny. The Millennial attitudes of all these groups focus on catastrophic occurrences and how they can survive in the oncoming new world. The two themes of social and government evil evoking the new world seem intertwined in many of the cults. However, I find an example of cultural blame being the underlying factor of groups/cults such as those described in 'Millenarians & Violence, The case of the Christian Identity Movement' to particularly attribute the evils of the world to the Jews. Although these groups criticize government and believe it to be satanic, I do not believe this criticism is valid for it is based on their theory of Zog. Instead of representing government as the problem, they refer to some underlying controlling group of Jews known as the Zionist Occupation Government. This fact enables me to regard their oncoming apocalypse due to governments evil tyranny because they are basing it on a racial presumption. Therefore, I contend these groups base their beliefs of Millenialism on the sole fact that Jews and non-whites are the ultimate evil that must be fought in the tribulation. For this reason I find t heir blame or reason for Millenialism to be founded on social/racial factors. These groups focus on a war between good and evil, which breaks down to white/good and Jew, non-white/evil. These beliefs lead many of these groups to a militant sort of lifestyle focusing on withdrawal from society and a self-sufficient focus. With the oncoming tribulation at hand, they stockpile weapons and food, as well as other amenities, in order to battle with the evil forces around them until judgement day cometh and they can be saved by the return of Jesus and join him in the new Utopian world of 1,000 years of peace following the Rapture. The more prominent blame of government tyranny evoking apocalypse that I found throughout the essays is a theme I believe in. However, I find these cults to be somewhat psychotic in their views and beliefs. For instance, peoples such as the Branch Dividians, I see no harm in letting these small groups build a commune and shelter themselves from the norms of American life. After all, I see everything they did as the American way (I'm not saying morally I agree with all of their actions), for the most part they wanted to practice their beliefs in a small community. Collecting weapons is a constitutional right given to us in order to keep government in check, yet it was the main reason our government preyed upon these people, leading to the fulfillment of Koresh's prophecy. Here was an example of a cult who believed the Babylonian power of U.S. government wanted to take over the world by force and institute a slave like world socialistic government. Koresh, for them, seemed to decipher Revelation scripture explaining the seven seals, and had them believing Armaggedon was at hand and they must battle the evil Babylonians in the cosmic struggle of good and evil. This battle would bring Gods Kingdom to earth and even in death they would be saved, for they will sit righteously in the eyes of God. With these apocalyptic beliefs it is no wonder why these otherwise peaceful people reacted in the way they did, defending their righteous sanctuary in the eyes of their God, against the evil Babylonian empire. Government as the underlying theme of apocalypse in this cult, turned out to be a fulfilled prophecy in the eyes of the Branch Dividians. All of the essays focused on catastrophic occurrences in the new world and how to prepare for survival. Some thought eternal spiritual existence was the answer, such as the Solar Temple cult. They seemed to participate in a mass suicide ritual believing their internal energys would transcend into a new, better world. Other cults like the Aum Shinrikyo developed a system of becoming self-sufficient in all areas; from education to medicine, and priesthood to science/technology. This group sought survival by extending survivalism to areas most survivalists do not focus on. In the extent of survivalism and government tyranny,

The Cherokee Princess Myth - Common Family Legends

The Cherokee Princess Myth - Common Family Legends My great-great-grandmother was a Cherokee Indian princess! How many of you have heard a similar statement made by one of your relatives? As soon as you hear that princess label, the red warning flags should go up. While they are sometimes true, stories of Native American ancestry in the family tree are often more fiction than fact. The Story Goes Family stories of Native American ancestry often seem to refer to a Cherokee princess. Whats interesting about this particular legend is that it almost always seems to be a Cherokee princess, rather than Apache, Seminole, Navajo or Sioux - almost as if the phrase Cherokee princess has become a clichà ©. Keep in mind, however, that almost any story of Native American ancestry may be a myth, whether it involves the Cherokee or some other tribe. How it Began During the 20th century it was common for Cherokee men to use an endearing term to refer to their wives that roughly translated as princess. Many people believe this is how princess and Cherokee were joined in the popular Cherokee ancestry myth. Thus, the Cherokee princess may have really existed- not as royalty, but as a beloved and cherished wife. Some people also speculate that the myth was born in an attempt to overcome prejudice. For a white male marrying an Indian woman, a Cherokee princess may have been a little easier to swallow for the rest of the family. Proving or Disproving the Cherokee Princess Myth If you discover a Cherokee Princess story in your family, begin by losing any assumptions that the Native American ancestry, if it exists, has to be Cherokee. Instead, focus your questions and search on the more general goal of determining whether there is any Native American ancestry in the family, something that is usually untrue in the majority of such cases. Begin by asking questions about which specific family member was the one with Native American ancestry (if no one knows, this should throw up another red flag). If nothing else, at least try to narrow down the branch of the family, because the next step is to locate family records such as census records, death records, military records and records of land ownership looking for any clues to racial background. Learn about the area in which your ancestor lived as well, including what Native American tribes may have been there and during what time period. Native American census rolls and membership lists, as well as DNA tests can also potentially help you prove or disprove Native American ancestry in your family tree. See  Tracing Indian Ancestry  for more information. DNA Testing for Native American Ancestry DNA testing for Native American ancestry is generally most accurate if you can find someone on the direct paternal line (Y-DNA) or direct maternal line (mtDNA) to test, but unless you know which ancestor was believed to be Native American and can find a descendant down the direct paternal (father to son) or maternal (mother to daughter) line, it isnt always practical. Autosomal tests look at DNA on all branches of your family tree but, due to recombination, are not always useful if the Native American ancestry is more than 5–6 generations back in your tree. See Proving Native American Ancestry Using DNA by Roberta Estes for a detailed explanation of what DNA can and cant tell you. Research All Possibilities While the Cherokee Indian Princess story is almost guaranteed to be a myth, there is a chance that this cliche stems from some type of Native American ancestry. Treat this as you would any other genealogy search, and thoroughly research those ancestors in all available records.

April Fools Day Quotes

April Fools Day Quotes William Shakespeare famously said, Better a witty fool than a foolish wit. On  April Fools Day, showcase your wit and humor with these quotes. If you are a prankster, play a harmless prank, and tease your friends. If you are not a prankster, beware of those who are. Mark Twain, Puddnhead Wilson April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four. Plato Even the gods love jokes. George Orwell The aim of a joke is not to degrade the human being, but to remind him that he is already degraded. Will Rogers The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected. Myra Cohn Livingston The maple syrups full of ants.A mouse is creeping on the shelf.Is that a spider on your back?I ate the whole pie by myself.The kitchen sink just overflowed.A flash flood washed away the school.I threw your blanket in the trash.I never lie- I- April Fool! Charles Lamb Here cometh April again, and as far as I can see the world hath more fools in it than ever. Poor Robins Almanac, 1790 The first of April, some do sayIs set apart for All Fools Day;But why the people call it soNor I, nor they themselves, do know,But on this day are people sentOn purpose for pure merriment. Thomas Shadwell The haste of a fool is the slowest thing in the world. Arabian Proverb A fool may be known by six things: anger without cause; speech without profit; change without progress; inquiry without object; putting trust in a stranger; and mistaking foes for friends. Horace Mix a little foolishness with your prudence: Its good to be silly at the right moment.

Creativity in a Business Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Creativity in a Business Context - Essay Example Such industries like the publishing, the entertainment industry are called the creative industries. However business also taps the creative abilities of individual employees in their chosen line of business to stay ahead of competition. Harnessing and utilizing this is a much more challenging task. Accounts is one of the oldest functions of business, and has evolved over a period of 500 years and is based on historical costs and transactions reporting. According to the American Accounting Association (AAA), accounting can be defined as: Difficult as it may be to combine creativity and business, it will be even more so associating accounts function with creativity. Accounting is about adhering and following strict guidelines and rules as per stringently laid accounting norms while representing the financial transactions of the business. Creativity in accounting has got negative connotations, especially after the recent global financial crisis. There is a constant call to increase and tighten reporting norms. (E.g. the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 2002). Accounting is about measurement and control, which could kill creativity. For the purpose of maintaining the correct perspective on the topic, a brief note on the link between innovation and creativity is necessary. Creativity is about generating new ideas, new perspectives, Innovation are the process of converting it into a product/service from which the firm will derive value. No business is interested in creativity for creativity's sake, but sees it as a means of generating innovations by which it moves forward in the competitive market. In any organization a good balance of focus on each would be necessary. Too much emphasis on creativity would mean lot of ideas, but little commercialization. Too much focus on commercialization would mean drying up of creative ideas, the basis of innovation. (Davila 2006, p 89). Issues, Problems and Challenges The recent crisis in the financial markets has largely to do with corporate governance and the role of accounts professionals in this. It has had a role to play in misleading investors, share holders by presenting finance and

