Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Signification of Icons in a Computer GUI :: Icons Symbols Essays

Implication of Icons in a Computer GUI In 1867 in his paper On a New List of Categories, Charles Peirce said that there were three sorts of signs: symbols, files, and images. As indicated by Thomas Sebeok a sign is supposed to be famous when there is a topological closeness between a signifier and its denotata. Symbols are then something that takes after the article that they speak to. That comparability among symbol and article is on a very basic level what separates symbols from the other two sorts of signs. Records don't have any similitude with their significants, yet have a circumstances and logical results relationship. Images don't have any immediate relationship with an article other than the implying that forced or all things considered settled upon a gathering of people. In this paper I need to think about just one of the three sorts of signs in Peirce set of three. I have chosen the symbol for this conversation since this is as of now one of the most widely recognized utilized and misconstrued terms in our general public. One reason for this marvel is the way that some extremely specific pictures called symbols have showed up in a large number of PC screens far and wide. These supposed symbols are the center components of the idea called graphical UI (GUI). The GUI is the PC business' endeavor to make individualized computing a reality for each one. This virtual condition gives pictures that are assume to be recognizable and permits clients to connect legitimately with them by uprightness of a sensation activity like the development of a mouse. This has demonstrated to be significantly all the more engaging for a lot of individuals as contradict to retaining and type verbal (representative) PC orders. PC symbols inside a GUI should look like some genuine item. The achievement of a symbol on imparting the correct significance to the client relies upon the precision of the portrayal and, obviously, the client's capacity to perceive the relationship. Notice that a PC framework will have a wide range of signs worked in to speak with the client. Watchwords and sentences that give directions or alarm the client of the status of the framework are images. A client is viewed as PC educated when the individual can comprehend those images. Another manner by which a PC framework speaks with a client is by methods for records. At the point when a framework is killed on or, a light that shows the status of the framework is a record.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Marketing Orientation in Telecommunication Company Essay

Promoting Orientation in Telecommunication Company - Essay Example A profound investigation of the organization has been made inside this report. Likewise dependent on the investigation of the organization and its rivals, proposals have been set out for the administration. The arrangement that has been set down which incorporates the advantages that Etisalat can pick up from the suggestion of beginning a web based business site. This examination has been founded on an optional research. The data gathered is for the most part from the auxiliary sources, which incorporate different sources, contemplates, articles, papers, and sites. Optional information alludes to data distributed by others and which is as of now available1. It is additionally information gathered by others instead of the analyst who is doing the study2. There has been a through research directed to increase all the data of this Etisalat. Incredible consideration has been taken while picking the sources from the Internet and it has been guaranteed that the works looked over the Internet are from distributed journalists. As Berry alludes to the Internet in his books, â€Å"an open way to babble to show up, and one method of minding this is thinking about the author†3. The telecom business of the Middle Eastern nations has seen a constant development. A figure by Informa Telecoms and Media shows that the year 2009 will keep on observing a consistent development, with practically 28.68 million net considerations into the portable market this year. The market is wide and has the same number of as right around 250 million versatile supporters and is relied upon to reach as high as 250.79 million before the finish of 20094. Etisalat is one of the most seasoned telecom suppliers in UAE. It is going by Mohammad Al Qamzi, the CEO. The organization was consolidated in 1976 and has become a piece of the Financial Times Top 500 Corporation. As far as the capitalization and incomes, this organization remains on the sixth situation in the Middle East.â

Friday, August 21, 2020

Unusual Life of the Ocean Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strange Life of the Ocean - Research Paper Example Their cells are the biggest on earth, with the capacity to grow up to four inches (Piper). In spite of the fact that huge, their capacity to endure lies in their delicacy. Their structure can without much of a stretch be obliterated by a bigger development of water, yet they can assimilate a lot of water, mercury, lead and different metals, hence being safe to contamination. Simultaneously, they can develop in practically complete murkiness, at a high weight. Other than xenophyophores, different types of life exist at such profound levels. Jellyfish make due there too (Piper). More than 200 unique sorts of microorganisms were found to exist there also (Dohrer). Uncommon â€Å"translucent, ocean cucumber-like creatures called holothurians† live there also (Dohrer). Despite the fact that additionally found on a superficial level, snails in the Trench have adjusted to the weight by growing delicate shells (Dohrer). In spite of the fact that high weight makes endurance for most species incomprehensible, in the Mariana Trench creature life figured out how to adjust. Unequivocally on the grounds that it is increasingly delicate, life in the profound is progressively ready to withstand the weight and dimness than life structures we are familiar with

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Domestic Violence And Womens Mental Health - Free Essay Example

Literature review Domestic violence occurs worldwide irrespective of culture, geographical and historical period. There are many factors that cause or lead to domestic violence and they are: Unmet role expectations Unmet role expectations on the part of the wife or husband could lead to domestic violence in the family. If women fail to fulfil basic domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, managing household budgets and taking care of child, it often leads to domestic violence. Child care was a source of argument among many couples and women have to play a crucial role in maintaining domestic peace. Moreover, domestic violence will occur if husband fail to provide for the family at a standard set by wife. If wife demands things that husband could not afford, his response would be violent (Keenan, Hadad Balian, 1998). Therefore, unmet role expectations lead to domestic violence in the family. Conflict with in-laws Conflict with in-laws was another frequent cause of violence particularly in younger families. If couple and children tend to live with husbands parents or other extended families, conflict arises due to husbands strong allegiance to his parents. So, domestic violence occurs when there is conflict with in-laws (Keenan, Hadad Balian, 1998). Substance abuse As stated by Stewart and Robinson (1998) when individual is under substance abuse, the victim will lessen his or her ability to escape or resist and perpetrator may decrease self-consciousness against aggression. Therefore, domestic violence occurs when partners are under the influence of substances. Increased stress in the family Domestic violence occurs when there is high level of stress in the family. For instance ?if husband is of lower socioeconomic status, he is more likely to commit domestic violence and tend to perpetrate more severe violence than men who are at higher socioeconomic status (Holtzworth Munroe, 1996). Individuals childhood history Domestic violence is also associated with individuals childhood history where if males have witness violence against family members and if he had experience sexual abuse in childhood, he is more likely to be violent toward their spouses while females who witness violence in childhood are more likely to become passive when they become adults. In addition, women who had experience both child and adult abuse were more likely to suffer from mental health diseases. In addition, Whitfield, Anda, Dube and Felitti (2003) also states that if women had experience sexual abuse in their childhood they are more likely to experience domestic violence in their adulthood. Therefore, individuals childhood experience or history increased the risk of victimization among women and perpetration by men. Several other studies also states similar reasons where they asserts that men tend to act aggressively towards their partner if they had experience physical and sexual abuse in their childhood (Bagley Mallick, 2000; Lewis, Moy Jackson, 1985). Alcohol abuse Alcohol use has been associated with rates of domestic violence. In one of the research done by Kantor Straus (1987) in United States, they had found out that about 25% of incidents of domestic violence are associated with alcohol use. It has been thought that alcohol increases violent incidents, either by disinhibiting the abuser or by increasing conflict. Moreover, women experience domestic violence when husband was drinking and if women disagree with his words or actions. Therefore, alcohol use can be related to Bhutanese context where alcohol is widely ingrained and accepted in the society. However, rates of domestic violence tend to decrease when the age of couple increases as individual tend to develop more resistance power when age increases (Straus, Gelles Steinmetz, 1980). When there is more resistance power individual can resist domestic violence at any cost or they will simply ignore it. However, not all the men who drink alcohol does not act aggressive toward their partner, rather alcohol lead to opening up where they tend to bring out both positive and negative emotions. Most often it allows them to discuss issues that men would not discuss when he is not drunk (Galvani, 2006). Many felt that alcohol alone was not enough to cause domestic violence and felt that it depends on ?environment factors, personality factors and individuals goals of drinking (Galvani, 2006). Domestic violence and mental health The primary mental health that women or survivor suffer as a result of domestic violence depression. According to Humphreys and Thiara (2003) there is causal connection between womens experiences of domestic violence and her mental health where womens experiences of depression, post-traumatic stress and self-harm are symptoms or effects of living with violence and abuse. Women who had experience domestic violence suffer from depression which puts them higher risk for ?suicide, eating disorders, drug and substance abuse'(Chhikara, Jakhar, Malik, Singla Dhattarwal, 2013). Domestic violence is likely to play a crucial role in undermining womens mental health. In addition, Humphreys and Thiara (2003) states that women who have experience domestic violence or who were abused tend to experience the depression more than women who have not experience domestic violence. Moreover, women who have experience domestic violence are more likely to commit suicide and many states that black women are more likely to experience domestic violence. Women, after experiencing domestic violence consulting or using available health services is not neutral as it confirms verbal abuse and lead to disempowerment and low self-esteem. Moreover, health problems were seen as weakness that might bring shame and dishonour to the family. However, many women tend to recover from their mental health once they leave the violent relationship. To conclude, there is occurrence of domestic violence when there are unmet marital expectations, conflict with in-laws, substance abuse, individuals childhood history, and high level of stress in the family and alcohol abuse in the family. Domestic violence has both short term and long term effect on womens mental health where they commonly suffer from depression, self-harm, low-self-esteem and post-traumatic disorders.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Why I Should Be Prepared - 1642 Words

