Ss2 Assesment

Spreadsheet Software Level 2 (Credit value 4) Assessment You should use this file to complete your Assessment. †¢ The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or a disk †¢ Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly †¢ When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference †¢ Then, go to www. vision2learn. com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit and Assessment number.Please note that this assessment document has 9 pages and is made up of 6 Parts. Name: Alvaro Estrada Achieving your qualification In order to achieve your Level 2 ITQ Certificate in IT User Skills qualification, you will need to demonstrate to your tutor that you can meet all of the learning outcomes for this Unit. By completing this Assessment, you will cover the following learning outcomes: The learner will†¦ 1. Use a spreadsheet to enter, edit and organise numerical and other data 2. Select and use appropriate formulas and data analysis tools to meet requirements 3.Select and use tools and techniques to present and format spreadsheet information You will also satisfy the following assessment criteria: The learner can†¦ 1. 1 Identify what numerical and other information is needed in the spreadsheet and how it should be structured 1. 2 Enter and edit numerical and other data accurately 1. 3 Combine and link data across worksheets 1. 4 Store and retrieve spreadsheet files effectively, in line with local guidelines and conventions where available 2. 1 Identify which tools and techniques to use to analyse and manipulate data to meet requirements 2. Select and use a range of appropriate functions and formulas to meet calculation requirements 2. 3 Use a range of tools and techniques to analyse and manipulate data to meet requirements 3. 1 Plan how to present and fo rmat spreadsheet information effectively to meet needs 3. 2 Select and use appropriate tools and techniques to format spreadsheet cells, rows, columns and worksheets 3. 3 Select and format an appropriate chart or graph type to display selected information 3. 4 Select and use appropriate page layout to present and print spreadsheet information 3. Check information meets needs, using spreadsheet tools and making corrections as necessary 3. 6 Describe how to find errors in spreadsheet formulas 3. 7 Respond appropriately to any problems with spreadsheets The references in brackets below show you where these criteria are covered. Assessment Scenario You work in a newsagents’ shop. Your boss has asked you to analyse the sales of chocolate bars using a spreadsheet. Part A (B1. 1, B1. 2, B2. 1, B2. 3, B1. 4) 1. Open Excel to create a spreadsheet about chocolate bar sales. The spreadsheet should contain the following data: Price of the chocolate bars †¢ Shelf location in the shop †¢ Sales of each chocolate bar for January †¢ Sales of each chocolate bar for February Use the information below to create the spreadsheet. Chocolate bar data Chocolate bar prices: Mars: 0. 58, Dairy Milk: 0. 65, Double Decker: 0. 66, Twix: 0. 53, Caramel: 0. 55, Snickers: 0. 57, Boost: 0. 71, Bounty: 0. 35, Aero: 0. 68, Wispa: 0. 65, Milky bar: 0. 40, Yorkie; 0. 70, Galaxy: 0. 67, Lion bar: 0. 65, Rolo: 0. 63. Shelf location in the shop Shelf one: Snickers, Mars, Galaxy, Yorkie Shelf two: Dairy Milk, Caramel, Boost, Rolo, BountyShelf three: Twix, Milky bar, Aero, Double Decker, Lion Bar, Wispa January chocolate bar sales volume: |Mars |54 | |Dairy Milk |36 | |Double Decker |30 | |Twix |24 | |Caramel |48 | |Snickers |108 | |Boost |22 | |Bounty |51 | |Aero |32 | |Wispa |37 | Milky bar |29 | |Yorkie |55 | |Galaxy |60 | |Lion bar |37 | |Rolo |43 | February chocolate bar sales volume: |Mars |60 | |Dairy Milk |42 | |Double Decker |45 | |Twix |36 | |Caramel |57 | |Snickers |114 | Boost |35 | |Bounty |50 | |Aero |35 | |Wispa |48 | |Milky bar |62 | |Yorkie |70 | |Galaxy |55 | |Lion bar |40 | |Rolo |46 | 2. Format the price column of the spreadsheet so that it displays as currency. 3. Create a new column called Total sales.Calculate the total number of sales for January and February for each chocolate bar and populate the Total sales column. 4. Sort the spreadsheet by Shelf location so that all of the Shelf 1 chocolate bars appear at the top of the spreadsheet, then the Shelf 2 bars, then the Shelf 3 bars. Save the spreadsheet with the name: SS2_chocolate_complete Part B (B1. 1, B1. 2, B1. 4) 1. Reopen SS2_chocolate_complete (the spreadsheet you created in Part A of this assessment), and create a column chart to compare the prices of the chocolate bars. Save the chart as a new worksheet in your workbook.Give this new worksheet the name: Chart1 2. Create a line graph to compare the sales of all chocolate bars in January and February. Save the graph as a new w orksheet in your workbook. Give this new worksheet the name: Chart2 Remember to save your work within the file: SS2_chocolate_complete Part C (B1. 4, B2. 1, B2. 3) 1. Reopen SS2_chocolate_complete (the spreadsheet you created in Part A and added charts to in Part B of this assessment). 2. Add a new column to this spreadsheet. You should add this column after the Total sales column and name it Re-order. 3.If the Total sales of a chocolate bar are more than 100, then stock needs to be re-ordered. In the Re-order column that you have added to your spreadsheet, create an IF statement to show whether stock needs to be ordered for each chocolate bar. The results of your IF statement should display Yes if stock needs to be re-ordered or No if new stock isn’t required. 4. Once you have completed your IF statement for each chocolate bar, save the changes you have made to your SS2_chocolate_complete spreadsheet. Part D (B1. 3, B2. 2) You will have downloaded some resource files to help you complete this part of the assessment. . From the resource files open the spreadsheet shopdata. 2. Complete the following table. For each task you must complete the action in Excel, and then complete the table with which functions/formula you used. The first task has been completed as an example. |Task |Use one of these three |Which |Type out the formula / one of the |What is the answer | | |functions to complete the |function did |formulas you used |to the initial task? | | |task |you use? | | |Calculate the total number of|SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT |SUM |=SUM(C2:C7) |350 | |sales for Shop 2 in February | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Identify the most popular |SUM, MIN, MAX |MAX |=MAX(B2:B7) |Snickers | |chocolate bar for Shop 1 in | | | | | |January | | | | | |Calculate the total number of|3D reference using SUM, 3D |SUM |=SUM(Shop1:Shop3! J5) | | |Mars bars sold by all shops |reference using COUNTIF, 3D | | | | | |reference using MIN / MAX. |*see note | | | | | | | Total=1687 | Remember to save your work in this document. *note: To do this task I used Sort AZ in every Shop with intention to get Mars bars in The position row 5, in every shop I did =SUM(B5:G5) and every result in J5. After I did SUM Part E (B1. 3, B2. 1, B2. 3, B1. 4) You will have downloaded some resource files to help you complete this part of the assessment. 1. From the resource files open the document shopdata. 2. For each of the three Shop worksheets, add a new column after June and name it Average. 3.Work out the average number of sales for each chocolate bar in Shop 2. Display the results in the column Average. 4. Sort the Shop 2 worksheet so that the chocolate bar with the least average sales appears at the top, and the chocolate bar with the most average sales appears at the bottom of the spreadsheet. 5. Go to the Shop 1 worksheet. Type the text Shop 2 in a cell in column A. Create a hyperlink using this text which links to the Shop 2 worksheet. Save the file with the n ame: SS2_shopdata_complete Part F (B3. 1, B3. 2, B3. 3, B3. 4, B3. 5, B3. 6, B3. 7) 1. Open the spreadsheet you created in Part A of this assessment, which should be saved with the filename SS2_chocolate_complete. Using the Save as unction, create another file and give it the file name SS2_chocolate2_complete. †¢ Apply bold formatting to all the text in Row 1 †¢ Apply bold formatting to all the text in Column A †¢ Change the text colour of Row 1 to red †¢ Adjust the size of Column F so that the text ‘Total sales’ appears on one line †¢ Insert an outline border to your spreadsheet, and also an inside border to all cells 2. Open the worksheet Chart 1 †¢ Give the x axis the name chocolate bar type †¢ Give the y axis the name customer price †¢ Change the chart type from Column to Bar †¢ Give this chart a suitable title †¢ A legend should be applied, if appropriate. 3. Open the worksheet Chart 2.Add a suitable chart title, le gend, x-axis label and y-axis label to this chart. 4. Check the formatting, spelling and data accuracy of all your work, and respond appropriately to any problems. Describe how you did this. Using Print Preview to view the document. I adjusted the margins, with Page Layout (Margins), which were too wide, necessitating 2 pages to show chart 2. I checked the layout for the first chart and resized the second chart to fit the page. Next, I renamed sheet 1&2 to chart 1&2 on the spreadsheets ss2_chocolate_complete and on ss2_chocolate2_complete respectively. I did this by right clicking on the sheet tab, using Rename I typed in the correct name (chart 1& chart 2).In Review, I used the Spelling & Grammar option to check the whole documents & corrected mistakes. I checked all formulas manually to be sure they are working automatically. Remember to save the spreadsheet with the file name: SS2_chocolate2_complete Sending work Once you have completed all parts of this Assessment, you will need to send your work to your tutor so he or she can see the progress you have made. Send the following files: 1. This document with completed sections. 2. SS2_chocolate_complete 3. SS2_chocolate2_complete 4. SS2_shopdata_complete When you’re ready, go to www. vision2learn. com and send your files to your tutor via your My Study area.

Design an Encryption Strategy Essay

Using the table given the encryption strategy for Richmond investments would go as follows. I will be using the privacy or confidentiality objective. The basic description for the privacy or confidentiality objective is to keep information secret from all person or persons, except those who are authorized to see it have access. In other words, no one without authorization will be able to gain access to sensitive company information or client information, such as addresses, names, billing information, credit card information, and other personal information. The security option needs to be implemented on all networks in the company’s domain. The public key infrastructure is a set of hardware, software people policies and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute use store and revoke digital certificates. In this case will be using PKI cards, which will allow entrance into the facility, it will also allow entrance into specific areas of the building, allow employees to clock in and out and will allow for signing off and on of company computers. All employees will be issued a card with their name employee ID and photo on the face the card on the backside of the card will be company contact information such as departmental phone numbers, etc. the implementation of a company encryption strategy is extremely important to protect the company. The company’s clients and the overall day-to-day activities, the employees involved themselves in to keep the company running.