Exam I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam I - Essay Example The Mexican civilization decided to learn from the ancient Toltec. For Aztec, the Toltec were the origins of all cultures. There were several mythologies for Aztec because they had combined several traditions with their own earlier traditions. This resulted in the formation of diverse culture in Mexico. The Ixtlilxochitl’s legend is one of the most important and complete creation in Mexican mythology. According to the myth Lord is the one who created the universe, stars, animals, mountains and humans. The mythological stories created by the Mixtecs are also important in the origin of Mexican mythology. It mainly describes about the isolation of people of the Southern part of Mexico. Apart from them the Mexican Noah and the Sacrificed Princess are some other important mythologies of Mexican origins. The Mexican Noah describes about the destruction of the world due to evil nature of humans. On the other hand the sacrificed princess describes about the ritual of sacrifice. The Fugitive Prince is another Mexican mythology that describes about the greed and self-survival nature of humans. The political advancements are clearly visible from this mythology. There are several other mythologies that have built up the Mexican beliefs. The most important part of the Mexican mythology i s unity in diversity. Despite the existence of several civilizations and cultures the pattern of worship is almost similar. The Huitzilopochtli is the best example of Mexican mythology that proves the common patterns of the Mexican beliefs. It is about the rising up of the skies of the South and it is surrounded by trees, divination symbols, temples and patterns. The Aztec mythology is the collection of myths of Central Mexico and Aztec civilization. Mictlantecuhtli and Quetzalcoatl are the two Gods worshipped by the Mexican people as the God of

Statement of Goals- Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Statement of Goals- Early Childhood Education Essay My main reason for applying for Early Childhood Education is because I love children. I love working with them. I come from a bigger family. I am the oldest out of five children. I would take care of them all from time to time when ever my parents would go out for a night. Sometimes my parents would leave overnight to go on a little vacation by themselves and I would watch my siblings overnight. I also use to babysit for other people around our community as I was growing up. As I got older and started to think about college, I knew that I wanted to attend a great school that would have a program for Education. After I graduated from high school May of 2010, I took some time to think about the career path that I wanted to follow. A couple months after I graduated from high school, I applied for a job at the Early Explorers Head Start in Anamoose, ND. I did not get the job that I applied for but that was okay because the next day I got a call from the School District offering me another job. They offered me the job of the assistant substitute teacher in the Early Explorers classroom. I accepted the job offer and started working in September of 2010. I loved the job so much. There was also something special in the job for me, my baby brother was also in that class. My experiences have been very rewarding so far and have inspired me to want to continue along this path and seek further knowledge in the field. It truly does mean so much to me knowing that I have helped those children learn so many new things in life that will help them with their social and cognitive development. I loved being able to walk into the classroom and see all of those children run up to me with smiling faces saying that they miss me, asking me if I will be staying the whole day or asking me if I could play or read with them. They make me laugh, they give me hugs, they cheer for my presence and they are so observant. The most amazing feeling of all though is when the children tell me they want to be just like me when they grow up and teach just like me and are able to go in front of the class and teach others what I have just taught them. I have now discovered what I am truly passionate about and am pursuing this passion by continuing my education so that I am able to fulfill my goal of being the best that I could possibly be. This is what has driven me to want to go to Concordia University and continue my education. My long term and professional goals would have to be to finish with my schooling and be the best that I can be. I want to stand in that classroom with pride and joy  knowing that I deserve to be standing there.

BUSINESS METHODS Essay -- essays research papers

BUSINESS METHODS PEST (Political, Economical Social and Technological environment ) Analysis The external environment of any organisation / university / faculty / department etc. can be analyzed by conducting a PEST analysis. The acronym PEST (sometimes rearranged as STEP) is used to describe a framework for the analysis a range of macro environmental factors including the Political, Economical Social and Technological environment. A PEST analysis fits into an overall environmental scan including the SWOT analysis and McKinsey’s 7S Model, which is briefly discussed below and also referred to in the document ‘Preparing a SWOT Analysis. For a unit (referring to any area under review be it an academic department, a research unit, an administrative unit or a support service unit), a PEST analysis should relate to: 1. The external environment outside of the unit but within UCC, and 2. The external environment outside of UCC, given the national and international profile of the office The PEST analysis provides the following simple framework: Political FactorsPolitical factors can have a direct impact on the way business operates. Decisions made by government affect the operations of units within the university to a varying degree. Political refers to the big and small ‘p’ political forces and influences that may affect the performance of, or the options open to the unit concerned. The political arena has a huge influence upon the regulation of public and private sector businesses, and the spending power of consumers and other businesses, both within UCC and outside of UCC. Political factors include government regulations and legal issues and define both formal and informal rules under which UCC and units must operate. Depending on its role and function within the university a unit may need to consider issues such as: †¢ How stable is the internal/external political environment? †¢ Will government policy influence laws that regulate third level educ ation? †¢ What is the government's policy on the education? †¢ Is the government involved in trading agreements such as the Bologna Agreement? †¢ The impact of employment laws †¢ The impact of environmental regulations †¢ Trade restrictions and tariffs †¢ Political stability (internally and externally †¢ Decision-making structures Economic FactorsAll businesses are affected by economical factors nationally and globally. Whethe... ...mple measures? †¢ A bias for action: a propensity to act, even in the light of incomplete information, rather than to engage in extensive discussion and analysis †¢ Close to the customer: listening to, learning from, and providing exemplary service for their customers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 5 †¢ Autonomy and entrepreneurship: fostering leaders and innovators throughout the organisation/department; encouraging practical risk taking and tolerating failure †¢ Productivity through people: respect for and validation of staff; recognition that staff are the source of quality and productivity gain †¢ Hands-on, value driven: led by executives that are ‘in touch’ with the essential aspects of the organisation; paying explicit attention to promulgating the organisations core values †¢ Stick to the knitting: operating primarily in fields of established expertise †¢ Simple form, lean staff: characterised by few administrative layers, and uncomplicated systems †¢ Simultaneous loose tight properties: a combination of centralisation and decentralisation; promoting individual autonomy within the boundaries of the organisations core values.

The Evolution and Mechanism of Immunological Memory and Its Impact on Immunology Research.

