How Much College Loan is Too Much Free Essay Example, 1000 words

The paper presents one of the proofs that college students take too much debt that is clear from the economic perspective. The recent drag in economic growth goes along with an increase in student debt levels. The effects of this drag and the debt are likely to be felt/ experienced in the future. An example of such effect is witnessed when the graduates join the workforce. Instead of using their money to sustain a happy family or save for retirement benefits, the graduates spend loads of their salaries paying the debts. As a result, the final value of their retirement value reduces greatly. As a result, a graduate might find it hard to leave their parents homes thus creating a drag in the household formation. Policymakers have come up with proposals which serve as alternatives to the student s tuition problem, though they are not solutions, they help bring a less indebted generation of students and also minimize the negative consequences. Among the proposals, is that apart from the basic education provided by the college programs, lecturers should also incorporate education about borrowing money for college students. We will write a custom essay sample on How Much College Loan is Too Much or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Achieving Success Of Education And Career - 1539 Words

To achieve success in education and career one must be dedicated and committed to our goals. You must have a clear objective what the goals are and have the proper plan to accomplish your success. Dedication with the proper approach will certainly bring success both in your education and career goals. Just wishing your goals will not bring you success, you must have a desire, the eagerness and driving force to be successful. You must make sacrifices and have a plan in mind. The first part of the plan is to create a goal for you. After that, you need to set a time frame to accomplish the task, then everyday work toward it. You must put in a great effort and work hard to create success in your education and career paths and once you achieve it you must create an environment to maintain it. A successful person chooses goals to achieve something that is of great value and importance to them. This in turn motivates the person to achieve the goal because when the desired outcome is very important to a person, that person will be determined to persevere. Goal setting also improves a person s organizational and time management skills because goal setting requires prioritization and that leads to the successful and sequential completion of necessary tasks. Once a person defines and prioritizes goals a plan should be drawn out detailing how this goal will be achieved. Goals and the time-line for their completion should be clearly defined, it is also important that a person sShow MoreRelatedEssay on Professional Care Action Plan1534 Words   |  7 PagesProfessional Career Action Plan Renika Johnson HCS/449 October 22, 2012 Urmi Bhaumik Professional Career Action Plan The professional career action plan gives in details my career goals, rather than the personal goals. 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Emotional Development and Intelligence Management

Question: Discuss about the Emotional Development and Intelligence Management. Answer: Background Organizational Learning is always related to some type of change during the process and many a times the change could be a continual process. Change could involve emotional aspects which are not addressed in a generic context. In this article, the Author, Peter Jordan has explored four main branches emotional intelligence, emotional awareness, emotional facilitation and emotional knowledge related to the emotional regulation in order to identify the relation between organizational learning and emotional intelligence. Aim The aim of the literature review is to produce a report on dealing with Organizational Change with relation to identify the relation between organizational learning and emotional intelligence. The main purpose of this article was also to highlight the importance of taking into account all the emotions which can affect the organizational change and also to offer the Management various methods in which they can address these issues by relating the emotional intelligence abilities (Mayer Salovey 1997). In this regard we would analyse whether Emotional Intelligence would have an impact on the behaviour of the Employees and Managers during the Organizational Change Will there be any implications for the Managers (Mossholder, Settoon,Armenakis Harris 2000) Methodology The Literature Review was conducted by using the standard practices which are useful for conducting a systematic approach by using various sources of data including the research performed by the various Researchers in the fields of Psychology and Emotional Intelligence. Argument and Analysis Peter Jordan has focussed on Organizational Change which has become a constant need for the organizational enhancement in terms of learning. The ability of the Organization to deal with change is also a competitive advantage as per Skinner, Saunder and Thornhill (2002). The Author has conducted an advanced research that change is a process which is emotional and it involves a series of emotions and feelings in the individuals who undergo that specific process. Any type of change requires a micro level management at all stages. Peter has also combined the works of Ashton James Jordan 2004 and Antonacopoulou Gabriel 2001 in terms of conducting research on emotional aspects of a change process. From the works considered, Peter, has highlighted that the Writers have identified that there are emotional consequences involved in an Organizational change process however there is not much research available related to the emotional skills which are required to manage the organizational change in a successful way. There are some writers who have identified ways in which social support could be provided in order to make the change process a lot smoother however it was noticed that this process has seemed like it was a reaction to the issue which existed than a method which could enable the change (Sheehan Jordan 2003). The Author made a smooth transition from the fact of highlighting emotions in the context of organizational change to the impact of emotions on organizational behaviour. Peter has supported his views with those of Ashkanasy Zerbe (2000). The reason behind choosing the above mentioned fact for the research is that the construct of emotional intelligence has been advanced in the recent years and it has provided a edge to the understanding of various aspects of organizational behaviour (Mayer, Salovey Caruso 2000). Strengths Emotional intelligence comes from the understanding of the relationships between people in any context where it could be relationships in life and relationships at work. If a person is balanced and portrays a genuine feeling towards the others he tends to develop a greater level of emotional understanding towards the others (Jordan Troth 2002). These facts have been proven on the basis of a theoretical understanding which is also in agreement with the other emotional intelligence scholars. Individuals with higher levels of emotional intelligence are more effective in terms of managing change than those individuals with lower levels of emotional intellect. These facts were not tested on the individuals in an empirical way by the Emotional Scholars however; Peter has proven an advanced level of research by proving the type of skills which an individual will develop as a result of being emotional intellectual at a higher level. By conducting such a research a thorough empirical investigation is possible in order to conduct an analysis for managing the change in the Organizations. Peter has treated emotion as a force which has to be managed in any Organization during any type of a change implementation. This could be treated as a psychological and sociological approach. Change is proposed only to go for an innovation of a product or a service in order to target an overall growth of the Organization. If the change proposed is tested at this micro point the effects which it would propose at a later stage can also be assessed a head of time which would in turn motivate the Employees to be prepared for change. The recent research which was done on the emotions at a work place include emotions related to emotional intelligence, emotional labour, emotional expressions of various aspects at a work place and organizational culture related issues (Morris Feldman 1996). The emotions which drive the organizational change were also categorised as impulsive behaviour related decisions, people behavioural issues, continuous efforts which were being placed on changing peoples behaviours and work place ethic related issues. These issues have contributed to an extensive research on the impact of the organizational change. In order to support this aspect of the research, Peter has considered the viewpoints of Mayer and Salovey (1997), where they have explained various aspects of emotional intelligence can be related to the behavioural types which can support the learning in an organization. The research was meant to be based on indicating the type of skills which a highly emotional and an intellectual individual would draw and the research was meant to examine the implications for managing change. The disadvantage of the research was it was not streamlined and it did not have a proper structure where it missed out on drawing the skills in specific. Senge (1992) has emphasized on the fact the Organizations are in strong need to get their Employees improve their skills and abilities which comprise of the emotional awareness, emotional intelligence, emotional policies and emotional knowledge. Such statements have been proved with the basis of an example like responding or reacting to a specific situation involves the individuals emotions at that point in time. It is at this point where the person tends to improvise himself by controlling his emotions. By being aware of such emotions the person experiences and expresses the need to be able to speak out his emotions and any of the situations he has been experiencing. There is a thin line of difference which has been highlighted in the journal that a person would be able to be aware of his emotions and would be able to differentiate between the appropriate and inappropriate expressions. Emotional stability is the way in which a person can use his emotions sparingly and can also prioritize on deciding the important of all emotions to exercise. Weaknesses and Recommendations The concepts were a lot based on emotional knowledge and its components where good focus was given to the original lay out of the research where it has intended to be based on drawing out the relation between organizational learning and emotional intelligence. The writer could have elaborated on the skills which are required for a person to be emotionally strong and decide which of them could be enhanced by applying self learning in order to be able to transition through the change process. Conclusion In spite of most of the research work conducted there are good no. of discussions which take place in order to understand the role of emotions through change. Most of the change processes invite negative outcomes and to curb this type of an experience, the Organizations should empower their employees to participate in more of organizational growth events which can motivate them towards a better performance. References Mayer, J. Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence, in P Salovey D. Sluyter (eds)., Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence: Implications for Educators, basic Books, New York, PP 3 31. Mayer,J D. Salovey, P. Caruso, DR. (2000). Competing Models of Emotional Intelligence, in R Sternberg (ed)., Handbook of Intelligence, Cambridge, New York, PP 396 420 Ashkanasy, NM. Ashton J. CE Jordan, PJ. (2004). Performance impacts of appraisal and coping with stress in the workplace settings: The role of affect and emotional intelligence, in PL Perrewe DC Ganster (eds), Emotional and Psychological Processes and Positive Intervention Strategies, Vol 3, PP 1 43 Floyd, P. (2002). Organizational Change, Capstone, Oxford Senge, P. (1992). The Fifth Discipline, Random House, Milsons Print Sheehan, M. Jordan, PJ. (2000). The antecedents and implications of workplace bullying : A bounded emotionality analysis, paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Association Francophone de Gestion des Resources Humaines Internationalisation of HRM, Paris, November Skinner,D. Saunder, MNK. and Thornhill, A. (2002). Human Resource Management in a changing world, Strategic Change, 11 (7), 341 345 Wong, C. Law, KS. (2002). The effects of leader and follower emotional intelligence on performance and attitude : An exploratory study, Leadership Quarterly, 13(3), 243 274