Sirens shrieked through the air in chaotic pulses, adding to the panic already felt by the mob of people rushing to the launch pad. My wife, Jessica, and I started to run, but we struggled, weighed down by our children on our backs. We followed the trail like we practiced, but even after all of the drills, I still felt as if I was not prepared. How should I be prepared? No one expected the North Koreans to invade, especially not here in Los Angeles. We ran for what felt like miles. Minutes felt like hours. Each step felt as if it were fighting gravity for our dear lives. Finally my eyes met the eyes of the guards at the gate of the launch pad. A crowd had assembled around the gate, trying to get in. I pushed and shoved everyone out of the†¦show more content†¦The colony was made up of many structures connected by tunnels in order to keep our lives separate from the empty vacuum of space. There were multiple 62-AB robots stationed around the colony in case we needed assistance with anything. This just seemed odd. Of course robots that are developed to look and act just like humans are a bit strange, but the way that they acted around us was quite disturbing. Everyone was acting different than normal too. Ever since we arrived, my kids started behaving as if they could not do anything wrong. They were always good children, but they would misbehave every once and awhile. My wife seems to be very passive and submissive, just agreeing with everything I say. It feels like my wife is a completely different person now and not the wonderful woman that I married. I loved her personality, but it seems as if she is just anoth er one of those 62-AB robots. As the days went on, I started to get anxious. Nothing about the colony felt right. I asked the doctor 68-JJ about my observations, but he seemed to repeatedly deny what I said, as if the line was a part of his programming. I began to think of the worst possible ideas. I was wondering why we were never called about our status in regards to returning home. It seemed as if they were hiding something. I had to take initiative and get someShow MoreRelatedEssay How to Get Prepared and Start My Own Business1585 Words   |  7 PagesHow to Get Prepared and Start My Own Business . All of us have a lot of ideas about the things that we think about; most of the time we do not even recognize how millions of ideas got through our brains. Even now, when I typed this sentence, it took a while for me to come up with an idea and put it into words, so that all the readers get exactly what I want them to understand after reading my writing. We use our ideas everywhere, since it is something that lets us process and understand the informationRead MoreAnalysis of the Role-Play Island Cruise Essay619 Words   |  3 PagesI. Introduction I chose to represent the major in the â€Å"Island Cruise†-role play. 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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Case Study on Central Station Hotel- Free-Samples for Students