Coffee Industry in Vietnam Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coffee Industry in Vietnam - Case Study Example Initially, coffee industry was run by government. The total area under coffee production in 1995 was 186,400 hectares and increased to 535,100 hectares by 2002. The coffee type mainly grown in Vietnam is Robusta, a relatively low quality coffee in comparison to Arabia. But Vietnam's coffee is of high quality and planted on mountainous areas because of "a large range of temperature between day and night and basaltic soil" (Sinh, Sutcliffe, and Van, 1999, p.68). The coffee produced in Boun Ma Thout is widely accepted by the customers due to its improved quality. In order to get a clear cut idea and gain a better understanding over the coffee industry in Vietnam, it is necessary to draw a dividing line over the periods of coffee industry in Vietnam stretching from 1996-97 to 1999-2000. During the first period, i.e. 1996-1997 due to the high price, coffee farmers were inspired to cultivate it more while the second period brought them to the world coffee market when it reached its peak level in 2001 as their domestic coffee demand was static. During this time, government brought the country's coffee industry to the highland regions and took effective production and export oriented programs. Boun Ma Thout Coffee Festival of 2005 was a turning point for Vietnamese coffee industry. In this festival, Hanoians came to see the entire process of coffee production - planting, harvesting, drying, roasting and grinding. Subsequent to this, they came to enjoy cup coffee. Such festivals have opened the doors for all to be familiar with coffee culture and at the same time help developing it. Current Scenario Mainly grown coffee type in Vietnam is Robusta. It grows in plenty in highland regions of Vietnam. Robusta has a relatively less potential to be affected by diseases and it needs less water supply. As the Vietnam began to earn huge currencies through importing this improved quality coffee at much higher rate, the policy makers tempted the farmers to cultivate it more. As a consequence of this, the farmers became somewhat blind to the coffee cultivation and began to cut down tropical trees along with other trees. As a result, at the end of late 1990s, the world coffee price fall down only because of Vietnamese overproduction. Restlessness of market price and the condition ordained on them let them facing a serious financial hardship. However, this led coffee farmers neglect densely planted "dollar trees" (Greenfield, March 2004) too. Again use of chemical fertilizer instead of organic fertilizer quickly fertilized and increased coffee production and ultimately affects on the long run fertilization. Standardization There is an urgent necessity to take proper initiatives for making the proper standardization of coffee industry for ensuring its perfection and better quality. Sinh, Sutcliffe, and Van (1999) states that- "General Department of Quality Control, the Polytechnic University, and the Department of Science, Technology and Quality Control and after reviewing the coffee standards of ISO and some countries such as Indonesia, Brazil, and the Standardization Committee of Vietnam Coffee Corporation (VINACAFE) has developed standards

Middle school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Middle school - Essay Example According to Staff (2007), middle school students between the age of twelve and fifteen are driven by peer pressure to engage in sexual activities. Though there has been concerns about the safety of these middle school students in terms of the side effects of birth control measures (Staff, 2007), it is worth noting that the benefits of providing birth control among school going teenagers far outweigh the drawbacks. Therefore, contraceptives should be made available to school going teenagers particularly in schools. This paper presents an argument in support of provision of contraceptives to middle school teens. One of the reasons in support of provision of contraceptives to middle school teens relates to education. Welsh (2012) posits that "Half of girls who had children before age eighteen graduate from high school and less than two percent earn a college degree by the time they are thirty". In other words, teenage pregnancy denies them a right to education. In essence, this is attributed to the challenges associated with pregnancies particularly health issues. In addition, the pregnant teen has to drop out of school in order to take care of the child. Access to contraceptives can thus help prevent unplanned pregnancies among middle school students and consequently elevate their chances of completing their education and a better future. The case of T.C. Williams school for instance presents an illustration of the benefits of contraceptives to middle school teens. Before the clinic was moved to the school, a total of fifty pregnancies were reported within a year. In the first year of the c linics relocation to the school, the number of reported teen pregnancies dropped to thirty five and twenty in the second year (Welsh, 2012). As noted by Welsh (2012), individuals who argue against issuance of contraceptives to middle school girls argue that the practice would encourage more teenagers to engage in dangerous sexual activities.

Arguments for and against Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Arguments for and against Abortion - Essay Example According to her, killing a human being is wrong. However, a fetus does not qualify to be a human being because it does not have consciousness (Ford, 2002). She observes that to qualify as a human being, the concept of consciousness must be present. Therefore, since a fetus does not feel pain, it cannot be regarded a human being. Therefore, removing a fetus is not killing a human being. Thus, according to her, abortion is not wrong (Ford, 2002). Secondly, Mary Anne Warren argues that a human being must possess the capacity for reasoning and self-motivated activity (Ford, 2002). Therefore, a human being must be able to solve existing or new problems on their own. Additionally, a human being must be able to make independent decisions, without any genetic or external control (Ford, 2002). Thus, considering that a fetus does not have the capacity to solve problems on its own, and considering that a fetus does not have the ability to make independent decisions that are devoid of external control, then, it does not qualify to be a human being. Therefore, removing a fetus from the womb of a woman is not killing a human being (Ford, 2002).

Postmodernist Approach to Burial practice Research Paper - 2

Postmodernist Approach to Burial practice - Research Paper Example Notions of the people particular to God, heaven, hell, witches, spirits and souls are also leaded by the same. Conception of the related believes of the individual and society has the consequences on the rituals performed. It is around 10,000 years back that the death ritual is performed among the few earliest rituals of society. Variable practices are followed by the people of diversifying beliefs and one of the main reasons acting behind the burial practice of the people seems to be the one practiced by the ancients of particular group of people [CE11]. From Southern Iberia at Abrigo do Lagar Velho, the human burial of Upper Paleothic was discovered as an evidence of early modern humans in the European society [CD99]. Burial ritual is the found to be the most transformed ritual of the modern society and is very diversified in its nature depending upon a lot of social, cultural and religious factors but some of the anthropologists find the burial ritual as an only ritual which remained the same in practice in respect of the change in human behavior and the growth of the healthy cultural values [JC10]. Two of the postmodernist approach to burial practice includes cremation and embalming [LA04]. Cremation practice is followed almost all around the world. Problem of overcrowded cemeteries in the modern societies is thought to be resolved by the same process. Although cremation practice is relatively low in the American society and is declared as forbidden in the Orthodox Judaism community. Roman Catholic Church recently approved its practice in the Christian community and Hindus are the one who practice cremation strongly as compare all other school of thoughts. Muslim community is also not of the view of burning human and the scattering the ashes in the rivers due to potential health hazards. Cementation practice has involved no rich cultural heritage unless and until

Operations Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Operations Management - Assignment Example The Author asserts and emphasizes on the CITA accreditation, and sheds the concepts of Operations Management in order to achieve the CITA accreditation by Al-Jouf International School. Having these Operations Management concepts applied, the Author justifies that the School will achieve CITA accreditation in the future. The case study organization, the author relates to is Al-Jouf International School. The author has served as an educator (tutor) for the past 3 years in the School. The author has found out certain managerial issues, high turnover rates for educators, failed system in order to support the CITA accreditation, and declining school enrolment. The author suggests that Operational Management concepts are a must for the School in order to gain the repute among other competitive International Schools. Al-Jouf International School is located in suburbs of Sakaka, Saudi Arabia. It is the school having two separate sections, each comprising of Boys wing and Girls wing that are gender based separated. The foundations of the school was led in 2006, with an aim to increase in quantity and to provide the quality and satisfactory education for the children, that will foster the future of Saudi Arabia and whoever learns and are ready to serve the International market. Al-Jouf International School laid its foundations on the basis of skill based education. The aims of the school were to provide the best quality education with an aim to be a part of an International Accrediting. It aimed to provide the quality education having leading quality educators with going beyond â€Å"Chalk and Talk method†. The structure of the School includes the Chairman of the School, followed by the Principal, Vice Principal and Faculty. The management staffs include the Finance sections comprising of Finance officer and his Co Finance Officer. There is a

Talk team uk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Talk team uk - Essay Example Accordingly, such noticeable motivations are habitually planned at the organizational level, since they are largely outside the control of departmental managers. Conversely, intrinsic motivation involves rewards that mainly resonates around psychological motivations such as the opportunity to use an individual’s ability, a sense of challenge and achievement, getting appreciation, progressive recognition, and being treated in a considerate and respectful manner. An intrinsically motivated individual, according to ( Walker, 2011) a worker is more committed to his work to the degree to which the job inherently covers tasks that are gratifying to him or her. As such, an extrinsically motivated person is more likely to be committed only to the extent that he gains or receives external rewards for job done. Further, he suggested that for an employee to be motivated in a work environment, there must be requirement that the individual needs to perceive as a possibility of full filling through some reward. Thus, if the reward is intrinsic to the job, such desire or motivation is equally intrinsic. However, if the reward is labelled to be external to the job, the motivation is accordingly described as extrinsic. On this light, good remuneration has been found over the years to be one of the major strategies the organization may embrace an approach to increase their workers performance and at the same increase the organizations productivity. Similarly, with the present global economic trend, most employers of labor have realized the fact that for their organizations to compete favorably, the performance of their employees goes a long way in determining the success of the organization. On the other hand, performance of employees in any organization is important not only for the development of the organization itself but also for the growth of an individual employee. Thus, a firm ought to understand its best workers, those employees that need additional training and those employees not contributing to the efficiency and welfare of the company or organization (Anon., 2013). Equally, performance on the job ought to be assessed at all levels of employment including: personnel decision connecting to promotion, job rotation, and job enrichments among others. Accordingly, such assessment are founded on independent and systematic principles, which includes elements significant to an individual’s ability to perform on the job. Therefore, the overall purpose of performance appraisal is to deliver an accurate measure of how productive a person is executing the task or job they are assigned. Indeed, based on this information, decisions at Talk Team UK ought to be made with an objective of affecting the future of the individual employee and the firm in general. Therefore, a thoughtful evaluation of this firm and its employees performances uncovers the existing weak-nesses or deficiencies in a specific job skill, knowledge, or zones where motivation is missing. As such, since they have been identified, these deficiencies should be remedied through additional training or the provision of the needed rewards and they may take the shape of the following recommendations: Pay Issues: In the business world it is understood that remuneration is the foremost aspect in workers motivation. At Talk Team UK, this has not been the practice since it is a fact that workers are paid at the minimum wage of ?6.08 per hour in addition to the

Phineas Gage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Phineas Gage - Research Paper Example , A Modern Phineas Gage, 2005). When prying the truth from fiction in the case of Phineas Gage, one must always go back to the facts of the individual’s life and try to extract general principles from one case. Although case studies are traditionally an unreliable sort of tool for making psychological conclusions, the Gage case provides an excellent example of the manipulation of one variable that could not be otherwise manipulated except by a terrible accident. Thus, understanding Gage’s biography is crucially important for drawing out principles. Psychologists are often quick to cite the Gage case but without a deep understanding. The hope in this essay is to discover what the variable manipulation in the case of Phineas Gage actually proves with respect to the history and field of neurophysiology and biopsychology. Phineas Gage’s relatively uneventful life as a young man in the northeast was punctuated at the age of 25, on September 13, 1848. At that time, Gag e was working as a supervisor for American railroad Rutland & Burlington, laying down tracks for the ever-expending network of trains moving across the United States. Just outside of Cavendish, Vermont, Gage was in charge of adding an explosive (composed of gunpowder, a fuse, and sand) to holes drilled into the rock. He would compact these materials using a large iron rod. However, possibly making an error late in the day on the 13th, Gage’s powder exploded and projected the iron rod through his head. The hole formed in his head was approximately 1.25 inches in diameter and 3.5 feet in length. Entering through one side of his face, it destroyed the backside of his left eye and left a hole in the top of his head (Harlow, 1848). Immediately following the incident, Gage reportedly talked and could stand upright, even though the bar had entered and exited his head, landing nearly 80 feet away. Gage’s health never worsened, even though he was left somewhat comatose in the w eeks following the accident. Eventually, however, Gage regained the ability to walk on his own, speak clearly, and complete everyday activities (Fleischman, 2002). By April 1849, nearly 7 months after his accident, Gage returned to Cavendish, Vermont. The doctors who had originally treated him noted the physical results of the trauma, including loss of vision in the eye that was damaged, scarring on the forehead, and partial paralysis of the left side of the face. Aside from these residual effects, Gage seemed normal in terms of his physical health and that he had recovered from his injuries, with no acute pain in his head. Nevertheless, the patient was psychologically affected. He exhibited childish behavior; his personality changed significantly according to his wife and his doctor began making a checklist of mental changes in the patient (Cuizon, 2009). For instance, before the accident, Gage was productive, responsible and â€Å"a great favorite† with the men, and his emp loyers believed him to be the most efficient and supervisor. After the accident, he was so ineffectual as a foreman that the company refused to give him his old job back. They remarked at he was â€Å"no longer Gage† (Cuizon, 2009). Gage would eventually die twelve years after his accident in May of 1860 in California. He suffered from convulsions of an unknown cause. After his death, Gage’s head was taken for scientific study and is still used for psychological

