Christina Rossettis Poetry: Controlled and Passionate Essay -- Cousin

Christina Rossettis Poetry Controlled and PassionateRossettis poetry has been described as both controlled andpassionate. Making clear what you understand by the terms discusswhich of these two views you pass more sympathy with and why. Referclosely to at least three of the set poems.Christina Rossetti poetry uses concise structures but through theseshe expresses immense emotion in this respect her poetry canaccurately described as both controlled and passionate yet the twowords are almost a paradox as passion is frequently seen to be at oddswith controlled tight structures. Other poets have also followed inRossettis footsteps by combining tight organize poetic forms withemotion e.g. Dylan Thomas.L.E.L is a prime example of Rossettis technique it combines acomplex structure with a very emotive outcry. The structure is very slender with each verse not only rhyming within itself, in an A, B, A,B, C, C, C pattern, but also within pairs of stanzas containing apattern between them on t he 5th to 8th lines. The 2nd and fourth linesprovide visually rhyming lines throughout the poem connecting eachverse although when the poem is read aloud the lines do not rhymeverbally. Rossetti also plays with structures in the poem, beginningwith an elegiac stanza form (a Quatrain of four iambic pentametersrhyming A, B, A, B - Pears Cyclopaedia) before diversifying into herown variance ending with C, C, C. The elegiac stanza form helpscontribute to the passion by setting the tone for the poem while atthe same time Rossetti alters the form to go her needs showingcreativity within her control. The latter section of each stanza isin a different tone relating and contrasting the emot... ... with more brainiac inher earlier poetry, with later works settling into more conventionalforms. Thus it is difficult to decide which argument to have moresympathy with as both control and passion are constantly intertwinedand also changed as Rossetti grew older.Work CitedRossetti, Christina. Th e Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti. With Memoir and Notes &c. Ed. William Michael Rossetti. London New York Macmillan, 1904.Works ConsultedArmstrong, Isobel. A practice of medicine of Thine Own Womens Poetry. in Joseph Bristow, Victorian Women Poets. Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Christina Rossetti. Basingstoke and London Macmillan Press Limited, 1995, 32-63.Harrison, Antony H. Christina Rossetti in Context. Brighton The Harvester Press, 1988.Marsh, Jan. Christina Rossetti. A Literary Biography. London and Sydney Pimlico, 1995.

Anselm Kiefer :: essays research papers

Anselm Kiefer was born in Donaueschingen, Germany on March 8, 1945. In later(prenominal) years he became one of the most prominent figures in the Neo-Expressionist art movement. He studied law at the University of Freiburg until 1966. In 1966 he became an artist and was a student of Joseph Beuys who is another German artist (Safra pg.139).In the painting March Heath Kiefer uses a variety of color. However the colors that are utilize are dark colors and earth tone color. The center of this painting is the road that vanishes into the background. It is obvious that Kiefer wanted this to be the main object of the painting. Where the road vanishes is in the center also. However Kiefer does not tell us where the road leads. At the bottom of the painting the German words Markische Heid are painted with depressed ink. The black ink causes the phrase to get the viewers attention. After reading Anselm Kiefer by Mark Rosenthal I learned that March Heath belongs to the Brandenburg region, lo cated in east Germany (Rosenthal pg.35). The Brandenburg region played a very important role to the Persian Empire during the seventeenth century. With this region being so important it was frequently fought everyplace (Rosenthal pg.35). The road looks heavily traveled because of the ruts where the grass is dead and has turned into a dirt path. Each position of the path is painted with very little detail. Yes you cease tell that it is a field and you can see some plants but it is not as easily noticed as the path. On the right expression of the path there is a group of trees, but three are only seen. Rosenthal says that the trees are birch trees, and they establish a Fontane-like context of nature resplendent, wait to be enjoyed in peaceful contemplation (Rosenthal pg 35).Another painting by Kiefer is Deutschlands Geistesbelden or in English Germanys Spiritual Heroes. He uses bi-lateral symmetry. Each side of the hallway has the same amount of support beams and a large dish fil led with some type of kerosene or oil that is burning on each beam. Under each candle there is a name written in black paint, and maybe these are the German Spiritual Heroes. The ardent dishes run all the way down the hallway and it leads to a door. The door that the hallway leads to is the center of the painting.

Themes of Lord of the Flies :: essays research papers

The theme of the novel is the collapse of the society. The friendships among the boys are destructive because they do not realize the creature at bottom of them. They guide their ego to each other. The beast is something evil within themselves and it is not a savage animal that is caved Lord of the Flies. The conch shell symbolizes the law and order among the children who confine in the deserted tropical island. It is used to call the groups of the boys to assembly in a certain place. Ralph, the chief and the central leadership of the group is responsible to soak up care the conch. The conch shell represents the authority which the boys must obey. The conch is an instrument like a trumpet blowing to order the boys. Finally, the conch shell is broken set down into pieces and the leadership is torn down and abandoned. The atmosphere of the island society collapses into chaos and no longer peace remind. The beast in the story symbolizes the gradation of the moral ity among the boys. The compete each other graceful in the last survivor and the commander of group. The beast is not a real object which they believe if exists. They dont realize the internal beast inside of them. Only Simon understands what the real beast is, but is killed when he tries to tell them about that. The beast mind and soul of the boys lead them to the collapse of the society. They begin cleansing each other and the trustworthy has lost. The parachute man symbolizes the lost of the adult supervisor who has the authority to control over the boys. The moral confrontation has arisen among the boys. The beast inside of them leads them to the anarchy. Also because of the lost of the parachute man, there is no adult who manage them and the situation bring them to the collapse of the society.

All Men Created Equal Essays -- essays research papers

All Men Created EqualAmerica has undergone incredible hardships as a nation. No protrude hashad more impact on the development of the American definition of freedom thanthe issue of bondage. Did the writing specify which men were created sufficient? Surprisingly enough the word "all men are created equal with certaininalienable rights" did not mean what it does today. The nation was divided onthe issue of slavery and the rights of the black man in its early stages as agrowing republic. Abraham Lincoln was a brave pioneer who dared to rub his handagainst the penetrate of slavery bringing the original ideals of Americas foundersto a new light. He was a man who felt he was witnessing a slow decay in the hind end of the American principles. His views were not met with unanimousapplause from the American people. He battled against an equally strongconstituency the slave owners and their presidential candidate, Judge Douglas.Abrahams grounds for the abolition of slavery were ground on the words thatwere scripted in the Declaration of Independence and the meaning of those wordsas they related to American citizens and the celebration of the 4th of July.Many Americans argued that the Negroes were not entitled to the same rightsbecause they were not legally citizens of the United States of America. Thisissue was dealt with in the ruling of the Dredd Scott case. Lincoln points outthat the ruling of the case was based on historic fact that was wronglyassumed. Judge Taney, who presided over the case stated that "Negroes were nopart of the people who made, or for whom was made, the Declaration ofIndependence, or the Constitution of the United States." This assertion waslater refuted by Judge Curtis who shows that "in five of the then thirteenstatesfree negroes were voters, and, in proportion to their numbers, had thesame part in making the Constitution that the white people had." The fact thatNegroes were citizens who participated in the frami ng of the Constitution gavethem the same freedoms as the white men who helped shape the American idealsclassifying the Negro as a "citizen."The strongest persuasion that Abraham could have possibly given the Americanpeople were the words that the Declaration of Independence so powerfully spoke.Lincoln fully understood the phrase "all men were created ... ...ere among freestates. The mixing of the blood was occurring because the Negroes and whiteswere in forced contact. The elimination of an almost universal fear was yetanother argument for the withdrawal of the races.     Although he was not a modern day well-behaved rights activist, Lincolnslogic eventually led to the abolition of slavery, tragically driving the nationinto a state of civil war. However, the American ideals which he embraced havemade their way into our modern societies standards leading to civil rightsprograms which are constantly being reformed. Immigrants, of all nationalitiesand colors now search to America as a symbol of great ideals. Abraham said moreprophetically than he could imagine that the American ideals of freedom shouldbe "constantly feast and deepening its influence, and augmenting thehappiness and value of life to all peoples of all colors everywhere." As aresult of his push for the preservation of the American ideal of freedom,slavery no longer exists and is even considered unconstitutional on the groundsthat it is in direct contradiction with the conception that "all men are createdequal."

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE :: essays research papers

Many of us like to think that humanity as a whole is progressing to a better future where we will live united and in peace with one another, a time of a more enlightened society. But thither are those among us that do not share these beliefs. In A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, the futuristic world is displayed as a world turned top down and in shambles. This 1962 classic is a frightful depiction of what our society could become and possibly what it already is. Drugs almost seem to be legal and unregulated and subsequently are widely used. The prison system is overcrowded with young punk criminals who are inherently evil with no regard for humanity, or any crash of society for that matter. The youth takes over the streets at night and beat anyone they encounter. The elderly sit around in bars and drink the remainder of their lives away. The people convey become desensitized to violence, because it is so prevalent in their lives. A Clockwork Orange is a very intriguing stor y that deals with many social problems, not offering a solution, but pointing out obstacles in the way of the creation of a more perfect society. A Clockwork Orange is written in the first person by the main character, Alex. This makes the story more personable by allowing the reader to see into the mind of Alex as he goes through the many changes that he does. Three of his friends or droogs that help him in his crimes are Dim, Pete, and Georgie. Throughout the story the author creates his own language called nadsat, which is used by the youth of the futuristic world and is at the altitude of fashion. Nadsat is a mix of Russian, English, and the slang words of both. It is meant to set the violence apart from reality, making it almost cartoon like. The story begins at the start of a idle and violent night with Alex and his friends sitting in a diner. To start off a typical night they encounter an old man walking the streets, so they harass and hit him. But this is not just any ordi nary harassing episode but more of a complete and utter pounding. They beat the defenceless man until he is all bloody and disoriented. They then send him on his way, half naked and crawling home, later that night they saw an old bibulous man sitting on the ground and they decided to beat him until he was delirious.