Question: You are to write a Promotion Campaign reportaddressed to the Management team for approval of a Conceptual Idea and Expenditure. Answer: Introduction: Marketing is one of the most important aspects of business. Marketing also comprises some vital aspects and promotion of the business or product or services is one of them. Every business should give importance on promotion campaign to improve the business performance (Grosbois, 2016). Purpose of this report is to make promotion campaigning for Central Station Hotel of Sydney. Being the marketing manager of this organisation it is the vital responsibility to make the report based on some important aspects. Before making the report it will focus on the organisation and will provide vital information about the firm. After that it will discuss about campaign strategy of the firm along with the target market of the same. The campaign strategy also has some objectives and the report will discuss the same to make the report in an effective way. Market competition Overview of the Organisation: Central Station Hotel has been established in the year 1887, and since then it has undergone huge changes in its business approach and the services it used to provide to the esteemed guests. The name itself signifies the locational aspect of the property as it is strategically situated in the neighbourhood of the new Central Railway Station (Centralstationhotel.com.au, 2017). It is a heritage property having the architecture of the erstwhile era and that of the modern times. The main attraction of the property is its strategic location amidst Central Station, Sydney CBD, Surry Hills, Chinatown and Darling Harbour. Central Station Hotel offers an exquisite view from the balcony of its property, and the property is also known for its excellent hospitality for its esteemed guests. The organisation mostly focuses on guest service which is the core of their business policy. Guests are the centre of their universe, they have some golden rules, and all the staffs and members have to follow these rules to retain the positive reputation of the hotel. They also focus on staff retention along with customer retention, as they believe that experienced staffs are an asset for the business. Campaign Strategy for the Firm: Market competition is very high in the hospitality industry. The trend of tourism has increased in this present world; this is also one of the reasons behind the high level competition in the hospitality sector. In this regard, it is important to focus on a promotional mix of the organisation to gain more customers from the market (Khan, 2014). In this present time, Central Station Hotel is facing the problem of customer retention so that they have to set promotional campaign to address this particular problem. Promotional mix is one of the 4Ps of marketing mix which is concerned about sales promotion, advertising, personal selling, and public relation. In order to increase customer retention, Central Station Hotel has to focus on the public relation. It will increase the trust level of customers on the firm, which is one of the vital aspects of customer retention. Under this promotional strategy, the organisation has to include free publicity (Davari Strutton, 2014). In this regard , Central Station Hotel should use the process of press release to make publicity about their refurbishment and newly renovated rooms, which will increase the level of attraction among both existing and new customers. Existing customers will feel more interested in visiting new rooms of their favourite hotel brand. It will affect positively on retention rate of the customer as it influences them to visit this place again and again. They also have to use the process of advertising to retain old customers. In this process, they have to send direct mail or brochures and catalogues about new facilities of the hotel to existing customers. Target Market: Every promotional campaign is concerned about a specific target market. This promotional campaign also has a target market from which it will attract customers for a revisit. In this present time, Sydney is one of the most favourable tourist spots among both domestic and international tourists (Wong Wickham, 2015). In this regard, the primary target market of this promotional campaigning is those tourists who are willing to visit Sydney for leisure tourism. The strategic location of Central Station Hotel would definitely attract the tourists to stay in there for easy transit. New rooms of the hotel also will provide the facility to enjoy this view privately, so that it will attract young age customers who are willing to spend time together. Based on this concept customers between 25 to 35 years age group is the primary target of this promotional campaign strategy. Sydney also has the reputation as a vital business place of the country, and the factor of globalisation also has increased the importance of this place in the business world (Jakada Gambo, 2014). For this reason business tourists also the target market of this promotional campaign. The hotel has facilities for business tourists they also have mailed to all the existing business tourists who have visited this place as a border. Revisit by existing business tourism also will increase the rate of customer retention. In this segment people between 40 to 55 years old customers are preferable as most of them have to power to take a decision on behalf of their respective organisation with which they are working. Communication Objectives: Promotional campaign of the hotel has selected to overcome the issue about customer retention. This is the vital objective of this promotional strategy. However there are some other objectives on which this strategy will focus (Rinaldi Beeton, 2015). The objectives are as below:- Through this promotional strategy, Central Station Hotel will increase awareness among all the business tourists about their new facilities like Wi-Fi access for all the business tourist. Depending on this promotional campaign the hotel will increase their revenue collection from new rooms by 5% within the end of 2017. They also have the objective to increase the customer retention rate of the hotel by 10% in 2017 by delivering email or catalogues about new facilities for both business tourist and leisure tourists. It will also increase the rate of staff retention as the success of this promotional campaign will increase the reputation of the hotel into the market, and all the people like to work with reputed organisation rather working with unrecognised brands (Telfer Sharpley, 2015). In this way, it will increase the rate of employee retention by 2% at the end of 2017. Market Competition: According to the view of Singal, (2015), market competition in tourism and hospitality industry is very high. It has also observed that factors like geopolitical turmoil, natural disaster and the global economy have affected the trend of tourism and hospitality industry in last decade, However, in this present time, the trend of this industry has increased due to the positive effect of globalisation. Implementation of technology and innovation in tourism and hospitality industry has increased the level of competition. Customers like to have speedy services regarding hotel booking, event booking, and so on, and online presence of hospitality organisations fulfils this demand of customers. Therefore, innovation is important to face market completion. It has observed that implementation of internet technology has increased the positive trend of tourism by 12% during 2011 to 2016, which is also the evidence that competition has increased in the hospitality industry(Sigala, 2017). Market size of tourism industry also has increased by 2% every year from last five years. The major competitors of the industry have faced growth in their business near about 8% (Becerra, et al., 2013). Central Station Hotel is also one of these major competitors of the market. In this regard, this hotel has to focus on their growth strategies to face this growing competition. Effective marketing strategies also have affected on market competition in the hospitality industry. Proper marketing of hotels of Sydney has attracted customers from both domestic and international market; it also has increased the level of competition by increasing the ratio of customers for this industry. Types of Communication Channel: Communication is considered an important aspect of the smooth functioning of the organisation especially when it is dealing with the customers on the first hand. So it is quite necessary for Central Station Hotel to understand the fact that which mode of communication channel would be effective in reaching out to its guests (Robertson, 2012). It would be favourable for the hospitality organisation like Central Station Hotel to communicate with the customers effectively on the likes of Video The video messages have the engagement level of 40-70%, and it is basically about the presentation of the services that the hotel could provide to its potential guests. The videos need to be of a shorter duration to keep intact the interest of the potential customers (Bansal Taylor, 2015). Posters In this regard, the engagement level is in the range of 20-50% as it visually engages the attention of the customers on a particular message. It would be better to communicate through posters when Central Station Hotel runs some exciting offers and promotions (Hollensen, 2011). Newsletters The engagement level is from 10-20% and is used to communicate the mass audience to provide a general information regarding the services provided by Central Station Hotel. Mails The emails serve to be an inexpensive form of communication to address a wider customer segment, and the engagement level could run from 5% to 30%. Table tents The table tents could be provided to the guests visiting Central Station Hotel. These are smaller in size, and there are high chances that the guests could give it a miss owing to their busy schedule and the engagement is also as lower as 5% to 20%. Source: (Pfeffer, et al., 2014) The communication aspect to be made strong, Central Station Hotel need to have shorter duration videos, specific content posters and newsletter to be in place. The message towards the guests should be kept simpler to make it understandable to a wide section of people. But with the passage of time, the organisation needs to look beyond the traditional aspects of the communication channel to that of the emerging trends in the social media (van Osch Coursaris, 2013). It would be very beneficial for Central Station Hotel to reach out to its targeted customer segment through the likes of the blogs, websites and tweets through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. It would definitely be an effective communication process as there would be a scope for the customers to communicate with the organisation and in this way, they could learn about the expectations of the guests. This sort of two-way communication would be helpful in collecting the customer feedback which is quite crucial for the purpose of customer relationship management (Keegan Green, 2017). It is because the kind of guests visiting Central Station Hotel is quite efficient with the use of smartphones and seems to be active on the internet and social media platform. So they could be rightly tracked on the social media platform to collect their feedback on the organisation. KPI for the firm: The concept of key performance indicators (KPI) is an integral part of the hospitality industry to measure the elements of accommodation, food and beverage and profitability aspect of the organisation. It is because accommodation is a primary concern in the hospitality industry and is applicable for Central Station Hotel as well to generate maximum revenue for the organisation (Han, et al., 2011). Accordingly, the KPI for Central Station Hotel has been the following: Occupancy rate The occupancy rate in Central Station Hotel serves as the most important metric for the organisation as it enables to measure the proportion of rooms that are being filled by the guests at a given point of time. Occupancy % = Rooms occupied / Rooms available Average daily rate (ADR) It is the simplistic metric to determine the average rate for the occupied rooms (Kandampully, et al., 2015). It apparently examines the performance of the particular organisation though it does not take into account indicates the wholesome performance of the property. Average daily rate = Total room revenue / Total rooms occupied Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) It is an important metric as it provides an insight how well the hotel property is operating indicating at what extent Central Station Hotel could fill up the available rooms at the average rate. The metric takes account of the empty rooms as well. RevPAR = Total room revenue / Total rooms available Cost per occupied room (CPOR) This particular metric determines the efficiency of the property on the basis of the sold rooms. CPOR takes into consideration the sort of expenses like fixed and variables to ascertain the profitability of each room in the Central Station Hotel property. This particular indicator is being used by the owners and managers of Central Station Hotel to track the efficiency of the property and increasing on its level (Nam, et al., 2011). CPOR = Total gross operating profit / Total rooms available Customer satisfaction It is the most important indicator for which the guests strive for as the customer satisfaction level for Central Station Hotel would imply a sustainable approach (Bansal Taylor, 2015). It would have a significant impact on the property for making favourable changes to suit their requirements. The budget of Campaign: Central Station Hotel has been working on the matter of improving the customer relationship as the customers prove to be the sole bread winning mechanism for the organisation. To implicate the customer relationship program for the purpose of enhancing brand loyalty and retaining the customers. It is seen that Central Station Hotel would take relevance of the social media marketing would be cost efficient (Hollensen, 2011). But the organisation would take the relevance of the press release and promotional materials for the purpose of retaining the customers by Central Station Hotel. Accordingly, a budget worth AUD 20,000 has been affixed to contemplate the marketing objective in favour of the organisation. Conclusion: It is concluded that Central Station Hotel would overtly take the help of the promotional mix of marketing focusing on the aspect of public relations. The retention of customers would play as the most important strategy, and the aspect of direct emails and brochures would be quiet helpful in this process. Sydney would be the target market for the organisation, and they would focus on the age group of 40-55 years of people. The market competition has been at its highest owing to the globalisation aspect, and so the organisation would take help of a competitive communication aspect like that of social media marketing. A promotional budget has been affixed worth AUD 20,000 to implicate the marketing process for gaining a better ground in the competitive market. It is an effort on the part of Central Station Hotel to retain the customers by taking relevance of the customer retention process in the competitive market. References Bansal, H. S. Taylor, S. F., 2015. Beyond service quality and customer satisfaction: investigating additional antecedents of service provider switching intentions. In: Proceedings of the 1999 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference. London: Springer International Publishing, pp. 75-82. Becerra, M., Santal, J. Silva, R., 2013. Being better vs. being different: Differentiation, competition, and pricing strategies in the Spanish hotel industry. Tourism Management, 34(2), pp. 71-79. Centralstationhotel.com.au, 2017. History of Surry Hills Central Station - Central Station Hotel. [Online] Available at: https://centralstationhotel.com.au/about-us/history [Accessed 25 August 2017]. Davari, A. Strutton, D., 2014. Marketing mix strategies for closing the gap between green consumers' pro-environmental beliefs and behaviors. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 22(7), pp. 563-586. Grosbois, D., 2016. Corporate social responsibility reporting in the cruise tourism industry: A performance evaluation using a new institutional theory based model. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 24(2), pp. 245-269. Han, H. K., W. Hyun, S., 2011. Switching intention model development: Role of service performances, customer satisfaction, and switching barriers in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(3), pp. 619-629. Hollensen, S., 2011. Global Marketing: A Decision Oriented Approach. 5th ed. London: Pearson Education. Jakada, B. Gambo, M., 2014. A conceptual analysis of market orientation philosophy in the hospitality industry of Nigeria. Journal of marketing and management, 5(1), p. 50. Kandampully, J., Zhang, T. Bilgihan, A., 2015. Customer loyalty: a review and future directions with a special focus on the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(3), pp. 379-414. Keegan, W. Green, M., 2017. Global Marketing. 9th ed. London: Pearson Education. Khan, M., 2014. The concept of'marketing mix'and its elements (a conceptual review paper). International journal of information, business and management, 6(2), p. 95. Nam, J., Ekinci, Y. Whyatt, G., 2011. Brand equity, brand loyalty and consumer satisfaction. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(3), pp. 1009-1030. Pfeffer, J., Zorbach, T. Carley, K., 2014. Understanding online firestorms: Negative word-of-mouth dynamics in social media networks. Journal of Marketing Communications, 20(1-2), pp. 117-128. Rinaldi, C. Beeton, S., 2015. Success in place branding: The case of the Tourism Victoria Jigsaw Campaign. Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing, 32(5), pp. 622-638. Robertson, R., 2012. Globalisation or glocalisation?. Journal of International Communication, pp. 191-208. Sigala, M., 2017. Collaborative commerce in tourism: implications for research and industry. Current Issues in Tourism, 20(4), pp. 346-355. Singal, M., 2015. How is the hospitality and tourism industry different? An empirical test of some structural characteristics. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 47(1), pp. 116-119. Telfer, D. Sharpley, R., 2015. Tourism and development in the developing world. 1 ed. London: Routledge. van Osch, W. Coursaris, C., 2013. Organizational social media: A comprehensive framework and research agenda. Hawaii, IEEE. Wong, T. Wickham, M., 2015. An examination of Marriott's entry into the Chinese hospitality industry: A Brand Equity perspective. Tourism Management, 48(2), pp. 439-454.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Nursing Care Plan for Pyelonephritis Essay Example