Panama Canal Essays - Macro-engineering, Panama Canal,

Panama Canal In 1825, a group of American businesspeople announced the formation of a canal building company, with interests in constructing a canal system across the Isthmus. This project was to take place in an area now called Panama. The endeavor was filled with controversy. Though the canal itself was not built until the early 1900's every step toward the building and ownership, was saturated with difficulty. Walter LaFeber illustrates the dilemmas in a historical analysis. In his work he states five questions that address the significance of the Panama Canal to United States. This paper will discuss the historical perspective of the book's author, address pertinent three questions and give a critique of LaFeber's work, The Panama Canal. For proper historical analysis one must understand the importance of the Canal. The Panama Canal and the Canal Zone (the immediate area surrounding the Canal) are important areas used for trade. Even before the canal was built there were to large ports on both sides of the Isthmus. Large amounts of cargo passed through the Isthmus by a railroad that connected the two ports. The most important cargo was the gold mined in California before the transcontinental railroad was completed in the United States. It has strategic significance because of its location, acting as a gateway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. This allows for rapid naval deployment between fleets in either ocean. These two facets make the Panama Canal very important in the region. LaFeber notes that Panamanian nationalism played a large role in the creation of the canal and, consequently, the cause for the area's constant instability. The first expression occurred in the late 1800's with Panamanian struggle for independence from Columbia. The United States eager to build the canal, and control its operation, used and backed Panamanian nationalist. During the Roosevelt administration, not only did the United States manipulate factors isolating Panama from other world powers through the Monroe Doctrine; but it committed troops aiding the revolutionaries against another sovereign state. The reason this is a surprise is because the Roosevelt administration normally held a position favoring stability. The United States had no legal right to use force against Columbia. Nationalism came back to haunt the United States. With the treaty signed and a 99-year lease given to the United States, the Canal was built. Since then, the United States has varied on its stance of ownership and the principles of sovereignty concerning the Canal. The ever persistent debate of who owns the Canal and who should have sovereign control over it, has not been solved. The United States has occasionally attempted to "claim" the Canal zone through various methods such as military occupation, exclusion of Panamanians for important jobs in Canal operations and even through the customary aspect of international law. However, each time the Panamanians have managed to maintain claim to the Canal despite the United State's imperialistic posturing to get it. The most recent and notorious of the United States' attempts to annex the Canal Zone was during the Reagan administration. President Reagan said that the Canal Zone could be equated as a sovereign territory equal to that of Alaska. The question here is, was he correct? LaFeber points out that, "the United States does not own the Zone or enjoy all sovereign rights in it." He uses the treaty of 1936 in Article III that states, "The Canal Zone is the territory of the Republic of Panama under the jurisdiction of the United States." The entire topic was summed up neatly by Ellsworth Bunker, a negotiator in the region, when he said, "We bought Louisiana; we bought Alaska. In Panama we bought not territory, but rights." A second important question, is the Canal a vital interest to the United States? LaFeber gives three points suggesting that it is not. First, the importance of the Canal decreased after 1974, because of the end of the Vietnam War and all related military traffic ceased. Second, is the age of the antique machinery dating back to 1914. Inevitably the machinery will need to be replaced. Lastly, the size of the new tankers and cargo ships. The capacity of the canal is too small to handle such a large amount of tonnage. These are viable factors; however, the first argument is concerning whether a war is taking place. It is circumstantial in providing a solid reason for increased traffic through the Zone. This can easily change through and emergence of a new conflict or trading habits of other countries. Thirdly, why have the Panamanians insisted on assuming total control of the

