Wandless - A Harry Potter Fanfic 27 Chapter 9 - Curiosity Follows The Ca

"I see," Snape looked over the cloak with a curious look. He then pa.s.sed it back to Vincent who pocketed it. "This cloak made by Dementors can be cla.s.sified as a cursed object, those that have weak wills or fragile minds will easily fall prey to the despair and anguish embedded into this cloak."

Right after coming back from Hogsmeade, Vincent immediately visited Snape in hopes that he could identify the properties of the Dementors cloak.

"Good thing I have a hard head...Oww!" Vincent got clobbered on the head with a nearby book that Snape grabbed. "I was kidding!"

"This is nothing to joke about," Snape snapped. "For you to have such a strong will and a strong mind at such an age is not something to laugh about. Those that have reached such a level would either have trained their mental defences such as the Headmaster or have experienced great amounts of sorrow, tempering their will. You clearly have experienced the latter. So tell me again, do you think you're special because you have a tragic past?"

Vincent stayed silent as Snape gave a hmph. He then noticed a cauldron that still had some potion residue and got curious.

"What potion is this?" Vincent asked as he tried to identify the ingredients used. "A hint of moonseed, and moonstone. Is that a touch of silver? I can't identify the other ingredients, but I think I can smell a faint scent of Aconite?"

"That potion is none of your business." Snape huffed as he waved his wand, making the contents disappear. "Now, unless you have any need of anything else, you are welcomed to get out of this office."

"I do love our chats," Vincent muttered as he walked out the door. "Always filled with humor, warmth, and care."

Snape felt his brow twitch in annoyance and frustration. He took a deep breath to calm himself as he walked out of the office and to the Great Hall where the Halloween Feast would be held.

As Vincent was walking through the hallway back to the Gryffindor tower, he saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione's back as they turned a corner, heading to the Great Hall. Vincent was about to hurry after them when he noticed a small flash of ginger pa.s.s his view and paused.

"Crookshanks?" he thought curious. He followed it the the front of the castle where it sat at the the bottom step to the entrance.

He was about walk up to pet it when a thought crossed his mind, and he hid himself behind the large doors, watching Crookshanks through the crack. Vincent had no idea why, but he felt that revealing himself now would make him miss something.

Crookshanks merely sat there, seemingly waiting for something. Time ticked by and it still didn't move. All of a sudden, the bell rung, indicating the start of the Halloween Feast.

"Didn't go last year," Vincent thought glumly. "and I'm not going this year, why can't I enjoy a normal Halloween?"

At this point, Crookshanks walked back inside, past Vincent who sighed. "Seems like I wasted my time."

Before Vincent walked to the Halloween Feast, a small movement in the distance caught his eye.

"Is someone coming in?" He thought as he continued watching the figure coming closer. Vincent's eyes widened as he saw the figures face. "Sirius, Black?!"

Sirius Black walked through the front door, looking as ragged and savage as the newspapers made him out to be, but despite this, Vincent felt no fear, only pity for the man.

"Why is that?" Vincent thought as Sirius looked around before making his way through the corridor. "He's heading for the Gryffindor towers? Harry's at the Great Hall, unless he didn't know that?"

Vincent quietly tailed Sirius, eager to find out what he was looking for.

"This brings back memories," Sirius muttered to himself as he made his way up the stairs. "I remember walking through that front door plenty of times as a student."

Several paintings that saw him freaked and started following him through other paintings, muttering to each other. Sirius ignored them as he found himself at the Fat Lady's picture who shook at his appearance.

"Sirius Black," she greeted, her voice stiff. "All those that pa.s.s need the pa.s.sword, I'm sure you remember that?"

A flash of nostalgia came over Sirius as he stood in front of the same picture that once greeted him with a smile. He then remembered what he came there to do and his face turned serious.

"It's been a while Fat Lady," Sirius greeted back. "Can you perhaps make an exception? I'll be in and out before you know it."

"No pa.s.sword, no entry," the Fat Lady refuses making black lines appear on Sirius' forehead.

"Please, I'm begging you, let me in," Sirius sounded desperate as pleaded with the painting. "I have waited in that prison for twelve long years, please."

"You're a murderer Sirius Black," the Fat Lady looked stern. "How could you betray Potter, your best friend?"

Sirius snapped.