Nursing Care Plan for Pyelonephritis Paper Cues Nursing diagnosis Nursing objective Planning Nursing intervention Rationale Subjective Cues: â€Å"Nahihirapa n akong umihi,, madalas sya pero pakonti konti lang  » as verbalized by the client. Objective Cues: ? Distended abdomen ? Frequency ? Hesitancy T-38. 3 P-105Bpm R-24 bpm BP-130/90 mmHg Impaired Urinary Elimination r/t Inflammatio n of bladder mucosa As evidence by the objective cues. __________ _ Scientific Explanation : Disturbance in urine elimination. After 8 hrs of nursing interventio n the client will be able to portray and verbalize improve urinary elimination pattern. Plan of care to meet the desired outcome for the client. ?Make a teaching plan appropriate for the clients condition. ?. Determine clients previous pattern of elimination and compare with current situation. Note reports of frequency, urgency, burning, incontinence, nocturia, enuresis. ?Palpate bladder ? Determine clients usual daily fluid intake(both amount, beverage choice and use of caffeine), n ote conditions of skin, mucus membrane and color of urine. ?Encourage fluid intake up to 3000- 4000 ml per day including cranberry juice. Instruct the client to void every 2-3 hours during the day and completely empty the bladder. ?To assess degree of interference or disability. ?To assess retention ? To determine level of hydration. ?To help maintain renal function, prevent infection and formation of urinary stones ? This prevents over distention of the bladder and compromised blood supply to the bladder wall. †¢ Evaluation †¢ After 8 hrs of nursing intervention the client was able to portray and verbalize improved urinary elimination pattern. C u e s Nur sing diag nosi s Nu rsi ng obj ect ive Pla nni ng Nursing intervention Rationale E v al u a ti o n ?Instruct the client to keep the perineal area clean and dry. ?Teach the client how to do kegel exercise and its importance. ?Teach clients to avoid intake of caffeine, alcohol, colas, and artificial sweeteners. ?Provide privacy for the client upon voiding. ?Provide sensory stimuli that may help the client relax. Pour warm water over the perineum of a female or have the client sit in a warm bath. U can also apply a hot water bottle to the lower abdomen. Turn on running water within the hearing distance of the client to stimulate the voiding reflex. ?. To reduce the risk for further skin infection and skin breakdown ? To strengthen the perineal muscle. ?These are bladder irritants that may increase incontinence. ?Many people cannot void in the presence of another person. ?These promote muscle relaxation. ?Helps facilitate easier voiding. Cues Nursing diagnosis Nursing objective Planning Nursing intervent ion Rationale Subjective: â€Å"Nung nkraang lingo pa masakit ang tagiliran ko† as verbalized by the client. We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing Care Plan for Pyelonephritis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing Care Plan for Pyelonephritis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing Care Plan for Pyelonephritis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Objective: ? Very severe painClient rate her pain as 8 from the range of 110(Having the rate of 10 as the most painful and 1 as the least painful) ? Guarding behavior ? Facial mask of pain ? Diaphoresis T-38. 3 P-105 Bpm R-24 bpm BP-130/90 mmHg Acute pain r/t Acute inflammation of renal tissues as evidenced by verbal reports of pain,guarding behavior and diaphoresis. _______________ Scientific Explanation Unpleasant sensory and emotional experience arising from actual or potential tissue damage. It is a sudden onset of any intensity from mild to severe with duration of less than 6 months. After 4 hrs of nursing intervent ion the client will be able to verbalize relief of pain from the rate of 8 to at least less than the rate of 4. ?Plan techniques in which the clients level of pain will be alleviated primarily by using of independent nursing interventions. ?Plan with the significant others to cooperate in the pain management program for the client. ?Gather materials that can be helpful in pain management. Perform a comprehensive assessment of pain to include location, characteristics, onset, duration, frequency, quality and severity as well as the precipitating factors ? Encourage patient to verbalize concerns. Actively listen to these concerns and provide support by acceptance, remaining with patient and giving appropriate information. ?Promote quiet environment. ?Identify all stressors and remove it if possible. ?To establish baseline data that will be useful in monitoring improvement in clients’ level of pain. ?Reduction of anxiety or fear that can promote relaxation and comfort. Comfort and quiet environment promote relaxed feeling and permit the client to focus on the relaxation techniques rather than external distraction. ?To be able to lessen factors that could be an aggravating cause in clients’ pain. †¢ Evaluation: After 4 hrs of nursing intervention the client was able to verbalize relief of pain from the rate of 8 to the rate of 3. Cues Nurs ing diag nosis Nurs ing obje ctive Plan ning Nursing intervention Rationale Ev al ua tio n ?Encourage practice of diversional activities(watching TV, listening to music, reading magazines) ? Instruct comfort measures such as back rubbing and deep breathing exercise. ?Encourage adequate rest periods. ?To help client shift her focus of attention to other things. ?To reduce muscle tension and promote relaxation. ?To prevent fatigue and prevent further stimulation of pain. Dependent Nursing Management: ? Administer analgesics as prescribed. ?For immediate pain relief . DISCHARGE PLAN †¢ †¢ †¢ MEDICATION -Strict compliance to medication regimen -Antibiotics for 7 days (Ceftriaxone 10 mg) EXERCISE/ENVIRONMENT -instruct the client on ways hoe to maintain the cleanliness of her environment. TREATMENT -practice kegel exercise HEALTH TEACHING -Keep the genital area clean by wiping from front to back, it helps reduce the chance of introducing bacteria from the rectal area to the urethra. -Drink more fluid 64-128 ounces. This encourage frequent urination and flushes bacteria from the bladder. -Encourage proper food handling preparation. -Do handwashing before and after urinate. -Do not delay urination when it is necessary OUT PATIENT FOLLOW UP CARE -Instruct the patient to seek or return upon experience if any sign and symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, fever, painful urination. †¢ †¢

Saturday, March 14, 2020

A General Approach to the Air-Conditioning System essays

A General Approach to the Air-Conditioning System essays Human beings are born into a hostile environment, but the degree of hostility varies with the season of the year and with the geographical locality. For removing these effects of environment and changing outdoor conditions to the conditions we feel comfortable we use mechanical systems. Air conditioning system is the most developed system using for this purpose. Automotive air conditioning systems are used for controlling the conditions of air using in automotive. After investigations, negative effects of this system on the automotive are minimized and with using safety devices the usage area of the system are broaden. Now automotive air conditioning system are one of the most needed systems in automotive. Full air conditioning implies the automatic control of an atmospheric environment either for the comfort of human beings or animal or for the proper performance of some industrial or scientific process. The adjective full demands that the purity, movement, temperature and relative humidity of the air be controlled, within the limits imposed by the design specification. Air conditioning is always associated with refrigeration and it accounts for the high cost of air conditioning. The ability to counter sensible and latent heat gains is, then, the essential feature of an air conditioning system and, by common usage, the term air conditioning means that refrigeration is involved. Human beings are born into a hostile environment, but the degree of hostility varies with the season of the year and with the geographical locality. This suggests that the arguments for air conditioning might be based solely on climatic considerations, but although these may be valid in tropical and subtropical areas, they are not for temperate climates with industrialized social structures and rising standards of living. Air conditioning is necessary for the following reasons. Heat gains from human bodies, sunlight and el...