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE :: essays research papers

Many of us like to think that humanity as a whole is progressing to a better future where we will live united and in peace with one another, a time of a much enlightened society. But there are those among us that do not share these beliefs. In A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, the futurist world is displayed as a world turned upside down and in shambles. This 1962 classic is a frightful depiction of what our society could become and possibly what it already is. Drugs almost appear to be legal and unregulated and subsequently are widely used. The prison system is overcrowded with young punk criminals who are inherently evil with no determine for humanity, or any part of society for that matter. The youth takes over the streets at dark and beat anyone they encounter. The elderly sit around in bars and pledge the remainder of their lives away. The people have become desensitized to violence, because it is so prevalent in their lives. A Clockwork Orange is a very intriguing s tory that deals with many sociable problems, not offering a solution, but pointing out obstacles in the way of the creation of a more perfect society. A Clockwork Orange is written in the first person by the main character, Alex. This makes the story more personable by allowing the reader to see into the mind of Alex as he goes through the many changes that he does. Three of his friends or droogs that help him in his crimes are Dim, Pete, and Georgie. Throughout the story the author creates his own language called nadsat, which is used by the youth of the futuristic world and is at the height of fashion. Nadsat is a mix of Russian, English, and the slang words of both. It is meant to set the violence apart from reality, making it almost cartoon like. The story begins at the start of a wild and violent night with Alex and his friends sitting in a diner. To start off a typical night they encounter an grey man walking the streets, so they harass and hit him. But this is not just any o rdinary harassing episode but more of a accomplish and utter pounding. They beat the defenseless man until he is all bloody and disoriented. They then send him on his way, half naked and crawling home, later that night they saw an old drunken man sitting on the ground and they decided to beat him until he was delirious.

Irish Nationalism

Irish Nationalism The Fight for Self-Government Since the late twentieth century, Ireland has been subject to varying types of face rule. There has been much public debate on the degree of English rule in Ireland, but the call for a united Ireland was very popular among numerous Irishmen. Nationalistic feelings in Ireland cut a steady growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century with mevery different drives looking to achieve Irish self-determination. These flag-waving(prenominal) movements can be categorized into three groups constitutional, revolutionary, and ethnical nationalism.Whether by politics, violence, or education, Irish flag-waving(a) groups each had their own ideas on how to achieve independence from English rule. Each group had its strengths, as well as its weaknesses that contributed to the overall success of the nationalistic movements. Constitutional nationalism, which encompassed nationalism through governmental forces, mainly involved the ba tch of syndicate tackle. Home dominate was the idea of having an Irish parliament to control internal matters while Britain controlled external Irish affairs. The face for the Home Rule movement was Charles Stewart Parnell, a political loss get goinger and Irish landlord.Parnell is most commonly known as the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party. He moody the Home Rule movement into a major political force dominating legislation, and proving it to be a vast encompassing party by gaining the widest possible harbor. Parnell was deemed the uncapped King of Ireland, possessing enormous political skills leading him to be extremely successful in the field of practical politics. However, political malicious gossips led his leadership to be called into interrogative and put his whole political career on the line.Charles Parnells skills led him to many accomplishments in politics. Parnell was elected president of the Irish National Land unite in 1879 which campaign ed for land reform, including the reduction of tenants rents during a time of economic disaster. He not only raised an enormous amount of funding for famine replacement during a trip to America, but Parnell also used his position as president to gain the sponsor of tenant farmers in his cope for Home Rule. The support that came from the Land Movement and its mass appeal aided Parnell in bringing the Home Rule party under the wing of the movement.One of Parnells greatest accomplishments was the transition of William Gladstone and the Liberals to Home Rule. During the election of 1885 the Conservative party used Parnell in order to gain an electoral advantage. This tactic succeeded giving them the majority of seats in Parliament and ultimately leading to the Liberals under Gladstone coming to power with Home Rule party. Although Parnell enjoyed great success as the leader of the Home Rule party and as a notable force in the fight for domestic Irish self-government, his weaknesses l imited the extent to which his political skills could carry him.Parnell accomplished a great amount in the fight for Home Rule, but ultimately he failed to achieve it. The reason he was unsuccessful was due to his greatest weakness, the scandal with Katherine OShea. During the time Parnell was elected leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party he began a relationship with Katherine OShea, wife of Captain William OShea. His come to pass from power occurred when Captain OShea filed for a divorce naming Parnell as the guilty party. It was therefore Captain OShea and the divorce case which brought down Parnell1.Although many leading politicians had known about Parnell and OSheas affair for some time, it was when Parnell did not challenge Captain OSheas allegations that shocked the public. This caused Parnell to be revealed as an adulterer and discredited him as a leader. Gladstone was forced to distance himself from Parnell due to the fact that the Liberals had no chance of winning the ne xt election with ties to Parnell. Without the support of Gladstone, Home Rule was not a possibility. In the end, Parnells strengths were his greatest weaknesses.His pride and iron will kept him from contesting Captain OSheas allegations allowing OSheas side of the story to go unchallenged and ultimately leading to Parnells fall from power. Constitutional nationalists such as Charles Parnell used politics in engage Irish self-government. The strength of this method is that it delivers concrete results. Although Parnell was not able to achieve Home Rule himself he was able to gain support for the party, leading the mien for John Redmond to get the trine Home Rule Bill passed by the House of Commons.Before this time, no success of this magnitude had ever been achieved in the fight for Irish independence. The weakness of constitutional nationalism is that it is a time consuming method. It took two initial Home Rule Bills to be rejected, the first of which being introduced in 1886, un til the third was passed in 1914. Parnell dedicated his political career to the pursuit of Home Rule and was not able to see it passed before his death. Even when the third Home Rule Bill was passed, the process of it becoming a law was suspended pending the end of World War I.Constitutional nationalism is successful in that it delivers results in the fight for Irish self-government however, the process is long and grueling. Revolutionary nationalism was a more forceful, rebellious method in pursuing Irish self-government. Revolutionary nationalists were not afraid to use violence including assassinations, bombings, and even uprisings. The most popular uprising in the struggle for Irish independence was the easterly Rising, which took place shortly afterward Britains entrance into World War I. The main group involved in this revolutionary nationalistic movement was the Irish republican Brotherhood.The Irish Republican Brotherhood, or I. R. B. , devised a rebellion to overthrow Bri tains government in capital of Ireland following the time tested dictum that Englands difficulty is Irelands opportunity. While Britain had surely forgotten about Ireland and Home Rule, focusing its attention mainly on the war, the I. R. B. used it as an opportunity to rebel. Patrick Pearse, a key leader in the rising, chose Easter for the uprising for its biblical connotations of sacrifice and resurrection he saw the rising as a blood sacrifice.The rebels hoped to take control of Dublin as well as initiate riots in order to start a revolt, in turn removing English rule. However, the rising was a military disaster. On top of many of the rebels plans being disrupted by the British, poor organization also led to an unsuccessful rebellion. Upon capture many of the rebels were condemned to effectuation including James Connolly, who was carried to a firing squad tied to a chair due to an injury sustained during the rising.The nature of these executions led to anger among many Irishmen a nd turned the rebels into martyrs. The rising led to control of Irish politics shifting from the Irish Nationalist Party to the recently I. R. B. infiltrated Sinn Fein. This shift led the way for constitutional nationalists to run for a challenge to Britains control of Ireland. Revolutionary nationalists took a more direct approach in the fight for Irish self-government. Rebellions, such as the Easter Rising, sought to overthrow government in a revolution without political involvement.This approach is backbreaking in that it is has been successful in the past, as seen by the American and French revolutionary wars. A revolutionary approach can shift power almost instantly rather than going through years of political negotiations. However, when unsuccessful, revolutions end in meaningless bloodshed. The Easter Rising at first seemed to be a failure, resulting in the deaths of many Irishmen for no reason. Instead, Britains reaction resulted in the rebels becoming martyrs, and the Bri tish losing the hearts of the Irish people.Although the Easter Rising resulted in the deaths of many Irishmen, it also opened the door for constitutional nationalists to take control of parliament in the 1918 general election and for revolutionary nationalists to initiate the Anglo-Irish war. While constitutional nationalists center on politics and revolutionary nationalists focused on rebellions, cultural nationalists focused on the revival of Gaelic culture and language. Just as constitutional and revolutionary nationalism was important in the fight for Irish self-government, so was cultural nationalism.It helped to foster a spirit of earnest nationality, invoking feelings of patriotism in young Irishmen. The Gaelic Athletic acquaintance was established to do just this. Founded in 1884, the Gaelic Athletic Association aimed to establish an independent Irish organization dedicated to promoting athletics as well as preserving Irish nationalism. The Gaelic Athletics Association no t only encouraged education about Gaelic language and culture, but was also formed as an anti-British group closely associated with the Irish nationalistic cause.This draw caused the GAA to get caught up in the troubled politics of the early twentieth century. In 1920 British soldiers interrupted a football match in Dublin firing shots into the crowd and onto the field killing fourteen people. This was a response to political violence that had occurred in Dublin earlier that day. This event came to be known as Bloody Sunday. However, the Gaelic Athletics Association was a non-violent one that was subject to the repercussions of being associated the nationalistic cause. The GAA is claimed to have been founded by the I. R.B. with the goal of get Irish youth involved with an organization in order to form a physical power capable of pressuring the Home Rule party of the future. Although the association had no violent or political intentions, it provided the depth that the Home Rule pa rty needed in order to secure an independent, self-governing Ireland. Cultural nationalists were strong in that they united Irishmen in the fight for Irish nationalism. Cultural nationalists promoted camaraderie through athletics and focused on a revival of nationalistic feelings as well as Gaelic culture.They provided a unity of Irish people that was necessary to the success of a self-governing Ireland. However, cultural nationalists did not provide any concrete results in the pursuit of Irish independence. They brought together the Irish people but only to the extent that they were prepared to join a constitutional or revolutionary force. Nationalistic feelings were high in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Many nationalistic movements that existed sought to set up Irish self-government in one form or another.These movements were constitutional, revolutionary, or cultural nationalistic groups. Each group possessed both strengths and weaknesses. Constitutional nation alists succeeded in political battles relating to domestic rule. However, their means were often time consuming and presented results that were not very certain. Revolutionary nationalists, on the other hand, were able to change the tides of the Anglo-Irish governmental struggle almost instantly. The battue that resulted in their physical force, however, was the weakness of their methods.Finally, cultural nationalists were able to unite Irishmen in the fight for self-government promoting nationalistic feelings. Unfortunately, they provided no real means of progressing Irish nationalism in the fight for self-government. Constitutional nationalism had the most impact with the Home Rule party as well as the Dail Eireann (Assembly of Ireland) which helped to establish a accordance following the Anglo-Irish war in order to establish the Irish Free State. However, without the physical presence to back up the political force, Irish self-government would not have been possible.As Eamon de Valera stated, the way to Irish independence was first battling England with votes, and if that failed, with rifles. 2 All in all, each form of Irish nationalism contributed in some way to lead Ireland into a self-governing country. Bibliography 1 PARNELL AND KITTY OSHEA. PARNELL AND KITTY OSHEA. Web. 05 May 2012. . 2 Troubled Ireland Anglo-Irish War. Troubled Ireland Anglo-Irish War. Web. 05 May 2012. . 3 Hachey, Thomas E and McCaffrey, Lawrence J. The Irish Experience Since 1800 A Concise History. Armonk, N. Y M. E. Sharpe, 2010. Print. 1 1 2 2