The Evolution and Mechanism of Immunological Memory and its Impact on Immunology Research. Recently, the Center for Disease and Control reported that it has discovered a super bug, a bacteria, that has the capability of resisting almost any antibiotic known to human. In addition to resisting antibiotics, these superbugs are deadly. Not only do the bugs cause death to half of the patients with serious infectious diseases, but they also spread their genes that make the bugs resistant to other bacteria cells (USA TODAY, 2013). This class of superbugs is known as carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE).Currently, CRE are found mainly in hospitals and nursing homes. However, if these bacteria escape into the environment, the results can be devastating. For instance, the bacteria may cause small diseases, such as the common cold, to become untreatable because the CRE alters the small disease genetics in a way where it is resistant to vaccination and other medicines (USA TODAY, 2013). Although this type of bacteria is new and deadly, it is not the first time that the world has encountered something similar to CRE. For instance, Staphylococcus aureus is one of the well-known examples of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.One reason doctors use antibiotics is because bacteria are often resistant to the immune system of a body. The resistance of bacteria to the immune system is due to natural selection and genetic mutation. Because bacteria reproduce at a rapid rate, some bacteria that contain the adaptive, resistant traits survive and reproduce offspring that contains the resistant genes. They produce immune-resistant genes through genetic mutation. The alteration made by the genetic mutation can create a trait that is resistant to the immune system.As a result, the genetically mutated bacteria will be able to reproduce without interference from the host’s defense system. As a powerful tool that the body uses to protect itself from pathogens and bac teria, the immune system consist of several parts, and the immunological memory is one of the most important. Understanding the evolution and the mechanism of both the immune system and immunological memory, new research areas can be developed and new vaccines can be created that target the immune systems of pathogens or that alter the immune system to make it more efficient in combating pathogens.Evolution of the innate immune system and the innate memory Organisms of the same species’ innate memory are almost the same. This memory comes from millions of years of evolution (Sompayrac, 2008). The immunological innate memory is based on pattern recognition receptors. Pattern recognition receptors are the main components that allow the innate immune system to recognize the pathogens and activate antigens (Kurtz, 2004). These receptors have gone through millions of years of evolution. One of the main receptors is the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) (Sompayrac, 2008).Instead of studyi ng the body’s defense to pathogens, current research investigate the evolution of the innate immune system through observing the examples of specific receptors in simple organisms. Wu and Huan (2011) are studying the Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) and the leucine-rich repeat (LRR), which are the two domains that make up the TLR. TIR and LRR are connected by a transmembrane helical starch that is 20 amino acids long. TIR plays an important role in activating the innate immune system by detecting lipopolysaccharide from gram-negative bacteria.The interaction between the receptors of both the innate immune system and bacteria is handled by LRR. Figure 1: Illustration of evolutionary tree of invertebrates. Amphimedon came before Cnidarians. (Wu and Huan 2011) To understand the evolution of TLR, scientists have to discover when the TIR and LRP first appeared. One research conducted by Dr. Wu and coworkers (2011) attempted to create a phylogenetic tree of the TLR. After comparin g the protein of different organisms, they discovered that sponges, such as Amphimedon queenslandica, contained a single TIR domain that was distinctly related to the TLR of vertebrates (Wu and Huan, 2011).The finding prompted them to conduct further analyses of TIR proteins in organisms that appeared later than Amphimedon queenslandica. As shown in Figure 1, cnidarians appeared after Amphimedon queenslandic. Cnidarians had TIR proteins that were similar to that of vertebrates. Cnidarians are one of the simplest organisms, and their TIR proteins allow them to have the characteristics of allorecongnition, the ability to distinguish its own tissue from another (Wu and Huan, 2011). LRR was not found in cnidarians.The finding of TIRs that were similar to vertebrates in cnidarians only answered part of the question. Wu and Huan were not able to find the first appearance of LRR. They found the combination of LRR and TIR to make TLR after analyzing the TLR proteins of three basal deuterost ome invertebrates and five protostome mammals. The conclusion is that the combination of TIR and LRR occurred after the divergence of bilateria and nonbilateria. After the separation, the receptors became more complex because they started to have the capability of allorecongnition and a killing mechanism (Wu and Huan, 2011).After further comparison of the TLR of vertebrates, they determined that another combination occurred between the TIR and LRR during the evolution of primates (Wu and Huan, 2011). They believe that this second combination gave rise to our present TLR, which has the capability of signaling the innate and alerting the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system is the oldest defense system. Because of this, the earliest form of the innate immune system of simple organisms, such as cnidarians, are closely related to vertebrates, such as people.As organisms moved from water to land, they encountered more types of pathogens. Pressure from pathogens caused many or ganisms to develop an innate memory that is more expansive. However, as organisms became more complex, the innate memory did not adequately protect the organism. The inadequacy of the innate immune system leads to the formation of the adaptive immune system. Evolution of the adaptive immune system and the adaptive memory The adaptive memory is different from the innate memory because the receptors in the adaptive memory begin life with a blank memory.There are two major types of lymphocyte receptors that play an important role in the adaptive memory: B cell and T cell. It is hypothesized that B cell receptors (BCRs) and T cell receptors (TCRs) have a common ancestor (Flanjnik et al. 2010). The characteristics of these genes are discovered in gnathostomes, but not in agnatha. These characteristics include being able to have large amount of cells for differentiation. This finding caused scientists to create a theory called the ‘big bang theory’ of adaptive immune system ( AIS) emergence.The finding also prompted scientists to examine the changes of these receptors’ characteristics from gnathostomes to mammals. These finding lead scientists to determine the origin and evolution of the adaptive immune system. Figure 2: A summary of the immunoglobulin’s structures and functions found in gnathostomes to mammals. The first receptor that researchers focused on was the B cell receptors. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is a B cell receptor that has the same function in all organisms starting from the gnathostomes (Flajnik and Hasahara, 2009). Some of these functions include having its transmembrane form defining the B cells.In humans, IgM is responsible for increasing the complement activation during the interaction of antigens and lymphocytes. This characteristic caused the IgM to be very efficient at causing lysis in microorganisms. IgM also causes clumping of pathogens. The clumping of pathogens was discovered in bony fish, while the increasing of th e complement activation was found in cartilaginous fish. This showed that although the function of IgM did not change, it was altered as organisms became more complex. Immunoglobulin D (IgD) is another B cell receptor.IgD is different from IgM because although both humans and bony fish have IgD, IgD in humans is attached to the surface of basophils, while in bony fish, the IgD is attached to granulocytes’ surface (Flajnik and Hasahara, 2009). Although the function of IgD is still unknown, the finding of IgD at two different locations indicates that there are possible changes in its functionality. The only vertebrates that do not have IgD are birds. These findings support the idea that like IgM, IgD is an old antibody class that has changed its function from gnathostomes to mammals. Amphibians have a B cell receptor known as IgY.Mammals have IgG, IgE, and IgA B cell receptors. Mammals obtained IgG and IgE through the alternative splicing of IgY. IgG has the same function as Ig Y. IgE’s function is different from IgG because it is responsible for releasing various pharmacological mediators, while IgG’s function is to activate complement when reacting with an antigen. IgA is found in reptiles. The discovery of IgE, IgG, and IgA in mammals reinforces the idea that as organisms became more complex the type of immunoglobulin receptors increased, thus making the adaptive immune system more complex. Like BCRs, some TCRs had a similar situation. ? T cell receptors from jawed fish to mammals have the same function. ? T cell receptors in both sharks and marsupials are structurally the same. Both sharks and marsupials have three domain receptor chain with two amino-terminal V domains and a membrane-proximal C domain. However, the formation of the V domains and C domains are different for sharks and marsupials. The V domain for sharks is made from VDJ rearrangement, while the V domain for marsupials is generated by one set of V, D and J segments of a pr e-rearranged VDJ gene. The function of these receptors has not been reported.The difference in the formation of the V domain indicates that due to pressure from the environment, part of the adaptive immune system underwent evolution to meet the needs of marsupials. Examining the change of the receptors from the gnathostomes to mammals has shown that the adaptive immune system underwent change as organisms became more complex. However, this does not illustrate how the adaptive immune system formed. The recombination-activating gene (RAG) transposon and the whole-genome duplication are the two events that brought about the adaptive immune system (Flajnik and Hasahara, 2009).RAG encodes enzymes that impact the rearrangement of T cell receptors and immunoglobulin. There are two main types of RAG in vertebrate immune system: RAG-1 and RAG-2. These two types of RAGs play a major role in the formation of immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF). During the 1970s, two Japanese researchers discover ed that recombination signal sequences (RSSs) were flanked by V,D, and J rearranging segments. These segments within the RSSs had repeats that were reminiscent of a transposon. From this, they reasoned that a transposon invaded IgSF (Flajnik and Hasahara, 2009).The invasion resulted in IgSF not being able to function unless through recombinase. Flajnik and Hasahara believed that IgSF genes were invaded by the RAG transposons. Researchers could not obtain all RAG genes from agnatha, but they were able to obtain it from gnathostomes. This indicates that the RAG transposon plays a role in triggering IgSF (Flajnik and Hasahara, 2009). The invasion of the genome by the transposon was vital for the adaptive immunity system because it gave rise to BCR and TCR, which are part of the IgSF and both play a major role in the adaptive immune system.The occurrence of whole genome duplication also plays a role in the formation of the vertebrate adaptive immune system. Susumu Ohrno was the first re searcher to propose the idea that the vertebrate genome underwent two rounds of whole gene duplication (WGD), which occurred after the emergence of the jawed vertebrates. WGD is an event that creates an organism with additional copies of the entire genome. At first, this idea was met with great skepticism but scientists now accept the idea because many ohnologues are essential components of the jawed ertebrate adaptive immune system. Ohnologues are paralogues that are close to the origin of vertebrates through whole-genome duplication (Flajnik and Hasahara, 2009). Understanding what influences the evolution of the adaptive memory is also important in understanding the evolution of the adaptive memory. There are many speculations on why the adaptive immune system is developed. Some reasoned that because the innate immune system was inefficient and difficult to regulate, it lead to the development of the adaptive immune system.Pressure from pathogens and the ability to have few offspr ing also caused natural selection to favor the formation of an adaptive immune system (Flajnik and Hasahara, 2009). For instance, organisms such as seahorses live in an environment that has few pathogens that will threaten its livelihood. In addition, seahorses produce large amount of offspring. Because there are not many pathogens that a seahorse encounters, the innate immune system is adequate in dealing with the few pathogens. Organisms such as sharks are predators, and many produce few offspring during their lifetime.This pressurizes sharks to have an adaptive immune system because the offspring will have the ability to combat pathogens of all types. Sharks adaptive immune system is not as complex as vertebrates that dwell on land because water does not contain as many pathogens as compared to land. Mazmamian of California Institute of Technology recently conducted a research that indicated that microbiota had a larger influence on the evolution of the adaptive immune system tha n pathogens’ influence (Lee et al. , 2012). Microbiota have a symbiotic relationship with the body.An example of this occurs with bacteria located in the gut. A function of these bacteria is that they help food move quickly through the body. Researchers have discovered that the microbiota, which includes bacteria and viruses, have many different antigens. This provides the adaptive immune system and the microbiota with a challenge because the immune system must either react toward or ignore the foreign antigen (Lee et al. , 2012). In order to prevent overreaction from both parties, both the adaptive immune system and the microbiota develop tolerance through the expansion of regulatory T cell (Lee et al. , 2012).Scientists speculated that this symbiotic relationship between vertebrates and microbiota could have influenced the adaptive memory because symbiotic microbiota could have pressured vertebrates to develop the current adaptive immune system that have developed tolerance to bacteria that is good for the body (Lee et al. , 2012). Current research applications Edward Jenner was the first to start experimenting with vaccines. Afterwards, research on vaccines became more complex. Vaccine researches now include the study of the pathogens and virus’ immune system. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus.One of the most studied pathogens is the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Currently, there are two standard strategies to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The first strategy involves identifying the protein that is produced by the bacterium that is essential to its virulence (Flynn, 2004). Once the protein is identified, the immune system can neutralize the protein. This will result in the bacteria not being infectious to the body. This strategy cannot be applied to Mycobacterium tuberculosis because although there is ongoing research, scientists have not been able to identify the protein that causes its virulence (Flynn, 2004).Myc obacterium tuberculosis’ main virulence is its ability to survive within macrophages. The second strategy is to use an attenuated form of the pathogen, which will cause an effective immune response, but will not cause disease. The second strategy involves the adaptive memory immune system because the vaccine is causing the adaptive memory to remember the pathogens that is similar to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Currently, the second strategy is implemented through the vaccine Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) (Flynn, 2004). BCG is used by 4 million people around the world (Flynn, 2004).Although BCG is the most commonly used vaccine to treat tuberculosis, it is still not effective because the vaccine can only prevent tuberculosis only in children, but not in adults. Researchers are now investigating the immune response to M. tuberculosis in order to create more effective vaccines. Current research involves injecting patients with the cytokine interleukin 12 (IL-12) (Flynn, 2004). Il-12 plays an important role in controlling M. tuberculosis infection. Studies have shown that when mice are injected with the Il-12 DNA, the amount of bacterial numbers of M. tuberculosis is greatly reduced.Tumor necrosis factors ? (TNF-? ) and interferon-gamma (IFN-? ) are important cytokines that play an important role in combating M. tuberculosis. IFN-? is a central cytokine in control of M. tuberculosis because it activates the macrophages to attack M. tuberculosis (Flynn, 2004). Organisms with defective IFN-? are more susceptible to infections. TNF-? is important because in synergy with INF-? , it leads to the formation of nitrogen oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) (Flynn, 2004). Although NOS2’s role is not clearly known, it is shown that when organisms were under the infection of M. uberculosis, NOS2 expression was low (Flynn, 2004). This indicates that a high expression of TNF-? , IFN-? , and NOS2 can cause the body to fend off tuberculosis. It is known that overexpression of TNF-? can also cause harm to the body by increasing the chance of getting tuberculosis (Flynn, 2004). As a result, researchers are now conducting vaccine research on how to create the right amount of expression of the three cytokines that allow the immune system to effectively combat M. tuberculosis. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is another area targeted for vaccine research.Currently, there are three vaccines approaches in creating a vaccine that targets the HIV-1 protease (McMichael et al. , 2009). HIV protease is an important aspect of the HIV life cycle. All of these methods have failed. Scientists are now proposing to use less empirical approach and to focus more on understanding the immune response to HIV-1 infections when producing new vaccines (McMichael et al. , 2009). During an HIV infection, natural killer cells (NK) become activated. NK cells have the ability to control HIV replication through cytolysis of the infected cells.NK cells also have the capacity to in fluence T cell responses (McMichael et al. , 2009). HIV-1 has responded by reducing its receptors, making it harder for the NK cells to detect the infected cells. Current research is focused on priming the antiviral activity of the NK cells through vaccination. Researchers are cautious when activating the innate immune system because the innate immune response can be harmful because the activation of the innate immune system produces pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which can promote the HIV-1 replication (McMichael et al. , 2009).As a result, the vaccine-induced activation of the innate immune system must be thoroughly tested and used with caution. Conclusion There are many laboratories around the world conducting research on creating an effective vaccine to target the different diseases that people combat every day. Although this strategy is new, implementing a research strategy that focuses more on the immune system when creating vaccines will allow the vaccine to be mo re effective. In addition, implementing this strategy requires deep understanding of the mechanism and evolution of both the innate and adaptive immune systems.Both the innate and adaptive immune system evolve from being able to perform simple tasks in primitive organisms to perform complex tasks in complex organisms, such as humans. Therefore, in order to create a vaccine, it is vital to start from simple organisms. Once that is accomplished, one can build on top of the newly developed vaccine that targets more complex organisms and combat the superbug carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae. Literature Cited 1. Flajnik and Hasahara, Martin F. , and Masanori Kasahara. â€Å"Origin and Evolution of the Adaptive Immune System: Genetic Events and Selective Pressures. Nature Reviews Genetics 11. 1 (2009): 47-59. Print. 2. Flynn, JoAnne L. â€Å"Immunology of Tuberculosis and Implications in Vaccine Development. † Tuberculosis 84. 1-2 (2004): 93-101. Print 3. Kurtz, Joachim. â⠂¬Å"Memory in the Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems. † Microbes and Infection 6. 15 (2004): 1410-417. Print 4. Lee, Yun Kyung, and Sarkis K. Mazmanian. â€Å"Has the Microbiota Played a Critical Role in the Evolution of the Adaptive Immune System? † Science 330 (2012): 1768-773. Print. Kurtz, Joachim. 5. McMichael, Andrew J. , Persephone Borrow, Georgia D.Tomaras, Nilu Goonetilleke, and Barton F. Haynes. â€Å"The Immune Response during Acute HIV-1 Infection: Clues for Vaccine Development. † Nature Reviews Immunology 10. 1 (2009): 11-23. Print. 6. Sompayrac, Lauren. How the Immune System Works. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. , 2008. Print 7. USA TODAY. â€Å"CDC Sounds Alarm on Deadly, Untreatable Superbugs. † USA TODAY. N. p. , 5 Mar. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. 8. Wu, Baojun, and Tianxiao Huan. â€Å"Domain Combination of the Vertebrate-like TLR Gene Family: Implications for Their Origin and Evolution. † Journal of Genetics 90. 3 (2011): 401-08. Print