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

'Rage and Reason in a World of Manifestos' Essay

'Rage and Reason in a World of Manifestos' - Essay Example The Polemic Debord’s thesis in "The Society of the Spectacle" is that, â€Å"in societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation.† (Debord, 1967) Debord provides a critique of the consumer society, with conspicuous consumption and packaged identities related to advertising and marketing images in contemporary culture. Formative Assessment Debord’s critique in "The Society of the Spectacle" was a formative influence on Baudrillard and others who developed post-modern media studies through the lens of semiotics. In understanding the use of symbols, signs, icons, and archetypes in mass-media advertising, the artist or designer can bring a critical method into the work that promotes reform and change through awareness of situationist themes. Discussion Debord states, â€Å"The spectacle is not a collection of images, b ut a social relation among people, mediated by images.† (Debord, 1967) One can consider this in the later critique of Noam Chomsky as this relates to the control of media discourse and the manufacture of consent for war and imperialism through propaganda techniques that relate to not only political discussion, but also the â€Å"lifestyle choices† that are pre-packaged and ideologically constructed. Debord’s critique can go towards the recognition of cultural hegemony in mass-media communications, and charts new territory in film and cinema in sampling surrealist, dada, and other modernist methodologies into a new form of expression. â€Å"The root of the spectacle is that oldest of all social specializations, the specialization of power. The spectacle plays the specialized role of speaking in the name of all the other activities. It is hierarchical society’s ambassador to itself, delivering its official messages at a court where no one else is allowed to speak. The most modern aspect of the spectacle is thus also the most archaic.† (Debord, 1967) One aspect this relates to is cultural hegemony and the viral means of propagation for critical strains of analysis. These critiques can also challenge cultural hegemony by the sampling and re-contextualizing the images of the mainstream culture into a new frame of reference, as Debord did in his film of the book. That philosophy is generally not filmed outside of surrealism is a bias, Debord goes to show the underlying patterns of belief that are unconscious in the mass-produced images of mass-communications, and how they also relate to authority and control. Debate In the second part of the book, Debord writes, â€Å"The spectacle is the moment when the commodity has attained the total occupation of social life.† (Debord, 1967) In the theory of transcendence related to symbols and signs, the signs are objects themselves pointing to other objects. In this manner, a type of ob jectification of being occurs in this critique, contrasted by transcendent activities such as free expression, true love, nature, poetry, ecstasy... romantic ideals in some manner repackaged in a post-modernist critique. Situationism as an outgrowth or evolution of Surrealism, dada, and critical theory as it relates to Marxism makes it a unique cultural expression at the formative point of the post-modern philosophy and aesthetic. Influence on professional practice The situationist

Monday, February 10, 2020

Why Sex Education Should Be Taught In Schools Essay

Why Sex Education Should Be Taught In Schools - Essay Example The research will be that of a case study analyzing, in detailed and succinct manner, teenage pregnancies as the most effective factor in sex education. Recent research reveals that there have been high increases in the cases of teenage pregnancies. Studies conducted over the last five years state that for every 100 school going/teenage girls, two of them are dropouts due to pregnancies. The statistics or findings have been backed up by the increased abortion cases in the state. The major cause of abortion has been discovered to be teenage pregnancies. This discussion stresses that several questionnaires were distributed to several respondents in Chicago with an aim of investigating the people’s reactions, views, or attitudes towards sex education in schools. The questionnaires were distributed in three different areas; Oak Park, Cicero, and Illinois. Six hundred questionnaires were distributed in each location. The questionnaires were of two types, the different being the ages of correspondents. The first types targeted the old age, most of whom were married people with their kids at school. These questionnaires constituted to a third of the total number of questionnaires distributed in each region. The remaining two thirds were distributed to school going students, both in college, university, and high school.  Interviews were conducted on 100 people from different places in the state and results were recorded, and analyzed.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Factors of Planning and Other Functions of Management Essay Example for Free

Factors of Planning and Other Functions of Management Essay With over 300,000 people world wide, ATT is truly a global Fortune 500 company with a significant presence in the communication industry. With impressive growth, executives and managers need to develop a strategy that allows ATT to connect with their customers and manage the contributing factors to their success. As stated in the ATT Annual Report (2007), ATT was able to increase their annual income by 98.3%. This amazing growth occurred in all sectors of their revenue stream and made 2007 a historic year financially for ATT. ATT Chairman, CEO and President, Mr. Randall Stephenson also states in the annual report (2007, p. 8) there is one word that best describes what ATT does and it is connected. A simple vision that clearly describes what ATT does for their customers to drive growth in their organization. In order for a company to succeed in todays market, the product appeal to a global audience is imperative. Although ATT did not begin as a business that offered products and services globally, ATTs network now includes 38 internet data centers on four continents across the globe (ATT, 2008). ATT offers a variety of communication products and services that appeal to individuals and companies. The demand for these types of products and services is on the rise, especially within major corporations. Given this demand, ATT has developed and maintained an advanced and powerful communications network. ATT is an industry leader of communication services, which serves millions of individuals and businesses on six continents (ATT, 2008). The economy is an external factor that influences how ATT manages rapid change. For example, with home foreclosures at a record high, the demand for landline telephone service is decreasing. Meanwhile the demand for wireless service is increasing. ATT continues to focus on advancing wireless products (ATT, Vonage, 2008). ATT has acquired many smaller wireless providers, which allows them to become the top provider of wireless services in the United States. Cingular wireless is one of the wireless companies that ATT bought out. After the purchase of Cingular wireless, ATT began, promoting the new ATT, the one-stop shop for all kinds of communications  and entertainment services (Goodbye Cingular, 2007). As early as 1885, ATT began providing telephone service in the United States. To see the vast growth in their technology over the past 100 years is amazing. The service initially started with one-line calls or the ability for only one person to make a telephone call at a time and it now services over 70 million customers. The costs have decreased significantly over the decades as well. In 1892, a long distance phone call from New York to Chicago would cost about $9 for the first five minutes; rather expensive for that period in time. Today, ATT has grown to be the worlds largest communications carrier and provides services for a broad spectrum of customers from residential to commercial, like the Fortune 1000 companies. Other than the typical local and long distance voice services for the residential customer, ATT also provides high speed internet access, home networking, Wi-Fi, and wireless voice and data services. According to ATTs website (2008), they provide businesses with access to one of the worlds most advanced IP networks. ATT provides the corporate community with technologies, such as, Voice over IP (VoIP), enterprise mobility solutions and Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections. To keep up with todays vastly growing field of technology, ATT (2008) †¦recently switched on the nations first coast-to-coast IP/MPLS network†¦ In the United States alone, ATTs wired network encompasses 61.6 million access lines and has 14.2 million high speed internet subscribers. In 2008, ATT plans to expand their current 64,000 Wi-Fi hot spots to more than 70,000 locations also launch more of their multi-screen services. ATT embraces technological innovation to convert ideas rapidly into useful products and services. ATTs management and planning functions focus on the company and its customers while applying principles of sound, responsible and forward-looking stewardship to the needs of society. Today, ATT is rethinking management functions and planning in terms of the Internet and new culture and capabilities. E-business (electronic business), derived from  such terms as e-mail and e-commerce, is the conduct of business on the Internet, not only buying and selling but also servicing customers and collaborating with business partners. E-business allows ATT and other companies to use the Web to buy parts and supplies from other companies, to collaborate on sales promotions, and to participate in joint research. ATTs involvement with technology innovation such as e-business influences a range of criteria, including customer relationship performance, sales-based outcomes, and a general measure of organizational performance. The moderating role of ATTs management teams involvement suggests that management championing the initiatives is crucial for successful results of the e-business market tendencies and new business development possibilities (ATT, 2008). Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call to Watson about 150 years ago. One century ago, there were 10,000 telephone companies battling for their share in the voice communication market. ATT battling in the communications market, realized in order to continue innovation, a sustained research and development component was needed. Early in 1925, ATT determined they could not do this alone and made a series of strategic acquisitions and uniform standards. In the late 20th century, ATT acquired Bell Labs that focused on computers, information and communications science. According to ATT (2008), Recognized as a pioneer in the IT revolution of the late 1990s, direction of innovation at ATT Labs influences not only the ways we live and work today but our lives and the workplace of the future. With these guiding principles, our work in development, creativity and innovation lead to improved social, economic and environmental opportunities for ATT communities. ( ¶13)ATT has made significant innovative contributions to the history of American business and global technology. Listed are a few of these accomplishments including:High-fidelity recording (1925), First TV transmission (1927), Trans-Atlantic radiotelephone (1929), Radio astronomy (1933), The transistor (1937), The first computer (1939), The laser (1960), Optical fiber communication (1977), Cellular technology (1983), Speech recognition and synthesis (1992), Voice over IP technology (1995), Quantum computing (1999), Internet Project predictive and proactive  network security (2005) (ATT, 2008) . ATT noted on their website (2008), Despite its pioneering efforts in other areas of the company, including diversity, customer service and human resources, ATTs reputation for innovation remains closely tethered to ATT Labs.( ¶ 4)ATT realizes that diverse, talented and dedicated people is key to the companys success. In fostering diversity and inclusion, ATT has created a better business environment, one that makes the company an employer of choice, a preferred business partner and important contributor to the community. The companys philosophy is to provide employees with continued opportunities to grow and develop their careers. Management is charged with successful implementation of various diversity initiatives as part of this philosophy. ATT leaders are expected to understand the importance of cultural competency. To support this principle, ATT provides career development initiatives. ATTs commitment to diversity remains a top priority for the company. ATTs diverse workforce is an asset to the company and a result of its commitment to recruit and hire the very best talent. ATT currently conducts business in more than 150 languages and advertises in top languages in selected states. ATT leaders and employees practice respect for differences in their daily interactions. By understanding the various regions served, ATT management is better positioned to plan for and meet the unique needs of customers wherever it does business (ATT, 2008). With over 300,000 working for ATT ensuring ethical behavior is very important. Ethics and Governance are the standards in which the company, including all employees, must adhere to in all aspects of conducting business internally and externally. ATT has adopted a simple statement Do what is right as their motto for ethical conduct by all employees and directors. (Governance, 2003-2008)ATT has four guiding principles stated in their Code of Ethics and Guiding Principles manual on how to treat customers, investors and employees. Those principles are; Talk straight and Follow Through, Lead by Example, Work Together, and Deliver our Future. These four statements are the fabric to ATTs principles and make it clear as to what is expected when working for or dealing with ATT. In todays  environment, ethics have become a serious issue. Directors and managers, as well as employees, are becoming more liable with respect to moral decisions they make at work. Enron is an example of how deceit by a few individuals caused such a ripple effect on the finances of many. Companies like ATT need to touch the moral being of each employee to ensure its customers, shareholders and all parties vested in them are not affected by ones poor judgment. In concluding, with this impressive growth, executives and managers needed to develop a strategy that allowed ATT to connect with their customers and manage the contributing factors to their success. Through innovation and diversity, ATT has grown from a company that started with one-line calling to a multi-million conglomerate, servicing millions of customers around the globe. In keeping up with technology and continuing to implement new corporate strategies, ATT will continue to grow both financially and globally. ATT will continue to be a leader in their field for many years to come. References ATT Inc., (2008), All about ATT Company, Retrieved April 8, 2008, from att.comATT Inc. (2007) Annual Report, p. 8, 29. ATT, Inc. (2008), retrieved April 8, 2008, from att.com/gen/investor-relationsATT. (2008). Enterprise Services. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from att.com/gen/general/ATT Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility (2003-2008). ATT Knowledge Venture, Retrieved April 10, 2008, from att.com/corporate/citizenship/htmlATT, Vonage, Comcast spool the economy. (2008, January). TelecomWeb News Break. Retrieved April 6, 2008, ProQuest database, University Library. Goodbye Cingular, hello again ATT; ATTs acquisition of Bell South began process. (2007, May 21). The New York Times, Grand Rapids Press, Grand Rapids, MI, Retrieved April 9, 2008, from ProQuest database, University Library,