How the CLEP Exams Benefit Your Future Goals

How the CLEP Exams Benefit Your Future Goals How the CLEP Exams Benefit Your Future Goals With the increase of online educational possibilities for students around the globe comes the popularity of taking CLEP courses. CLEP, the College-Level Examination Program, are tests given by the College Board to grant credit for college courses without taking on a full semester of classes. Students that study abroad, those that have gained job experience, and those that have gained knowledge through independent study, benefit from taking the CLEP exams. The CLEP tests cover a wide range of disciplines which include exams in the following: Business: Financial Accounting Information systems Introductory Business Law Principles of Management Principles of Marketing Composition and Literature: Humanities English Literature College Composition Analyzing and Interpreting Literature College Composition Modular Foreign Languages (taking these can get you 12 credits) Spanish (Levels 1 and 2)  Ã‚      German (Levels 1 and 2) French (Levels 1 and 2) History and Social Sciences: Intro to Psychology Introduction to Educational Psychology History of the United States II Human Growth and Development Principles of Macroeconomics Social Sciences and History Science and Mathematics: Calculus College Math Natural Sciences You can take mock tests to get an idea of what kind of questions will be asked for each discipline at the college board website. As of this writing we counted 33 various CLEP exams that were the usual classes that you would take in the first 2 years of college including these listed. Why Beneficial Who doesn’t want to save on an entire semester of coursework? Who doesn’t want to save on tuition and the costs of books? Using the CLEP exams to show your proficiency in undergraduate work is a way to get past all of that. Taking the exams also: Can elevate the degree that you already have: You may have been in the work force for many years and now your job has come into the tech world. Studying courses related to computers may be something that you now need to keep in line with technology. You employer may even offer incentives for you to take the CLEP courses that are available. Keep you from taking remedial courses: Students taking entrance exams for college often find that they need to take remedial courses for Math and English before moving into their regular college courses Taking the CLEP exams, they may not have to take the remedial classes to get into upper level classes that they already know are prepared for. Push you into the higher-level classes faster: You get to skip over many of the lower level classes and gain the credit needed to receive Certificate Program Degrees offered at many institutions today. Give you an idea of where you are in a field of study: Taking the CLEP exams can also prepare you for going into college without a blind eye as to what you know already. With tests for Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, and languages such as Spanish, if you already have been practicing these subjects, take the CLEP exams. If you have been out of school for some time, studying and practicing for these exams usually brings it all back. Save money (this one should have been number 1) The average college course runs about 250.00, for a semester of 5 classes that could run a student’s bill up to over $7,000 for the year. With time preparing for the CLEP exams and taking the same number of classes you would only spend $400-500 for the same credit courses. That’s a savings of up to 80%. Military Benefit: Although there is a fee, at some centers up to $80.00, there are circumstances that this fee is waived. This can change from testing center to testing center so it is best to get in touch with your advisor to get firm information about the centers in your area. They will be better suited to tell you what to look forward to. Those who have served in the military may be eligible to take free CLEP exams. Military personnel are also waived fees, but how often they can take it free of charge has changed in recent years. The Office of Veteran’s Affairs in your area will give you full information on benefits that are available. Those in the military report that they pay for the test, and then are reimbursed for the price of the test and center fees. Administrative Help To determine further if the CLEP exams are a good fit for you, make an appointment with your advisors. Go over where you are now education wise, and what taking the exams will do for your advancement, and then decide. Many Community Colleges now have what is called dual-admissions programs. These programs are in place to help those that are in 2-year programs can transfer their credits seamlessly into a 4-year University and when they transfer in, they are Juniors instead of Sophomores. Utilizing the CLEP exams gives students the same options. Before taking any of the exams, meet with your advisors and the school advisors of the University you have in mind to see what courses are transferrable. Preparation You may be anxious, like most people, when faced with exams, and like many other tests, the CLEP exams can be intimidating. You may feel like you know the work and then take the test and a month later get the news that you have failed. Like any other exam that you take, you must study for the CLEP exams. They are scored on the college level and credit is only given when you pass. If you care about your future, you will prepare for these tests and not take them lightly. These test scores may be the link to your getting that perfect job, or being accepted in an institution of higher learning. Consider study guides to help you prepare for the CLEP tests. There are countless online sources to help you. The college board website offers practice tests for you to get an idea of what the exams are like under each subject. They also have low cost study guides to help you prepare for the exams. Other Resources Here are a few resources that can get you started studying for the CLEP exams: Open Source Library: Here you can find course work to study using video, college archives, professor webcasts, and access to scholarly journals. Hippo Campus: they cover over 13 subjects and cater to students from middle school to college. There are also many links to other well-known study sites from this page. The Format If you like the idea of multiple-choice testing, then the CLEP is one of those types of tests. The CLEP exams usually last about 90 minutes and are all done on computer with a multiple-choice platform, except for the written essays which are a mandatory part of the English Composition with Essay exams. Students that have prepared for the CLEP exams have reported that the one area that they needed extensive study time was the English Composition with essay tests, and essay preparation. There are study guides that will help you with preparation for English Composition exams and modular, and it is suggested that you practice writing essays before taking this CLEP test. Many students have trouble with writing, you are not alone. There are custom writing sites online that can help you with study guides and will critique your writing style to help you study for the CLEP writing exams. Important: Take getting help with the English Composition with Essay exam seriously because it is a 45-minute essay question, followed by a 45-minute multiple choice section. Once you pay for the exam, if you fail you must wait 6-months to retake it. It is best to get help if you know you need it before you take the tests. You are to take two mandatory essay tests with the College Composition exam that is graded by selected professors around the country, and then the grades are combined with your multiple-choice scores. There is also a College Composition Modular exam that is graded by your receiving college only with one essay and multiple-choice questions. Discuss with your advisors which of these you should take because colleges vary on which one they will accept. Locations The CLEP exams are offered in the United States and International colleges that accept CLEP credit. Your scores will be sent to be reviewed by the schools of your choice. Not all schools accept all tests. Check before you designate your tests to be released. Alternatives Keep in mind that CLEP tests are lower-level classes for regional schools, however, there are tests such as the DSST’S (Dante’s Subject Standardized Tests) that are available for lower and upper level classes. These tests are taken primarily by non-traditional students but are open to all. MOOCs are also an inexpensive alternative to a full course of study. Massive Open Online Courses are free online courses popping up all over the internet. You can find MOOCs at some of the most prestigious schools, like Yale, Howard, Stanford and MIT. The only thing that is not offered by taking MOOCs is the credit for the courses, but they can be used to study and prep for the CLEP tests. With the cost of a college education soaring it is good to know that there are ways that everyone that wants to can get a quality education. Today, a high school diploma is not enough to get a well-paying job. This is not to say that all people that attend college land that perfect job, but when you have the coursework to back you up on your resume you will be a step ahead of the competition for the job you are after. Now go study for that CLEP!