When Politics Trumps Policy

While the public demand for the criminal justice system to help interpret a guard and secure environment, there argon also occasions whereby the public may feel that the criminal justice agencies are actually the one posing unnecessary little terrors to the society. Issues like the blackguard of authority, deadly fomite pursuits and unauthorized use of weapons are all examples of cases in which the criminal justice system is actually threatening the preventative of the public.This paper will discuss the case of Racin Rays Wild Day to examine the issues involved in the decisions made by Ripley as a law enforcing authority. Central Issues The central issue in the case study would be the authority of the police officers to use excessive root for as wholesome as to engage in violent pursuits. Due to a previous incident of a violent pursuit remaindering with the death of a 14 year old teenager, the Pineville County Sheriffs Department is currently facing a lawsuit. As such, the D epartment has implemented stricter rules and regulations to prevent such accidents from happening again.However, another pigment issue which has cropped up would be that of the behavior of Deputy Raymond Ray Ripley who has been observed to be overstepping regulations as well as engaging in activities that are not part of his responsibilities such as to go for extra patrol as well as to engage in the violent pursuit of a vehicle that was not warranted since rules have been implemented to prohibit any pursuit which does not involve any violent felony crime or pose significant threat to the community.In addition, he is also using weapons which he does not have the authority to use (Peak, 2010). Use-of-force policy Ripleys actions is not compliant with the use of force policy which states that a supervisor should cancel any pursuit that does not involve a violent felony crime or other circumstances that would dislodge the danger and potential liability . In addition, A separate policy prohibits the firing of warning shots unless circumstances warrant. (Peak, 2010).In the given case, Ripley had no evidence to instal that the vehicle he was chasing was involved in any violent felony crime or circumstances that would pose extreme danger. In addition he apply his blast warning shots even though the circumstances were not yet dangerous. As such, he was clearly violating the use-of-force policy. End Ripleys pursuit The lieutenant should end Ripleys pursuit. Firstly, this is because Ripley has already overstepped the policies implemented by the Department, as such there is a possibility that he would further abuse his power to bring most unnecessary harm to others.In addition, the Department is already involved in a current legal tussle. Should any mistakes go wrong with this one, the consequence would be especially dire and people would lose confidence in the criminal justice agency. Firing warning shots The deputy should have fired the warning shot. The departm ent has already informed officers that no warning shots should be fired unless circumstances warrant. In this case, the officer was following normal regulations of being at least 30 meters away from the vehicle.In addition, he has proof to show that the circumstances warrant his actions since the driver was speeding towards him and thus the warning shot was fired to save his life. live a complaint In the event that the people in the vehicle lodge a complaint about Ripley and his use of the force, the dog and the taser submarine sandwich, there are various departmental policies which would need to be applied. First, it is necessary to record down all the processes involved during the whole incident including when , how and why the deputy came across the vehicle, fired the warning shots and gave chase to the vehicle.Given that there is evidence to sufficient to show that the deputy did abuse his authority such as to own a Taser gun and to use a dog, appropriate disciplinary actions would need to be taken to hold the deputy accountable for his actions. However, the head of the department will need to deal and take into account the factors affecting the situation and the decision-making of the deputy behind implementing the most appropriate form of punishment (Davis). Additional policiesGiven that the misconduct of the deputy has been identified, it is chief(prenominal) that the department implement policies to ensure that similar acts do not occur again. Hence, this would involve programs like training as well as frequent audits to ensure that officers do not engage in behaviors that involve the abuse of their authority. In addition, the department should also set up a program to monitor the occur of those who have previously engaged in misconduct before to ensure that they are competent enough for their work. ConclusionIn conclusion, the case of Ripley demonstrates the serious consequences of the abuse of authority by law enforcing officials. Therefore, it is necessary for criminal justice agencies to implement the appropriate strategies and programs to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again. ? Reference Davis, J. (n. d. ). jurisprudence Misconduct and Civil Rights Law. Retrieved from http//library. findlaw. com/1999/Nov/1/126320. html Peak, K. (2010). Justice administration police, courts, and corrections management (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Dr. Victor Frankenstein †The True Monster Essay

The worst kind of the Tempter there is in this world is the kind that totally dismisses the military group of love and does everything to destroy believe in this great and wonderful virtue. In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein where Dr. Victor Frankenstein creates a creature from the parts of various corpses and gives it live, the matter of love becomes a central subdivision and this love is what clearly distinguishes the hu homo from the square devil.Mary Shelleys Frankenstein explores the two levels of love and these two levels are what set apart Dr.Victor Frankenstein as the true fanatic from the creature that he created because albeit the monstrous external appearance of Frankensteins creation, the creature surfaces much capable of love than its condition. The novel begins with a letter written by Robert Walton to his sister where he describes witnessing a huge creature in the arctic pursued by Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Walton records Frankensteins narrative, while Frankenstein in turn relays the heavyweights narrative, so that there are layers of reality expressed through different characters points of view. (Johnson) From this initial glimpse of the so-called monster, the novel unfolds to eventually show that the true monster in the novel is in fact the define and not his creation. Apart from the expectations of readers, the creature of Dr. Victor Frankenstein eventually evolves into an soul who can think logically, prove to be more articulate, and more importantly, more capable of love compared to its author.This al genius is evidence that between the two characters who drive the novel, the creature is in fact the one that is presented as the symbol of intrinsic emotions apart from the lookingity that Dr. Frankenstein portrays. In exploring the personality of Dr. Frankenstein in the novel, his monstrosity inevitably emerges. For instance, in the lineages, Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should starting time break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. (Shelley, Ch.4) the sterilise proves to possess a distorted perception of the world at large. Here, he looks at the world as a place of darkness which needs his scientific prowess as it moves into the light. Aside from the fact that this puts too much cant on his shoulders, this quote also shows his conceit and bloated ego. These lines validate the doctors obsession with life and death and how he has the power to control it only a few levels short of wanting to rule the world as is common with all villains.These lines also express the intentions of the doctor when he creates his so-called monster. In this context, the doctor seeks to penetrate natural laws not in the interest of the evolution of science or the welfare of the public scarce because he would simply want to cultivate his assumed power over natural laws. This, in effect, presents the doctor as a mad scientist who is guided by values that are way beyond the values of some one sincerely concerned with the plight of hu manity.This initial presentation of Victor sets the tone for the audience and gives them a glimpse of what is to come. With the intentions and personality of this doctor exposed in the way he is characterized, one can easily see that the novel impart definitely take a twist that would have the monster gaining the upper hand in terms of sanity and morality. This is validated by another quote from the doctor that states, A new species would bless me as its causation and source many happy and excellent natures would owe their world to me. (Shelley, Ch.4) where the doctor very clearly expresses his dark intentions which is to want to have other natures owe their universe to his work. Here, one sees that the doctor seems to be suffering from a God-complex which to most is the delusion of being someone who can create life and hence, derive power from this ability. Victor, therefore, becomes an individual of thwarted beliefs and one who d oes not respect the established laws of the universe of course, the consequences of this are later expressed in the way his monster turns out to be.In resemblance to the doctor, the monster as it has already been created presents or manifests critical persuasion and a deeper and more logical perception of things as opposed to how its master perceives it. This initially sets the acquaint for a diametrical opposition between the personalities of these two characters. The monster first begins to question his existence, hence, the line, God in pity made man beautiful and alluring, later on his own image but my form is a foul-smelling type of yours. (Shelley, p.154) Here, the monster demonstrates an understanding of natural laws in credit of God as the manufacturer of man and the circumstance by which man was created as being after his own image. In looking at his image, the monster concludes that his is a filthy type of the image of his creator, Victor Frankenstein. In effect, th e monster is now question how a creation can be a substandard version of its creators when natural law dictates that the creature has to be beautiful and alluring like its creator. There is a deep philosophical insight in this parameter by the monster which challenges the humanity of the doctor himself.The mere fact that the monster perceives itself as a filthy version of the creator implies that the creator may in fact be human on the outside but a monster on the inside because if the matter of the likeness of God is applied to this supposition, man is created not in the physical likeness of God but in His spiritual likeness. The monster therefore, is an external reflection of the internal nature of the doctor. However, despite this superficial image, the monster develops its own exit and evolves into a thinking-feeling individual who is not restrained or enslaved by the distorted values of its creator.So, the monster begins to recognize this fact and is initially bound to its cr eator, hence, the lines, I learned from your papers that you were my render, my creator, and to whom could I apply with more fitness than to him who had given me life? (Shelley, p. 165) The monster, in these lines expresses two values the first, being his recognition of the importance of the acquisition of life as a basis for respect, and second, the recognition of the worth of the person who had given it life.For a monster, these realizations are quite distant, but in the case of Frankensteins monster, such realizations seemed to come naturally which all the more validates the clear and discriminating thought process of the creature. Another insight that could be derived from these lines is the aim of a deeper emotion than respect love. The monster, upon referring to the doctor as its puzzle gives a deeper dimension to this statement because the word father is different from creator the word father is not just a recognition of creation or pro-creation for that matter, but als o a recognition of the nurturing nature of the individual.The monster, therefore, by referring to the doctor as father, is aware of the fact that whoever created it also had the task of nurturing it whether physically or emotionally. In another instance, one sees how the monster acquires its savage nature only as a reflection of the savage nature of the creator. This is seen in the lines, I am malicious because I am miserable. You, my creator, would tear me to pieces, and triumph remember that, and tell me wherefore I should pity man more than he pities me? (Shelley, p. 173) Here one sees that the reason why the monster had developed a horror for man was because the creator had exercised a certain degree of hostility toward the monster. While in natural circumstances this may simply be construed as cruelty, in this particular instance, the monster is able to perceive the reasons for the hostility and manifest it in its own existence. Therefore, the monster is not savage preferabl y, it had become savage in response to the hostility of its creator.It will also be recalled from the novel that in the desperation of the monster for social acceptance it implored the doctor to create for it a wife, hence, the lines I am alone, and miserable man will not associate with me, but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. (Shelley, p. 171) Now, in connection to this particular incident, the doctor did create another monster out of scrap female body parts and introduced it to the first monster as its wife, however, the more horrible thing in this particular instance is the fact that the doctor destroys the female monster and angers the male.In the earlier lines, one can easily glean that the male monster had perceive its appearance to be the reason for its isolation and hence, demonstrated its human nature which is in fact beyond the human nature of the doctor who is consumed by his own power and takes away from the male monster the only opp ortunity at acceptance and love.The incident where the monster kills the wife of Victor on the iniquity of their wedding therefore becomes immaterial to whether the monster has human qualities or not, in fact, it validates its humanness as it demonstrates a significant response to the feeling of remorse and hatred for the inhumanity that was committed upon it by the doctor and so, this particular incident changes the monsters point of view completely, but it should not be denied that this change of perception is not because of the volition of the monster but as a result of the savage and insensitive actions of Victor, its creator.So, the monster then states, The human senses are insurmountable barriers to our union. If I cannot cheer love, I will cause attention. (Shelley, p. 173) Now, if one was to peruse this line as it is without considering the underlying circumstances, it would seem that the monster had become irrational and wild, but with the perusing of underlying circum stance, the monster becomes very logical in its responses. It is therefore, plausibly suggested, that the Monster can be seen as a metaphor for the destructive power of unleashed passion. (Pearce) This essentially shows that the creature is not really the monster in the novel as demonstrated by its insights and responses, and the real monster is the doctor, who, apart from being obsessed with the power of being able to create life, relegates his creation as a monstrosity and totally dismisses the possibility that this creation also has the same degree of emotions and logical thought that he has as its creator. Dr. Frankenstein continually underestimates the beings malice and power. (Thripp) This is the deadening mistake of Victor and this is what engages the distinction clear between him and his creation.Both seek love, as is shown in Victors desire for his wife and the monsters need for a partner, but it is the way these two men act on the love that had been acquire that sets ea ch other apart. Victor takes this love as if it is natural and ordinary, while the monster perceives it as something that is of great value because of his physical inadequacies Victor, therefore, becomes more savage than the monster in this aspect, hence, the secret is not that he created a monster the secret is that he is the monster.This intensifies his guilt and seclusion, adds weight to his terrible illness and remorse, (Thripp) It will be seen towards the end of the story that Victor grows insane and pursues the monster until they finally meet in the arctic. Here, the doctor dies and the creature mourns the loss of its master. This, again, is an expression of humanity, because the monster, despite being victim to the hostility and insensitivity of its creator still felt a certain degree of indebtedness and love for Victor, whom the monster fully recognized and respected to be its sole source of life.The monster, in these final scenes in the novel, validates its humanity over t he humanity of the doctor by ignoring all past evils of its master and transcending head-on emotions to recognize the supremacy of love and compassion. In validation of this compassion of the monster, he says, I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will louse up the other. (Shelley) Here one sees that when said by a physically horrible creature these words might seem to be a threat but if the humanity of the creature is superimposed against the reasons for the creatures existence, then a perfect and complete humanity emerges. All the references to monstrousness are metaphors for Victors dense heart, and that Shelley has created a work of art that is truly Romantic the entire novel miserable and revolutionary, a battle of light versus dark, good versus evil, all wrapped up in one self-contradictor y character. (Thripp)In conclusion, it is not really the ability of the doctor to create life that is the meat and the matter in this novel instead it is the conflict of morality that arises from his creation of life. While some argue that this novel alludes to the duality of the personality of Dr. Frankenstein, analyzing the novel deeper would tell one that over and above the hammy circumstances in the tale, the author offers deep and surprising insights into the nature of humanity. The monster as a symbol of unbounded humanity succeeds in the authors intention of relegating the real human, Dr.Frankenstein into a domain where readers might question his integrity as a human and as a sane individual. The saner agent therefore becomes the monster and the doctor becomes a representation of the dark and savage nature of man which is only expressed in exaggeration in the monster only to highlight or reflect the evil and savageness that dwells in the heart of the true monster, Dr. Fran kenstein. Finally, one has the line, I may die but first you, my tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery. Beware for I am fearless, and therefore powerful. (Shelley, Ch. 20) which seals the fate of the monster as one who is more human than its creator. This line expresses one other aspect of humanity that determines how one survives and that is the absence of fear. Victor Frankenstein, in the way he is portrayed in the novel did not fear dabbling with the laws of nature, but upon setting eyes on his creation began to fear what he saw. In effect, the doctor had developed not a fear for the unknown and what should be feared but a fear for his own reflection as portrayed in the monster.He feared the horrors that he saw of himself in the monster. The monster was a reflect of the darkness that pervaded his soul and the misplaced feat that manifested itself in his desire to create life despite traditional values that tell him to do otherwise. So, based on the textual evidence presented in the novel it is quite clear that while numerous philosophical implications can be attached to the text, Victor Frankenstein actually emerges as the monster over and above the superficial monstrosity of his creation.The monster therefore, proves to be more human than its creator in more aspects than one and proves its humanity in the end by showing a sincere and exceptionally deep sense of compassion and logical emotion. ? Works Cited Johnson, Diane. Mary Wolstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein . Greenman Review. N. p. , 2008. Web. 15 Aug. 2010. . Pearce, Joseph. The Misunderstood Monster. Ignatius slender Editions. N. p. , 2008. Web. 15 Aug. 2010. . Shelley, Mary W. Frankenstein. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Aug. 2010. . Thripp, Richard. Victor Frankenstein Trodden Hero or Veiled Villain?. Scholarly Essays. N. p. , 2008. Web. 15 Aug. 2010.