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Classification of Psychic Experiences Essay -- Classification Essays

Classification of Psychic Experiences Generally speaking, psychic experiences which deal with receiving information from an outside source, either living or passed on can be classified into the following categories: psychometry, telepathy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, automatic writing and channeling. Two more psychic techniques, assumption and projection, deal with transferring the personality to a remote location. Psychometry is the art of receiving information about someone by touching an object commonly carried by that person such as a key chain or jewelry. The scope of this paper does not include explaining how psychometry, or any other psychic art is performed, but they do work. I once held someone's keys, closed my eyes and waited for images to appear. Nothing happened. I was miffed and stopped trying to get an image. Then my hands started to itch and suddenly in my mind's eye, I saw boxes being stacked up to form a wall. The man whose keys I was holding was a mason. Another time, I held a woman's ring, closed my eyes and immediately my throat closed up, my chest caught fire and I couldn't breathe. I snapped myself out of it and found that the woman had serious respiratory problems. Her ring was extremely hot when I handed it back to her. These two people were complete strangers I partnered with at a psychic workshop. Psychometry does work, though it may not work all the time, o r work for everyone. Telepathy is more loosely defined. In general, telepathy is a method of receiving information about someone. Telepathy is different from psychometry in that an object is not used. The information pertains to past, present or future events. The way it is transmitted can be visual, as with clairvoyance,... ...g. The CIA became interested because they wanted to know what the Soviets were up to and so they funded the graduates' work for twenty years. Eventually, the CIA stopped funding them and the grad students dabbled in the commodities market. Once again they met with success in eleven out of eleven tries. When asked why they didn't continue and become billionaires, they answered that their remote viewing talents gave them peace of mind, and somehow making money on their talent didn't seem quite right and so they stopped. They are still active in their research at Stanford. This essay is by no means a conclusive discourse on the variety of psychic phenomena present in the world. Other fascinating abilities exist including everything from telekinesis, raising objects, to raising the dead. That, at least, is one psychic gift no one is practicing at the moment.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Chapter 36 The Parting of the Ways