Free sample - Intangible Resources and Management Authority in Organizations. translation missing

Intangible Resources and Management Authority in Organizations. Intangible Resources and Management Authority in OrganizationsThe sphere of business is very diverse and every company tries to do its best in order to be the fist in the completive market and preserve its positions. Good presentation and work of the company depends upon its management that performs different functions. The main function of the management is organizing process of work correctly, using the resources of the company in the best possible way. From the one hand it sounds very easy to do, but on the other hand this task is not so easy to do. So, the main obligation of the management of every company is a rational utilization of the company’s assets and resources, tangible as well as intangible. There is a mistaken idea that intangible assets are not very important as they do not play such important role in the successful existence of the company. It is a common mistake of many managerial teams that do not pay enough attention to the intangible resources. According t o Berkeley-Thomas (2003, p. 25), the companies have to genuinely consider a significance of identical or greater effect of such factors as consumer satisfaction, process effectiveness and improvement when coming to a realizing of performance realities. These factors will be additional to an organization’s realizing of financial figures, helping to better understand the significance of otherwise potentially misleading or unfortunate numbers. Most companies do not pay enough attention to the intangible assets that is why the general performance of the company suffers. In this case, experienced market leaders insist on considering the intangible assets greatly, as they are half of a company’s success (Grey, 2009, p. 43). In the findings, the investigation demonstrated that intangible assets, comprising consumer list, brand name,   reputation of the company, and its location are considerably chief elements; in the meantime, the   size of the organization is taken into account, but not that significant. In general, the essence of the intangible resources is quite broad, as it comprises many notions. Intangible assets can also include patents, copyrights, franchise and government licenses, goodwill, and other issues that lack physical matter but give long-standing advantages to the company. Companies should pay attention to the intangible assets as much as they do it on depreciable and natural resources. The charge of intangible resources is methodically allocated to the costs during the asset's helpful life or legal life, whichever is shorter, and this life is never permitted to exceed forty years. The procedure of allocating the value of intangible resources to expense is called amortization, and organizations almost always use the straight-line way to amortize their intangible resources. In order to understand more completely the essence intangible resources that management can draw upon, it is necessary to describe briefly some of them to see how useful they can be for the management of the company to evaluate the level of its performance and success.   One of the first and the most important intangible resources is the brand name. Needless to say, that brand name and recognition is very important for every company as it is the first step for the company’s success. Brand name should be as recognizable as possible in order to make the company well known. Brand recognition is, probably, main form of intangibles. Think about the many name brand organizations and it will quickly be realized the power of intangible assets. Software programs used by the organizations in order to produce or plan their product are one more brilliant example of intangible resources. Reputation of the company is rightfully regarded as another very important intangible resource. It is understood that every company strives for having excellent reputation and be second to none in the market. The question of reputation is necessary to draw upon by the management. For instance, the company, having good reputation as a reliable partner and manufacturer of the qualitative products will likely have more customers as the company, having lower reputation even if its production is as qualitative. So, evaluating the performance criteria of the company and speaking about the work of its management, we can say that reputation of the company is very significant anyway. One more intangible asset considered as important one is goodwill. Goodwill equals the quantity paid to obtain a company in excess of its net assets at reasonable market value. The excess payment may be consequence from the price of the organization’s reputation, setting, consumer list and management team. Goodwill can be recorded only after the purchase of the organization takes as such a transaction provides a purpose measure of goodwill as recognized by the customer. The worth of goodwill is considered by first subtracting the purchased liabilities of the organization from the fair market price of its assets and then subtracting this consequence from the purchase price of the organization. So, goodwill can not be seen at once, it can be evaluated only when the company starts working. Unfortunately, members of the management team and the business board room in a great number of companies all over the world nowadays fail to understand the effect and importance of their intang ibles on the bottom line as the intangible resources are not reflected on a balance sheet. People are in habit to believe stable and proved facts that can be seen visually on the paper and from different documents, that is why, intangible assets are not so popular management strategy because they are not provided in writing.   In conditions of modern current economy a lot of companies can make sure their survivability and sustainability into the post depression era if they are able learn to ruin the brick and mortar attitude that has tainted corporate America. According to the statistics, seventy-five percent of value of any company can be traced to intangible resources (Ramu, 2000, p. 15). One main cause for mistake is a lack of understanding and the incapability of upper management to think outside the frames. The representatives of the management within a company having no ability to think outside the frames have the complexity in demonstrating new ideas to upper management in the usage of intangible resources influence. So why intangible resources are so significant for the company are so important to legitimize management authority? First of all, strong brands effect on consumers’ decision-making processes, as well as making sure that premium prices may be charged. This is mainly true in many businesses connected with consumers. At their best, they symbolize an assurance of excellence and quality and sometimes, when it deals with luxury brands, customers even gain social status from the brand. It can also maintain the fast development of new successful markets. For instance, Tesco, one of the UK’s primary retailers, succeed in penetrating financial services. Surely, the financial benefit of the company arises from intangible resources such as brands and consumer relationships. Intangible resources, therefore, provide with a potential competitive benefit, but being the resources they obviously require specialist management and excellent communication skills. Management’s capabil ity to bring its strategy is extremely dependent on its consumer relationships, brands and performance of main employees – all of which are also intangible resources for accounting purposes. The significance of these factors is obviously very important to a company’s productivity and to the sustainability of future performance of the company. So it will be more correctly to ask how it is possible to improve the management of these resources, rather than ask why it is so important. One more question of the paper that should be discussed is in what way the companies manage their intangible resources in modern market? Important management is concentrated on the brands to guarantee that the brand is exemplified in every sphere of the company’s outside and interior behaviors (Kaplan and Norton, 2004, p. 24). Brands are continually adapted and revitalized to act in response with variable consumer trends and to be in front of the competition, thus increasing their importance and value. But it is often hard to see financial information about the brand being examined and managed. For instance, the amount of money invested in a brand development is not constantly available.   Consumer relationships comprise one more critical intangible resource for a great number of companies. And, just as in the case with brands, there is a shortage of information about main consumers – including the duration of the relationship, the limits and the charge of supporting main relationships. This is particularly relevant to retailers and the production of customer loyalty card schemes points out the significance these organizations attach to this resource. In the modern market retailers now have better understanding of the desires and needs of their consumers. This information can be further translated into charge which could then be monitored and managed on the continuing basis. The financial result of changes to the way in which consumers are managed could then be frequently reported to the board and eventually to external parties. Everything mentioned above proves once again that intangible resources are extremely necessary to pay attention to and draw upon by the management. Although there is a widespread opinion that intangible resources are very significant to the future prosperity of any company, still there is a dilemma concerning their ongoing management as well as communicating their value. The fact that it can be rather hard to get the information required to administer and enhance the intangible resources, together with the understanding of this information, has held a lot of companies back. Nevertheless, investors, analysts and stakeholders insist on the importance of intangible resources, from the point of view of their usage and investigating (Grey and Willmott, 2005, p. 45). They come to realize, that there is a significant information gap concerning rational usage and studying of the intangible resources. That is why, the companies should move towards enhanced intangible asset management and improve systems of their usage.   Intangible resources are important for every company despite its size and sphere of business. Not only is there a co nvincing financial motive for more careful intangible resources management process, the tax and accounting systems are requiring that numbers are billed to intangible resources as part of accounting for attainments. The value of intangible resources is compulsory to be monitored on the constant basis, as it will help the company to improve its performance. Every company has its own intangible resources needed to pay attention to and it is the task of the management to see what asset requires attention and how it van be used to give maximum profits. Reference List Berkeley-Thomas A. (2003) Controversies in Management. London: Routledge. Grey C. (2009) Studying Organizations. ( 2nd ed.) London: Sage. Grey C. and Willmott H. (eds) (2005) Critical Management Studies: A Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kaplan, R. and Norton, K. ( 2004) Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes. New York: Harvard Business Press Ramu, S. (2000) International Licensing: Managing Intangible Resources (Response Books). London: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd

Arguments Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arguments Paper - Essay Example However, despite the blame being directed to Al-Qaida terrorist groups, some experts are skeptical of the position arguing that the incidence was an inside job and was therefore stage-managed, providing evidence to assert their argument (Fetzer Par. 1). The purpose of this paper is to examine why the attack on 9/11 on World Trade Center is considered duplicity and not a terrorist attack as was alleged by President Bush’s administration. It will also discuss the limitations associated with such opposing views, my understanding of the incidence, as well as why I consider my understanding better than the opposing views. Those who opposed the argument that the incidence of September 11 was a terrorist attack mainly claim that the incidence was an inside job, stage-managed by the Bush administration (Fetzer Par. 2). They argue that the whole incidence was a video fakery that the Bush administration used to deceive the masses after stage-managing the incidence in order to get support for waging war against Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Iraq (Fetzer Par. 4). After conducting a thorough analysis on the incidence, no evidence could be found to link Muslims to the attack. This is due to the fact that the government has since failed to provide concrete evidence to show that the alleged hijackers did board the planes according to Elias Davidsson (Fetzer Par. 6). After conducting an analysis on the alleged phone calls made prior to the incidence, none could actually be authenticated as David Ray Griffin argues that the alleged phone calls were faked (Fetzer Par. 7). The government’s failure to produce t he remaining parts of the four planes for inspection also raises questions. This is also the case with the envelop which has never been produced by the government since the incidence occurred (Fetzer Par. 8). In addition, they questions why there was too much delay in the deregistration of the corresponding

Strategic Plan for a Non-Profit Organization Coursework

Strategic Plan for a Non-Profit Organization - Coursework Example Our organization would be a forum for people, facing mental illnesses and disturbance in their lives. On this regard the title set for the organization is â€Å"Foundation of Behavioral Health & Services†, a facilitation center for behavioral health and mental stability. Vision and the Cause of Origin Our mental health organization is going to be a behavioral health treatment institution, an institution which facilitates people with mental sickness, instability, or disturbance becoming barriers to face life deepest challenges or dejections. It would be a complete non-profit based organization that provides training and guidance to the people to meet societal challenges like ignorance, mistreatment or discouragement. This stands out as a vision for the organization, a vision to flourish peoples’ lives and their living situations. Plan for Investment and Fund Raising There are many people who would like to see a behavioral health institution to grow and thrive in the stat es of Indiana, like people in the medical health profession or in the behavioral health services. There are many psychologists, school professors or rehabilitation facilitators who would like to be part of a non-profit mental health institution like ours. These are the ones who can support and raise some funds to develop the organization within the states region. Several counseling schools could also invest on, and for the institution which is just for the people and community, Government would also become part of it to support its special noble cause. Apart from all there are many bureaucrats who can be part of the investment, bringing basal investment which is required to open the doors of the institution and laying the initial foundation. Indiana is one of the largest States in the US having a population of around 6 to 7 million people. Among such huge population there are definitely lots of chances to generate the initial funds and investment required to give a birth to the newe r organization. City of Columbus is a mega city of the states of Indiana, where the plan is to set the headquarters of the organization. The city itself can generate a lot of investment in the start, which would be sufficient enough to lay the foundation of the organization. Hierarchy and New Positions To open a non-profit organization which is devoted to a special cause, there is a must need to bring specialists to serve the cause and vision of the organization. For a non-profit behavioral health institution, we would acquire specialists from psychology, psychotherapy, psychiatry or further detailed subjects like co-counseling, cognition or cognitive psychology. All of such departments would be opened for newer positions, for those who are experienced and those holding the fresh diplomas or degrees. Initially there would be three major departments including psychology, psychiatry, and behavioral counseling where each department would be aligned with 6 major working positions. It wo uld be a decentralized structure, where decisions will flow from top to middle level management and then to the executive staff to complete the task. Apart from operational departments, Accounts and Administration would be further functioning department in the setup, which would be responsible for managing the day to day records of the patients. Board of Directors Top leadership plays a crucial role in the functioning of a non-profit organization or institution. Their decisions are effectual for the entire hierarchy structure of the organization. We as foundation of behavioral health and services rely on bright leadership, visionary and thinkers. The team of board of directors include Mr. Robert De Sousa (a specialist in Expressive Psychiatry), James

Steel and Surface Preparation Essay Example for Free

Steel and Surface Preparation Essay What is meant by the tenn sliver? What is a hackle? Name two other tenns that could be used for anchor pattern? What are the main advantages of using Testex papers for measuring profiles? What is meant by the tenn grade. relating to a blast finish? What are the main factors governing the grade f a blast finish? Can the grade of a blast fmish be detennined by using the surface comparators to BS 7079 Pt C3? What profile range can be measured using X coarse Testex? What profile range can be measured using coarse grade Testex? What are the two theories of adhesion? Briefly describe the mechanisms of the two theories of adhesion. How many microns are in Ithou? Give three different names for the cross section of a blast. What is the approximate speed of abrasives leaving a venturi nozzle? What is the most common cause of flash rusting on a blasted substrate? What would be considered to be an ideal shot grit mix? What is the purpose of mixing shot and grit? Which abrasive would have the effect of work hardening a substrate? Name three methods of measuring or assessing a profile. What is the most common cause of rogue peaks on a substrate? In what situation would it be better to use steel grit in preference to copper slag abrasives? If cracks or laminations are found on a substrate after blasting what steps should be taken? Using comparators to ISO 8503, what are the three main profile assessments? What are the other two assessments when the above three are not appropriate? What would be size of copper slag needed to give a protile of 50 to 75 urn? 3. 2 copynght