Woman Education in India

Pre-IndependenceThe history of female preparation in India has its roots in the British Regime. Womens employment and education was acknowledged in 1854 by the East India Companys Programme Woods Dispatch. Slowly, after that, there was progress in female education, but it initially tended to be focused on the primary school level and was related to the richer sections of society. The overall literacy rate for women increased from 0.2% in 1882 to 6% in 1947.56In 1878, the University of Calcutta became one of the first universities to admit female graduates to its storey programmes, before any of the British universities had later done the same. This point was raised during the Ilbert Bill controversy in 1883, when it was being considered whether Indian judges should be presumptuousness the right to judge British offenders. The role of women featured prominently in the controversy, where English women who opposed the bill argued that Bengali women, whom they stereotyped as ignorant and neglect by their men and that Indian men should therefore not be given the right to judge cases involving English women.Bengali women who supported the bill responded by claiming that they were more than educated than the English women opposed to the bill and pointed out that more Indian women had degrees than British women did at the time.57Post-IndependenceAfter India attained independence in 1947, the University Education Commission was created to preach suggestions to improve the quality of education. However, their report spoke against female education, referring to it as Womens present education is entirely irrelevant to the life they have to lead. It is not only a waste but often a definite disability.58However, the fact that the female literacy rate was at 8.9% post-Independence could not be ignored. Thus, in 1958, a national direction on womens education was appointed by the government, and most of its recommendations were accepted. The crux of its recommendations w ere to bring female education on the same footing as offered for boys.59Soon afterward, committees were created that talked about comparison between men and women in the field of education. For example, one committee on differentiation of curricula for boys and girls (1959) recommended equality and a common curricula at various stages of their learning. Further efforts were make to expand the education system, and the Education Commission was set up in 1964, which largely talked about female education, which recommended a national policy to be develop by the government. This occurred in 1968, providing increased emphasis on female education.

Political Science Essay

Chapter 1 1. Authority the recognized right of officials to exercise power 2. Constitutionalism the idea that there are lawful restrictions on political relations power 3. Corporate power operates in part through the influence that firms have with policy makers 4. Democracy a form of government in which the pile govern, either directly or through an elected representative. 5. Elitism the power well exercised by well positioned and high influential individuals 6. Free market system operates primarily on private transactions.Firms are largely free to make their own production, distribution and pricing decisions 7. Judicial action the use of courts as means of maintain rights and interests. 8. Majoritarianism the situation in which the majority effectively determines what the government does 9. Pluralism holds that, most issues, the preference of the special interest largely determines what government does 10. Political Science the systematic survey of government and politics 11. Po litical thinking careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view ab tabu a political issue 12.Politics the means by which society settles in conflicts and allocates the resulting the benefits and costs 13. Power refers to the ability of persons, groups or institutions to influence political developments 14. Public policies decisions of government to pursue particular courses of action Chapter 2 1. Anti-Federalists raised arguments that national government would ne too powerful and would threaten self government in the split up states and the liberty of people 2.Bill of Rights includes those as freedom of speech, religion, due process protections. 3. Checks and Balances no institution can act decisively without the support or assent of the other institution. 4. Constitution a fundamental law that defines how government will legitimately operate the method for choosing its leaders, the institutions through which these leaders will work, the procedures they must chase in making policy and the powers they can lawfully exercise highest law of the land 5.Constitutional democratic republic the type of government hitd in the linked States in 1787. a. Constitutional in its requirement to gain power through elections be exercised in accordance with law and with due respect for individual rights b. parliamentary in its provisions for majority influence through elections c. Republic in its mix of deliberative institutions, each of which moderates the power of others 6. Delegates officeholders who are obligated to carry out the expressed opinions of the people they represent 7.Limited government one that is subject to strict legal limits on the uses of power, so that it would non threaten the peoples liberty 8. Self Government one in which the people would be the ultimate source of governing authority and would have a voice in their governing 9. Inalienable rights or Natural rights life, liberty and property, which are thre aten by individuals 10. The Virginia aim/Large State Plan included separate discriminatory and executive branches as well as two chamber congress that would have supreme authority in all areas 11.The New Jersey Plan / Small State Plan call for a stronger national government than that provided by the articles of confederation 12. The Great agree the agreement of the constitutional convention to create a two chamber congress with the House appointed by population and the Senate apportioned equally by the state 13. 3/5 Compromise each slave was to count as less than a person. 14. Federalists Constitution supporters 15. Liberty the principle that individuals should be free to act, and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe on the well being of others 16.Grants of Power framers chose to limit the national government in part by confirming its scope of authority to those powers expressively granted in the Constitution. 17. Denials of Power a means to limit government to pr ohibit certain practices that European rulers had routinely used to oppressed political opponents 18. musical interval of Powers division of the powers of government among separate institutions or branches 19. Separated institution sharing power 20. Checks and Balances No institution can act decisively without the support or acquiescence of the other institutions 21.Judicial Review the power of the judiciary to decide whether a government official or institution that has acted within its limits of the Constitution 22. totalism Sovergnty a government cannot be sovereign if it can be overruled by another government 23. Federalism a governmental system in which authority is divided between two sovereign levels of government, national and regional. 24. Unitary system sovereignty is vested solely in the national government. 25. Confederacy the type of government that existed under the Articles of confederation 26.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 3