The Economic History of the United States Essay Example for Free

The Economic History of the United States Essay Today, the United States has the most foremost economy in the global industry. It is the leader in trade and exchange and has embraced ideologies and policies that directly affect the performance of its economy. Among this is the policy of free trade which was strongly pursued and promoted by well known economist and scholar, Milton Friedman. Friedman has become an advocate of Adam Smiths writings and highly agree with his ideas of free trade, competition in the markets, and the â€Å"invisible hand†. Friedmans contention is that the act of embracing free trade by the United States is one which will definitely benefit the economy in the long-run as opposed to embracing an economy that is highly protected and regulated by the government. The government is indeed essential to provide security and to make sure that orderly, stable, and lawful conditions are sustained and provided. However, governments cannot help but heavily intrude in economic and business affairs. Friedman sees this as a hindrance to the furtherance of achieving economic prosperity as well as a suppression of the freedom to choose. The film provided valuable insights about the different developments of other nations to provide an overview of how free trade and government intervention and control has affected the development of these nations. Take for example Britain who used to suffer from smuggling and numerous lawbreakers. It removed all the duties and tarriffs on goods in 1846 and has become the workplace of the world, achieving an unprecendented rate of economic wellness. Japan is also among those countries which embraced a certain aspect of free trade when it broke away from its feudal society and isolation in 1868. It has been rooted in the traditional and because of the opening of its market to the West traders and its embrace of free trade, Japan has since then become an economy that is highly competitive. It has adopted modern ways of production in its various industries which caused its economic boom. This economic freedom has further promoted human freedom. On the other hand, India after its freedom from Britain, has adopted a system that strongly relied on the government for central planning and control. The weaving industry of India was heavily regulated and keenly controlled by the government. It never really prospered and the energy coming from human capital was stifled which would have produced more dynamic actvity. In this respect, other industries were sacrificed and until the present, India has never really modernized. In the case of the United States, its employment of free enterprise has currently provided an economy that is noteworthy because it provided the enjoyment of low prices, products that are satisfactory in terms of quality and high wages. Adam Smith, in his book The Wealth of Nations, introduced the â€Å"invisible hand† which has been one of the foundations of free enterprise. This is very manifest in the United States economy in a way that it is human nature. The behavior of the Americans which places a big importance on the freedom to choose, provides an environment that is highly characteristic of the invisible hand at work. Self-interest which is very common to all, is the main key in the propagation of this phenomenon. The difference of the United States however, is its open acceptance of the cultivation of self-interest. Because of the individual pursuance of self-interest, different producers have manufactured products in the aim of achieving profit from them. This in turn provided the needs for the consumers, who in the pursuance of their self interest, paid for goods that became the profit for the producers. This spontaneous order definitely explains the economic prosperity that the United States enjoy today. Furthermore, because of the invisible hand at work, competition at the market place has been cultivated and encouraged. More producers have made goods that provided variety for people to choose. It is a known fact that consumers would definitely opt for goods that are of the cheapest price, and this competition definitely promotes a healthy economic environment when it is coupled by the sellers option to sell at a higher price. This applies to the domestic economy as well as to international exchange and trade. United States has suffered from protectionism as a political disease but it has risen above it and has not coward out of competing in the international market. The lifting of constraints from the government with regards to international competition facilitated the United States advantageous strategies that explored the minimization of costs and maximization of profits. It has tapped cheaper overseas labor in the processing of raw materials and assembling of goods that are then sold domestically and exported abroad. However, arguments saying that this process will mean lesser jobs for Americans has been voiced out by others. Despite the negative implication that this outsourcing of labor has, the United States has found means of going around it. It has took advantage of the free market of foreign exchange in the birth of export industries that have replaced jobs that might have been lost. This was only possible because of the alleviation of government intervention in international exchange and trade. Another instance is the support of small businesses that are currently motivated by the free enterprise policy of the United States. This small businesses provide more jobs for the American citizens currently. Summing up, it can be assumed that free trade accounts for the United States being able to enjoy a high standard of living and if more barriers are removed, it promises an even brighter economic future. Free trade allows more goods and services to reach the United States allowing the American consumers to choose and enjoy goods at lower prices. This means more spending income or savings for a household. However, the positive effects of free trade is not limited domestically because it extends to a global scale. With the embrace of a free enterprise, the freedom to choose is extended globally and influences more nations. With the right attitude of acceptance and undertaking the challenge of competition, other nations could take the steps that the United States have taken. With the right market reforms, economic improvement is definitely at hand. Works Cited PBS Free to Choose 1990 Vol. 2 of 5 The Tyranny of Control http://video. google. com/videoplaydocid=2798161794328252652q=Milton+Friedman+Free+to+choose+duration3Alongtotal=15start=10num=10so=0type=s

Superstructure Construction Material Suitability

Superstructure Construction Material Suitability EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This project involves the selection criteria of the material used to construct a three story college building superstructure at the brown field site. Generally superstructure is the above foundation/ground level part of the building. The main goal of this report is to analyze several materials and the suitability for superstructure construction. We will analyze the following materials; reinforced concrete, steel, timber and then select one most suitable material for our project. The main goal of the report is to analyze three of the possible materials suitable for the superstructure and select the most suitable materials for different elements while considering the sites generic and specific implications. Components of a superstructure Before we analyze and give a recommendation of the best suitable materials for a superstructure it is important to understand the various components that make up a superstructure. This includes; columns, slabs, walls, roofs and beams. In details Columns Columns are the perpendicular load bearing elements of the superstructure and can be either for architectural or engineering purposes. Architectural columns are majorly for aesthetics while engineering columns are for support/load bearing and are used to transmit loading to the footing then to the ground. In some cases structural columns are decorated to improve its aesthetics. Columns can be made in either reinforced concrete, steel or timber based on several suitability factors like the size of the structure, materials availability etc.   For this case we will use steel frames encased in concrete cover for columns. Column construction will involve; Colum formwork, Colum reinforcement, concrete pumping and formwork lifting. Slabs These are the flat and horizontal components of the building where the weight due to different elements like occupancy act on. Slabs can be made of either reinforced concrete, steel or timber. For this case we will use concrete slabs. . Slab works consists of the following steps: Slab formwork, concrete pumping and finally the formwork lifting Beams Beams are the horizontal elements used to transfer the structures weight to the columns which then transmit the weight to the footing then to the ground. They can either be made of reinforced concrete, steel or wood. For this project steel beams will be used. The construction of the steel beams which will then be encased in concrete. Beam construction will involve Beam reinforcement, beam formwork, concrete pumping and lifting of the formwork. Walls Walls are the building enclosing structures and can either be load bearing or non-load bearing part of the superstructure. Walls can either be made of reinforced concrete for load bearing walls and either timber, masonry bricks, straw, etc. for non-load bearing walls. Roofs Roofs are the overall top part of the structure mostly used a shade and protection of the building from excessive rain and sun, The roof structure design is influenced by many factors like, the span of the building, the types of roof cover to be used, roof cover and weather load, cost, aesthetics MATERIALS REVIEW It takes a combination of many different materials to complete a building construction project Reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete a mix of concrete and steel reinforcements. Concrete is one of the most ancient construction materials and it was employed by romans as early 100 BC and has extreme compressive strength. To achieve much higher tensional strength while constructing, concrete is mixed with steel bars to form reinforced concrete that has an overall greater strength than either steel or concrete alone, Benham, 1983. Reinforced concrete is widely used in the construction of various elements of a superstructure of buildings; columns, beams, slabs and shear walls. Concrete is normally poured around steel formwork and the shape is determined by the encasements used to limit the movement of concrete. The concrete is then left to dry to achieve the various structural elements and maximum strength. (Abdulla 708477) Steel. There are several metals used in construction but steel is the most popular of them all and it has been used over centuries now. Steel has got numerous applications that range from decorative to structural support to reinforcements. Steel applied independently and not in concrete is known as structural steel. Structural steel is mostly used to refer to hot rolled steel sections, plates and shapes. The different structural steel shapes are as a result of passing heated steel strips through successive rollers with respective molds. (Ali 708389) Wood Wood is among the earliest materials ever used in construction and is still being widely used despite the popularity of concrete and steel. Wood is mostly used for structural framing (finish carpentry), cabinetry, trim, floors. Wood has high strength in compression, tension and bending in relation to its weight. Wood also has extremely good impact resistance. In current times there is an increased use of timber as plywood (Glue laminated timber) to achieve even much great strength and lengths. In this glue laminated timber wooden frames are arranged at right angles to each other. This maximized the strength of the wood. (Mohammed 729291) MATERIAL SELECTION (REINFORCED CONCRETE FOR THE SLAB WHILE STEEL FRAMES FOR SLABS AND COLUIMNS) Our material of choice for this case is reinforced concrete and steel. Concrete is the most used construction material world-wide and its application is very ancient with very few changes introduced along the years. Due to this few variabilities in development, concrete execution technique in constructions are well established so as to achieve perfect structures. Steel follows closely with it being popular with multi story structures. Concrete is an artificial mixture made from Portland cement, aggregates and water. Cement has been in use around the world for numerous years but the most commonly used cement today (Portland cement) was invented in Britain in the year 1824. Portland cement is produced by mixing ground limestone, shale or clay, sand and iron ore then the mix is heat to 1600 degrees Celsius in the rotary kiln. Concrete is formed by mixing the Portland cement and aggregates and water whereby a chemical process called hydration occurs. The hydration process forms concrete which is in plastic state and it transforms into solid state in about 2 hours. The concrete continually gains strength on cooling with maximum strength at the 28th day given the curing is done correctly, SUITABILITY OF CONCRETE FOR THE CONCRETE SLABS The following properties of concrete makes them the best suited materials for construction of slabs. Concrete is a mix of several materials formed through solidification of cement, water and aggregates (either fine or course aggregates or both). Reinforced concrete is steel rod enhanced concrete to achieve a much higher strength. High Compressive and Tensional strength The strength of concrete is generally higher than most of the other construction materials. The strength of concrete is determined by the water cement ratio and the lower the ratio the higher the final strength of the given concrete. There are two components used in classifying the strength of concrete as a suitable construction material, Neville, 2011 Compressive strength of concrete This the maximum resistance ability of concrete to axial loading at an age of 28 days after mixing, placement and curing. Compressive strength of concrete is measured in Pounds per square inch (psi). During the first 28 days, concrete achieves about 90 % of its strength and it is important to ensure sufficient curing disallowing drying/freezing so as to achieve this strength. The concretes compressive strength is dependent on quality and proportions of the concretes ingredients and the curing environment. Neville 2011, Tensional strength Reinforced concrete derives its tensional strength from using steel reinforcement bars. Steel has extremely good tensional strength with relatively low compressive strength as compared to concrete. The combination of the two harness the compression and tensional strength of each other to achieve higher overall strength. Mtallib, 2010. Workability It is much easier to work with concrete in construction of the super structure. This is due to its plastic state within the 0 2 hour range. Workability can be termed as the ease with which it can be mixed, placed, compacted and finished. There are however several factors that influence the workability of concrete which include; Characteristics and quantity of the cementing materials, the slump (concrete consistence), duration and the method of transportation, the percentage of the entrained air, the aggregate grading, surface texture and shape, water content, ambient and concrete air temperature, presence of admixtures The workability of concrete can be determined using a test called slump test that is basically the indication of the water content of a mix. The water content to a great extent determine the workability of any given concrete. Good adhesion to reinforcements One of the major factors that make concrete the most preferred materials in construction over ages is its great adhesion ability with different materials and more so with steel reinforcements. The bond strength between concrete and steel reinforcement bars are as a result of mechanical interactions, chemical reactions and thermodynamics reaction that happen upon placement of concrete to steel formwork. Kendall, 1983 Corrosion resistance The corrosion resistance ability of concrete makes reinforced concrete materials best suited against corrosion as compared to other construction material like wood and timber. Corrosion mostly affect the steel reinforcement and least concrete. Steel reinforcements are normally encased within concrete covering to reduce corrosive action of the environment and other materials to the steel reinforcements, Neville, 2011. Fire and Heat resistance Concrete has very high heat resistance compared to steel and wooden construction material. Reinforced concrete materials failure due to heat is mostly due to the failure of steel bars under extreme heat. However to counter this the concrete cover provides a good insulation of the covered reinforcement steel bars in extreme fire conditions. This provides more time for fire extinguishing and rescue in case of a fire hazard. Corrosion Resistance The corrosion resistance of concrete is very high hence can survive numerous types of environment. On the contrary reinforcement steel react to numerous aspects of our environments including humidity causing rust. Reinforced concrete is designed such that the more resistant concrete protects the much delicate steel bars. Sufficient density The density of reinforced concrete is basically the measure of its unit weight which is average weight density of 150 lb/ft3 (pcf).. This density is sufficient enough to protect the building from nature forces and other natural or induced forces that can affect the given structure SUITABILITY OF STEEL FRAMES FOR BEAMS AND COLUMNS Steel was selected for construction of the beam and column structural members due to the following reasons. Steel is easy to assemble It is much easier to assemble steel as the different steel frames can easily be fabricated to the required shape and size in the factory and then be carried to the given site for assembly. It is also easier and faster to fabricate steel at site as compared to concrete and wood making it cheap to build the given substructure. All this speed up the construction process while maintaining the required tight construction tolerance Steel is strong in both compression and tension hence high tensional and compressive strength. Steel has relatively very high compressive and tensional strength making it very suitable for construction of beams and columns. More and more stronger structural steel has been developed along the way and the yield strength of most structural steel in use today is more than 50,000 psi. Steel is more reliable and predictable Most steel is fabricated in the factories where its properties are closely monitored and controlled conditions by using very modern and recent technology in quality assurance Use of steel is more efficient. Construction of buildings using steel can be optimized by use of slender columns maximizing the floor space available for other things. Typical steel column occupies 75 % less space as compared to a concrete column References ACI committee, roller compacted mass concrete, part 1, ACI manual of concrete practice Benham, P.P, Warnock, F.V, 1983, Mechanics of solids and structures, Pitman publishing Limited, London UK British Standards, BS4449, British standards for reinforcing steel EN 10025; European structural steel code of practice. Kendall, K. Howard, A.J, 1983, the relation between Porosity, microstructure and strength, and the approach to advanced cement based materials. Materials data book, Cambridge University Engineering department Mtallib, M.O.A, Marke A.I, 2010, Comparative evaluation of flexural strength of concrete, Nigerian Journal Technology, 2013 Neville, A.M, 2011, Properties of concrete, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, England. Neville, A.M, Brooks, J.J, Concrete Technology, Department of Engineering, University of Leeds, England.