Dumbledore stood up. He stared down at Barty Crouch for a moment with disgust on his face. Then he raised his wand once more and ropes flew out of it, ropes that twisted themselves around Barty Crouch, binding him tightly. He turned to Professor McGonagall. â€Å"Minerva, could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry upstairs?† â€Å"Of course,† said Professor McGonagall. She looked slightly nauseous, as though she had just watched someone being sick. However, when she drew out her wand and pointed it at Barty Crouch, her hand was quite steady. â€Å"Severus† – Dumbledore turned to Snape – â€Å"please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office. He will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour's time if he needs me.† Snape nodded silently and swept out of the room. â€Å"Harry?† Dumbledore said gently. Harry got up and swayed again; the pain in his leg, which he had not noticed all the time he had been listening to Crouch, now returned in full measure. He also realized that he was shaking. Dumbledore gripped his arm and helped him out into the dark corridor. â€Å"I want you to come up to my office first. Harry,† he said quiedy as they headed up the passageway. â€Å"Sirius is waiting for us there.† Harry nodded. A kind of numbness and a sense of complete unreality were upon him, but he did not care; he was even glad of it. He didn't want to have to think about anything that had happened since he had first touched the Triwizard Cup. He didn't want to have to examine the memories, fresh and sharp as photographs, which kept flashing across his mind. Mad-Eye Moody, inside the trunk. Wormtail, slumped on the ground, cradling his stump of an arm. Voldemort, rising from the steaming cauldron. Cedric†¦dead†¦Cedric, asking to be returned to his parents†¦. â€Å"Professor,† Harry mumbled, â€Å"where are Mr. and Mrs. Diggory?† â€Å"They are with Professor Sprout,† said Dumbledore. His voice, which had been so calm throughout the interrogation of Barty Crouch, shook very slightly for the first time. â€Å"She was Head of Cedric's house, and knew him best.† They had reached the stone gargoyle. Dumbledore gave the password, it sprang aside, and he and Harry went up the moving spiral staircase to the oak door. Dumbledore pushed it open. Sirius was standing there. His face was white and gaunt as it had been when he had escaped Azkaban. In one swift moment, he had crossed the room. â€Å"Harry, are you all right? I knew it – I knew something like this – what happened?† His hands shook as he helped Harry into a chair in front of the desk. â€Å"What happened?† he asked more urgently. Dumbledore began to tell Sirius everything Barty Crouch had said. Harry was only half listening. So tired every bone in his body was aching, he wanted nothing more than to sit here, undisturbed, for hours and hours, until he fell asleep and didn't have to think or feel anymore. There was a soft rush of wings. Fawkes the phoenix had left his perch, flown across the office, and landed on Harry's knee. â€Å"‘Lo, Fawkes,† said Harry quietly. He stroked the phoenix's beautiful scarlet-and-gold plumage. Fawkes blinked peacefully up at him. There was something comforting about his warm weight. Dumbledore stopped talking. He sat down opposite Harry, behind his desk. He was looking at Harry, who avoided his eyes. Dumbledore was going to question him. He was going to make Harry relive everything. â€Å"I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze. Harry,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore?† said Sirius harshly. He had put a hand on Harry's shoulder. â€Å"Let him have a sleep. Let him rest.† Harry felt a rush of gratitude toward Sirius, but Dumbledore took no notice of Sirius's words. He leaned forward toward Harry. Very unwillingly, Harry raised his head and looked into those blue eyes. â€Å"If I thought I could help you,† Dumbledore said gently, â€Å"by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened.† The phoenix let out one soft, quavering note. It shivered in the air, and Harry felt as though a drop of hot liquid had slipped down his throat into his stomach, warming him, and strengthening him. He took a deep breath and began to tell them. As he spoke, visions of everything that had passed that night seemed to rise before his eyes; he saw the sparkling surface of the potion that had revived Voldemort; he saw the Death Eaters Apparating between the graves around them; he saw Cedric's body, lying on the ground beside the cup. Once or twice, Sirius made a noise as though about to say something, his hand still tight on Harry's shoulder, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him, and Harry was glad of this, because it was easier to keep going now he had started. It was even a relief; he felt almost as though something poisonous were being extracted from him. It was costing him every bit of determination he had to keep talking, yet he sensed that once he had finished, he would feel better. When Harry told of Wormtail piercing his arm with the dagger, however, Sirius let out a vehement exclamation and Dumbledore stood up so quickly that Harry started. Dumbledore walked around the desk and told Harry to stretch out his arm. Harry showed them both the place where his robes were torn and the cut beneath them. â€Å"He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's,† Harry told Dumbledore. â€Å"He said the protection my – my mother left in me – he'd have it too. And he was right – he could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face.† For a fleeting instant, Harry thought he saw a gleam of something like triumph in Dumbledore's eyes. But next second. Harry was sure he had imagined it, for when Dumbledore had returned to his seat behind the desk, he looked as old and weary as Harry had ever seen him. â€Å"Very well,† he said, sitting down again. â€Å"Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Harry, continue, please.† Harry went on; he explained how Voldemort had emerged from the cauldron, and told them all he could remember of Voldemort's speech to the Death Eaters. Then he told how Voldemort had untied him, returned his wand to him, and prepared to duel. But when he reached the part where the golden beam of light had connected his and Voldemort's wands, he found his throat obstructed. He tried to keep talking, but the memories of what had come out of Voldemort's wand were flooding into his mind. He could see Cedric emerging, see the old man, Bertha Jorkins†¦his father†¦his mother†¦ He was glad when Sirius broke the silence. â€Å"The wands connected?† he said, looking from Harry to Dumbledore. â€Å"Why?† Harry looked up at Dumbledore again, on whose face there was an arrested look. â€Å"Priori Incantatem,† he muttered. His eyes gazed into Harry's and it was almost as though an invisible beam of understanding shot between them. â€Å"The Reverse Spell effect?† said Sirius sharply. â€Å"Exactly,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Harry's wand and Voldemort's wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. This phoenix, in fact,† he added, and he pointed at the scarlet-and-gold bird, perching peacefully on Harry's knee. â€Å"My wand's feather came from Fawkes?† Harry said, amazed. â€Å"Yes,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Mr. Ollivander wrote to tell me you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago.† â€Å"So what happens when a wand meets its brother?† said Sirius. â€Å"They will not work properly against each other,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"If, however, the owners of the wands force the wands to do battle†¦a very rare effect will take place. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed – in reverse. The most recent first†¦and then those which preceded it†¦.† He looked interrogatively at Harry, and Harry nodded. â€Å"Which means,† said Dumbledore slowly, his eyes upon Harry's face, â€Å"that some form of Cedric must have reappeared.† Harry nodded again. â€Å"Diggory came back to life?† said Sirius sharply. â€Å"No spell can reawaken the dead,† said Dumbledore heavily. â€Å"All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. A shadow of the living Cedric would have emerged from the wand†¦am I correct, Harry?† â€Å"He spoke to me,† Harry said. He was suddenly shaking again. â€Å"The†¦the ghost Cedric, or whatever he was, spoke.† â€Å"An echo,† said Dumbledore, â€Å"which retained Cedric's appearance and character. I am guessing other such forms appeared†¦less recent victims of Voldemort's wand†¦.† â€Å"An old man,† Harry said, his throat still constricted. â€Å"Bertha Jorkins. And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Your parents?† said Dumbledore quietly. â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. Sirius's grip on Harry's shoulder was now so tight it was painful. â€Å"The last murders the wand performed,† said Dumbledore, nodding. â€Å"In reverse order. More would have appeared, of course, had you maintained the connection. Very well, Harry, these echoes, these shadows†¦what did they do?† Harry described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Harry's mother had told him what to do, how Cedric's had made its final request. At this point. Harry found he could not continue. He looked around at Sirius and saw that he had his face in his hands. Harry suddenly became aware that Fawkes had left his knee. The phoenix had fluttered to the floor. It was resting its beautiful head against Harry's injured leg, and thick, pearly tears were falling from its eyes onto the wound left by the spider. The pain vanished. The skin mended. His leg was repaired. â€Å"I will say it again,† said Dumbledore as the phoenix rose into the air and resettled itself upon the perch beside the door. â€Å"You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight. Harry. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it – and you have now given us all we have a right to expect. You will come with me to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight. A Sleeping Potion, and some peace†¦Sirius, would you like to stay with him?† Sirius nodded and stood up. He transformed back into the great black dog and walked with Harry and Dumbledore out of the office, accompanying them down a flight of stairs to the hospital wing. When Dumbledore pushed open the door. Harry saw Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione grouped around a harassed-looking Madam Pomfrey. They appeared to be demanding to know where Harry was and what had happened to him. All of them whipped around as Harry, Dumbledore, and the black dog entered, and Mrs. Weasley let out a kind of muffled scream. â€Å"Harry! Oh Harry!† She started to hurry toward him, but Dumbledore moved between them. â€Å"Molly,† he said, holding up a hand, â€Å"please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him,† he added, looking around at Ron, Hermione, and Bill too, â€Å"you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening.† Mrs. Weasley nodded. She was very white. She rounded on Ron, Hermione, and Bill as though they were being noisy, and hissed, â€Å"Did you hear? He needs quiet!† â€Å"Headmaster,† said Madam Pomfrey, staring at the great black dog that was Sirius, â€Å"may I ask what – ?† â€Å"This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while,† said Dumbledore simply. â€Å"I assure you, he is extremely well trained. Harry – I will wait while you get into bed.† Harry felt an inexpressible sense of gratitude to Dumbledore for asking the others not to question him. It wasn't as though he didn't want them there; but the thought of explaining it all over again, the idea of reliving it one more time, was more than he could stand. â€Å"I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school.† He left. As Madam Pomfrey led Harry to a nearby bed, he caught sight of the real Moody lying motionless in a bed at the far end of the room. His wooden leg and magical eye were lying on the bedside table. â€Å"Is he okay?† Harry asked. â€Å"He'll be fine,† said Madam Pomfrey, giving Harry some pajamas and pulling screens around him. He took off his robes, pulled on the pajamas, and got into bed. Ron, Hermione, Bill, Mrs. Weasley, and the black dog came around the screen and settled themselves in chairs on either side of him. Ron and Hermione were looking at him almost cautiously, as though scared of him. â€Å"I'm all right,† he told them. â€Å"Just tired.† Mrs. Weasley's eyes filled with tears as she smoothed his bed-covers unnecessarily. Madam Pomfrey, who had bustled off to her office, returned holding a small bottle of some purple potion and a goblet. â€Å"You'll need to drink all of this. Harry,† she said. â€Å"It's a potion for dreamless sleep.† Harry took the goblet and drank a few mouthfuls. He felt himself becoming drowsy at once. Everything around him became hazy; the lamps around the hospital wing seemed to be winking at him in a friendly way through the screen around his bed; his body felt as though it was sinking deeper into the warmth of the feather matress. Before he could finish the potion, before he could say another word, his exhaustion had carried him off to sleep. Harry woke up, so warm, so very sleepy, that he didn't open his eyes, wanting to drop off again. The room was still dimly lit; he was sure it was still nighttime and had a feeling that he couldn't have been asleep very long. Then he heard whispering around him. â€Å"They'll wake him if they don't shut up!† â€Å"What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?† Harry opened his eyes blearily. Someone had removed his glasses. He could see the fuzzy outlines of Mrs. Weasley and Bill close by. Mrs. Weasley was on her feet. â€Å"That's Fudge's voice,† she whispered. â€Å"And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?† Now Harry could hear them too: people shouting and running toward the hospital wing. â€Å"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -† Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly. â€Å"You should never have brought it inside the castle!† yelled Professor McGonagall. â€Å"When Dumbledore finds out -â€Å" Harry heard the hospital doors burst open. Unnoticed by any of the people around his bed, all of whom were staring at the door as Bill pulled back the screens, Harry sat up and put his glasses back on. Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall and Snape were at his heels. â€Å"Where's Dumbledore?† Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"He's not here,† said Mrs. Weasley angrily. â€Å"This is a hospital wing. Minister, don't you think you'd do better to -â€Å" But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward. â€Å"What has happened?