Honesty Is a Best Policy

It is true that honesty is the best policy. Today, we see many things around us which are not honest. Many persons are dishonest. Dishonesty may shine for some time. It may earn money, power and men. But all this is for a short time. Honesty is courageous, dishonesty is a coward. Honesty is bound to shine after the night of dishonesty. There is no place for dishonest people on the earth. They lose the battle in the end. An honest person only can win a place in the hearts of people. Double-faced men get temporary response but they are thrown out of people's hearts.Dishonesty cannot face the reality. It has to say hundred lies to hide one act of dishonesty. Therefore honesty is the best policy. Honesty truly is the best policy. Honesty is the best policy†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ It is a widely recognized saying of Benjamin Franklin and it is considered one of the wisest sayings. It means that honesty was an important trait even several centuries ago. Benjamin Franklin wrote Poor Richard's Almanac k, which consisted of wise aphorisms, or sayings. â€Å"Honesty is the best policy† is one of his sayings that is universally recognized and encouraged.This phrase signifies the importance of being a moral and truthful person Honesty is an important and admirable characteristic that a person can have. I agree with the statement honesty is the best policy. Everyone, to succeed in his or her life, should follow it. Though we can make money by improper ways, it would not give us good status in society. I believe that honesty is important for both personal life and business life. As we go through the history of the great leaders, they all succeed in their life mainly by their life style. They all followed the truth and honesty.Honesty is very important in many aspects of our life. If we are honest, everyone will believe us. Generally, honesty is the best policy in any situation. Some people are very reliable and they hate those who tell lies for any reason. Other people accept â €Å"white lies† when situation arises, even if they usually do not like lying. I strongly agree that being honest is the most important consideration in a relationship. Honesty is the foundation of any well-working relationship. Whether it is with parents, friends, or any one else, honesty is important.No relationship can be successful without trust, which is gained from being honest. Many people learn this the hard way. I learned this harsh lesson in a way that really made me understand the importance of honesty. It was over the summer going in to my sophomore year. I had just received my driver’s license and I was driving everywhere, hanging out with friends, and taking advantage of being away from my parents. My parents had planned a trip out of town for the weekend and specifically told me not to have anyone over to the house.As I told a few of my friends about the trip and being by myself, we plotted to throw a party. We went through with the plan; we had a few fr iends over and hung out for awhile. A few of my close buddies spent the night as well. The next day we spent an hour or two cleaning up the house but it still looked quite suspicious. There were a few minor details that I over looked and my parents noticed. I made a few excuses to cover up the situation, but they didn’t completely believe me. The truth finally surfaced; I was in trouble.As I came clean on the events of that night I could see the trusts diminish from their faces. Before, they had great trust in me and I had many privileges. After the party I had those privileges taken away and my parents were more aware of my actions. The night when the honesty policy truly engraved itself in me was when they told me that the worse part about the ordeal was me lying and trying to cover it up. The actual party itself is just a minor problem because everyone makes mistakes. That night I really grew up as a person.I still make mistakes and bad decisions as everyone else, but the difference is by admitting them, it makes my conscience clear and my parents respect me. The consequences are not as great when you are honest. Through my experiences with being dishonest, I have learned a great deal about being honest. Being honest only helps bad situations and being dishonest only hurts them. Through honesty I have gained stronger relationships with my friends and family and become a better person. I have concluded that to lead a successful well-rounded life, honesty is the best policy.