MacBeth :: essays research papers

A.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Title: Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Author: William Shakespeare   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Publisher: The Bobbs-Merrill Company Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Date: 1968   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pages: 156 B.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth begins with three witches setting the tone of the play. The three witches throughout the play will make predictions and keep the readers continually wondering.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The king of Scotland, Duncan, receives a message saying that his army has defeated a Norwegian invader. Macbeth, an army general in his army, received most of the credit for the victory. Because of this victory and Macbeth’s part in it he is given the title, Thane Cawdor. Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, begins to get greedy and wants as much power as she can get and will stop and nothing to obtain it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth and Banquo, another general in the army are returning from the battle when they encounter the three witches. They announce that Malcolm will one day be heir to the throne. This prediction makes Macbeth happy because he had dreams of one day being king.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The announcement that upsets Macbeth is that King Duncan announces that his son Malcolm will take over the throne after his death. After the king’s announcement he plans to visit and dine with Macbeth at his home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of power again enters the minds of Macbeth and his wife after this announcement and they start thinking how to gain control of the throne themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Duncan arrives at Macbeth’s home Lady Macbeth plans to kill Duncan. She plans to do this while he’s sleeping, but in his sleep he resembles her father and she is unable to go through with it. So Macbeth carries out the plan. The two also made sure that they covered their tracks by making it look like the servants killed the king. After hearing the news about their father, Malcolm and Donalbain, Duncan’s sons flee fearing for their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth immediately takes control of the throne assuming he is the new

The Molten Core Theory Essay -- Geology Education Earth Essays

The Molten Core Theory The center of the Earth is composed of a solid metallic core surrounded by a molten layer of liquid metal. This paper will discuss the reasons to believe the theory that the Earth has a molten core, and the important discoveries that have led to this generally accepted theory. It is very reasonable to agree with this theory when paying credence to the logical evidence that answers questions about the Earth’s core. This evidence includes information about the elemental make up of the Earth, the reason for the Earth’s magnetic field, and some of the possibilities of the Earth’s formation. Dr. Ken Rubin, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Hawaii. Explains that the Earth is made up of an accumulation of all of the known elements combined in different forms to make the various rocks, and minerals that are present in the crust, mantle, and core of the Earth. With the understanding of these elements and their properties we can begin to make judgments on the harder to observe questions, like that of the Earth’s interior make up. Knowing the properties allows for the determination of things on a much larger scale, such as the density of the Earth, which is crucial to understanding the Earth’s core. Much of what is known about the Earth can be learned from observing the other planets in our solar system. Every planet has a different mass and density. That means that planets create varied gravitational pulls on each other. By testing the effects of the Earth’s orbit on that of the other planets it becomes possible to estimate an overall density for the planet. Knowing the density of the Earth is extremely important to understanding it’s interior structure. Returning to ... ...it’s basic structure. Along with the new evidence of the Earth’s magnetic field originating in the Earth’s core, and new experiments, such as the multi-anvil press experiment, it is logical and more than plausible to believe that the Earth’s core is a liquid hot fluid made up of iron and nickel, surrounding a compressed solid metal center. Works Cited Dr. Rubin, Ken. How do scientists know what is in the core of the earth?. 24 October 2002. . Kloeppel, Jim. â€Å"Long-standing mystery of earth’s inner core may be solved.† news bureau 1 March 2002. The Source of the Earth’s Magnetic Field. 22 Oct. 2002. Earth Core Studies. 26 October 2002.

College Admissions Essay: My Private Vietnam :: Free College Admissions Essays

My private Vietnam is a never-ending identity conflict. Part of me is American, part of me is Vietnamese. I have Asian features, but I'm tall and broad-shouldered. I don't feel accepted in either culture. Â   Vietnam is bittersweet for me. Without the war, I wouldn't have been born. Without the American soldiers there, I wouldn't be Amerasian and living in the United States. The bitter part is that I will never find out who my father is. I don't have his name or Social Security number. I wish I had a real family to come home to during the holidays. Â   Veterans look at me like I'm a ghost. They associate me with the sons they might have fathered and deserted in Vietnam. Every summer I attend a writers' conference in Boston that includes some men who were in Vietnam. I look into their eyes and they look into mine. For me, it's looking into the eyes of potential fathers or father figures.