"YES, I ADMIT TO BEING THE CAUSE OF JAMES AND LILY'S DEATH," Sirius bellowed. "THAT MUCH IS MY FAULT, SO THE LEAST I COULD DO IS BRING THAT INSOLENT LITTLE RAT TO h.e.l.l WITH ME!"

The Fat Lady looked scared as Sirius approached her painting, "I will ask one last time, let, me, in."

"N-no." The Fat Lady said with fear.

Suddenly, a large gash appeared on her painting making the Fat Lady shrink back in shock.

"LET ME IN!" Sirius bellowed as he held his knife.

"N-no!" She yelled as another slash tore through her painting. She yelled out in desperation, "Someone, HELP!!"

Just as Sirius was about to make another slash when someone caught his arm. Sirius turned in rage and saw Vincent standing there with an awkward look.

"Why so Sirius?" Sirius and the Fat Lady froze at the sudden and stupid pun. Vincent coughed in embarra.s.sment as he looked at the Fat Lady. "Too soon? I thought it was good at the time, you might want to run. Don't worry, I've got this handled."

The Fat Lady nodded as she ran off leaving Sirius and Vincent standing observing each other.

"You do know who I am right?" Sirius said darkly as he looked Vincent up and down and frowned as he noticed no wand on the boy.

"Sirius Black, ma.s.s murderer, I know," Vincent said, not letting go of Sirius' arm. "I'm interested in what you said earlier, you're the cause of Harry's parents death? Mind elaborating?"

"A brat like you has no business with this, unless you want to get hurt, let go and walk away," Sirius threatened as he tried to get out of Vincent's grip only to pause in shock at the difficulty in doing so.

"Can't do that," Vincent said. "Not until I know what you're after."

"Trying to be a detective are we?" Sirius spat as he used his free hand to reach into his pocket pulling out something before Vincent grabbed his hand with his left, making Sirius drop the item.

"I suggest we don't make any sudden movements," Vincent advised.

Sirius smirked and before Vincent could tell why, Sirius stomped on the item. Suddenly, Vincent and Sirius were sent tumbling down the stairs by an unknown explosion.

"Hahaha," Sirius laughed maniacally as he sprinted down the stairs. "Exploding whoopy cus.h.i.+on! Courtesy of Zonko's sucker!"

"..." Vincent felt a twitch in his brow. "Now I'm mad."

Sirius looked behind him to see if Vincent was still following when a shadow came from overhead making him look up, eyes bulged.

"That kids mad!" Sirius said as Vincent fell from the top platform.

He made a leap to the next platform just as Vincent landed where he was just standing moments ago. Vincent rolled to reduce the amount of impact before taking off after Sirius.

"Crazy kid, are you trying to die!" Sirius yelled back as he continued down the stairs.

Vincent pulled out his rods and threw them at Sirius who managed to avoid it as he turned into the third floor.

"Stay still!" Vincent called out as Sirius reached into his pocket, pulling out several bomb like items.

"You may want to stay back kid!" Sirius yelled, out of breath. "The smell from these things can stay for weeks if it gets in the wrong places!"

Sirius then threw down several of the b.a.l.l.s, clouding up the corridor in a putrid smelling gas that Sirius hid in.
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"This is gonna suck," Vincent muttered as he jumped in and continued running while holding his breath. For a while, he continued to run before exited the other side and continued around the corner where he b.u.mped into someone.

"Argh!" Vincent instantly held the person's hands behind his back before realising that it wasn't Sirius.

"Cedric?" Vincent questioned as he was pushed aside by a Hufflepuff. He looked around to see a group of Hufflepuffs looking at him with anger seeing that he just tackled one of their house members down.

"Get off him!" A boy said annoyed.

"Sorry," Vincent held out a hand to which Cedric chuckled and grabbed on.

"Mistakes happen," Cedric said before frowning at Vincent. "What's with the smell?"

"Never mind that," Vincent grimaced as he smelt himself. "Sirius Black made it into Hogwarts."

Cedrics eyes widened as he looked at Vincent. "Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Cedric shook his head. "Take your group back to your dorms and alert the teachers, I'm heading back to see if there was anyplace I missed. He could still be here."

"That's too dangerous," Cedric argued.

"I've dealt with worse." Vincent answered as he ran back before Cedric could answer.

"He's just a Muggle, what can he do against a ma.s.s murderer?" A girl said in a huff looking dissatisfied.

"He killed a basilisk before," a boy said.

"That's just a rumour..."