† said Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. â€Å"Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you – I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch -â€Å" â€Å"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!† she shrieked. â€Å"The Minister has seen to that!† Harry had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control like this. There were angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and a hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury.- â€Å"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events,† said Snape, in a low voice; he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -â€Å" â€Å"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!† McGonagall fumed. â€Å"I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -â€Å" â€Å"My dear woman!† roared Fudge, who likewise looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him, â€Å"as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -â€Å" But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's. â€Å"The moment that – that thing entered the room,† she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, â€Å"it swooped down on Crouch and – and -â€Å" Harry felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to find words to describe what had happened. He did not need her to finish her sentence. He knew what the dementor must have done. It had administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul out through his mouth. He was worse than dead. â€Å"By all accounts, he is no loss!† blustered Fudge. â€Å"It seems he has been responsible for several deaths'.† â€Å"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius,† said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. â€Å"He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people.† â€Å"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?† blustered Fudge. â€Å"He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!† â€Å"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius,† Dumbledore said. â€Å"Those peoples deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body.† Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavy weight into his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore. â€Å"You-Know-Who†¦returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you,† said Dumbledore, â€Å"we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort – learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins – went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return.† â€Å"See here, Dumbledore,† said Fudge, and Harry was astonished to see a slight smile dawning on his face, â€Å"you – you can't seriously believe that You-Know-Who – back? Come now, come now†¦certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders – but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort,† said Dumbledore steadily. â€Å"He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office.† Dumbledore glanced around at Harry and saw that he was awake, but shook his head and said, â€Å"I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight.† Fudge's curious smile lingered. He too glanced at Harry, then looked back at Dumbledore, and said, â€Å"You are – er – prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?† There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised, and he was baring his teeth at Fudge. â€Å"Certainly, I believe Harry,† said Dumbledore. His eyes were blazing now. â€Å"I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer.† Fudge still had that strange smile on his face. Once again, he glanced at Harry before answering. â€Å"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who†¦well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Fudge shot Harry another look, and Harry suddenly understood. â€Å"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge,† he said quietly. Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill all jumped. None of them had realized that Harry was awake. Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look came over his face. â€Å"And if I have?† he said, looking at Dumbledore. â€Å"If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place -â€Å" â€Å"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?† said Dumbledore coolly. â€Å"You admit that he has been having these pains, then?† said Fudge quickly. â€Å"Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly – hallucinations?† â€Å"Listen to me, Cornelius,† said Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge, and once again, he seemed to radiate that indefinable sense of power that Harry had felt after Dumbledore had Stunned young Crouch. â€Å"Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous.† Fudge had taken half a step back from Dumbledore, but he looked no less stubborn. â€Å"You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before†¦.† â€Å"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!† Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back. â€Å"I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy -â€Å" Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge. â€Å"Malfoy was cleared!† said Fudge, visibly affronted. â€Å"A very old family – donations to excellent causes -â€Å" â€Å"Macnair!† Harry continued. â€Å"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!† â€Å"Avery – Nott – Crabbe – Goyle -â€Å" â€Å"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!† said Fudge angrily. â€Å"You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heavens sake, Dumbledore – the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too – his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them – the boy can talk to snakes. Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?† â€Å"You fool!† Professor McGonagall cried. â€Å"Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!† â€Å"I see no evidence to the contrary!† shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. â€Å"It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!† Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had always thought of Fudge as a kindly figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured. But now a short, angry wizard stood before him, refusing, point-blank, to accept the prospect of disruption in his comfortable and ordered world – to believe that Voldemort could have risen. â€Å"Voldemort has returned,† Dumbledore repeated. â€Å"If you accept that fact straightaway. Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors -â€Å" â€Å"Preposterous!† shouted Fudge again. â€Å"Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!† â€Å"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!† said Dumbledore. â€Å"They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!† Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage. â€Å"The second step you must take – and at once,† Dumbledore pressed on, â€Å"is to send envoys to the giants.† â€Å"Envoys to the giants?† Fudge shrieked, finding his tongue again. â€Å"What madness is this?† â€Å"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late,† said Dumbledore, â€Å"or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!† â€Å"You – you cannot be serious!† Fudge gasped, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore. â€Å"If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants – people hate them, Dumbledore – end of my career -â€Å" â€Å"You are blinded,† said Dumbledore, his voice rising now, the aura of power around him palpable, his eyes blazing once more, â€Å"by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any – and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now- take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act – and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!† â€Å"Insane,† whispered Fudge, still backing away. â€Å"Mad†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of Harry's bed, her hands over her mouth. Mrs.Weasley was still standing over Harry, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, Ron, and Hermione were staring at Fudge. â€Å"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius,† said Dumbledore, â€Å"we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I – I shall act as I see fit.† Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore were advancing upon him with a wand. â€Å"Now, see here, Dumbledore,† he said, waving a threatening finger. â€Å"I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me -â€Å" â€Å"The only one against whom I intend to work,† said Dumbledore, â€Å"is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side.† It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, â€Å"He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled. â€Å"There,† said Snape harshly. â€Å"There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold.† Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, â€Å"I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry.† He had almost reached the door when he paused. He turned around, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Harry's bed. â€Å"Your winnings,† he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Harry's bedside table. â€Å"One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The moment he had disappeared, Dumbledore turned to look at the group around Harry's bed. â€Å"There is work to be done,† he said. â€Å"Molly†¦am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?† â€Å"Of course you can,† said Mrs. Weasley. She was white to the lips, but she looked resolute. â€Å"We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride.† â€Å"Then I need to send a message to Arthur,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius.† â€Å"I'll go to Dad,† said Bill, standing up. â€Å"I'll go now.† â€Å"Excellent,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry -â€Å" â€Å"Leave it to me,† said Bill. He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, kissed his mother on the cheek, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room. â€Å"Minerva,† said Dumbledore, turning to Professor McGonagall, â€Å"I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also – if she will consent to come – Madame Maxime.† Professor McGonagall nodded and left without a word. â€Å"Poppy,† Dumbledore said to Madam Pomfrey, â€Å"would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us.† â€Å"Very – very well,† said Madam Pomfrey, looking startled, and she too left. Dumbledore made sure that the door was closed, and that Madam Pomfrey's footsteps had died away, before he spoke again. â€Å"And now,† he said, â€Å"it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius†¦if you could resume your usual form.† The great black dog looked up at Dumbledore, then, in an instant, turned back into a man. Mrs. Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed. â€Å"Sirius Black!† she shrieked, pointing at him. â€Å"Mum, shut up!† Ron yelled. â€Å"It's okay!† Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on his face was one of mingled fury and horror. â€Å"Him!† he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike. â€Å"What is he doing here?† â€Å"He is here at my invitation,† said Dumbledore, looking between them, â€Å"as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other.† Harry thought Dumbledore was asking for a near miracle. Sirius and Snape were eyeing each other with the utmost loathing. â€Å"I will settle, in the short term,† said Dumbledore, with a bite of impatience in his voice, â€Å"for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any us. Very slowly – but still glaring at each other as though each wished the other nothing but ill – Sirius and Snape moved toward each other and shook hands. They let go extremely quickly. â€Å"That will do to be going on with,† said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. â€Å"Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher – the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there.† â€Å"But -† said Harry. He wanted Sirius to stay. He did not want to have to say goodbye again so quickly. â€Å"You'll see me very soon. Harry,† said Sirius, turning to him. â€Å"I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry. â€Å"Yeah†¦of course I do.† Sirius grasped his hand briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the room to the door, whose handle he turned with a paw. Then he was gone. â€Å"Severus,† said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, â€Å"you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready†¦if you are prepared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I am,† said Snape. He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely. â€Å"Then good luck,† said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius. It was several minutes before Dumbledore spoke again. â€Å"I must go downstairs,† he said finally. â€Å"I must see the Diggory's. Harry – take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later.† Harry slumped back against his pillows as Dumbledore disappeared. Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley were all looking at him. None of them spoke for a very long time. â€Å"You've got to take the rest of your potion. Harry,† Mrs. Weasley said at last. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on his bedside cabinet as she reached for the bottle and the goblet. â€Å"You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while†¦think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!† â€Å"I don't want that gold,† said Harry in an expressionless voice. â€Å"You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's.† The thing against which he had been fighting on and off ever since he had come out of the maze was threatening to overpower him. He could feel a burning, prickling feeling in the inner corners of his eyes. He blinked and stared up at the ceiling. â€Å"It wasn't your fault. Harry,† Mrs. Weasley whispered. â€Å"I told him to take the cup with me,† said Harry. Now the burning feeling was in his throat too. He wished Ron would look away. Mrs. Weasley set the potion down on the bedside cabinet, bent down, and put her arms around Harry. He had no memory of ever being hugged like this, as though by a mother. The full weight of everything he had seen that night seemed to fall in upon him as Mrs. Weasley held him to her. His mother's face, his father's voice, the sight of Cedric, dead on the ground all started spinning in his head until he could hardly bear it, until he was screwing up his face against the howl of misery fighting to get out of him. There was a loud slamming noise, and Mrs. Weasley and Harry broke apart. Hermione was standing by the window. She was holding something tight in her hand. â€Å"Sorry,† she whispered. â€Å"Your potion, Harry,† said Mrs. Weasley quickly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. Harry drank it in one gulp. The effect was instantaneous. Heavy, irresistible waves of dreamless sleep broke over him; he fell back onto his pillows and thought no more.