Compare Nationalism in China and Japan

Compare Nationalism in China and Japan The period between 1750 and 1914 was pivotal in world history, and particularly in East Asia. China had long been the only superpower in the region, secure in the knowledge that it was the Middle Kingdom around which the rest of the world pivoted. Japan, cushioned by stormy seas, held itself apart from its Asian neighbors much of the time  and had developed a unique and inward-looking culture. Beginning in the 18th century, however, both Qing China and Tokugawa Japan faced a new threat: imperial expansion by the European powers and later the United States. Both countries responded with growing nationalism, but their versions of nationalism had different focuses and outcomes. Japans nationalism was aggressive and expansionist, allowing Japan itself to become one of the imperial powers in an astonishingly short amount of time. Chinas nationalism, in contrast, was reactive and disorganized, leaving the country in chaos and at the mercy of foreign powers until 1949. Chinese Nationalism In the 1700s, foreign traders from Portugal, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and other countries sought to trade with China, which was the source of fabulous luxury products like silk, porcelain, and tea. China allowed them only in the port of Canton  and severely restricted their movements there. The foreign powers wanted access to Chinas other ports and to its interior. The First and Second Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856-60) between China and Britain ended in humiliating defeat for China, which had to agree to give foreign traders, diplomats, soldiers, and missionaries access rights. As a result, China fell under economic imperialism, with different western powers carving out spheres of influence in Chinese territory along the coast. It was a shocking reversal for the Middle Kingdom. The people of China blamed their rulers, the Qing emperors, for this humiliation, and called for the expulsion of all foreigners - including the Qing, who were not Chinese but ethnic Manchus from Manchuria. This groundswell of nationalist and anti-foreigner feeling led to the Taiping Rebellion (1850-64). The charismatic leader of the Taiping Rebellion, Hong Xiuquan, called for the ouster of the Qing Dynasty, which had proved itself incapable of defending China and getting rid of the opium trade. Although the Taiping Rebellion did not succeed, it did severely weaken the Qing government. The nationalist feeling continued to grow in China after the Taiping Rebellion was put down. Foreign Christian missionaries fanned out in the countryside, converting some Chinese to Catholicism or Protestantism, and threatening traditional Buddhist and Confucian beliefs. The Qing government raised taxes on ordinary people to fund half-hearted military modernization, and pay war indemnities to the western powers after the Opium Wars. In 1894-95, the people of China suffered another shocking blow to their sense of national pride. Japan, which had at times been a tributary state of Chinas in the past, defeated the Middle Kingdom in the First Sino-Japanese War  and took control of Korea. Now China was being humiliated not only by the Europeans and Americans  but also by one of their nearest neighbors, traditionally a subordinate power. Japan also imposed war indemnities  and occupied the Qing emperors homeland of Manchuria. As a result, the people of China rose up in anti-foreigner fury once more in 1899-1900. The Boxer Rebellion began as equally anti-European and anti-Qing, but soon the people and the Chinese government joined forces to oppose the imperial powers. An eight-nation coalition of the British, French, Germans, Austrians, Russians, Americans, Italians, and Japanese defeated both the Boxer Rebels and the Qing Army, driving Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu out of Beijing. Although they clung to power for another decade, this was really the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty fell in 1911, the Last Emperor Puyi abdicated the throne, and a Nationalist government under Sun Yat-sen took over. However, that government did not last long, and China slipped into a decades-long civil war between the nationalists and the communists that only ended in 1949 when Mao Zedong and the Communist Party prevailed. Japanese Nationalism For 250 years, Japan existed in quiet and peace under the Tokugawa Shoguns (1603-1853). The famed samurai warriors were reduced to working as bureaucrats and writing wistful poetry  because there were no wars to fight. The only foreigners allowed in Japan were a handful of Chinese and Dutch traders, who were confined to an island in Nagasaki Bay. In 1853, however, this peace was shattered when a squadron of American steam-powered warships under Commodore Matthew Perry showed up in Edo Bay (now Tokyo Bay) and demanded the right to refuel in Japan. Just like China, Japan had to allow foreigners in, sign unequal treaties with them, and allow them extraterritorial rights on Japanese soil. Also like China, this development sparked anti-foreign and nationalist feelings in the Japanese people and caused the government to fall. However, unlike China, the leaders of Japan took this opportunity to thoroughly reform their country. They quickly turned it from an imperial victim to an aggressive imperial power in its own right. With Chinas recent Opium War humiliation as a warning, the Japanese started with a complete overhaul of their government and social system. Paradoxically, this modernization drive centered around the Meiji Emperor, from an imperial family that had ruled the country for 2,500 years. For centuries, however, the emperors had been figureheads, while the shoguns wielded actual power. In 1868, the Tokugawa Shogunate was abolished and the emperor took the reins of government in the Meiji Restoration. Japans new constitution also did away with the feudal social classes, made all of the samurai and daimyo into commoners, established a modern conscript military, required basic elementary education for all boys and girls, and encouraged the development of heavy industry. The new government convinced the people of Japan to accept these sudden and radical changes by appealing to their sense of nationalism; Japan refused to bow to the Europeans, they would prove that Japan was a great, modern power, and Japan would rise to be the Big Brother of all of the colonized and down-trodden peoples of Asia. In the space of a single generation, Japan became a major industrial power with a well-disciplined modern army and navy. This new Japan shocked the world in 1895 when it defeated China in the First Sino-Japanese War. That was nothing, however, compared to the complete panic that erupted in Europe when Japan beat Russia (a European power!) in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Naturally, these amazing David-and-Goliath victories fueled further nationalism, leading some of the people of Japan to believe that they were inherently superior to other nations. While nationalism helped to fuel Japans incredibly quick development into a major industrialized nation and an imperial power  and helped it fend off the western powers, it certainly had a dark side as well. For some Japanese intellectuals and military leaders, nationalism developed into fascism, similar to what was happening in the newly-unified European powers of Germany and Italy. This hateful and genocidal ultra-nationalism led Japan down the road to military overreach, war crimes, and eventual defeat in World War II.

5 Halloween Party Ideas for Students - EssaySupply.com

5 Halloween Party Ideas for Students 5 Halloween Party Ideas for Students Halloween is the best time of year! Wouldn't it be great if we could turn Thanksgiving into Halloween 2.0? What better idea is there than to throw a great Halloween party for your friends. That's right! We aren't just here to help students who ask 'help me write my paper'. We're also here to help students have as much fun as possible. Check out these great Halloween Party Ideas for students! 1. Throw a Geeky Theme Party Are you and your friends part of any fun yet geeky fandoms? Embrace your inner nerd and throw a themed Halloween party. All you have to do is pick something you love and build a party around it. Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Minions, My Little Pony, Steven Universe, Orange is the New Black, The Walking Dead, and Supernatural are all sure to be popular themes this year. 2. Send Your Friends Out on a Halloween Scavenger Hunt Have fun creating a list of Halloween themed items for your friends to find and spooky tasks for them to complete. Just be sure to keep things on the right side of the law. If you aren't sure about what to add to your list, here are few suggestions: Take a selfie in a grave yard Buy a can of pumpkin flavored beer Call a local radio station and get them to play a fun Halloween song Find the most elaborately decorated yard in town Get your picture taken with somebody in a costume Another option is to turn your scavenger hunt into a treasure hunt. In this version, you give party goers a list of clues and puzzles. As they solve each one, it gets them closer and closer to the grand prize. 3. Murder Mystery Dinner You'll need a few friends to serve as actors in order to pull this off, but if you plan things right, your guests will never forget the great party that you threw. You'll need to think of   a crime, and assign roles to victims, perpetrators, and witnesses. Throw together a great meal, and then see which of your friends is the best detective. 4. Movie Marathon The beauty of this party idea is that it is so versatile. If you are looking for a last minute Haloween party idea, this is perfect. All you need is a decent TV set, some DVDs, and a few snacks. You can get your party going in just a couple of hours. If you want to put together something a bit more elaborate, you can fix some Haloween themed snacks, decorate your place, and carefully select movies based on a theme. Maybe a marathon of zombie movies, some foreign horror films, or some campy monster movies from the 1950s? 5. Have a Costume Contest Have a costume contest, but don't make it too easy for your guests. After all, anybody can buy a great costume. Consider instituting a rule that all costumes must be homemade. If you want to make sure that everybody is a winner, why not create a few categories... Strangest Costume Best Costume Based on an Internet Meme Best Literary Character Geekiest Costume Sexiest Costume Spookiest Costume Costume that was   Most Likely Designed by an Engineering Student The Clearly Last Minute Costume Award

History of architecture; transformation of the basilica 'type' form Essay

History of architecture; transformation of the basilica 'type' form from the Imperial Roman use to the use by the (Western) Catholic Church - Essay Example The structures of these buildings were designed for varying use with a consistency for certain characteristics, and a new form of decoration and building evolved. The new construction in Rome like Saint Peters, Saint John in Lateran and Saint Pauls Outside the Walls deviated from the Roman baths that used massive engineering made of brick and concrete and from the classical and simple form of temple, to colonnades circling a cella or chamber. The new construction adopted elements from traditional market places, military and riding halls and judiciary building where the interior colonnade separates the space into a major longitudinal space and aisles. These elements were employed in an innovative way to form a religious gathering hall with a better ground plan and varying interior and exterior effects to house new functions according to the evolving liturgy of the Christian church. Saint Peters Basilica has the characteristics of this form of planning and structure. Since the Basilica is situated adjacent to a hill, the way to entrance gate is connected with a monumental stairway. The Basilica has a large atrium or colonnaded court with a purification facility from a fountain. The church is a five aisled basilica with colonnades separating two aisles. The longitudinal space leads to a broad arch opening to a transverse space called the transept. An elevated sanctuary or bema is constructed after the transept and the high alter is situated on the bema in an apse or semicircular area. Saint Peters basilica is covered using a timber roof. The basilica also has sloping roof above the aisle with a gabled roof above the nave (Calkins p.10). The spatial logics of the basilica permits only partial view of the ceremony. The ruler or emperor was the only layman allowed to enter the sanctuary. The participation of the emperor along with the clergy in the liturgical function by