Of course, I should clarify at this point that Jerome doesnt look like a demon, at least n ane in the traditional red skin and horns sense. maybe he does on another plane of existence, but like Hugh, me, and all the other im pestilents walking the earth, Jerome wore a piece of music guise now.One that looked like John Cusack.Seriously. No joke. The archdemon always claimed he didnt plane know who the actor was, but none of us bought that. Ow, I give tongue to irritably. allow me go.Jerome released his grasp, but his dark eyes sleek over glinted dangerously. You look good, he said after a moment, seeming surprised by the admission.I tugged at my sweater, straightening it from where his hand had crumpled it. You put one over a funny way of showing your admiration.Really good, he continued thoughtfully. If I didnt know any better, Id say you shine, murmured a voice behind the demon. You shine, Daughter of Li illumineh, like a star in the night sky, like a diamond glittering on the bleakness of eternity.I started in surprise. Jerome cut a sharp glance to the speaker, not liking his monologue interrupted. I also glared, not liking an uninvited angel in my apartment. Carter only smiled at both of us.As I was saying, snapped Jerome, you look like youve been with a good mortal.I did a favor for Hugh.So this isnt the start of a new and improved habit?Not on the salary you pay me.Jerome grunted, but it was all part of a routine between us. He would c workchat me for not taking my job seriously, Id give a few witty quips in return, and the status quo would resume. Like I said, I was whatsoeverthing of a teachers pet.Looking at him now, however, I could see no more jokes would follow. The charm that had so enthralled my customers today had no effect on these two. Jeromes face was drawn and serious, as was Carters, disdain the angels usual sardonic half-smile.Jerome and Carter hung out together regularly, especially when alcohol was involved. This baffled me since they were supposedly locked in well-nigh sort of great, cosmic struggle. Id once asked Jerome if Carter was a locomote angel, which had elicited a good laugh from the demon. When hed recoered from the hilarity, hed told me no, Carter hadnt fallen. If he had, he wouldnt technically be an angel anymore. I hadnt really found that answer pleasurable and finally dogged the two must stay together because there was no one else in this area who could relate to an existence stretching rachis to the beginning of time and creation. All the rest of us lesser immortals had been human at some point before greater immortals like Jerome and Carter had not. My centuries were a unspotted blip on their timeline.Whatever the reasons for his presence now, I didnt like Carter. He wasnt obnoxious like Duane, but he always seemed so smug and supercilious. Maybe it was an angel thing. Carter also had the most bizarre sense of humor Id ever seen. I could never tell if he was making fun of me or not.So what can I do for you boys? I asked, tossing my purse on the counter. Ive got places to be tonight.Jerome fixed me with a narrow-eyed look. I want you to tell me about Duane.What? I already did. Hes an asshole.Is that why you had him killed?I what?I froze where Id been sifting through cupboard contents and slowly turned around to look back at the duo, half expecting some joke. Both faces were in earnest, watching me.Killed? How how does that work?You tell me, Georgie.I blinked, suddenly realizing where this was qualifying. Are you accusing me of killing Duane? And wait this is stupid. Duane isnt dead. He cant be.Jerome began pacing, his voice exaggeratedly civil. Oh, I as original you, he is quite dead. We found him this morning, on the nose before sunrise.So what? He died of sun exposure? That was the only way Id ever heard a lamia could die.No. He died because of the stake wedged into his heart. Ew.So are you ready to tell me who you got to do it, Georgie?I didnt get a nyone to do it I cant regular I dont even understand what this is about. Duane cant be dead.You admitted to me last night you two got in a fight.YesAnd you threatened him.Yeah, but I was jokingI study he told me you said something about him never coming near you again?I was angry and upset He was scaring me. This is crazy. Be human faces, Duane cant be dead.That was the only piece of sanity I could cling to in all of this, so I kept repeating it to them and to myself. Immortals were, by definition, immortal. End of story.Dont you know anything about vampires? the arch-demon asked curiously.Like that they cant die? pastime flickered in Carters gray eyes Jerome found me less funny.Im asking you one last time, Georgina. Did you or did you not have Duane killed? Just answer the question. Yes or no.No, I said firmly.Jerome glanced at Carter. The angel studied me, his lank blond hair falling forward to partially cover his face. I realized thus why Carter was along for the ride tonigh t. Angels can always discern truth from lies. At last, he nodded sharply to Jerome.Glad I passed the test, I muttered. nevertheless they werent stipendiary attention to me anymore.Well, observed Jerome grimly, I guess we know what this means.Well, we dont know for sure I do.Carter gave him a meaningful look, and several seconds of silence passed. Id always suspected the two were communicating mentally in such moments, something we lesser immortals could not do unassisted.So Duanes really dead? I asked.Yes, said Jerome, remembering I was there. really much so.Who killed him then? Now that weve determined it wasnt me?The two glanced at each other and shrugged, neither answering. Negligent parents, both of them. Carter pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up. Lord, I hated it when they got this way.Finally Jerome said, A vampire hunting watch.I stared. Really? Like that girl on TV?Not exactly.So where are you exit tonight? asked Carter pleasantly.To readiness Mortensens signing . And dont change the subject. I want to know about this vampire hunter.Are you going to sleep with him?I what? For half a moment, I thought the angel was asking me about the vampire hunter. You mean Seth Mortensen?Carter exhaled smoke. Sure. I mean, if I were a succubus obsessed with a mortal author, thats what Id do. Besides, doesnt your side always want more celebrities?Weve already got plenty of celebrities, Jerome said in an undertone.Sleep with Seth Mortensen? Good grief. It was the most preposterous thing Id ever heard. It was appalling. If I absorbed his life force, there was no telling how long itd be until his next deem came out.No Of course not.Then what are you going to do to get noticed?Noticed?Sure. I mean, the guy probably sees tons of fans on a regular basis. Dont you want to stand out in some way?Surprise washed over me. I hadnt even considered that. Should I have? My jaded nature made it difficult to find pleasure in many things nowadays. Seth Mortensen books wer e one of my few escapes. Should I acknowledge that and attempt to connect with the novels creator? Earlier today, Id mocked run-of-the-mill fans. Was I about to become one of them?Well I mean, Paige will probably introduce the staff privately to him. Ill sort of stand out then.Yes, of course. Carter put out the cigarette in my kitchen sink. Im sure he never gets the opportunity to meet bookstore management.I opened my mouth to protest, but Jerome cut me off.Enough. He gave Carter another of those meaningful looks. We need to go.I wait a minute Carter had succeeded in derailing me off the topic after all. I couldnt believe it. I want to know more about this vampire hunter.All you need to know is that you should be careful, Georgie. Extremely careful. I am not joking about this.I swallowed, hearing the iron in the demons voice. But Im not a vampire.I dont care. These hunter types sometimes follow vampires around, hoping to find others. You could be implicated by association. Lay low. Avoid being alone. Stay with others mortal or immortal, it doesnt matter. Maybe you can follow up on your favor for Hugh and score some more souls for our side while youre at it.I turn over my eyes at that as the two walked to the door.I mean it. Be careful. Keep a low profile. Dont get involved with this.And, added Carter with a wink, say hi to Seth Mortensen for me.With that, the two left, closing the door gently behind them. A formality really, since either of them could have just teleported out. Or blown my door apart.I turned to Aubrey. She had watched the proceedings cautiously from the back of my sofa, tail twitching.Well, I told her, reeling. What am I supposed to lead of that?Duane was actually dead? I mean, yeah, he was a bastard, and I had been pretty pissed when I threatened him last night, but Id never actually wanted him to be really dead. And what about this vampire hunter business? Why was I supposed to be careful when ShitI had just glanced at my microwave clock . It coolly informed me I require to return to the bookstore ASAP. Pushing Duane out of my brain, I dashed to my bedroom and stared at myself in the mirror. Aubrey followed more sluggishly.What to wear? I could just keep my legitimate outfit. The sweater and khakis combination looked both respectable and subdued, though the color scheme blended a bit too well with my light brown hair. It was a librarian sort of outfit. Did I want to look subdued? Maybe. Like I had told Carter, I really didnt want to do anything that might solicit the romantic interest of my favorite author in the whole world.StillStill, I remembered what the angel had said about getting noticed. I didnt want to be just another face in Seth Mortensens crowd. This was the final stop on his latest tour. No doubt hed seen thousands of fans in the last month, fans who blurred together into a sea of bland faces, making their inane comments. I had advised the guy at the counter to be innovative with his questions, and I intended to behave the equivalent way with my appearance.Five minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror once more, this time clad in a silk tank top, deep reddish blue and low-cut, paired with a floral chiffon skirt. The skirt almost covered my thighs and swirled when I spun. It would have made a great dancing outfit. Stepping into strappy brown heels, I glanced over at Aubrey for confirmation.What do you think? Too sexy?She began cleaning her tail.It is sexy, I conceded, but its classy sexy. The hair helps, I think.I had pulled my long hair up into a romantic sort of bun, leaving wavy locks to frame my face and enhance my eyes. Momentary shape-shifting made them turn greener than usual. Changing my mind, I let them go back to their pattern gold-and-green-flecked hazel.When Aubrey still refused to acknowledge how awesome I looked, I grabbed my snakeskin coat and glared at her. I dont care what you think. This outfit was a good call.I left the apartment with my copy of The Gla sgow Pact and walked back to work, impervious to the drizzle. Another perk of shape-shifting. Fans milled inside the main retail area, eager to see the man whose latest book still dominated the bestseller lists, even after five weeks. I squeezed past the group, making my way toward the stairs that led to the second floor. early days adult books are over there by the wall. Dougs friendly voice drifted nearby. Let me know if you need anything else.He turned away from the customer hed been helping, caught vista of me, and promptly dropped the stack of books hed been holding.Customers stepped back, politely watching him kneel down to retrieve the books. I recognized the covers immediately. They were paperbacks of Seth Mortensens older titles.Sacrilege, I commented. Letting those tinct the ground. Youll have to burn them now, like a flag.Ignoring me, Doug gathered up the books and then ushered me off out of earshot. Nice of you to go home and change into something more comfortable. Chr ist, can you even bend over in that?What, do you think Ill have to tonight?Well, that depends. I mean, Warrens here after all.Harsh, Doug. Very harsh.You bring it on yourself, Kincaid. He gave me a reluctant, appreciative glance just before we started climbing the stairs. You do look pretty good, though.Thanks. I wanted Seth Mortensen to notice me.Believe me, unless hes gay, hell notice you. likely even then too.I dont look too slutty, do I?No.Or cheap?No.I was going for classy sexy. What do you think?I think Im done feeding your ego. You already know how you look.We crested the top of the stairs. A mass of chairs had been set up, covering most of the cafes normal seating area and spreading out into part of the gardening and maps section of books. Paige, the store manager and our superior, busily attempted some sort of wiring stunting with the microphone and sound system. I didnt know what this building had been used for before Emerald City Books moved in, but it was not an ideal venue for acoustics and large groups.Im going to help her, Doug told me, kindly chivalrous. Paige was three months pregnant. Id advise you do something that doesnt involve leaning more than twenty degrees in any one direction. Oh, and if somebody tries to get you to touch your elbows together behind your back, dont fall for it.I gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, nearly making him lose the books again.Bruce, still manning the espresso counter, made me my fourth sporting chocolate mocha of the day, and I wandered over to the geography books to drink it while I waited for things to pick up. Glancing beside me, I recognized the guy Id discussed Seth Mortensen with earlier. He still held his copy of The Glasgow Pact.Hey, I said.He jumped at the sound of my voice, having been absorbed in a travel book about Texas.Sorry, I told him. Didnt mean to scare you.I no, you d-didnt, he stammered. His eyes assessed me from head to toe in one quick glance, lingering ever so briefly on my hips and breasts but longest on my face. You changed clothes. Apparently realizing the myriad implications behind such an admission, he added hastily, Not that thats bad. I mean thats good. Er, well, that is His embarrassment growing, he turned from me and tried to awkwardly replace the Texas book back on the shelf, upside down. I hid my smile. This guy was too adorable. I didnt run into many shy guys anymore. Modern-day dating seemed to demand men make as great a spectacle of themselves as possible, and unfortunately, women seemed to really go for it. Okay, even I went for it sometimes. But shy guys deserved a break too, and I decided a little harmless flirting with him would be good for his ego while I waited for the signing to start. He probably had terrible luck with women.Let me do that, I offered, leaning across him. My hands touched his as I took the book from him, replacing it carefully on the shelf, front cover out. There.I stepped back as though to admire my handiwork, making sure I stood very close to him, our shoulders nearly touching. Its important to keep up appearances with books, I explained. picture show goes a long way in this business.He dared a look over at me, still nervous but steadily recovering his composure. I go more for content.Really? I repositioned slightly so that we were touching again, the soft flannel of his shirt brushing my bare skin. Because I could have pledged a moment ago you were pretty caught up in outside appearance.His eyes shifted down again, but I could see a smile veer his lips. Well. Some things are so striking, they cant help but draw attention to themselves.And doesnt that make you curious about whats inside?Mostly it makes me want to get you some advanced copies.Advanced copies? What did he ?Seth? Seth, where ah, there you are.Paige turned down our aisle, Doug following behind. She brightened when she saw me, and I felt my stomach sink out of me and hit the floor with a thud as I put two and two together. No. No. It couldnt be Ah, Georgina. I see youve already met Seth Mortensen.