"Stop!" Cedric looked at the group. "We need to warn all the students and teachers in the school. Tell the ghosts and pictures to pa.s.s along the message that Sirius Black has infiltrated Hogwarts."

"Alright!"

Vincent found himself looking around the area that Sirius set the Dungbombs.

"I would have known if he'd double back," Vincent muttered as he held his nose from the smell. "All that's here is a One-eyed witch statue and a cla.s.sroom which he's not in, where could he have gone?"

...

"I went to talk to Professor Snape before heading back to my hut to drop something off. When I came out, Sirius Black was heading into the castle," Vincent explained to the teachers who held their nose because of him.

He was pretty sure an answer involving him being interested in where a cat went only to coincidentally see Sirius Black would sound more suspicious.

"That was a very dangerous thing you did Vincent," said Dumbledore. "You could have been hurt, very, very badly."

"I couldn't let him get away," Vincent said.

"Regardless, that was very reckless of you," McGonagall scolded. "Well, I think we're about done here, head on into the Great Hall, that's where you students will be sleeping tonight."

Vincent nodded and walked past Snape who gave him an odd look before turning to Dumbledore. Vincent also noticed that Lupin wasn't among the teachers and felt curious, but the thought fled his head as he entered the Great Hall where tables and chairs were stacked to the side and the floor littered with purple sleeping bags. It was filled to the brim with all of Hogwarts students muttering to each other about the incident. He looked around before spotting a familiar girl in a wheelchair and making his way towards her.

"Vince," Harry said causing people to turn his way.

"Hey guys," Vincent waved as he found an empty sleeping bag, he heard shuffling and turned to see that everyone in a ten meter radius had shuffled away, holding their noses.

"What the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l is that smell?!" Ron muttered gagging slightly.

"This is what happens when you walk into a cloud of Dungbombs," Vincent explained sourly. "Hermione, have any spell to fix this?"

"Scourgify," Hermione muttered, cleaning away a little of the smell, but not all of it. "I think all you can do it wait."

"Great," Vincent muttered. He then looked to Arnya who slowly made her way to the ground from her chair. She then slid into the sleeping bag and sighed comfortably before looking questionably at Vincent. "What?"

"Just seeing if you needed help," Vincent answered as he slid into his own bag.

"So what happened?" Harry asked, eagerly wanting to know about the encounter with Sirius Black.

Vincent explained what happened, leaving out the part about Harry's parents. Vincent didn't think that it was the right time with people listening in, not to mention knowing Harry, he would most likely react negatively to the news, causing more harm than good.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get past the Dementors?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away. "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.

"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione, annoyed.

"Probably," Ron answered. "Why?"

"I've read at least half," said Vincent.

"I've read it all," Arnya muttered, making Hermione look at her with appreciation.

"Really?! That things ma.s.sive," Ron exclaimed. He coughed when Hermione glared at him. "But seriously, why?"

"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Hermione. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds."

"But he still walked right through the front door," Vincent muttered. "not to mention he did break out of Azkaban, literally a home for Dementors, so who can say he didn't use the same trick to sneak past?"

"Lights out in ten minutes!" Percy instructed. "No more talking!

Vincent couldn't go to sleep, not with the smell of dung lingering about him. The one upside is that no one wanted to come near him. Every now and then, a teacher would come into the hall to make sure all was peaceful. Some time later, when it was extremely late, Professor Dumbledore came in and looked around for Percy.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir."

"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding in a map of Argylls.h.i.+re on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in at all. She's still very distressed, but she did want to thank Mr Wong for stepping up for her. Once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."

Vincent heard more footsteps approach.

"Headmaster?" It was Snape. Harry kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched..."

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before — ah — the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

"It seems—almost impossible—that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed—"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.

"I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."

Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left.

Vincent noticed Ron awake as he mouthed to the rest of them. "What was all that about?"

The next few days were unfortunate for Vincent as the smell from the Dungbombs remained causing no small amounts of gagging from anyone stepping in a tem-metre radius of him. Even Arnya kept her distance due to the smell.

Vincent also pondered over what he had knew about Sirius Black:

1. Sirius claiming he killed Harry's parents

2. Used Zonko's items, meaning that he most likely resides in Hogsmeade

3. High Probability that he's not after Harry seeing that he waited till the Halloween Feast began. Chances of being a mistake are small seeing as how he was smart enough to escape Azkaban.