Women in GoT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women in GoT - Essay Example However despite some of these obviously demeaning portrayals, the Game of Thrones gives women a significant placing in the land of Westeros. Daenerys emerges as the leader of a powerful army that goes about freeing slaves. She is supported by men but retains the counsel of her handmaiden Missandei. It shows the faith she places in her fellow woman above all else (Game of Thrones). Catelyn Stark and Cersei Lannister are also examples of the way women in the series show considerable strength to navigate their various families. Arya is also a major character as she shows she is strong enough to survive as a prisoner and then with the Hound and finally in Braavos (Game of Thrones). Her sister Sansa also grows up from a frightened and abused girl at Joffrey’s hands to a cunning companion to Littlefinger. Even Melissandre is shown to be the real power behind Stannis Baratheon (Game of Thrones). From these examples it is possible to see that the show can be viewed from two distinct p oints of

A Healthy Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Healthy Community - Essay Example In addition, a healthy community provides the members with a healthy environment. For example, healthy communities have clean water, clean air, and accessible medical services. To avert any unhealthy situations, the community invests heavily in health and prevention measures. Moreover, people are protected from health hazards caused by the lifestyles of others such as smoking. The community also invests in measures aimed at rehabilitating unhealthy lifestyles. Healthy communities believe that health is not only defined as the absence of illness, but also as a clean environment that gives people the opportunity to live a full life. Thus, healthy communities have low levels of illnesses, clean environment, clean air and water, and effective drainage systems. If I cared for the community whose definition of a healthy community is different from mine, I would use health education to put the various issues into perspective. I would involve the community in finding the rationale for their definition of health and also provide my rationale. In this way, a consensus on the definition of a healthy community can be reached, thereby enabling me to provide effective  care.

Media & community Essay Example for Free

Media community Essay Media is often described as a watchdog of the community. Its has profound duties and responsibilities in our society. For a certain period of time, Media portrays an important role in community building. By its ability to reach out to the public, clearly indicate medias effectiveness in instilling confidence to the society trough comprehensive programming. Media is a protector of public interest. With its full dedication of their service to the public results a concern and aware society. Media has a wide importance to the interest of the public, but there are still some critical issues that contradict the purpose of media to society. During the US war with Iraq, media reputation encountered a tough test by airing wrong information and misleading the public. Another one is Canada’s sponsorship scandal in which public funds are misused through advertising firms. Although, these set of events are unethical for media, it is fair enough to say that media is still an effective watchdog of the public. Nevertheless, media continues to prove its importance as a watch dog of society. In most manner media is the best way to stay informed about current issues. In relation to the fast improvement of modern technology, media had further improved its importance on the interest of public. CNN I report Journalism, is a positive indication of modern effectiveness of media in modern technology. With this, the local citizenry has the chance to do and published their local story. Supporting this, medias efficiency as a watchdog of public interest creates a scenario of entertainment for the public. In the end, the media showcases both positive and negative effects in society. As further enhancement and development in the area occurs, we can further see the way it mould individual, groups and societies in different ways.

Graduation Speech: Listen Carefully -- Graduation Speech, Commencement

Listen carefully, Class of '2012, for the sounds you hear tonight will last a lifetime. Store them up and save them in your hearts, for they are priceless. Each whisper, each tick of the clock is a reminder of something you've gained here. Pay attention, so when you hear them later in life you will remember. When you hear a bell ring, remember our first day of school, back in September of 2008. The coolness of the desks chilled our sun-tanned skin as we sat timidly in our seats, quietly absorbing the shrill sound of our first high school bell as it rang at 7:30 in the morning. As much as our eyelids wanted to sink into a sweet abyss, fear crept through our bones as we eyed the monstrous seniors sitting nearby. For many of us, they may as well have been pro-wrestlers, but we did not run from them. Rather, we learned to pick the biggest one and follow him through the halls, avoiding the grueling task of maneuvering through a sea of students. We learned to problem solve quickly in those first days, a valuable skill. Don't forget this lesson, for it will take you far in life. When ...