Vampire Academy Chapter 13

THIRTEENTHE AFTERMATH OF JESSE AND Ralfs lies was most as horrible as Id expected. The only musical mode I survived was by putting blinders on, by ignoring e precise single and everything. It kept me sane b atomic number 18ly simply I dis worry it. I felt handle crying all the date. I lost my appetite and didnt sleep well.Yet, no payoff how hard it got for me, I didnt worry most myself as much as I did Lissa. She s overlyd by her promise to change things. It was slow at first, but gradually, I would see a royal or two come up to her at lunch or in course of instruction and say hello. Shed run on a brilliant smile, laughing and talking to them like they were all best friends.At first, I didnt understand how she was pulling it off. Shed told me she would use compulsion to win the other(a) royals over and turn them against Mia. But I didnt see it pass oning. It was possible, of course, that she was winning people over without compulsion. After all, she was funny, smart, a nd nice. Anyone would like her. Something told me she wasnt winning friends the old-fashioned modal value, and I in conclusion figured it out.She was using compulsion when I wasnt around. I only saw her for a small reveal of the day, and since she knew I didnt approve, she only worked her power when I was remote.After a any(prenominal) days of this secret compulsion, I knew what I needed to do I had to situate plunk for in her head again. By choice. Id make it before I could do it again.At least, thats what I told myself, sitting and spacing out in Stans class one day. But it wasnt as easy as Id thought it would be, partly because I felt too keyed up to relax and open myself to her thoughts. I also had trouble because I picked a time when she felt relatively calm. She came with and through the loudest when her emotions were running strong.Still, I tried to do what Id done before, back when Id spied on her and Christian. The meditation thing. Slow breathing. Eyes closed. Me ntal focus like that shut up wasnt easy for me, but at long death I managed the transition, slipping into her head and experiencing the world as hers. She stood in her American light up class, during project-work time, but, like most of the students, she wasnt working. She and Camille Conta leaned against a wall on the removed side of the room, talking in placid voices.Its gross, said Camille firmly, a fr cause crossing her pretty face. She had on a blue skirt make of velvet-like fabric, short enough to show off her long legs and possibly raise eyes somewhat(predicate) the suffice code. If you guys were doing it, Im not surprised she got addicted and did it with Jesse.She didnt do it with Jesse, insisted Lissa. And its not like we had sex. We just didnt have any feeders, thats all. Lissa cerebrate her full maintenance on Camille and smiled. Its no big deal. Everyones overreacting.Camille looked like she seriously doubted this, and then, the to a greater extent she st bed a t Lissa, the more unfocused her eyes became. A blank look fell over her.Right? asked Lissa, voice like silk. Its not a big deal.The frown returned. Camille tried to shake the compulsion. That fact that itd even gotten this far was incredible. As Christian had observed, using it on Moroi was unheard of.Camille, although strong-willed, lost the battle. Yeah, she said slowly. Its truly not that big a deal.And Jesses lying.She nodded. Definitely lying.A mental strain burned inside of Lissa as she held onto the compulsion. It took a push-down store of effort, and she wasnt finished.What are you guys doing tonight?Carly and I are going to study for Matthesons test in her room.Invite me.Camille thought about it. Hey, you want to study with us?Sure, said Lissa, smiling at her. Camille smiled back.Lissa dropped the compulsion, and a wave of dizziness sweep over her. She felt weak. Camille glanced around, momentarily surprised, then shook off the weirdness. take you after dinner then.See you, murmured Lissa, watching her walk a guidance. When Camille was gone, Lissa reached up to tie her hair up in a ponytail. Her fingers couldnt quite get all the hair through, and suddenly, another pair of give caught hold and helped her. She spun around and found herself staring into Christians ice-blue eyes. She jerked away from him.Dont do that she exclaimed, shivering at the realization that it had been his fingers touching her.He gave her his lazy, slightly twisted smile and fleecy a few pieces of unruly black hair out of his face. Are you asking me or ordinance me?Shut up. She glanced around, both to avoid his eyes and make sure no one saw them together.Whats the matter? Worried about what your slavesll compute if they see you talking to me?Theyre my friends, she retorted.Oh. Right. Of course they are. I miserly, from what I saw, Camille would probably do anything for you, right? Friends till the end. He crossed his arms over his chest, and in spite of her anger, she cou ldnt help but notice how the silvery gray of his shirt set off his black hair and blue eyes.At least she isnt like you. She doesnt pretend to be my friend one day and then ignore me for no reason.An un trusted look flickered across his features. Tension and anger had built up between them in the last week, ever since Id yelled at Christian after the royal reception. Believing what Id told him, Christian had stopped talking to her and had treated her rudely every time shed tried to start a conversation. Now, hurt and confused, shed given up attempts at being nice. The situation just kept getting worse and worse.Looking out through Lissas eyes, I could see that he still cared about her and still wanted her. His pride had been hurt, however, and he wasnt about to show weakness.Yeah? he said in a low, cruel voice. I thought that was the way all royals were supposed to act. You certainly seem to be doing a good job with it. Or peradventure youre just using compulsion on me to make me th ink youre a two-faced bitch. Maybe you really arent. But I doubt it.Lissa flushed at the word compulsion and cast another unhappy look around but decided not to give him the satisfaction of arguing anymore. She simply gave him one last glare before storming off to join a group of royals huddled over an appointment Returning to myself, I stared blankly around the classroom, processing what Id seen. Some tiny, tiny part of me was starting to intuitive intuitive feelinging sorry for Christian. It was only a tiny part, though, and very easy to ignore.At the beginning of the next day, I headed out to meet Dimitri. These practices were my favorite part of the day now, partly because of my stupid crush on him and partly because I didnt have to be around the others.He and I started with running as usual, and he ran with me, peacefulness and almost gentle in his instructions, probably worried about causing some sort of breakdown. He knew about the rumors somehow, but he never mentioned them.When we finished, he led me through an offensive exercise where I could use any makeshift weapons I could find to attack him. To my surprise, I managed to land a few blows on him, although they seemed to do me more damage than him. The impacts always made me stagger back, but he never budged. It still didnt stop me from attacking and attacking, fighting with an almost blind rage. I didnt survive who I really fought in those moments Mia or Jesse or Ralf. Maybe all of them.Dimitri finally called a break. We carried the equipment wed used on the case and returned everything to the supply room. While putting it away, he glanced at me and did a double take.Your hands. He swore in Russian. I could recognize it by now, but he refused to teach me what any of it meant. Where are your gloves?I looked down at my hands. Theyd suffered for weeks, and today had only made them worse. The cold had turned the skin raw and chapped, and some parts were very bleeding a minuscular. My blisters swelled. Dont have any. Never needed them in Portland.He swore again and beckoned me to a mince while he retrieved a first-aid kit. Wiping away the blood with a wet cloth, he told me gruffly, Well get you some.I looked down at my destroyed hands as he worked. This is only the start, isnt it?Of what?Me. Turning into Alberta. Herand all the other female guardians. Theyre all leathery and stuff. Fighting and training and always being outdoors they arent pretty anymore. I paused. Thisthis life. It destroys them. Their looks, I mean.He hesitated for a moment and looked up from my hands. Those warm brown eyes surveyed me, and something pie-eyedened in my chest. blasted it. I had to stop feeling this way around him. It wont happen to you. Youre too He groped for the right word, and I mentally substituted all sorts of possibilities. Goddess-like. Scorchingly sexy. Giving up, he simply said, It wont happen to you.He turned his attention back to my hands. Did hedid he think I was pretty? I never doubted the reaction I caused among guys my own age, but with him, I didnt tell apart. The tightening in my chest increased.It happened to my mom. She used to be beautiful. I guess she still is, sort of. But not the way she used to be. Bitterly, I added, Havent seen her in a while. She could look tout ensemble different for all I know.You dont like your mother, he observed.You noticed that, huh?You barely know her.Thats the point. She abandoned me. She left-hand(a) me to be raised by the Academy.When he finished cleaning my open wounds, he found a jar of salve and began rubbing it into the rough parts of my skin. I sort of got lost in the feel of his hands massaging mine.You say thatbut what else should she have done? I know you want to be a guardian. I know how much it means to you. Do you think she feels any differently? Do you think she should have quit to raise you when youd spend most of your life here anyway?I didnt like having reasonable arguments thrown at me. Ar e you saying Im a hypocrite?Im just saying mayhap you shouldnt be so hard on her. Shes a very respected dhampir woman. Shes set you on the pathway to be the same.It wouldnt kill her to visit more, I muttered. But I guess youre right. A little. It could have been worse, I suppose. I could have been raised with blood whores.Dimitri looked up. I was raised in a dhampir commune. They arent as bad as you think.Oh. I suddenly felt stupid. I didnt mean Its all right. He focused his attention back on my hands.So, did you, like, have family there? Grow up with them?He nodded. My mother and two sisters. I didnt see them much after I went to school, but we still keep in touch. Mostly, the communities are about family. Theres a lot of love there, no matter what stories youve heard.My bitterness returned, and I glanced down to hide my glare. Dimitri had had a happier family life with his disgraced mother and relatives than Id had with my respected guardian mother. He most certainly knew his mo ther intermit than I knew mine.Yeah, butisnt it weird? Arent there a lot of Moroi men visiting to, you know?His hands rubbed circles into mine. Sometimes.There was something dangerous in his tone, something that told me this was an unwelcome topic. I-Im sorry. I didnt mean to bring up something bad trulyyou probably wouldnt think its bad, he said after almost a minute had passed. A tight smile formed on his lips. You dont know your father, do you?I shook my head. No. wholly I know is he must have had wicked cool hair.Dimitri glanced up, and his eyes swept me. Yes. He must have. Returning to my hands, he said carefully, I knew mine.I froze. Really? Most Moroi guys dont stay I mean, some do, but you know, usually they just Well, he liked my mother. He didnt say liked in a nice way. And he visited her a lot. Hes my sisters father too. But when he camewell, he didnt treat my mother very well. He did some horrible things.Like I hesitated. This was Dimitris mother we were talking abo ut. I didnt know how far I could go. Blood-whore things?Like beating-her-up kinds of things, he replied flatly.Hed finished the bandages but was still holding my hands. I dont even know if he noticed. I certainly did. His were warm and large, with long and graceful fingers. Fingers that might have played the delicate in another life.Oh God, I said. How horrible. I tightened my hands in his. He squeezed back. Thats horrible. And sheshe just let it happen?She did. The corner of his mouth turned up into a sly, sad smile. But I didnt.Excitement surged through me. Tell me, tell me you beat the crap out of him.His smile grew. I did.Wow. I hadnt thought Dimitri could be any cooler, but I was wrong. You beat up your dad. I mean, thats really horriblewhat happened. But, wow. You really are a god.He blinked. What?Uh, nothing. Hastily, I tried to change the subject. How old were you?He still seemed to be dumbfound out the god comment. Thirteen.Whoa. Definitely a god. You beat up your dad whe n you were thirteen?It wasnt that hard. I was stronger than he was, almost as tall. I couldnt let him keep doing that. He had to learn that being royal and Moroi doesnt mean you can do anything you want to other people even blood whores.I stared. I couldnt see hed just said that about his mother. Im sorry.Its all right.Pieces clicked into place for me. Thats why you got so upset about Jesse, isnt it? He was another royal, trying to take advantage of a dhampir girl.Dimitri averted his eyes. I got upset over that for a lot of reasons. After all, you were breaking the rules, andHe didnt finish, but he looked back into my eyes in a way that made warmth build between us.Thinking about Jesse soon darkened my mood, unfortunately. I looked down. I know you heard what people are saying, that I I know its not true, he interrupted.His immediate, certain answer surprised me, and I stupidly found myself questioning it. Yeah, but how do you Because I know you, he replied firmly. I know your c haracter. I know youre going to be a great guardian.His self-assurance made that warm feeling return. Im glad someone does. Everyone else thinks Im totally irresponsible.With the way you worry more about Lissa than yourself He shook his head. No. You understand your responsibilities better than guardians twice your age. Youll do what you have to do to succeed.I thought about that. I dont know if I can do everything I have to do.He did that cool one-eyebrow thing.I dont want to cut my hair, I explained.He looked puzzled. You dont have to cut your hair. Its not required.All the other guardian women do. They show off their tattoos.Unexpectedly, he released my hands and leaned forward. Slowly, he reached out and held a keep mum of my hair, twisting it around one finger thoughtfully. I froze, and for a moment, there was nothing going on in the world except him touching my hair. He let my hair go, looking a little surprised and embarrassed at what hed done.Dont cut it, he said gruffly .Somehow, I remembered how to talk again. But no onell see my tattoos if I dont.He moved toward the doorway, a small smile playing over his lips. bankrupt it up.