4. Escaped in a rather odd fas.h.i.+on. Fred and George did mention secret pa.s.sages before so maybe Sirius used one.

5. And most importantly, is that he has a way to evade the Dementors.

Vincent sighed as he packed up his potion ingredients and left the hut with Arnya trailing behind him. They rushed through an onslaught of rain that drenched them by the time they made it to the entrance. He considered sneaking back into Hogsmeade, but scratched the thought. Not because he was afraid of punishment, but because Dementors guarded the entrances, making him wary of being attacked by them. He also had no current idea to what Sirius was after, making him have even more of a headache.

There was another thing bothering him as well, one that had no relation to the incident whatsoever.

Hermione.

At first, although she turned up suddenly in cla.s.s, it was nothing that Vincent considered unordinary. But as time pa.s.sed by, he noticed that she became increasingly inconsistent. She would often forget what she did in the last lesson, no, it was almost like she wasn't in the last lesson. To make things even more confusing, he heard from Lavender saying that she was in Arithmancy at the same time she was in Muggle Studies with Vincent.

"Arnya, did you do it?" Vincent asked Arnya who nodded as Vincent pa.s.sed a dry towel from his pouch to her which she received.

"We'll soon find out if my theory is true," Vincent muttered.

Vincent and Arnya made their way to the Defence Against the Dark Arts cla.s.sroom for their lesson. Vincent looked surprised seeing Snape with his usual glare at the head of the cla.s.s.

"Professor," Vincent greeted which Snape gave a nod in response. Vincent and Arnya then sat down next to Hermione and Ron.

"Snape teaching, this is going to suck isn't it?" Ron complained silently.

"What happened to Lupin?" Vincent asked Hermione who was in a daze until Vincent shook her shoulder. "Hermione, you ok?"

"Whuh, yeah, I'm fine," Hermione said. "Professor Lupin is apparently sick."

"Probably that drink that Snape gave him," Ron said as Snape turned his back.

"Drink?" Vincent questioned.

"When we were at Hogsmeade, Harry said he visited Professor Lupin," Ron explained. "Snape visited and gave him something to drink, probably poison."

"Anything bad doesn't always involve Professor Snape," Hermione scolded.

At that moment, Harry barged in.

"Sorry I'm late Professor Lupin—" Harry started before pausing at the sight of Snape.

As expected, Harry started questioning Snape on Lupin's whereabouts and was deducted points because of how late he was. Once seated, he then began his lesson on—

"—werewolves."

"But sir, we're meant to start Hinkypuffs," Hermione called out before being silenced by Snape.

"Mrs Granger," Snape said in a calm voice that sent chills up everyone's spine. "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"

With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the cla.s.s opened their books.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.

"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between —"

"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on--"

"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year cla.s.s who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..."

"The werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways," Snape turned to Vincent who glanced at Hermione, ready to shout out. He grimaced, knowing Snape, he'd probably take points off of her for something like being a know-it-all and speaking out of turn. "The most important being that a true wolf can transform at any point while a werewolf can only turn into one one the night of a full moon."

"...Five points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn," Snape said as Vincent sighed in relief. For all he knew, that could have gone a lot worse.

No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes on werewolves

from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.

"Very poorly explained... That is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia... Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three..."

When the bell rang at last, Snape held them back.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this cla.s.s in hand."

They exited the cla.s.s whom were all fed up with Snape's teaching methods.

"You understand why Snape was teaching about werewolves Hermione?" Vincent asked quietly.

Hermione looked confused while Vincent continued, "Even if you don't, you'll probably find out sooner. Think about it, Lupin sick, Snape takes over the lesson and goes specifically to werewolves. Think about it."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You don't mean, Lupin, he's—?"

"Yes," Vincent answered.

"Snape also did make a potion filled with a lot of moon ingredients, probably to help Lupin in some way." Vincent thought as a side note.

"What are you two talking about?" Ron asked.

"Nothing important."

"Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, evenif he did want the job," Harry said to Hermione. "Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think thisis all because of the Boggart?"

"I don't know, but I hope Lupin gets better soon," Hermione said a little too quickly.

While Hermione was talking, Arnya wheeled up to her bag and reached in a side pocket. She took out a small item before pa.s.sing it to Vincent who looked at it.

"Just as I thought," Vincent muttered.

That night, before Hermione went into the girls dorm, she was stopped by Arnya and taken to the fireplace where Vincent was waiting.