Langston Hughes Poetry :: essays research papers

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) absorbed America. In doing so, he wrote about many issues critical to his time period, including The Renaissance, The Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, Jazz, Blues, and Spirituality. Just as Hughes absorbed America, America absorbed the black poet in just about the only way its mindset allowed it to: by absorbing a black writer with all of the patronizing self-consciousness that that entails.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The contradiction of being both black and American was a great one for Hughes. Although this disparity was troublesome, his situation as such granted him an almost begged status; due to his place as a â€Å"black American† poet, his work was all the more accessible. Hughes’ black experience was sensationalized. Using his â€Å"black experience† as a faà §ade, however, Hughes was able to obscure his own torments and insecurities regarding his ambiguous sexuality, his parents and their relationship, and his status as a public figure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of Hughes’ most distinctive styles stemmed from urban nightclubs in which black artists performed for a white audience. Hughes’ great appreciation for the black urban music style is obvious throughout the various rhythms, patterns, and unpredictable improvisations that mirror the chaotic and pulsating tempo of city life. Jazz and black oral influences, as well as social dichotomy are pervasive elements throughout Hughes’ poetry. Like nightclub entertainers, Hughes used the progression of Afro-American music (jazz, ragtime, swing, blues, and be-bop) in order to show the growth and change of a community in conflict, as is shown in â€Å"Subway Rush Hour.† This poem, brimming with sudden and broken rhythms, is characteristic of jazz riffs popular in the 1920s. In â€Å"Subway Rush Hour,† Hughes uses the musicality of his poetry and incorporates it with an important social statement regarding the relation status between blacks and whites. Equality is an ever-present theme throughout Hughes’ poetry. In â€Å"Theme for English B,† Hughes presents us with musical and effective language, an intense social statement, and a very important sense of equality, shocking us into reality. Although â€Å"Theme for English B† was published in 1949, it has many of the characteristics that his earlier works from the Harlem Renaissance possessed. The rhythmic rhyming adds to the musicality of the poem. The language is simple, yet effective in making a very important social statement. An especially intense aura of American separatism is present throughout the poem. A sense of egalitarianism is also present throughout the poem: the instructor is just as much student as the student is professor, young and old each have much to offer the other, and black and white partake of each other.

Blind people on China Essay

There are 5 million blind people in the whole world. And China is taking the first place of this problem. China accounts about 18% of blind people. Most of them can’t live independent; they all need someone’s help. Also we can know that 90% of blind people are living in modern cities. For example: Beijing (capital), Shanghai and etc. Ð ¢he total number of blind people in China at any given time expressed as a percentage of the total population — is around 0. 4%. According to the facts from internet, the country’s ever-increasing blind population has already exceed the total population in such countries as Denmark, Finland or Norway. In the whole world main problem ob blindness is cataract. Because of only the cataract blindness accounts 2. 5 million people in the world. Each year about 400,000 people become blind in one moment because of it. Cataract predominantly a disease associated with ageing. According to the famous Chinese websites, we can know that the reason of blindness in China not only cataract but also it include cornea diseases, trachoma, glaucoma. I took some interviews from 2 Chinese people. When I talked to my Chinese teacher from high school I was pretty surprised. First she told me about problems of blind people. It started past years ago, when with time there are more and more blind people was with the same objects to government. Chinese population doesn’t respect blind people. They are behaving to them very bad. Population doesn’t see any personality in them. They are acting to blind people like to animals. And every time people’s words were such a: â€Å"Blind people-they are not independent, they can’t help to our country. They can’t do anything. They are not useful for China. † So in my mind first thought was government in China need people only for useful thing? It’s so selfish and not correct. I think everyone will agree with me. Nowadays there’s so many ways to cure blind people. According to the facts from the Internet 80% of blindness possible to cure. It was many accidents when even young people didn’t help to blind old person. And with years there are more and more problems. How my teacher said government first didn’t take it such a big problem, but with time when there are more people with objects and arguments to them, they started to pay more attention to blind people. In 2011 many of them were really angry to the government. Hundred blind people want government to allow them come with dogs to public places. Because how I said before they all need help. They thought if they can’t come with dogs, they couldn’t even come inside of any places. Some of them can’t do it only with walking stick or every time hope to theirs hearing. And till now they are trying to get an access for that. Only part of public places allowed them come with dogs. But they are also good people who are trying to make blind people’s life easier. For example my guardians Chinese friend said that, one Chinese scientist developed a cheap e-notebook for blind people. He told me only that information, without any details, so I searched in Internet more about that e-notebook. The e-notebook, called B-Notes, allows people to take notes or memos using Braille or by recording speech. It is similar in size to a mobile phone. B-Notes makes use of technologies developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Computing Technology (ICT), including translation software. Prototype e-notebooks were trialed on ten blind people last month. Wang Xiangdong, technical leader of the ICT team that developed the device, says that Braille can be conveniently input using a panel on the e-notebook. â€Å"And when [B-Notes is] connected to a computer, the Braille-Chinese translation software can be used to convert Braille into Chinese characters automatically†, he says. Currently, there are almost 39 million blind people in the world, according to the WHO. And according to the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, there are more than 12 million visually disabled people in China. Wang said that the basic technological research for the e-notebooks has been completed and they are expected to be available in China later this year at a cost of 500 to 800 RMB. The e-notebook has three main features. First is the Braille input. The e-notebook’s input panel has an array of mini keys that allows users to type. Second is the intelligent translation system, which is up to 95 per cent accurate. When the e-notebook is connected to a computer, pre-installed software moves all Braille in the device over to the computer and translates it into Chinese characters. Third, the e-notebook has a voice interface. There are voice prompts to guide users through the device’s various operations. Currently, the notebook can only translate Chinese Braille to Chinese characters. But Wang says that if other countries express an interest in the device, it will be possible to produce e-notebooks that translate other versions of Braille into other languages. The blind people who tested the prototype notebooks told developers that they found them portable and easy to use. According to WHO website The goal of the Chinese Ministry of Health over the coming years is to reduce the prevalence of blindness in the country to less than 0. 3%, i. e. almost by half. And it really makes happy that, government paying more attention to blind people nowadays. How I read with every year they are opening more school for blind people. Also it is increasing accounts of hospitals where people can help to this nondependent people and make theirs life easier. They were some accidents when some of them cured of blind. Also I heard that most professional people who are doing massage all are blind. China has some hospitals with this course. Where they are teaching them. In my opinion, they have to pay more attention to blind people. And give them more good conditions. Make rules that everyone should respect each other, especially blind people. Government should ask them what they need, what help they want from government. China should open more clinics and hospitals for poor people. Who can’t pay to theirs treatment. They also need help from others. They should allow to blind people come with dogs in public places. And I can make conclusion from all of it that government should heed to them.