Bacteriophages Vs Antibiotics

Bacteriophages are actually viruses highly specialized to attack bacterial cells while doing no harm to animal cells. When a phage discovers a bacterium to which it possesses the correct key—that is, suitable receptors on the bacterial cell to which the phage can attach its tentacle-like extensions—then the phage will inject its hereditary DNA into the bacteria cell. Taking over the bacterial cell's biochemical apparatus, the phage produces hundreds of phage copies, rupturing the cell. As the victim cell dies, the released phage copies attack any remaining bacterial cells like a pack of hungry wolves (Reidel).Advantages The advantages of the therapy are obvious. Bacteriophages are very specific parasites and, unlike antibiotics, do not damage the useful bacteria that live in and on the body. Phages are â€Å"intelligent† medicine: They increase just where they are needed, while antibiotics often do not get to where they are needed. Once all phage-susceptible bact eria have been killed, phages are eliminated from the body. The most apparent benefit of phage therapy is that although bacteria are able to develop resistance to phages the resistance is much easier to overcome.The reason behind this is that phages replicate and undergo natural selection and have probably been infecting bacteria since the beginning of life on this planet. Although bacteria evolve at a fast rate, so too will phages. Bacteria are most likely to modify the molecule that the phage targets, which is usually a bacterial receptor. In response to this modification phages will evolve in such a way that counteracts this change, thus allowing them to continue targeting bacteria and causing cell lysis.As a consequence phage therapy is likely to be devoid of the problems similar to antibiotic resistance. Increasing evidence shows the ability of phages to travel to a required site — including the brain, where the blood brain barrier can be crossed — and multiply in the presence of an appropriate bacterial host, to combat problems such as meningitis. However the patient's immune system can, in some cases mount an immune response to the phage (2 out of 44 patients in a Polish trial (Carson)).Development and production is faster than antibiotics, on condition that the required recognition molecules are known. Disadvantages According to Reidel, the phages' high specificity, with which they look for their bacterial victims, is at the same time also their therapeutic Achilles' heel. Therefore, either a cocktail containing many different types of phages must be developed by the infection control specialist, or a phage effective against the specific pathogen of each patient must be custom-made through detailed microbiological analytical work.Western regulatory authorities tend to loathe recognizing such manually manufactured anti-infective agents as medicines, which explains why currently phage therapy is routinely only available at phage therapy cen ters in Georgia (part of former Russia), Europe and Poland. However, the Wound Care Center in Lubbock, Texas, has started to treat patients. For chronic infections due to multi-resistant pathogens, phage therapy could become a kind of miracle medicine. Wikipedia condends that Bacteriophage therapy is generally very safe; however fevers can occur with phage treatment.This is thought to be caused by endotoxins released by the bacteria within the patient after they have been lysed by the phage (Herxheimer Reaction), of course this can happen with antibiotics also. Additionally care has to be performed in manufacture that the phage medium isn't contaminated with bacterial fragments and endotoxins from the production process. It is beneficial if testing on animals is performed to ensure safety. Lysogenic bacteriophages are also thought to be risky, and are now seldom used therapeutically.These viruses can act as a way for bacteria to exchange DNA, and this can help spread antibiotic resi stance or even, theoretically, can make the bacteria pathogenic. To work, the virus has to reach the site of the bacteria, and unlike antibiotics, viruses do not necessarily reach the same places that bacteria can reach. Finally, some non therapeutic (lysogenic) phages transfer genes between bacteria that code for pathogenicity, notable in cholera. This makes it important to identify the phages being used to show that they are not harmful ones. What are ANTIBIOTICS?An antibiotic, according to Wikipedia, is a drug that kills or prevents the growth of bacteria. They have no effect against viruses or fungal infections. Antibiotics are one class of antimicrobials, a larger group which also includes anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic drugs. They are relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to treat infections. The term, coined by Selman Waksman, originally described only those formulations derived from living organisms, in contrast to â€Å"chemotherapeutic ag ents†, which are purely synthetic.Nowadays the term â€Å"antibiotic† is also applied to synthetic antimicrobials, such as the sulfa drugs. Antibiotics are generally small molecules with a molecular weight less than 2000 Da. They are not enzymes. Some antibiotics have been derived from mold, for example the penicillin class. Volume 4 of How Products Are Made says that antibiotics differ chemically so it is understandable that they also differ in the types of infections they cure and the ways in which they cure them. Certain antibiotics destroy bacteria by affecting the structure of their cells. This can occur in one of two ways.First, the antibiotic can weaken the cell walls of the infectious bacteria, which causes them to burst. Second, antibiotics can cause the contents of the bacterial cells to leak out by damaging the cell membranes. One other way in which antibiotics function is to interfere with the bacteria's metabolism. Some antibiotics such as tetracycline and erythromycin interfere with protein synthesis. Antibiotics like rifampicin inhibit nucleic acid biosynthesis. Still other antibiotics, such as sulfonamide or trimethoprim have a general blocking effect on cell metabolism. AdvantagesIt is estimated that the average duration of many infectious diseases and the severity of certain others have decreased significantly since the introduction of antibiotic therapy. The dramatic drop in mortality rates for such dreaded diseases as meningitis, tuberculosis, and septicemia offers striking evidence of the effectiveness of these agents. Bacterial pneumonia, bacterial endocarditis, typhoid fever, and certain sexually transmitted diseases are also amenable to treatment with antibiotics. So are infections that often follow viral or neoplastic diseases, even though the original illness may not respond to antibiotic therapy.Antibiotics in small amounts are widely used as feed supplements to stimulate growth of livestock and poultry. They probably ac t by inhibiting organisms responsible for low-grade infections and by reducing intestinal epithelial inflammation. In cattle, sheep, and swine, antibiotics are effective against economically important diseases. The use of antibiotics in dogs and cats closely resembles their use in human medical practice. In fish farms, antibiotics are usually added to the food or applied to the fish by bathing.The incidence of infections in fish, and animals in general, may be reduced by the use of disease-resistant stock, better hygiene, and better diet. Although effective against many microorganisms causing disease in plants, antibiotics are not widely used to control crop and plant diseases. Some of the limiting factors are instability of the antibiotic under field conditions, the possibility of harmful residues, and expense. Nevertheless, antibiotic control of some crop pathogens is being practiced, as is true of the rice blast in Japan, for example (Science and Tech). DisadvantagesSome individu als may have allergic reactions to antibiotics. If symptoms of an allergic reaction (such as rash, shortness of breath, swelling of the face and neck), severe diarrhea, or abdominal cramping occur, the antibiotic should be stopped and the individual should seek medical advice. Because antibiotics can affect bacteria that are beneficial, as well as those that are harmful, women may become susceptible to infections by fungi when taking antibiotics. Vaginal itching or discharge may be symptoms of such infections. All patients may develop oral fungal infections of the mouth, indicated by white plaques in the mouth.Injected antibiotics may result in irritation, pain, tenderness, or swelling in the vein used for injection. It is a common assertion that some antibiotics can interfere with the efficiency of birth control pills. Although there remain few known cases of complication, the majority of antibiotics do not interfere with contraception, despite widespread misinformation to the cont rary (Gale). And there’s also what is known as Antibiotic Resistance. Wikipedia says that Antibiotic Resistance is the ability of a micro-organism to withstand the effects of an antibiotic. It is a specific type of drug resistance.Antibiotic resistance evolves naturally via natural selection through random mutation, but it could also be engineered for the purpose of creating bio-weapons. SOS response of low-fidelity polymerases can also cause mutation via a process known as programmed evolution. Once such a gene is generated, bacteria can then transfer the genetic information in a horizontal fashion (between individuals) by plasmid exchange. If a bacterium carries several resistance genes, it is called multiresistant or, informally, a superbug. Antibiotic resistance can also be introduced artificially into a micro-organism through transformation protocols.This can be a useful way of implanting artificial genes into the micro-organism. Phages Vs Antibiotics (A Summary) Bacteri ophages are great because: †¢ Bacteria evolve at a fast rate, but so do phages. This makes Bacteriophages devoid of problems similar to antibiotic resistance. †¢ Bacteriophages are very specific parasites and, unlike antibiotics, do not damage the useful bacteria that live in and on the body. Phages are â€Å"intelligent† medicine: They increase just where they are needed, while antibiotics often do not get to where they are needed.†¢ Development and production is faster than antibiotics. †¢ The recovery rate was discovered to be faster in some cases—a tribute to the speed with which the phage multiplied and overcame its host bacteria. †¢ Incidents of misuse are relatively unknown. Antibiotics are great because: †¢ The use of antibiotics on domesticated animals, closely resemble its use in human medicine thus greatly benefiting them. †¢ Phages work best when in direct contact with the infection, so they are best applied directly to an open wound.This is rarely applicable in the current clinical setting where infections occur systemically. †¢ Unlike Phages, which are hardly ever used for therapeutic reasons, antibiotics reduce the incidence of both suppurative and non-suppurative complications of sore throat. A new study from Holland has confirmed that antibiotics protect against quinsy. †¢ Lysogenic bacteriophages are thought to be risky. These viruses can act as a way for bacteria to exchange DNA, and this can help spread antibiotic resistance or even, theoretically, can make the bacteria pathogenic.To work, the virus has to reach the site of the bacteria, and unlike antibiotics, viruses do not necessarily reach the same places that bacteria can reach. †¢ Antibiotics are more readily available because phages have high specifity and require detailed microbiological analytical work. Conclusion The research is still ongoing. Though the odds are in favor of Bacteriophages becoming more common, there have been no large clinical trials to test their efficacy. This therapy today essentially exists only in some Eastern European countries, including Georgia and Poland.But largely because of the growing concern over antibiotic resistance, a lot more people in the medical field are interested in pursuing bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotics on a large scale. W O R K S C I T E D 1. Reidel, William. â€Å"Book Review: Viruses vs. Superbugs: A Solution to the Antibiotics Crisis? † Epoch Times. (6 May, 2006). 14 April, 2007. http://en. epochtimes. com/news/6-5-6/41280. html 2. Carson, Christine, and Thomas Riley. â€Å"Non-Antibiotic Therapies for Infectious Diseases. † Communicable Diseases Intelligence Supplement on Antimicrobial Resistance 27 (2003): pages not given3. â€Å"Phage therapy. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 4 Apr 2007, 00:38 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 14 Apr 2007 . 4. â€Å"Antibiotic. † How Products Are Made. 2006. 14 April 2007 http://www. madehow. com/Volume-4/Antibiotic. html 5. Science and Technology Encyclopedia. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007 6. Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer. Michigan: Thomson Gale, 2005 7. â€Å"Antibiotic Resistance. † Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2007. Answers. com 14 Apr. 2007. http://www. answers. com/topic/antibiotic-resistance