"Why does this feel like an interrogation?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I think I discovered how your getting to several cla.s.ses at once," Hermione froze as Vincent took out an item and handed it to her. "Here, take a look at this."

"A pocket watch?" Hermione muttered as she observed the item. She then noticed that time was not right one. "It's a bit too early isn't it?"

"Arnya put that in your bag this morning," Hermione took a while to register the fact before her eyes widened in realisation. Vincent continued. "It definitely at the proper time then, so why isn't it now?"

"Umm," Hermione scratched her cheek as she glared at Arnya who shrugged.

"Let me tell you what I think," Vincent said. "To get to all your cla.s.ses, you have something that allows you to turn back time to take them."

"...When did you start suspecting it?" Hermione sighed, giving up on the idea of fooling Vincent. "For you to mention time travel so easily means that you were confident that the pocket watch idea would work."

"You kept forgetting information about a cla.s.s that you should have just had," Vincent explained. "Well, to be more accurate, you didn't know anything that was taught in that cla.s.s because you hadn't attended it yet."

Hermione gave a look of annoyance with her secret being found out, "Ok, fine, why did you tell me this now instead of Harry and Ron?"

"I'm not going to tell them your secret, that's something fo you to decide," Vincent said. "From my observation, taking on all those lessons at once doesn't seem to be doing any good for you. You're far more tired than usual and a bit more emotional. I'm worried that your pus.h.i.+ng yourself too hard. Maybe drop a few of those lessons?"

"I'm fine!" Hermione huffed. "It's none of your business anyway!"

Hermione stormed away and stopped at the steps to the girls dorms. "You didn't ask about what the device was or how it worked, why?"

"That's your choice, and I'm honestly not interested," Vincent said as he stretched. He then smiled at Hermione. "Good night."

Hermione glared at him before walking up the steps. "Good night."

Arnya watched Hermione leave and turned to Vincent. "Hermione's right, there was no need to let her know that you knew, so why did you tell her?"

"One I was worried for her," Vincent said thoughtfully. "and secrets are easier to hold when their shared with someone else. I just wanted to lighten her burden no matter how little. Don't know if I helped or not, but I didn't want to watch her stress herself out and do nothing to help."

"You're weird," Arnya muttered causing Vincent chuckle to himself.

"Vincent Wong," Arnya thought as Vincent waved good night. "Someone that cares naught for himself, why is it that he cares for others?"

Arnya remembered the night that she saw the scene where Vincent got stabbed by her brother.

...

"What is this?" Arnya asked Axel after viewing the blood image from the blood on a table.

"Vincent Wong, the boy father is interested in." Axel sighed as he hefted his spear.

Arnya kept her eyes on the boy's frozen image in interest.

"Why is it that he protected that vampire?" she asked. "That vampire attacked him and even turned an innocent man into a Peasant.

Axel shrugged. "Muggles are weird, that's why us vampires love them right? Without any magic they have created wings to fly, carriages, or cars that rely on engines to power them up, and weapons of ma.s.s destruction."

Axel nodded to the guns that Arnya had.

She sat there deep in thought for a long while, staring at the boy with golden eyes image. Soon after that she visited her father for the first time on her own.

"Let me be the one to observe him," Arnya asked with no emotion, causing Dracula to raise a brow in surprise.

"Why should I?"

"I want to see how the boy will turn out with my own two eyes," said Arnya.

Dracula narrowed his eyes. "You've come to me, for this? You're not qualified to ask for anything."

Arnya wheeled her chair forward and locked eyes with Dracula who looked back expecting an empty gaze when his eyes widened slightly. Her eyes, although still extremely void of emotion, for the first time he saw a glimmer of determination.

"Does this boy really interest you that much?" Dracula asked.

"No," Dracula felt his eye twitch, "I want to understand what it means to be human."

"Human," Dracula thought. "How long has it been since I've heard that word."

"I will think on it." Dracula stated, leaving no more room for conversation.

...

Arnya lay there in her bed, reminiscing about the past when Hermione whispered to her.

"Arnya?"

"Hermione?

"Why did you get involved?" Hermione whispered curiously.

"...I don't know," said Arnya. "Like Vincent, I saw that something was stressing you out and wanted to know why."

"...Thanks and sorry for worrying you."

Hermione soon fell asleep, leaving Arnya awake with her own thoughts.

"Was I worrying, and if I was, why?" Arnya thought as she lay in bed that night. "What it means to be human, I think, that by continuing to observe others, someday, I will understand."

.