Chapter 6 Talons and Tea Leaves

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter. â€Å"Ignore him,† said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. â€Å"Just ignore him, it's not worth it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hey, Potter!† shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. â€Å"Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!† Harry dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to George Weasley. â€Å"New third-year course schedules,† said George, passing then, over. â€Å"What's up with you, Harry?† â€Å"Malfoy,† said Ron, sitting down on George's other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table. George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again. â€Å"That little git,† he said calmly. â€Å"He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?† â€Å"Nearly wet himself,† said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy. â€Å"I wasn't too happy myself,† said George. â€Å"They're horrible things, those Dementors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?† said Fred. â€Å"You didn't pass out, though, did you?† said Harry in a low voice. â€Å"Forget it, Harry,† said George bracingly. â€Å"Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking†¦They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there.† â€Å"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match,† said Fred. â€Å"Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?† The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse. Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes. Hermione was examining her new schedule. â€Å"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today,† she said happily. â€Å"Hermione,† said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, â€Å"they've messed up your timetable. Look — they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time.† â€Å"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.† â€Å"But look,† said Ron, laughing, â€Å"see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And –† Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, â€Å"look — underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?† â€Å"Don't be silly,† said Hermione shortly. â€Å"Of course I won't be in three classes at once.† â€Å"Well then –â€Å" â€Å"Pass the marmalade,† said Hermione. â€Å"But –â€Å" â€Å"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?† Hermione snapped. â€Å"I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.† Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand. â€Å"All righ'?† he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. â€Å"Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting' everthin' ready†¦hope it's OK†¦me, a teacher†¦hones'ly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat. â€Å"Wonder what he's been getting ready?† said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice. The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his schedule. â€Å"We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They finished breakfast hastily, said goodbye to Fred and George and walked back through the hall. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall. The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside North Tower before. â€Å"There's — got — to — be — a — short — cut,† Ron panted, as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall. â€Å"I think it's this way,† said Hermione, peering down the empty passage to the right. â€Å"Can't be,† said Ron. â€Å"That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake outside the window†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry was watching the painting. A fat, dappled-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. Harry was used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moving around and leaving their frames to visit each other, but he always enjoyed watching them. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armour had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off. â€Å"Aha!† he yelled, seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione. â€Å"What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!† They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass. â€Å"Are you all right?† said Harry, moving closer to the picture. â€Å"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!† The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face. â€Å"Listen,† said Harry, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, â€Å"we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?† â€Å"A quest!† The knight's rage seemed to vanish instantly. He clanked to his feet and shouted, â€Å"Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!† He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, â€Å"On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!† And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight. They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead. â€Å"Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!† yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase. Puffing loudly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom. â€Å"Farewell!† cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. â€Å"Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!† â€Å"Yeah, we'll call you,† muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, â€Å"if we ever need someone mental.† They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it. â€Å"‘Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher,'† Harry read. â€Å"How're we supposed to get up there?† As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet. Everyone got quiet. â€Å"After you,† said Ron, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first. He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups. Ron appeared at Harry's shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers. â€Å"Where is she?† Ron said. A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice. â€Å"Welcome,† it said. â€Å"How nice to see you in the physical world at last.† Harry's immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect. Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings. â€Å"Sit, my children, sit,† she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat themselves around the same round table. â€Å"Welcome to Divination,† said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. â€Å"My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye.† Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, â€Å"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you†¦Books can take you only so far in this field†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject. â€Å"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,† Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. â€Å"It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy,† she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. â€Å"Is your grandmother well?† â€Å"I think so,† said Neville tremulously. â€Å"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear,† said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. â€Å"We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear,† she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, â€Å"beware a red-haired man.† Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him. â€Å"In the second term,† Professor Trelawney went on, â€Å"we shall progress to the crystal ball — if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us for ever.† A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it. â€Å"I wonder, dear,† she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, â€Å"if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?† Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney. â€Å"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.† Lavender trembled. â€Å"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear,† — she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, â€Å"after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink.† Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, â€Å"One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind†¦thank you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When Harry and Ron had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over. â€Å"Right,† said Ron as they both opened their books at pages five and six. â€Å"What can you see in mine?† â€Å"A load of soggy brown stuff,† said Harry. The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid. â€Å"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!† Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom. Harry tried to pull himself together. â€Å"Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He consulted Unfogging the Future. â€Å"That means you're going to have ‘trials and suffering' — sorry about that — but there's a thing that could be the sun. Hang on†¦that means ‘great happiness'†¦so you're going to suffer but be very happy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me,† said Ron, and they both had to stifle their laughs as Professor Trelawney gazed in their direction. â€Å"My turn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ron peered into Harry's teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. â€Å"There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat,† he said. â€Å"Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He turned the teacup the other way up. â€Å"But this way it looks more like an acorn†¦what's that?† He scanned his copy of Unfogging the Future. â€Å"‘A windfall, unexpected gold.' Excellent, you can lend me some. And there's a thing here,† he turned the cup again, â€Å"that looks like an animal†¦yeah, if that was its head†¦it looks like a hippo†¦no, a sheep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter. â€Å"Let me see that, my dear,† she said reprovingly to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch. Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise. â€Å"The falcon†¦my dear, you have a deadly enemy.† â€Å"But everyone knows that,† said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her. â€Å"Well, they do,† said Hermione. â€Å"Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who.† Harry and Ron stared at her with a mixture of amazement and admiration. They had never heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before. Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. She lowered her huge eyes to Harry's cup again and continued to turn it. â€Å"The club†¦an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I thought that was a bowler hat,† said Ron sheepishly. â€Å"The skull†¦danger in your path, my dear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed. There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed. â€Å"My dear boy — my poor dear boy — no — it is kinder not to say — no — don't ask me†¦.† â€Å"What is it, Professor?† said Dean Thomas at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around Harry and Ron's table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Harry's cup. â€Å"My dear,† Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, â€Å"you have the Grim.† â€Å"The what?† said Harry. He could tell that he wasn't the only one who didn't understand; Dean Thomas shrugged at him and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror. â€Å"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!† cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn't understood. â€Å"The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!† Harry's stomach lurched. That dog on the cover of Death Omens in Flourish and Blotts — the dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent†¦Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth too. Everyone was looking at Harry, everyone except Hermione, who had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair. â€Å"I don't think it looks like a Grim,† she said flatly. Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike. â€Å"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future.† Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side. â€Å"It looks like a Grim if you do this,† he said, with his eyes almost shut, â€Å"but it looks more like a donkey from here,† he said, leaning to the left. â€Å"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!