Chapter 10 The Marauder’s Map

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. He didn't argue or complain, but he wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of his Nimbus Two Thousand. He knew he was being stupid, knew that the Nimbus was beyond repair, but Harry couldn't help it; he felt as though he'd lost one of his best friends. He had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering him up. Hagrid sent him a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, and Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit. The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Wood, who told Harry (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame him in the slightest. Ron and Hermione left Harry's bedside only at night. But nothing anyone said or did could make Harry feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling him. He hadn't told anyone about the Grim, not even Ron and Hermione, because he knew Ron would panic and Hermione would scoff. The fact remained, however, that it had now appeared twice, and both appearances had been followed by near-fatal accidents; the first time, he had nearly been run over by the Knight Bus; the second, fallen fifty feet from his broomstick. Was the Grim going to haunt him until he actually died? Was he going to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder for the beast? And then there were the Dementors. Harry felt sick and humiliated every time he thought of them. Everyone said the Dementors were horrible, but no one else collapsed every time they went near one. No one else heard echoes in their head of their dying parents. Because Harry knew who that screaming voice belonged to now. He had heard her words, heard them over and over again during the night hours in the hospital wing while he lay awake, staring at the strips of moonlight on the ceiling. When the Dementors approached him, he heard the last moments of his mother's life, her attempts to protect him, Harry, from Lord Voldemort, and Voldemort's laughter before he murdered her†¦Harry dozed fitfully, sinking into dreams full of clammy, rotted hands and petrified pleading, jerking awake to dwell again on his mother's voice. It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where he was forced to think about other things, even if he had to endure Draco Malfoy's taunting. Malfoy was almost beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. He had finally taken off his bandages, and celebrated having the full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Harry falling off his broom. Malfoy spent much of their next Potions class doing Dementor imitations across the dungeon; Ron finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor. â€Å"If Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving off,† said Ron as they headed toward Lupin's classroom after lunch. â€Å"Check who's in there, Hermione.† Hermione peered around the classroom door. â€Å"It's okay!† Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats, and they burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Snape's behavior while Lupin had been ill. â€Å"It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?† â€Å"We don't know anything about werewolves –â€Å" â€Å"– two rolls of parchment!† â€Å"Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?† Lupin asked, frowning slightly. The babble broke out again. â€Å"Yes, but he said we were really behind –â€Å" â€Å"– he wouldn't listen –â€Å" â€Å"– two rolls of parchment!† Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face. â€Å"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay.† â€Å"Oh no,† said Hermione, looking very disappointed. â€Å"I've already finished it!† They had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a Hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking. â€Å"Lures travelers into bogs,† said Professor Lupin as they took notes. â€Å"You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead — people follow the light — then –â€Å" The Hinkypunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass. When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door, Harry among them, but — â€Å"Wait a moment, Harry,† Lupin called. â€Å"I'd like a word.† Harry doubled back and watched Professor Lupin covering the Hinkypunk's box with a cloth. â€Å"I heard about the match,† said Lupin, turning back to his desk and starting to pile books into his briefcase, â€Å"and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?† â€Å"No,† said Harry. â€Å"The tree smashed it to bits.† Lupin sighed. â€Å"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance.† â€Å"Did you hear about the Dementors too?† said Harry with difficulty. Lupin looked at him quickly. â€Å"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time†¦furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds†¦I suppose they were the reason you fell?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. He hesitated, and then the question he had to ask burst from him before he could stop himself. â€Å"Why? Why do they affect me like that? Am I just –?† â€Å"It has nothing to do with weakness,† said Professor Lupin sharply, as though he had read Harry's mind. â€Å"The Dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have.† A ray of wintry sunlight fell across the classroom, illuminating Lupin's gray hairs and the lines on his young face. â€Å"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself — soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you, Harry, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of.† â€Å"When they get near me –† Harry stared at Lupin's desk, his throat tight. â€Å"I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum.† Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then — â€Å"Why did they have to come to the match?† said Harry bitterly. â€Å"They're getting hungry,† said Lupin coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. â€Å"Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up†¦I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement†¦emotions running high†¦it was their idea of a feast.† â€Å"Azkaban must be terrible,† Harry muttered. Lupin nodded grimly. â€Å"The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheery thought. Most of them go mad within weeks.† â€Å"But Sirius Black escaped from them,† Harry said slowly. â€Å"He got away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lupin's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it. â€Å"Yes,† he said, straightening up, â€Å"Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible†¦Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You made that Dementor on the train back off,† said Harry suddenly. â€Å"There are — certain defenses one can use,† said Lupin. â€Å"But there was only one Dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist.† â€Å"What defenses?† said Harry at once. â€Å"Can you teach me?† â€Å"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting Dementors, Harry — quite the contrary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But if the Dementors come to another Quidditch match, I need to be able to fight them –â€Å" Lupin looked into Harry's determined face, hesitated, then said, â€Å"Well†¦all right. I'll try and help. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill.† ****** What with the promise of anti-Dementor lessons from Lupin, the thought that he might never have to hear his mother's death again, and the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, Harry's mood took a definite upturn. Gryffindor were not out of the running after all, although they could not afford to lose another match. Wood became repossessed of his manic energy, and worked his team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. Harry saw no hint of a Dementor within the grounds. Dumbledore's anger seemed to be keeping them at their stations at the entrances. Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Both Ron and Hermione had decided to remain at Hogwarts, and though Ron said it was because he couldn't stand two weeks with Percy, and Hermione insisted she needed to use the library, Harry wasn't fooled; they were doing it to keep him company, and he was very grateful. To everyone's delight except Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term. â€Å"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!† said Hermione. â€Å"Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!† Resigned to the fact that he would be the only third year staying behind again, Harry borrowed a copy of Which Broomstick from Wood, and decided to spend the day reading up on the different makes. He had been riding one of the school brooms at team practice, an ancient Shooting Star, which was very slow and jerky; he definitely needed a new broom of his own. On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry bid good-bye to Ron and Hermione, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves, then turned up the marble staircase alone, and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet. â€Å"Psst — Harry!† He turned, halfway along the third-floor corridor, to see Fred and George peering out at him from behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch. â€Å"What are you doing?† said Harry curiously. â€Å"How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?† â€Å"We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go,† said Fred, with a mysterious wink. â€Å"Come in here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. Harry followed Fred and George inside. George closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming, to look at Harry. â€Å"Early Christmas present for you, Harry,† he said. Fred pulled something from inside his cloak with a flourish and laid it on one of the desks. It was a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it. Harry, suspecting one of Fred and George's jokes, stared at it. â€Å"What's that supposed to be?† â€Å"This, Harry, is the secret of our success,† said George, patting the parchment fondly. â€Å"It's a wrench, giving it to you,† said Fred, â€Å"but we decided last night, your need's greater than ours.† â€Å"Anyway, we know it by heart,† said George. â€Å"We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore.† â€Å"And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?† said Harry. â€Å"A bit of old parchment!† said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. â€Å"Explain, George.† â€Å"Well†¦when we were in our first year, Harry — young, carefree, and innocent –â€Å" Harry snorted. He doubted whether Fred and George had ever been innocent. â€Å"?C well, more innocent than we are now — we got into a spot of bother with Filch.† â€Å"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason –â€Å" â€Å"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual –â€Å" â€Å"– detention –â€Å" â€Å"– disembowelment –â€Å" â€Å"– and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous.† â€Å"Don't tell me –† said Harry, starting to grin. â€Å"Well, what would you've done?† said Fred. â€Å"George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed — this.† â€Å"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know,† said George. â€Å"We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it.† â€Å"And you know how to work it?† â€Å"Oh yes,† said Fred, smirking. â€Å"This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school.† â€Å"You're winding me up,† said Harry, looking at the ragged old bit of parchment. â€Å"Oh, are we?† said George. He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, â€Å"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.† And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed: Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER'S MAP It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Harry bent over it. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room. And as Harry's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, he noticed something else. This map showed a set of passages he had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead — â€Å"Right into Hogsmeade,† said Fred, tracing one of them with his finger. â€Å"There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four† — he pointed them out — â€Å"but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in — completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump.† â€Å"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs,† sighed George, patting the heading of the map. â€Å"We owe them so much.† â€Å"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers,† said Fred solemnly. â€Å"Right,† said George briskly. â€Å"Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it –â€Å" â€Å"– or anyone can read it,† Fred said warningly. â€Å"Just tap it again and say, â€Å"Mischief managed!† And it'll go blank.† â€Å"So, young Harry,† said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, â€Å"mind you behave yourself.† â€Å"See you in Honeydukes,† said George, winking. They left the room, both smirking in a satisfied sort of way. Harry stood there, gazing at the miraculous map. He watched the tiny ink Mrs. Norris turn left and pause to sniff at something on the floor. If Filch really didn't know†¦he wouldn't have to pass the Dementors at all†¦. But even as he stood there, flooded with excitement, something Harry had once heard Mr. Weasley say came floating out of his memory. Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain. This map was one of those dangerous magical objects Mr. Weasley had been warning against†¦Aids for Magical Mischief Makers†¦but then, Harry reasoned, he only wanted to use it to get into Hogsmeade, it wasn't as though he wanted to steal anything or attack anyone†¦and Fred and George had been using it for years without anything horrible happening†¦ Harry traced the secret passage to Honeydukes with his finger. Then, quite suddenly, as though following orders, he rolled up the map, stuffed it inside his robes, and hurried to the door of the classroom. He opened it a couple of inches. There was no one outside. Very carefully, he edged out of the room and behind the statue of the one-eyed witch. What did he have to do? He pulled out the map again and saw to his astonishment, that a new ink figure had appeared upon it, labeled ‘Harry Potter'. This figure was standing exactly where the real Harry was standing, about halfway down the third-floor corridor. Harry watched carefully. His little Ink self appeared to be tapping the witch with his minute wand. Harry quickly took out his real wand and tapped the statue. Nothing happened. He looked back at the map. The tiniest speech bubble had appeared next to his figure. The word inside said, ‘Dissendium.' â€Å"Dissendium!† Harry whispered, tapping the stone witch again. At once, the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person. Harry glanced quickly up and down the corridor, then tucked the map away again, hoisted himself into the hole headfirst, and pushed himself forward. He slid a considerable way down what felt like a stone slide, then landed on cold, damp earth. He stood up, looking around. It was pitch dark. He held up his wand, muttered, â€Å"Lumos!† and saw that he was in a very narrow, low, earthy passageway. He raised the map, tapped it with the tip of his wand, and muttered, â€Å"Mischief managed!† The map went blank at once. He folded it carefully, tucked it inside his robes, then, heart beating fast, both excited and apprehensive, he set off. The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. Harry hurried along it, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding his wand out in front of him. It took ages, but Harry had the thought of Honeydukes to sustain him. After what felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting, Harry sped up, his face hot, his feet very cold. Ten minutes later, he came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above him. Careful not to make any noise, Harry began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, he lost count as he climbed, watching his feet†¦then, without warning, his head hit something hard. It seemed to be a trapdoor. Harry stood there, massaging the top of his head, listening. He couldn't hear any sounds above him. Very slowly, he pushed the trapdoor open and peered over the edge. He was in a cellar, which was full of wooden crates and boxes. Harry climbed out of the trapdoor and replaced it — it blended so perfectly with the dusty floor that it was impossible to tell it was there. Harry crept slowly toward the wooden staircase that led upstairs. Now he could definitely hear voices, not to mention the tinkle of a bell and the opening and shutting of a door. Wondering what he ought to do, he suddenly heard a door open much closer at hand; somebody was about to come downstairs. â€Å"And get another box of Jelly Slugs, dear, they've nearly cleaned us out –† said a woman's voice. A pair of feet was coming down the staircase. Harry leapt behind an enormous crate and waited for the footsteps to pass. He heard the man shifting boxes against the opposite wall. He might not get another chance — Quickly and silently, Harry dodged out from his hiding place and climbed the stairs; looking back, he saw an enormous backside and shiny bald head, buried in a box. Harry reached the door at the top of the stairs, slipped through it, and found himself behind the counter of Honeydukes — he ducked, crept sideways, and then straightened up. Honeydukes was so crowded with Hogwarts students that no one looked twice at Harry. He edged among them, looking around, and suppressed a laugh as he imagined the look that would spread over Dudley's piggy face if he could see where Harry was now. There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were ‘Special Effects' — sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps (‘breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice (‘hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads (‘hop realistically in the stomach!'), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons. Harry squeezed himself through a crowd of sixth years and saw a sign hanging in the farthest corner of the shop (UNUSUAL TASTES). Ron and Hermione were standing underneath it, examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops. Harry sneaked up behind them. â€Å"Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect,† Hermione was saying. â€Å"How about these?