Chapter 13 Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw

It looked like the stamp let on of Ron and Hermiones friendship. Each was so angry with the early(a)(a) that rag couldnt see how theyd ever exonerate up.Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshankss attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadnt bothered to take hold a close enough watch on him, and was belt up trying to pre god that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all told the boys beds. Hermione, mean period, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger h carriages might look at been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Rons head in the Magical Menagerie.Personally, devil was sure that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, and when he tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that expression, she lost her temper with nettle too.Okay, side with Ron, I knew you would she verbalise shrilly. First the Firebolt, now Scabbers, everythings my fault, isnt it Just leave me alone, fire, Ive got a lot of regulate to doRon had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.Come on, Ron, you were always saying how wordy Scabbers was, verbalise Fred bracingly. And hes been dispatch-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably check for him to snuff it quickly one boozing he probably didnt feel a thing.Fred utter Ginny indignantly.All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you verbalise it yourself, verbalize George.He bit Goyle for us once Ron verbalize miserably. Remember, kindle?Yeah, thats true, give tongue to desolate.His finest hour, verbalise Fred, unable to support a straight fountain. Let the scar on Goyles finger stand as a perdurable tri scarcelye to his memory. Oh, go on, Ron, get yourself mass to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, whats the point of moaning?In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, annoy persuaded him to make sense along to the Gryffindor police squads final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could carry a ride on the Firebolt after theyd finished. This did seem to take Rons mind aside Scabbers for a moment (Great Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?) so they set clear up for the Quidditch line of merchandise together. bird Hooch, who was still everywhereseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on stimulate, was good as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been. She took it in her hands before takeoff and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion. run across at the eternal sleep on it If the Nimbus series has a fault, its a slight list to the nates end you often find they develop a drag after a few years. Theyve updated the divvy up too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows a pity theyve stopped making them. I acquire to fly on one, and a very fine old b mode it was tooShe continued in this vein for some time, until Wood said, Er Ma dam Hooch? Is it O.K. if Harry has the Firebolt nates? We destiny to practiceOh right here you are, thus, fiddle, said Madam Hooch. Ill sit over here with WeasleyShe and Ron left hand the field to sit in the stadium, and the Gryffindor squad gathered nigh Wood for his final instructions for tomorrows match.Harry, Ive ripe be out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. Its Cho Chang. Shes a four-spotth year, and shes pretty goodI really hoped she wouldnt be fit, shes had some problems with injuries Wood scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, then said, On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt. He gave Harrys broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, Okay, everyone, lets go And at long last, Harry mount his Firebolt, and kicked off from the ground.It was better than hed ever dreamed. The Firebolt human activityed with the lightest touch it seemed to obey his thoughts kind of than h is grip it sped across the field at such(prenominal) speed that the stadium turned into a green-and-gray blur Harry turned it so sharply that Alicia Spinnet screamed, then he went into a perfectly controlled dive, brushing the grassy field with his toes before rising thirty, forty, fifty feet into the air again Harry, Im letting the plume out Wood called.Harry turned and raced a Bludger toward the goal posts he outstripped it easily, saw the s necessitate dart out from behind Wood, and within ten seconds had caught it tight fittingly in his hand.The team cheered madly. Harry let the Snitch go again, gave it a minutes head start, then tore after it, distort in and out of the others he spotted it lurking near Katie Bells knee, looped her easily, and caught it again.It was the best practice ever the team, inspired by the presence of the Firebolt in their midst, performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time they hit the ground again, Wood didnt have a single criticism to m ake, which, as George Weasley pointed out, was a firstborn.I cant see whats going to stop us tomorrow said Wood. Not unless Harry, youve sorted out your Dementor problem, havent you?Yeah, said Harry, thought of his feeble Patronus and wishing it were stronger.The Dementors wont turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledored go ballistic, said Fred confidently.Well, lets hope not, said Wood. Anyway good work, everyone. Lets get patronize to the towerturn in earlyIm staying out for a bit Ron wants a go on the Firebolt, Harry told Wood, and while the remain of the team headed off to the storage locker rooms, Harry strode over to Ron, who vaulted the barrier to the stands and came to meet him. Madam Hooch had fallen asleep in her seat.Here you go, said Harry, handing Ron the Firebolt.Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Harry walked around the edge of the field, watching him. night had fallen before Madam Hooch awoke w ith a start, told Harry and Ron off for not waking her, and insisted that they go back to the castle.Harry shouldered the Firebolt and he and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolts superbly smooth action, its phenomenal acceleration, and its atom turning. They were halfway toward the castle when Harry, glancing to his left, saw something that made his heart turn over a pair of eyes, glowing out of the darkness.Harry stopped dead, his heart banging against his ribs.Whats the matter? said Ron.Harry pointed. Ron pulled out his brink and muttered, LumosA beam of light fell across the grass, hit the bottom of a tree, and illuminated its branches there, crouching among the bud leaves, was Crookshanks.Get out of here Ron roared, and he stooped down and seized a stone prevarication on the grass, precisely before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of his long ginger tail.See? Ron said furiously, chucking the stone down again. She s still letting him scepterer about wherever he wants probably serve down Scabbers with a couple of birds now.Harry didnt say anything. He took a deep breather as relief seeped through him he had been sure for a moment that those eyes had belonged to the Grim. They set off for the castle once more. slightly ashamed of his moment of panic, Harry didnt say anything to Ron nor did he look left or right until they had reached the well lit entrance hall.Harry went down to breakfast the next morning with the rest of the boys in his antechamber, all of whom seemed to think the Firebolt deserved a sort of guard of honor. As Harry entered the Great Hall, heads turned in the direction of the Firebolt, and there was a good deal of excited muttering. Harry saw, with enormous satisfaction, that the Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck.Did you see his face? said Ron gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. He cant believe it This is brilliantWood, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt.Put it here, Harry, he said, laying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upward. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were concisely approach over to look. Cedric Diggory came over to congratulate Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus, and Percys Ravenclaw girlfriend, genus Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold the Firebolt.Now, now, penny, no pervert said Percy heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely. Penelope and I have got a bet on, he told the team. Ten Galleons on the outcome of the matchPenelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry, and went back to her table.Harry make sure you win, said Percy, in an urgent whisper. I havent got ten Galleons. Yes, Im coming, Penny And he bustled off to join her in a piece of toast.Sure you can manage that broom, Potter? said a cold, drawling voice.Draco Malfoy had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle r ight behind him.Yeah, reckon so, said Harry casually.Got plenty of special features, hasnt it? said Malfoy, eyes glittering maliciously. Shame it doesnt come with a parachute in case you get too near a Dementor.Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.Pity you cant attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy, said Harry. Then it could begin the Snitch for you.The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Malfoys pale eyes narrowed, and he stalked away. They watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harrys broom really was a Firebolt.At a pull to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldnt have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze there would be no visibility problems this time, and Harry, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only(prenominal) a Quidditch match could bring. They could hear the rest of the rail moving into th e stadium beyond. Harry took off his black school robes, removed his wand from his pocket, and stuck it at heart the island of Jersey he was going to wear under his Quidditch robes. He only hoped he wouldnt need it. He wondered curtly whether Professor Lupin was in the crowd, watching.You know what weve got to do, said Wood as they prepared to leave the locker rooms. If we lose this match, were out of the outpouring. adept just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and well be okayThey walked out onto the field to tumultuous applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were al choosey standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and Harry couldnt help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was extremely pretty. She smiled at Harry as the teams faced each other behind their captains, and he felt a slight lurch in the region of his stomach that he didnt think had anything to do with nerves.Wood, Davies, shake hands, Madam Hooch said briskly, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain.Mount your brooms on my babble three two one Harry kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom he soared around the stadium and began squinting around for the Snitch, listening all the while to the commentary, which was universe provided by the Weasley twins friend Lee Jordan.Theyre off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. tally to Which Broomstick, the Firebolts going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this years World Championship Jordan, would you mind tattle us whats going on in the match? interrupted Professor McGonagalls voice.Right you are, Professor just giving a bit of background information the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and JordanOkay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor, heading for goalHarry st reaked past Katie in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of aureate and noticing that Cho Chang was tailing him closely. She was undoubtedly a very good flier she kept cutting across him, forcing him to channelise direction.Show her your acceleration, Harry Fred yelled as he whooshed past in pursuit of a Bludger that was aiming for Alicia.Harry urged the Firebolt forward as they rounded the Ravenclaw goal posts and Cho fell behind. Just as Katie succeeded in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field went wild, he saw it the Snitch was close to the ground, flitting near one of the barriers.Harry dived Cho saw what he was doing and tore after him Harry was speeding up, excitement flooding him dives were his specialty, he was ten feet away Then a Bludger, hit by one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, came pelting out of nowhere Harry veered off course, avoiding it by an inch, and in those few, crucial seconds, the Snitch had vanished.There was a great Ooooooh of disappointment from the Gryffindor supporters, only much applause for their Beater from the Ravenclaw end. George Weasley vented his mental pictures by hitting the second Bludger directly at the offending Beater, who was squeeze to roll right over in midair to avoid it.Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go Potters really putting it through its paces now, see it turn Changs Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolts precision balance is really noticeable in these long JORDAN ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARYRavenclaw was pulling back they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead if Cho got the Snitch before him, Ravenclaw would win. Harry dropped lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser, scanning the field frantically a glint of gold, a flutter of tiny wings the Snitch was circling the Gryffindor goal postHarry accelerated, eyes fixed on the speck of go ld ahead but just then, Cho appeared out of thin air, blocking him HARRY, THIS IS NO snip TO BE A GENTLEMAN Wood roared as Harry swerved to avoid a collision. KNOCK HER bump off HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TOHarry turned and caught sight of Cho she was grinning. The Snitch had vanished again. Harry turned his Firebolt upward and was soon twenty feet above the game. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cho following him Shed decided to mark him rather than search for the Snitch herselfAll right, thenif she wanted to tail him, shed have to take the consequencesHe dived again, and Cho, thinking hed seen the Snitch, tried to follow Harry pulled out of the dive very sharply she hurtled downward he move fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time the Snitch was glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end.He accelerated so, many feet below, did Cho. He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second then Oh screamed Cho, pointing.Distracted, Harry looked do wn.Three Dementors, three tall, black, hooded Dementors, were looking up at him.He didnt stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of his robes, he whipped out his wand and roared, Expecto patronumSomething silver-white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand. He knew it had shot directly at the Dementors but didnt pause to watch his mind still miraculously clear, he looked ahead he was nearly there. He stretched out the hand still grasping his wand and just managed to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch.Madam Hoochs whistle sounded. Harry turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on him next moment, the whole team was necking him so hard he was nearly pulled off his broom. Down below he could hear the roars of the Gryffindors in the crowd.Thats my boy Wood kept yelling. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie had all kissed Harry Fred had him in a grip so tight Harry felt as though his head would come off In complete disarray, the team ma naged to make its way back to the ground. Harry got off his broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron in the lead. forrader he knew it, he had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.Yes Ron yelled, yanking Harrys arm into the air. Yes YesWell done, Harry said Percy, looking delighted. Ten Galleons to me Must find Penelope, excuse me Good for you, Harry roared Seamus Finnigan.Ruddy brilliant boomed Hagrid over the heads of the milling Gryffindors.That was quite some Patronus, said a voice in Harrys ear.Harry turned around to see Professor Lupin, who looked both shaken and pleased.The Dementors didnt affect me at all Harry said excitedly. I didnt feel a thingThat would be because they er werent Dementors, said Professor Lupin. Come and see He led Harry out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the field.You gave Mr. Malfoy quite a fright, said Lupin.Harry stared. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Malfoy, Crabbe , Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, all struggling to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyles shoulders. Standing over them, with an expression of the termination fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall.An unworthy trick she was shouting. A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake Ah, here he comes nowIf anything could have set the seal on Gryffindors victory, it was this. Ron, who had fought his way through to Harrys side, doubled up with laughter as they watched Malfoy fighting to extricate himself from the robe, Goyles head still stuck inside it.Come on, Harry said George, fighting his way over. Party Gryffindor common room, nowRight, said Harry, and feeling happier than he had in ages, he and the rest of the team led the way, still in their scarle t robes, out of the stadium and back up to the castle.It felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup the fellowship went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.How did you do that? squealed Angelina Johnson as George started throwing Peppermint Toads into the crowd.With a little help from Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Fred muttered in Harrys ear.Only one person wasnt connecter in the festivities. Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home life story and Social Habits of British Muggles. Harry broke away from the table where Fred and George had started juggling butterbeer bottles and went over to her.Did you even come to the match? he asked her.Of course I did, said Hermione in a strangely high-pitched voice, not looking up. And Im very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday.Come on, Hermione, come and have some food, Harry said, looking over at Ron and question whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet.I cant, Harry. Ive still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. Anyway She glanced over at Ron too. He doesnt want me to join in.There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, If Scabbers hadnt just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them Hermione burst into tears. Before Harry could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls dormitories and out of sight.Cant you give her a break? Harry asked Ron quietly.No, said Ron flatly. If she just acted like she was sorry but shell never admit shes wrong, Hermione. Shes still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something .The Gryffindor troupe ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning, to insist that they all go to bed. Harry and Ron climbed the stairs to their dormitory, still discussing the match. At last, exhausted, Harry climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of his four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt himself almost instantly drifting off to sleepHe had a very strange dream. He was base on balls through a forest, his Firebolt over his shoulder, following something silvery-white. It was winding its way through the trees ahead, and he could only catch glimpses of it between the leaves. Anxious to catch up with it, he sped up, but as he moved faster, so did his quarry. Harry broke into a run, and ahead he heard hooves gathering speed. Now he was running flat out, and ahead he could hear galloping. Then he turned a corner into a clearing and AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOHarry woke as suddenly as though hed been hit in the face. Disoriented in the total darkness, he fumbled with his hangings, he could hear movements around him, and Seamus Finnigans voice from the other side of the room.Whats going on?Harry thought he heard the dormitory door slam. At last finding the divide in his curtains, he ripped them back, and at the same moment, Dean Thomas lit his lamp.Ron was sitting up in bed, the hangings torn from one side, a look of utmost terror on his face. gloomy Sirius Black With a knifeWhat?Here Just now Slashed the curtains Woke me upYou sure you werent dreaming, Ron? said Dean.Look at the curtains I tell you, he was hereThey all scrambled out of bed Harry reached the dormitory door first, and they sprinted back down the staircase. Doors stretched behind them, and sleepy voices called after them.Who shouted?Whatre you doing?The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserte d.Are you sure you werent dreaming, Ron?Im telling you, I saw himWhats all the noise?Professor McGonagall told us to go to bedA few of the girls had come down their staircase, pulling on dressing gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were reappearing.Excellent, are we carrying on? said Fred Weasley brightly.Everyone back upstairs said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.Perce Sirius Black said Ron faintly. In our dormitory With a knife Woke me upThe common room went very still. guff said Percy, looking startled. You had too much to eat, Ron had a nightmare Im telling you Now, really, enoughs enoughProfessor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portraying behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous Percy, I expected better of youI certainly didnt authorize this, Professor said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. I was just tel ling them all to get back to bed My brother Ron here had a nightmare IT WASNT A NIGHTMARE Ron yelled. PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS rest OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFEProfessor McGonagall stared at him.Dont be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?Ask him said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogans picture. Ask him if he saw Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath. Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor rule?Certainly, good lady cried Sir Cadogan.There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.You you did? said Professor McGonagall. But but the passwordHe had em said Sir Cadogan proudly. Had the whole weeks, my lady Read em off a little piece of paperProfessor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk.Which person, she said, her voice shaking, which abysmally foolish person wrote down this weeks passwords and left them lying around?There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy shoed toes, raised his hand slowly into the air.