Factors of Career Choice

career choice Contents 1. Introduction 1. 1Role 1. 2Objective and Subjective Constraints 1. 3Key Theories of Occupational Choice 1. 3. 1Developmental Theory 1. 3. 2Structural Theory 1. 3. 3RIASEC Model 2. Factors of Occupational Choice 2. 1Family and Class 2. 2Neighbourhood and Peer Group 2. 3School and Education 2. 4Race 2. 5Gender 2. 5. 1Horizontal and Vertical Segregation 2. 5. 2Pay 2. 5. 3Hours Worked 2. 5. 4Orientations to Work 3. Solution of Constraints and Obstacles to Occupational Choices 4. Conclusion 5. References 1. Introduction â€Å"The occupational choice debate is concerned with the degree of choice individuals have over their eventual occupation. † (Module Handbook) The process of occupational choice is â€Å"psychologically based and examines the way in which the individual develops and passes through a series of stages during which the self-concept grows as abilities, aptitudes and interests develop. † (Watson T. J. 2008) This assignment is attempting the factors that may prevent or affect people’s occupational choices and how we can overcome them. . 1Role Role plays an important part in human-being, it can influence a person’s behaviour and decision making. Role may be achieved or ascribed. â€Å"The concept of an achieved and ascribed role is important in occupation choice. † (Module Handbook) Stark (2007) states that â€Å"An achieved role is a position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and effort. An ascrib ed role is a position assigned to individuals or groups without regard for merit but because of certain traits beyond their control. (wikipedia) An achieved role can be changed and gained through putting efforts by a person, e. g. educational qualifications. On the other hands, an ascribed role is unchangeable. This role is assigned to you by your parents or family, e. g. height, gender, rich or poor, status, etc. The role of a person can influence one’s occupational choice. In general, people who have advantages in their ascribed role, it perceived to have advantages in their career path or development as well. Some people can act as model, and some cannot, because of the height of a person. Fortunately, people’s achieved role can break this normal pattern. If people can put efforts and reach to higher educational level, they can also earn the opportunity on their career development and work as middle or top level management in a company. People cannot change fundamental elements but can change their path through their effort. Thus, people’s achieved and ascribed role can alter the decision when they are making decision on occupational choice. 1. 2Objective and Subjective Constraints If we wish to product a model or theory which identifies the various factors that influence the individual’s occupational choice, we must consider both objective and subjective constraints. The individual has certain tangible resources such as cash, skills, knowledge or physique, which are objective constraints. The individual has certain intangible minds of motives, interests and expectations, such as to achieve power or gain job satisfaction, which all are subjective constraints. These are psychological factors of personal achievement. 1. 3Key Theories of Occupational Choice . 3. 1Developmental Theory Eli Ginzberg (1951) defines â€Å"an individual never reaches the ultimate decision at single moment in time but through a series of decisions over [time]. † (module handbook) It is the Developmental Theory of occupational choice. â€Å"E. Ginzberg looks at occupational choice as a cumulative process of decision making, taking place in three stages closely linked to tho se of emotional and intellectual development. Fantasy choice is followed by a period tentative choice, then finally there is a period of realistic choice. † (White S. 968) People’s occupational choice do not occur only at the moment on the decision making, but â€Å"is an extended process which may begin as early as ten or twelve and continue well beyond the choice of a first job. † (White S. 1968) Fantasy choice is occurring at the age between 6-11 when the children have no ideas about the real-life situation, all things are fantastic and delivered to them by their parents. When the children grow at the age of 11-17, the knowledge of the real world increases, they aware of themselves and the outside environment, and they makes tentative choice on the basis of their own interests. . 3. 2Structural Theory The structural theory is that the entry points of the occupational structure are impacting on ambition of people. According to Keil et al, they include family ba ckground and value, neighbourhood and peer group, school and education, gender and race. 1. 3. 3RIASEC Model Holland (1973/1985) developed a psychological approach â€Å"to identify people’s occupational preferences and helps fit a person’s choices and organizational characteristics. † (module handbook) It is referred to as RIASEC. RIASEC indicates Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. By the research of Taiwan’s high school students, we found that â€Å"the R type is a very typical male-oriented type of career† and â€Å"girls, on the other hand, were more interested in the A-type fields and tended to choose artistic fields as their careers. † (Tien H. L. , Wang Y. F. and Liu L. C. 2009) 2. Factors and Obstacles affecting Occupational Choice People do not enter the occupational structure with equal opportunities. There are many factors and obstacles that can influence the choice-making on occupation of people, we are now focus on the factors in structural theory, including family and class, neighbourhood and peer group, school and education, race and gender. 2. 1Family and Class When the children at the age of 6-17, which is in the stage of fantasy choice and tentative choice, they depend on their parents mostly. Thus, the patents’ expectations for educational achievement, beliefs and behaviors will affect the children’s future development. The Parent Socialization Model developed by Eccles and colleague (1982) has highlighted the important role parents play in the development of children’s achievement choices. The belief of parents â€Å"will then influence parenting behaviors and expectations, which, in turn, will affect child outcomes such as educational and career choices. † (Jacobs, J. E. , Chhin C. S. and Bleeker M. M. 2006) Moreover, as the family background of a person on his or her ascribed role cannot be changed, family network and status also play important role on occupational choice. The structure of a family an individual faced when he or she was growing up may affect the individual’s social skills and lead to human capital investments† and â€Å"parental education appears to have an indirect effect on children’s occupational status through children’s education. † (Tsukahara, I. 2007) Grieco (1987) shows â€Å"how this can be helpful both to the employee, wh o gains support from family members both inside and outside work and is sustained in steady employment, and for employers, whose recruitment costs are kept low and who can look to employees’ relatives to help train them and teach them to â€Å"fit in†. (Watson T. J. 2008) Even not every people will choose the same career as their parents, most people appear to have a high probability to make similar choices. Rather, parents’ education also appears to have an indirect effect on children’s occupational choices through the children’s education. For example, if the parents perceived a positive effect on the professional occupations, the children will then also have a positive effect on the professional occupations in future. 2. 2Neighbourhood and Peer Group People can enjoy social experience through the contact of neighbourhood and peer group, such as friends and teachers. As these peer groups always recognize in people’s earlier stage, such as school life, they have long-term consequences for one’s belief and value. â€Å"Teachers, parents, peers, and others may influence youths’ achievement and interests long before educational and occupational decisions are made. † (Jacabs, J. E. 2006) These peer groups can provide people social support and encouragement; however, the groups may also provide somehow of negative impact if wrong perception and information are provided. 2. 3School and Education Formal schooling operates alongside the general cultural and family socialization process. † (Watson T. J. 2008) Willis (1977) states education â€Å"as a form of preparation for the way those particular individuals will need to live with their subservient roles once they enter paid employment. † (Watson T. J. 2008) The jobs which people choose were influenced by the level of educational qualifications they achieved. The more professional of the jobs, the more skills and abilities are needed, and the more rewards (both monetary and non-monetary) can earn. On the contrast, there are more limitations on occupational choice for people who have lower educational level. 2. 4Race Race or Ethnic Discrimination is also undoubtedly playing a major role in occupational attainment. The research project conducted by Cardoso P. and Marques J. F. (2008) about The Perception of Career Barriers Inventory found that African and Afro Portuguese students score significantly higher than Euro-Portuguese students on Ethnic Discrimination. The Ethnic Discrimination â€Å"results highlight how, at the early stages of development and at crucial career decision moments, when these beliefs are structured, a negative influence on vocational behaviour development can occur. † (Cardoso P. and Marques J. F. 2008) Melamed (1995) concluded that â€Å"discrimination accounted for between 55% and 62% of the variance in the differential career success of men and women in a British sample. † (Brown D. 2002) Although the wide-spread prevalence of race discrimination in most countries, the limitations and difficulties in career choices and development of these minority groups are still high. . 5Gender Gender will be a major factor in the career choices. Due to the role conflicts between men and women, a study found that â€Å"women in Israel, Germany, the United States, and Japan assigned lower importance to the centrality of work in their lives than did men†¦.. this is the result of women’s orientation to o ther life roles, primarily because of women’s concern regarding participation in the family role. † (Brown D. 2002) By the survey report of â€Å"Third Quarter Economic Report 2010† in the section of â€Å"Labour Force Participation Rates by Sex† (www. enstatd. gov. hk), the data shows the participation rates of male employees is 68. 9% and female employees is 52. 2% in the third quarter of 2010. The number of women who engaged in labour force is still lower than men. We are now analyzing the gender by three sections: horizontal and vertical segregation, pay, and hours worked. 2. 5. 1Horizontal and Vertical Segregation Horizontal segregation is the term â€Å"used to describe the tendency to discover men and women in different types of occupation. (Module Handbook) For example, by the survey of â€Å"annual percentage of male and female managers by job function†, â€Å"female managers are mainly in the functions of â€Å"personnel & training† and â€Å"conference & banqueting†, whilst management posts in the areas of â€Å"property & security†, â€Å"food & beverage†, and â€Å"control & finance† are mostly held by men† in 1999 in Hong Kong. (Ng C. W. and Pine R. 2003) By the survey report of â€Å"Women and Men in Hong Kong: Key Statistics† in the section of â€Å"Employed Persons by Industry and Sex† (www. censtatd. gov. k), the female employed persons were mainly engaged in the public administration, social and personal services sector (35. 9%), while data of the male employed persons was different, with the financing, insurance, real estate, professional and business service sector being the largest sector (18. 2%) in 2009. Vertical segregation is the term â€Å"used to describe the situation where, the higher one progresses in an organizational or professional hierarchy, the fewer the number of females one encounters. † (Module Handbook) Morrison et al. 1987) coined a term of â€Å"glass ceiling† to â€Å"describe the difficulties women face in climbing to the top of the corporate ladder. † (Ng C. W. and Pine R. 2003) Although the percentage of women who studied law and medical and health subjects is over 60%, the opportunities to promote is still obstruct by the â€Å"glass ceiling†, such as traditional value and family responsibility. (Ming Pao Newspaper) For example, by the survey of â€Å"annual percentage of male and female managers by job level†, â€Å"only 7. 2% of senior General Manager positions were held by women† in 1999 in Hong Kong. Ng C. W. and Pine R. 2003) According to the record of Hong Kong Listing Companies, there is only 9% of women in the top management level who mostly were entered by the role of family members. (Ming Pao Newspaper) By the survey report of â€Å"Women and Men in Hong Kong: Key Statistics† in the section of â€Å"Employed Persons by Occupation and Sex† (www. censtatd. gov. hk), the figures show there are 96,500 women and 229,800 men in the Managers and Administrators role, while there are 398,800 women and 149,600 men in the Clerks role. R 2. 5. 2Pay â€Å"Full-time working women earn 82. % of men’s hourly pay. † (Module Handbook) According to â€Å"Women and Men in Hong Kong: Key Statistics† in the section of â€Å"Median Monthly Employment Earnings of Employed Persons by Age Group and Sex†, the median monthly earnings of female employed persons in Hong Kong was HK$8,500 in 2009 while that for males was HK$12,000. (www. censtatd. gov. hk) By the survey of , over 70% of people indicated that Hong Kong is still have sex discrimination in career environment which men’s paid are more than women even they are on the same positions. . 5. 3Hours Worked Even the labour market participation of women has increased dramatically in many countries, the hours worked of women are still lower than men due to the different orientations to work. Hakim (1996, 2000) states that â€Å"whereas in general men prefer to work, women show a heterogeneous set of work-life orientations: some women prefer to work, others want to stay at home and almost half of them prefer to combine work and family life. † (Doorewaard H, Hendrickx J and Verschuren P. 004) The data indicated that although many women are entered or re-entered into the labour market, they are still want to have work-life balance, especially for those women who are married and have children, it is also the barrier of women in the career path both actually or in people’s traditional perceptions. 2. 5. 4Orientations to Work Orientations to work to different people are varying. People seem to be motivated to work by a mixture of options, e. g. earning money, developing their careers, gaining status, etc. According to Crompton and Harris (1998), â€Å"it is not only influenced by someone’s own choice and motivation, but also by the constraints of the situations in which one lives and works. † (Doorewaard H, Hendrickx J and Verschuren P. 2004) It can simply distinguish into three types of work orientations: job orientation, money orientation and people orientation. Watson (1994) said â€Å"life circumstances and the specific circumstances prevailing in the work situation influence what they are looking for and what they expect to get. (Martin E. 2004) Hence, orientations to work are also barriers to occupational choice if the job itself cannot fit in one’s orientation. 3. Solution of Constraints and Obstacles to Occupational Choices It is no doubt that the work pattern and norm is constantly changing around the world, however, this change can help to overcome some of the constraints of occupational choices. The past few decades have been marked by a significant gr owth in women’s labour force participation in most countries. Although women play a stronger economic role than in the previous decades, men are usually the primary breadwinners in families. Women, who function as secondary earners, tend to have part-time and other nonstandard employment. † (Kan M. Y. 2007) Those nonstandard employments, such as part-time job, temporary jobs, psychological contract, will be more common in the future work. â€Å"The nature of formal contracts has altered, with more short-term contracts†¦.. sub-contracting and out-sourcing arrangements have become more common and are part of a set of strategic HRM options. (Westwood R. , Sparrow P. and Leung A. 2001) Furthermore, the increasing of feminine management style in both government and private companies where a more flexible and â€Å"feminine† approach to management, such as flexible work family arrangements, â€Å"Family Friendly Working Practices† in Hong Kong. This style helps women who want to balance between work and family life. Additionally, the work pattern of â€Å"10 years in employment and 10 years out† which is a flexibility approach for people who want to have a break for few years and return to work, e. . female returners who seek to re-enter the workforce after a few years of unpaid care-taking responsibilities. At the time of making occupational choice, people are still young and lack of knowledge and experience. â€Å"People make choices based on imperfect knowledge and uneven distribution of knowledge and at a young age. † (Module Handbook) To prevent in making wrong decision and lack of confidence from the students, school and teachers can arrange some experienced people to share their real experience and give more support to them. Luzzo (2000) proposes â€Å"to help students think about the role that perceived barriers play in the career planning and exploration process, and to identify effective resources and strategies for coping with such barriers. † (Cardoso P. and Marques J. F. 2008) 4. Conclusion Every people have different choices on career and different orientations to work. And, there are some subjective and objective variables affecting the process of choosing the career. People have to identify them clearly in hope to find the most suitable job for them which is fitting with their interests, intentions and abilities. owever, those obstacles can be overcome through the changing work pattern and work management. In fact, many of these trends of future work are already with us today. We are all in the moment of changing atmosphere. 5. References Brown D. (2002). â€Å"The role of work and cultural values in occupational choice, satisfaction, and success: A theoretical statement†, Journal of Counseling and Development, Vol. 80, Issue 1, PP. 48-56 Cardoso P. and Marques J. F. (2008). â€Å"Perception of career barriers: The importance of gender and ethnic variables†, International Journal for Educational & Vocational Guidance, Vol. 8, No. 1, PP. 9-61 Doorewaard H. , Hendrickx J. and Verschuren P. (2004). â€Å"Work orientations of female returners†, Work, Employment and Society, BSA Publications Ltd, Vol. 18(1), PP. 7-27 Eccles J. S. (1994). â€Å"Understanding Women’s Educational and Occupational Choices: Applying the Eccles et al. Model of Achievement-Related Choices†, Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18(1994), PP. 585-609 Jacobs, J. E. , Chhin C. S. and Bleeker M. M. (2006). â€Å"Enduring Links: Parent’s expectations and their young adult children’s gender-typed occupational choices†, Educational Research and Evaluation, Vol. 12, No. 4, PP. 395-407 Kan M. Y. (2007). Work Orientation and Wives’ Employment Career s: An Evaluation of Hakim’s Preference Theory†, Work and Occupations, Sage Publications, Vol. 34, No. 4, PP. 430-462 Martin E. (2004). â€Å"Who’s kicking whom? Employees’ orientations to work†, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Vol. 6, No. 3, PP. 182-188 Module Handbook – Management, Work and Society, University of Huddersfield, January 2011 Ng C. W. and Pine R. (2003). â€Å"Women and men in hotel management in Hong Kong: perceptions of gender and career development issues†, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 22(2003), PP. 5-102 â€Å"Third Quarter Economic Report 2010† (2010), Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Government Tien H. L. , Wang Y. F. and Liu L. C. (2009). â€Å"The Role of Career Barriers in high School Students’ Career Choice Behavior in Taiwan†, The Career Development Quarterly, Vol. 57, Issue 3, PP. 274-288 Tsukah ara, I. (2007). â€Å"The Effect of Family Background on Occupational Choice†, Labour: Review of Labour Economics & Industrial Relations, Vol. 21, Issue 4/5, PP. 871-890 Watson T. J. (2008). â€Å"Sociology, Work and Industry†, Fifth Edition, Routledge Westwood R. , Sparrow P. nd Leung A. (2001). â€Å"Challenges to the psychological contract in Hong Kong†, International Journal of Human Resources Management, 12:4, PP. 621-651 White, S. (1968). â€Å"The Process of Occupational Choice†, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 6, Issue 2, PP. 166-184 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, [retrieved on 18 February 2011] â€Å"Women and Men in Hong Kong: Key Statistics† (2010), Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Government â€Å" †, Ming Pao Newspaper [retrieved on 15 February 2011] â€Å"70% , 3,500? †, Wen Wei Po [retrieved on 15 February 2011]