† said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose. â€Å"Definitely not,† said Harry. Ron nearly dropped the jar. â€Å"Harry!† squealed Hermione. â€Å"What are you doing here? How — how did you –?† â€Å"Wow!† said Ron, looking very impressed, â€Å"you've learned to Apparate!† â€Å"‘Course I haven't,† said Harry. He dropped his voice so that none of the sixth years could hear him and told them all about the Marauder's Map. â€Å"How come Fred and George never gave it to me!† said Ron, outraged. â€Å"I'm their brother!† â€Å"But Harry isn't going to keep it!† said Hermione, as though the idea were ludicrous. â€Å"He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?† â€Å"No, I'm not!† said Harry. â€Å"Are you mad?† said Ron, goggling at Hermione. â€Å"Hand in something that good?† â€Å"If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it! Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!† â€Å"But what about Sirius Black?† Hermione hissed. â€Å"He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!† â€Å"He can't be getting in through a passage,† said Harry quickly. â€Å"There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And of the other three — one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through — well — it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar — so unless he knew it was there –â€Å" Harry hesitated. What if Black did know the passage was there? Ron, however, cleared his throat significantly, and pointed to a notice pasted on the inside of the sweetshop door. BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall. Merry Christmas! â€Å"See?† said Ron quietly. â€Å"I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with Dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop!† â€Å"Yes, but — but –† Heroine seemed to be struggling to find another problem. â€Å"Look, Harry still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. He hasn't got a signed form! If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet — what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?† â€Å"He'd have a job spotting Harry in this,† said Ron, nodding through the mullioned windows at the thick, swirling snow. â€Å"Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas. Harry deserves a break.† Hermione bit her lip, looking extremely worried. â€Å"Are you going to report me?† Harry asked her, grinning. â€Å"Oh — of course not — but honestly, Harry –â€Å" â€Å"Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry?† said Ron, grabbing him and leading him over to their barrel. â€Å"And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven — it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I remember Mum walloping him with her broomstick.† Ron stared broodingly into the Acid Pop box. â€Å"Reckon Fred'd take a bite of Cockroach Cluster if I told him they were peanuts?† When Ron and Hermione had paid for all their sweets, the three of them left Honeydukes for the blizzard outside. Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card; the little thatched cottages and shops were all covered in a layer of crisp snow; there were holly wreaths on the doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging in the trees. Harry shivered; unlike the other two, he didn't have his cloak. They headed up the street, heads bowed against the wind, Ron and Hermione shouting through their scarves. â€Å"That's the post office –â€Å" â€Å"Zonko's is up there –â€Å" â€Å"We could go up to the Shrieking Shack –â€Å" â€Å"Tell you what,† said Ron, his teeth chattering, â€Å"shall we go for a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?† Harry was more than willing; the wind was fierce and his hands were freezing, so they crossed the road, and in a few minutes were entering the tiny inn. It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and smoky. A curvy sort of woman with a pretty face was serving a bunch of rowdy warlocks up at the bar. â€Å"That's Madam Rosmerta,† said Ron. â€Å"I'll get the drinks, shall I?† he added, going slightly red. Harry and Hermione made their way to the back of the room, where there was a small, vacant table between the window and a handsome Christmas tree, which stood next to the fireplace. Ron came back five minutes later, carrying three foaming tankards of hot butterbeer. â€Å"Merry Christmas!† he said happily, raising his tankard. Harry drank deeply. It was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside. A sudden breeze ruffled his hair. The door of the Three Broomsticks had opened again. Harry looked over the rim of his tankard and choked. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had just entered the pub with a flurry of snowflakes, shortly followed by Hagrid, who was deep in conversation with a portly man in a lime-green bowler hat and a pinstriped cloak — Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic. In an instant, Ron and Hermione had both placed hands on the top of Harry's head and forced him off his stool and under the table. Dripping with butterbeer and crouching out of sight, Harry clutched his empty tankard and watched the teachers' and Fudge's feet move toward the bar, pause, then turn and walk right toward him. Somewhere above him, Hermione whispered, â€Å"Mobiliarbus!† The Christmas tree beside their table rose a few inches off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed with a soft thump right in front of their table, hiding them from view. Staring through the dense lower branches, Harry saw four sets of chair legs move back from the table right beside theirs, then heard the grunts and sighs of the teachers and minister as they sat down. Next he saw another pair of feet, wearing sparkly turquoise high heels, and heard a woman's voice. â€Å"A small gillywater –â€Å" â€Å"Mine,† said Professor McGonagall's voice. â€Å"Four pints of mulled mead –â€Å" â€Å"Ta, Rosmerta,† said Hagrid. â€Å"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella –â€Å" â€Å"Mmm!† said Professor Flitwick, smacking his lips. â€Å"So you'll be the red currant rum, Minister.† â€Å"Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear,† said Fudge's voice. â€Å"Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, thank you very much, Minister.† Harry watched the glittering heels march away and back again. His heart was pounding uncomfortably in his throat. Why hadn't it occurred to him that this was the last weekend of term for the teachers too? And how long were they going to sit there? He needed time to sneak back into Honeydukes if he wanted to return to school tonight †¦ Hermione's leg gave a nervous twitch next to him. â€Å"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?† came Madam Rosmerta's voice. Harry saw the lower part of Fudge's thick body twist in his chair as though he were checking for eavesdroppers. Then he said in a quiet voice, â€Å"What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?† â€Å"I did hear a rumor,† admitted Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?† said Professor McGonagall exasperatedly. â€Å"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?† whispered Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"I'm sure of it,† said Fudge shortly. â€Å"You know that the Dementors have searched the whole village twice?† said Madam Rosmerta, a slight edge to her voice. â€Å"Scared all my customers away†¦It's very bad for business, Minister.† â€Å"Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them any more than you do,† said Fudge uncomfortably. â€Å"Necessary precaution†¦ unfortunate, but there you are†¦I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore — he won't let them inside the castle grounds.† â€Å"I should think not,† said Professor McGonagall sharply. â€Å"How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?† â€Å"Hear, hear!† squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick, whose feet were dangling a foot from the ground. â€Å"All the same,† demurred Fudge, â€Å"they are here to protect you all from something much worse†¦We all know what Black's capable of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it,† said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. â€Å"Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought†¦I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead.† â€Å"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta,† said Fudge gruffly. â€Å"The worst he did isn't widely known.† â€Å"The worst?† said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity. â€Å"Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?† â€Å"I certainly do,† said Fudge. â€Å"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?† â€Å"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta,† murmured Professor McGonagall. â€Å"Do you remember who his best friend was?† â€Å"Naturally,† said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. â€Å"Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here — ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!† Harry dropped his tankard with a loud clunk. Ron kicked him. â€Å"Precisely,† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course — exceptionally bright, in fact — but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers –â€Å" â€Å"I dunno,† chuckled Hagrid. â€Å"Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money.† â€Å"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!† chimed in Professor Flitwick. â€Å"Inseparable!† â€Å"Of course they were,† said Fudge. â€Å"Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him.† â€Å"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?† whispered Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"Worse even than that, m'dear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Fudge dropped his voice and proceeded in a sort of low rumble. â€Å"Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm.† â€Å"How does that work?† said Madam Rosmerta, breathless with interest. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. â€Å"An immensely complex spell,† he said squeakily, â€Å"involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find — unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!† â€Å"So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?† whispered Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"Naturally,† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself†¦and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself.† â€Å"He suspected Black?† gasped Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements,† said Professor McGonagall darkly. â€Å"Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who.† â€Å"But James Potter insisted on using Black?† â€Å"He did,† said Fudge heavily. â€Å"And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed –â€Å" â€Å"Black betrayed them?† breathed Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it –â€Å" â€Å"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!† Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet. â€Å"Shh!† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"I met him!† growled Hagrid. â€Å"I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead†¦an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!† Hagrid roared. â€Å"Hagrid, please!† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"Keep your voice down!† â€Å"How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily an' James? It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'! An' then he says, â€Å"Give Harry ter me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll look after him –† Ha! But I'd had me orders from Dumbledore, an' I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his aunt an' uncle's. Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry there. â€Å"I won't need it anymore,† he says. â€Å"I shoulda known there was somethin' fishy goin' on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin' it ter me for? Why wouldn' he need it anymore? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbledore knew he'd bin the Potters' Secret-Keeper. Black knew he was goin' ter have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him. â€Å"But what if I'd given Harry to him, eh? I bet he'd've pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea. His bes' friends' son! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to em anymore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A long silence followed Hagrid's story. Then Madam Rosmerta said with some satisfaction, â€Å"But he didn't manage to disappear, did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him next day!† â€Å"Alas, if only we had,† said Fudge bitterly. â€Å"It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew — another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself.† â€Å"Pettigrew†¦that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?† said Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"Hero-worshipped Black and Potter,† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I — how I regret that now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sounded as though she had a sudden head cold. â€Å"There, now, Minerva,† said Fudge kindly, â€Å"Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses — Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later — told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, ‘Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens†¦.† Professor McGonagall blew her nose and said thickly, â€Å"Stupid boy†¦foolish boy†¦he was always hopeless at dueling†¦should have left it to the Ministry †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't've messed around with wands — I'd ‘ve ripped him limb — from — limb,† Hagrid growled. â€Å"You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid,† said Fudge sharply. â€Å"Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I — I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him†¦a heap of bloodstained robes and a few — a few fragments –â€Å" Fudge's voice stopped abruptly. There was the sound of five noses being blown. â€Å"Well, there you have it, Rosmerta,† said Fudge thickly. â€Å"Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since.† Madam Rosmerta let out a long sigh. â€Å"Is it true he's mad, Minister?† â€Å"I wish I could say that he was,† said Fudge slowly. â€Å"I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man — cruel†¦ pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them†¦but I was shocked at how normal Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored — asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Dementors seemed to be having on him — and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night.† â€Å"But what do you think he's broken out to do?† said Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?† â€Å"I daresay that is his — er — eventual plan,† said Fudge evasively. â€Å"But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing†¦but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a small chink of glass on wood. Someone had set down their glass. â€Å"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle,† said Professor McGonagall. One by one, the pairs of feet in front of Harry took the weight of their owners once more; hems of cloaks swung into sight, and Madam Rosmerta's glittering heels disappeared behind the bar. The door of the Three Broomsticks opened again, there was another flurry of snow, and the teachers had disappeared. â€Å"Harry?† Ron's and Hermione's faces appeared under the table. They were both staring at him, lost for words.