Chapter 27 Padfoot Returns

One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ron was getting to share Harry's limelight for once. Harry noticed that Ron's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. At first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Hermione's story, anyway – Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water. One week later, however, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up. â€Å"But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve,† he assured Padma Patil, who seemed to be a lot keener on Ron now that he was getting so much attention and was making a point of talking to him every time they passed in the corridors. â€Å"I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted.† â€Å"What were you going to do, snore at them?† said Hermione waspishly. People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood. Ron's ears went red, and thereafter, he reverted to the bewitched sleep version of events. As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The brown owl that Harry had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; Harry had no sooner torn off Sirius's reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again. Sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one. Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can. â€Å"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?† said Ron incredulously. â€Å"It looks like it, doesn't it?† said Hermione. â€Å"I can't believe him,† said Harry tensely, â€Å"if he's caught†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?† said Ron. â€Å"And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore.† Harry folded up the letter, thinking. If he was honest with himself, he really wanted to see Sirius again. He therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon – double Potions – feeling considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Pansy Parkinson's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Harry couldn't see and sniggering heartily. Pansys pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached. â€Å"There they are, there they are!† she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Harry saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands – Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand. â€Å"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!† Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside. Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed for a table at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Snape had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of todays potion on the blackboard, Hermione hastily rifled through the magazine under the desk. At last, in the center pages, Hermione found what they were looking for. Harry and Ron leaned in closer. A color photograph of Harry headed a short piece entitled: Harry Potter's Secret Heartache A boy like no other, perhaps – yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss. Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has â€Å"never felt this way about any other girl.† However, it might not be Miss Granger's doubtfu l natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest. â€Å"She's really ugly,† says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, â€Å"but she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it.† Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potters well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate. â€Å"I told you!† Ron hissed at Hermione as she stared down at the article. â€Å"I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of- of scarlet woman!† Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. â€Å"Scarlet woman?† she repeated, shaking with suppressed giggles as she looked around at Ron. â€Å"It's what my mum calls them,† Ron muttered, his ears going red. â€Å"If that's the best Rita can do, she's losing her touch,† said Hermione, still giggling, as she threw Witch Weekly onto the empty chair beside her. â€Å"What a pile of old rubbish.† She looked over at the Slytherins, who were all watching her and Harry closely across the room to see if they had been upset by the article. Hermione gave them a sarcastic smile and a wave, and she, Harry, and Ron started unpacking the ingredients they would need for their Wit-Sharpening Potion. â€Å"There's something funny, though,† said Hermione ten minutes later, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles. â€Å"How could Rita Skeeter have known†¦?† â€Å"Known what?† said Ron quickly. â€Å"You haven't been mixing up Love Potions, have you?† â€Å"Don't be stupid,† Hermione snapped, starting to pound up her beetles again. â€Å"No, it's just†¦how did she know Viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?† Hermione blushed scarlet as she said this and determinedly avoided Ron's eyes. â€Å"What?† said Ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk. â€Å"He asked me right after he'd pulled me out of the lake.† Hermione muttered. â€Å"After he'd got rid of his shark's head. Madam Pomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me away from the judges so they wouldn't hear, and he said, if I wasn't doing anything over the summer, would I like to -â€Å" â€Å"And what did you say?† said Ron, who had picked up his pestle and was grinding it on the desk, a good six inches from his bowl, because he was looking at Hermione. â€Å"And he did say he'd never felt the same way about anyone else,† Hermione went on, going so red now that Harry could almost feel the heat coming from her, â€Å"but how could Rita Skeeter have heard him? She wasn't there†¦or was she? Maybe she has got an Invisibility Cloak; maybe she sneaked onto the grounds to watch the second task†¦.† â€Å"And what did you say?† Ron repeated, pounding his pestle down so hard that it dented the desk. â€Å"Well, I was too busy seeing whether you and Harry were okay to -â€Å" â€Å"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is. Miss Granger,† said an icy voice right behind them, and all three of them jumped, â€Å"I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor.† Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them; Malfoy took the opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS across the dungeon at Harry. â€Å"Ah†¦reading magazines under the table as well?† Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. â€Å"A further ten points from Gryffindor†¦oh but of course†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Snape's black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article. â€Å"Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings†¦.† The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. To Harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud. â€Å"‘Harry Potter's Secret Heartache†¦dear, dear. Potter, what's ailing you now? ‘A boy like no other, perhaps†¦'† Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now. â€Å"‘†¦Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.' How very touching,† sneered Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins. â€Å"Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter – that table in front of my desk. Move. Now.† Furious, Harry threw his ingredients and his bag into his cauldron and dragged it up to the front of the dungeon to the empty table. Snape followed, sat down at his desk and watched Harry unload his cauldron. Determined not to look at Snape, Harry resumed the mashing of his scarab beetles, imagining each one to have Snape's face. â€Å"All this press attention seems to have inflated your already over-large head. Potter,† said Snape quietly, once the rest of the class had settled down again. Harry didn't answer. He knew Snape was trying to provoke him; he had done this before. No doubt he was hoping for an excuse to take a round fifty points from Gryffindor before the end of the class. â€Å"You might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you,† Snape went on, so quietly that no one else could hear him (Harry continued to pound his scarab beetles, even though he had already reduced them to a very fine powder), â€Å"but I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me. Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him.† Harry tipped the powdered beetles into his cauldron and started cutting up his ginger roots. His hands were shaking slightly out of anger, but he kept his eyes down, as though he couldn't hear what Snape was saying to him. â€Å"So I give you fair warning, Potter,† Snape continued in a sorter and more dangerous voice, â€Å"pint-sized celebrity or not – if I catch you breaking into my office one more time -â€Å" â€Å"I haven't been anywhere near your office!† said Harry angrily, forgetting his feigned deafness. â€Å"Don't lie to me,† Snape hissed, his fathomless black eyes boring into Harry's. â€Å"Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them.† Harry stared back at Snape, determined not to blink or to look guilty. In truth, he hadn't stolen either of these things from Snape. Hermione had taken the boomslang skin back in their second year – they had needed it for the Polyjuice Potion – and while Snape had suspected Harry at the time, he had never been able to prove it. Dobby, of course, had stolen the gillyweed. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about,† Harry lied coldly. â€Å"You were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!† Snape hissed. â€Å"I know it. Potter! Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior! One more nighttime stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!† â€Å"Right,† said Harry coolly, turning back to his ginger roots. â€Å"I'll bear that in mind if I ever get the urge to go in there.† Snape's eyes flashed. He plunged a hand into the inside of his black robes. For one wild moment. Harry thought Snape was about to pull out his wand and curse him – then he saw that Snape had drawn out a small crystal bottle of a completely clear potion. Harry stared at it. â€Å"Do you know what this is. Potter?† Snape said, his eyes glittering dangerously again. â€Å"No,† said Harry, with complete honesty this time. â€Å"It is Veritaserum – a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear,† said Snape viciously. â€Å"Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips† – he shook the crystal bottle slightly – â€Å"right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then. Potter†¦then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not.† Harry said nothing. He turned back to his ginger roots once more, picked up his knife, and started slicing them again. He didn't like the sound of that Truth Potion at all, nor would he put it past Snape to slip him some. He repressed a shudder at the thought of what might come spilling out of his mouth if Snape did it†¦quite apart from landing a whole lot of people in trouble – Hermione and Dobby for a start – there were all the other things he was concealing†¦like the fact that he was in contact with Sirius†¦and – his insides squirmed at the thought – how he felt about Cho†¦.He tipped his ginger roots into the cauldron too, and wondered whether he ought to take a leaf out of Moody's book and start drinking only from a private hip flask. There was a knock on the dungeon door. â€Å"Enter,† said Snape in his usual voice. The class looked around as the door opened. Professor Karkaroff came in. Everyone watched him as he walked up toward Snape's desk. He was twisting his finger around his goatee and looking agitated. â€Å"We need to talk,† said Karkaroff abruptly when he had reached Snape. He seemed so determined that nobody should hear what he was saying that he was barely opening his lips; it was as though he were a rather poor ventriloquist. Harry kept his eyes on his ginger roots, listening hard. â€Å"I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff,† Snape muttered, but Karkaroff interrupted him. â€Å"I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus. You've been avoiding me.† â€Å"After the lesson,† Snape snapped. Under the pretext of holding up a measuring cup to see if he'd poured out enough armadillo bile, Harry sneaked a sidelong glance at the pair of them. Karkaroff looked extremely worried, and Snape looked angry. Karkaroff hovered behind Snape's desk for the rest of the double period. He seemed intent on preventing Snape from slipping away at the end of class. Keen to hear what Karkaroff wanted to say, Harry deliberately knocked over his bottle of armadillo bile with two minutes to go to the bell, which gave him an excuse to duck down behind his cauldron and mop up while the rest of the class moved noisily toward the door. â€Å"What's so urgent?† he heard Snape hiss at Karkaroff. â€Å"This,† said Karkaroff, and Harry, peering around the edge of his cauldron, saw Karkaroff pull up the left-hand sleeve of his robe and show Snape something on his inner forearm. â€Å"Well?† said Karkaroff, still making every effort not to move his lips. â€Å"Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since -â€Å" â€Å"Put it away!† snarled Snape, his black eyes sweeping the classroom. â€Å"But you must have noticed -† Karkaroff began in an agitated voice. â€Å"We can talk later, Karkaroff!† spat Snape. â€Å"Potter! What are you doing?† â€Å"Clearing up my armadillo bile, Professor,† said Harry innocently, straightening up and showing Snape the sodden rag he was holding. Karkaroff turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon. He looked both worried and angry. Not wanting to remain alone with an exceptionally angry Snape, Harry threw his books and ingredients back into his bag and left at top speed to tell Ron and Hermione what he had just witnessed. They left the castle at noon the next day to find a weak silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade, all three of them had taken off their cloaks and thrown them over their shoulders. The food Sirius had told them to bring was in Harry's bag; they had sneaked a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of pumpkin juice from the lunch table. They went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy a present for Dobby, where they had fun selecting the most lurid socks they could find, including a pair patterned with flashing gold and silver stars, and another that screamed loudly when they became too smelly. Then, at half past one, they made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out toward the edge of the village. Harry had never been in this direction before. The winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around Hogsmeade. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger; they were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. Then they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. Waiting for them, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar†¦. â€Å"Hello, Sirius,† said Harry when they had reached him. The black dog sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, then turned and began to trot away from them across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain. Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed over the stile and followed. Sirius led them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. It was easy for him, with his four paws, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione were soon out of breath. They followed Sirius higher, up onto the mountain itself. For nearly half an hour they climbed a steep, winding, and stony path, following Sirius's wagging tail, sweating in the sun, the shoulder straps of Harry's bag cutting into his shoulders. Then, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when they reached the place where he had vanished, they saw a narrow fissure in the rock. They squeezed into it and found themselves in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, was Buckbeak the hippogriff. Half gray horse, half giant eagle, Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashed at the sight of them. All three of them bowed low to him, and after regarding them imperiously for a moment, Buckbeak bent his scaly front knees and allowed Hermione to rush forward and stroke his feathery neck. Harry, however, was looking at the black dog, which had just turned into his godfather. Sirius was wearing ragged gray robes; the same ones he had been wearing when he had left Azkaban. His black hair was longer than it had been when he had appeared in the fire, and it was untidy and matted once more. He looked very thin. â€Å"Chicken!† he said hoarsely after removing the old Daily Prophets from his mouth and throwing them down onto the cave floor. Harry pulled open his bag and handed over the bundle of chicken legs and bread. â€Å"Thanks,† said Sirius, opening it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth. â€Å"I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself.† He grinned up at Harry, but Harry returned the grin only reluctantly. â€Å"What're you doing here, Sirius?† he said. â€Å"Fulfilling my duty as godfather,† said Sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way. â€Å"Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray.† He was still grinning, but seeing the anxiety in Harry's face, said more seriously, â€Å"I want to be on the spot. Your last letter†¦well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried.† He nodded at the yellowing Daily Prophets on the cave floor, and Ron picked them up and unfolded them. Harry, however, continued to stare at Sirius. â€Å"What if they catch you? What if you're seen?† â€Å"You three and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus,† said Sirius, shrugging, and continuing to devour the chicken leg. Ron nudged Harry and passed him the Daily Prophets. There were two: The first bore the headline Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch, the second, Ministry Witch Still Missing – Minister of Magic Now Personally Involved. Harry scanned the story about Crouch. Phrases jumped out at him: hasn't been seen in public since November†¦house appears deserted†¦St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment†¦Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness†¦. â€Å"They're making it sound like he's dying,† said Harry slowly. â€Å"But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here†¦.† â€Å"My brothers Crouch's personal assistant,† Ron informed Sirius. â€Å"He says Crouch is suffering from overwork.† â€Å"Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close,† said Harry slowly, still reading the story. â€Å"The night my name came out of the goblet†¦.† â€Å"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?† said Hermione, an edge to her voice. She was stroking Buckbeak, who was crunching up Sirius's chicken bones. â€Å"I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now – bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him.† â€Å"Hermione's obsessed with house-elfs,† Ron muttered to Sirius, casting Hermione a dark look. Sirius, however, looked interested. â€Å"Crouch sacked his house-elf?† â€Å"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup,† said Harry, and he launched into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance, and Winky being found with Harry's wand clutched in her hand, and Mr. Crouch's fury. When Harry had finished, Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave. â€Å"Let me get this straight,† he said after a while, brandishing a fresh chicken leg. â€Å"You first saw the elfin the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?† â€Å"Right,† said Harry, Ron, and Hermione together. â€Å"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?† â€Å"No,† said Harry. â€Å"I think he said he'd been too busy.† Sirius paced all around the cave in silence. Then he said, â€Å"Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?† â€Å"Erm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry thought hard. â€Å"No,† he said finally. â€Å"I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars.† He stared at Sirius. â€Å"Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole my wand in the Top Box?† â€Å"It's possible,† said Sirius. â€Å"Winky didn't steal that wand!† Hermione insisted. â€Å"The elf wasn't the only one in that box,† said Sirius, his brow furrowed as he continued to pace. â€Å"Who else was sitting behind you?† â€Å"Loads of people,† said Harry. â€Å"Some Bulgarian ministers†¦Cornelius Fudge†¦the Malfoys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The Malfoys!† said Ron suddenly, so loudly that his voice echoed all around the cave, and Buckbeak tossed his head nervously. â€Å"I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!† â€Å"Anyone else?† said Sirius. â€Å"No one,† said Harry. â€Å"Yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman,† Hermione reminded him. â€Å"Oh yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps,† said Sirius, still pacing. â€Å"What's he like?† â€Å"He's okay,† said Harry. â€Å"He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament.† â€Å"Does he, now?† said Sirius, frowning more deeply. â€Å"I wonder why he'd do that?† â€Å"Says he's taken a liking to me,† said Harry. â€Å"Hmm,† said Sirius, looking thoughtful. â€Å"We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared,† Hermione told Sirius. â€Å"Remember?† she said to Harry and Ron. â€Å"Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?† said Ron. â€Å"The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite.† â€Å"How d'you know?† Hermione shot back. â€Å"How d'you know where he Disapparated to?† â€Å"Come off it,† said Ron incredulously. â€Å"Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?† â€Å"It's more likely he did it than Winky,† said Hermione stubbornly. â€Å"Told you,† said Ron, looking meaningfully at Sirius, â€Å"told you she's obsessed with house -â€Å" But Sirius held up a hand to silence Ron. â€Å"When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?† â€Å"Went to look in the bushes,† said Harry, â€Å"but there wasn't anyone else there.† â€Å"Of course,† Sirius muttered, pacing up and down, â€Å"of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf†¦and then he sacked her?† â€Å"Yes,† said Hermione in a heated voice, â€Å"he sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled -â€Å" â€Å"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!† said Ron. Sirius shook his head and said, â€Å"She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.† He ran a hand over his unshaven face, evidently thinking hard. â€Å"All these absences of Barty Crouch's†¦he goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too†¦.It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak.† â€Å"D'you know Crouch, then?† said Harry. Sirius's face darkened. He suddenly looked as menacing as he had the night when Harry first met him, the night when Harry still believed Sirius to be a murderer. â€Å"Oh I know Crouch all right,† he said quietly. â€Å"He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban – without a trial.† â€Å"What?† said Ron and Hermione together. â€Å"You're kidding!† said Harry. â€Å"No, I'm not,† said Sirius, taking another great bite of chicken. â€Å"Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?† Harry, Ron, and Hermione shook their heads. â€Å"He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic,† said Sirius. â€Å"He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical – and power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter,† he said, reading the look on Harry's face. â€Å"No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side†¦well, you wouldn't understand†¦you're too young†¦.† â€Å"That's what my dad said at the World Cup,† said Ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice. â€Å"Try us, why don't you?† A grin flashed across Sirius's thin face. â€Å"All right, I'll try you†¦.† He walked once up the cave, back again, and then said, â€Å"Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing†¦the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere†¦panic†¦confusion†¦that's how it used to be. â€Å"Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning – I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers – powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you – plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened†¦.† Sir ius smiled grimly. â€Å"Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power.† â€Å"Crouch's son was caught?† gasped Hermione. â€Å"Yep,† said Sirius, throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak, flinging himself back down on the ground beside the loaf of bread, and tearing it in half. â€Å"Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd I magine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while†¦gotten to know his own son.† He began to wolf down large pieces of bread. â€Å"Was his son a Death Eater?† said Harry. â€Å"No idea,† said Sirius, still stuffing down bread. â€Å"I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters – but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf.† â€Å"Did Crouch try and get his son off?† Hermione whispered. Sirius let out a laugh that was much more like a bark. â€Å"Crouch let his son off? I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again – doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy†¦then he sent him straight to Azkaban.† â€Å"He gave his own son to the dementors?† asked Harry quietly. â€Å"That's right,† said Sirius, and he didn't look remotely amused now. â€Å"I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though†¦they all went quiet in the end†¦except when they shrieked in their sleep†¦.† For a moment, the deadened look in Sirius's eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though shutters had closed behind them. â€Å"So he's still in Azkaban?† Harry said. â€Å"No,† said Sirius dully. â€Å"No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in.† â€Å"He died?† â€Å"He wasn't the only one,† said Sirius bitterly. â€Å"Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it.† Sirius threw aside the bread he had just lifted to his mouth and instead picked up the flask of pumpkin juice and drained it. â€Å"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made,† he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. â€Å"One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic†¦next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation.† There was a long silence. Harry was thinking of the way Crouch's eyes had bulged as he'd looked down at his disobedient house-elf back in the wood at the Quidditch World Cup. This, then, must have been why Crouch had overreacted to Winky being found beneath the Dark Mark. It had brought back memories of his son, and the old scandal, and his fall from grace at the Ministry. â€Å"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards,† Harry told Sirius. â€Å"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him,† said Sirius, nodding. â€Å"If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater.† â€Å"And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!† said Ron triumphantly, looking at Hermione. â€Å"Yes, and that doesn't make sense at all,† said Sirius. â€Å"Yeah, it does!† said Ron excitedly, but Sirius shook his head. â€Å"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him.† â€Å"So you think Snape could be up to something, then?† asked Harry, but Hermione broke in. â€Å"Look, I don't care what you say, Dumbledore trusts Snape -â€Å" â€Å"Oh give it a rest, Hermione,† said Ron impatiently. â€Å"I know Dumbledores brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him -â€Å" â€Å"Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then? Why didn't he just let him die?† â€Å"I dunno – maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out-â€Å" â€Å"What d'you think, Sirius?† Harry said loudly, and Ron and Hermione stopped bickering to listen. â€Å"I think they've both got a point,† said Sirius, looking thoughtfully at Ron and Hermione. â€Å"Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was,† Sirius added, and Harry and Ron grinned at each other. â€Å"Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters.† Sirius held up his fingers and began ticking off names. â€Å"Rosier and Wilkes – they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges – they're a married couple – they're in Azkaban. Avery – from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse – he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater – not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble.† â€Å"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet,† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!† said Harry quickly. â€Å"Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was.† He showed Snape something on his arm?† said Sirius, looking frankly bewildered. He ran his fingers distractedly through his filthy hair, then shrugged again. â€Å"Well, I've no idea what that's about†¦but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sirius stared at the cave wall, then made a grimace of frustration. â€Å"There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort.† â€Å"Why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape's office then?† said Ron stubbornly. â€Å"Well,† said Sirius slowly, â€Å"I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts. He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters. Crouch, though†¦he's a different matter†¦is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not†¦what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up in the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?† Sirius lapsed into silence, still staring at the cave wall. Buckbeak was ferreting around on the rocky floor, looking for bones he might have overlooked. Finally, Sirius looked up at Ron. â€Å"You say your brother's Crouch's personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?† â€Å"I can try,† said Ron doubtfully. â€Å"Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch.† â€Å"And you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it,† said Sirius, gesturing to the second copy of the Daily Prophet. â€Å"Bagman told me they hadn't,† said Harry. â€Å"Yes, he's quoted in the article in there,† said Sirius, nodding at the paper. â€Å"Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all – quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic†¦maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long†¦.† Sirius heaved an enormous sigh and rubbed his shadowed eyes. â€Å"What's the time?† Harry checked his watch, then remembered it hadn't been working since it had spent over an hour in the lake. â€Å"It's half past three,† said Hermione. â€Å"You'd better get back to school,† Sirius said, getting to his feet. â€Å"Now listen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked particularly hard at Harry. â€Å"I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you.† â€Å"No one's tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows,† Harry said, but Sirius scowled at him. â€Å"I don't care†¦I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay?† He handed Harry the empty napkin and flask and went to pat Buckbeak good-bye. â€Å"I'll walk to the edge of the village with you,† said Sirius, â€Å"see if I can scrounge another paper.† He transformed into the great black dog before they left the cave, and they walked back down the mountainside with him, across the boulder-strewn ground, and back to the stile. Here he allowed each of them to pat him on the head, before turning and setting off at a run around the outskirts of the village. Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way back into Hogsmeade and up toward Hogwarts. â€Å"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?† Ron said as they walked up the drive to the castle. â€Å"But maybe he doesn't care†¦It'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son.† â€Å"Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors,† said Hermione severely. â€Å"I don't know,† said Ron. â€Å"If he thought we were standing in the way of his career†¦Percy's really ambitious, you know†¦.† They walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall, where the delicious smells of dinner wafted toward them from the Great Hall. â€Å"Poor old Snuffles,† said Ron, breathing deeply. â€Å"He must really like you. Harry†¦.Imagine having to live off rats.†