† said Harry, taking even himself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at him. â€Å"I think we will leave the lesson here for today,† said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice. â€Å"Yes†¦please pack away your things†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and closed their bags. Even Ron was avoiding Harry's eyes. â€Å"Until we meet again,† said Professor Trelawney faintly, â€Å"fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear,† — she pointed at Neville, â€Å"you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione descended Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding stair in silence, then set off for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson. It took them so long to find her classroom that, early as they had left Divination, they were only just in time. Harry chose a seat right at the back of the room, feeling as though he were sitting in a very bright spotlight; the rest of the class kept shooting furtive glances at him, as though he were about to drop dead at any moment. He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals), and wasn't even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes. â€Å"Really, what has got into you all today?† said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. â€Å"Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class.† Everybody's heads turned toward Harry again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand. â€Å"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and –â€Å" â€Å"Ah, of course,† said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. â€Å"There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?† Everyone stared at her. â€Å"Me,† said Harry, finally. â€Å"I see,† said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. â€Å"Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues –† Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, â€Å"Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, â€Å"You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.† Hermione laughed. Harry felt a bit better. It was harder to feel scared of a lump of tea leaves away from the dim red light and befuddling perfume of Professor Trelawney's classroom. Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, â€Å"But what about Neville's cup?† When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch. â€Å"Ron, cheer up,† said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew toward him. â€Å"You heard what Professor McGonagall said.† Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start. â€Å"Harry,† he said, in a low, serious voice, â€Å"You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?† â€Å"Yeah, I have,† said Harry. â€Å"I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'.† Ron let his fork fall with a clatter. â€Å"Probably a stray,† said Hermione calmly. Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad. â€Å"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's — that's bad,† he said. â€Å"My — my uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!† â€Å"Coincidence,† said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. â€Å"You don't know what you're talking about!† said Ron, starting to get angry. â€Å"Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!† â€Å"There you are, then,† said Hermione in a superior tone. â€Å"They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!† Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug. â€Å"I think Divination seems very woolly,† she said, searching for her page. â€Å"A lot of guesswork, if you ask me.† â€Å"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!† said Ron hotly. â€Å"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep,† said Hermione coolly. â€Å"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!† He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere. â€Å"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!† She snatched up her bag and stalked away. Ron frowned after her. â€Å"What's she talking about?† he said to Harry. â€Å"She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet.† ****** Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other. Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about. Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start. â€Å"C'mon, now, get a move on!† he called as the class approached. â€Å"Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!† For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there. â€Å"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!† he called. â€Å"That's it — make sure yeh can see — now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books –â€Å" â€Å"How?† said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. â€Å"Eh?† said Hagrid. â€Å"How do we open our books?† Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips. â€Å"Hasn' — hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?† said Hagrid, looking crestfallen. The class all shook their heads. â€Å"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em,† said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. â€Å"Look –â€Å" He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand. â€Å"Oh, how silly we've all been!† Malfoy sneered. â€Å"We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!† â€Å"I — I thought they were funny,† Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione. â€Å"Oh, tremendously funny!† said Malfoy. â€Å"Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!† â€Å"Shut up, Malfoy,† said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success. â€Å"Righ' then,† said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, â€Å"so — so yeh've got yer books an'†¦an'†¦now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight. â€Å"God, this place is going to the dogs,† said Malfoy loudly. â€Å"That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him –â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Malfoy,† Harry repeated. â€Å"Careful, Potter, there's a Dementor behind you –â€Å" â€Å"Oooooooh!† squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock. Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures. â€Å"Gee up, there!† he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence. â€Å"Hippogriffs!† Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. â€Å"Beau'iful, aren' they?† Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black. â€Å"So,† said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, â€Å"if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously. â€Å"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud,† said Hagrid. â€Å"Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do.† Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson. â€Å"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move,† Hagrid continued. â€Å"It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.† â€Å"Right — who wants ter go first?† Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this. â€Å"No one?† said Hagrid, with a pleading look. â€Å"I'll do it,† said Harry. There was an intake of breath from behind him, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, â€Å"Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!† Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence. â€Å"Good man, Harry!† roared Hagrid. â€Å"Right then — let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak.† He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously. â€Å"Easy now, Harry,† said Hagrid quietly. â€Å"Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink†¦Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry's eyes immediately began to water, but he didn't shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Harry with one fierce orange eye. â€Å"Tha's it,† said Hagrid. â€Å"Tha's it, Harry†¦now, bow.† Harry didn't feel much like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak, but he did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up. The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move. â€Å"Ah,† said Hagrid, sounding worried. â€Å"Right — back away, now, Harry, easy does it –â€Å" But then, to Harry's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow. â€Å"Well done, Harry!† said Hagrid, ecstatic. â€Å"Right — yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!† Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, Harry moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. He patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it. The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed. â€Å"Righ' then, Harry,† said Hagrid. â€Å"I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!† This was more than Harry had bargained for. He was used to a broomstick; but he wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same. â€Å"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint,† said Hagrid, â€Å"an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered with feathers. â€Å"Go on, then!† roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters. Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry, he just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward. It was nothing like a broomstick, and Harry knew which one he preferred; the Hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off; the glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and he didn't dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand, he now felt himself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with its wings. Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; this was the bit Harry had been dreading; he leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling he was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. He just managed to hold on and push himself straight again. â€Å"Good work, Harry!† roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. â€Å"Okay, who else wants a go?† Emboldened by Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful. â€Å"This is very easy,† Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to, hear him. â€Å"I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it†¦I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?† he said to the Hippogriff. â€Å"Are you, you great ugly brute?† It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes. â€Å"I'm dying!† Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. â€Å"I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!† â€Å"Yer not dyin'!† said Hagrid, who had gone very white. â€Å"Someone help me — gotta get him outta here –â€Å" Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle. Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid. â€Å"They should sack him straight away!† said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears. â€Å"It was Malfoy's fault!† snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly. They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall. â€Å"I'm going to see if he's okay!† said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower. â€Å"You think he'll be all right?† said Hermione nervously. â€Å"Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second,† said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse. â€Å"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?† said Ron, looking worried. â€Å"Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there. â€Å"They wouldn't fire him, would they?† said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding. â€Å"They'd better not,† said Ron, who wasn't eating either. Harry was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle was huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured. â€Å"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back,† said Ron gloomily. They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all three of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window. â€Å"There's a light on in Hagrid's window,† Harry said suddenly. Ron looked at his watch. â€Å"If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't know,† Hermione said slowly, and Harry saw her glance at him. â€Å"I'm allowed to walk across the grounds,† he said pointedly. â€Å"Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors yet, has he?† So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out. The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, â€Å"C'min.† Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus. â€Å"‘Spect it's a record,† he said thickly, when he recognized them. â€Å"Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before.† â€Å"You haven't been fired, Hagrid!† gasped Hermione. â€Å"Not yet,† said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. â€Å"But's only a matter o' time, I'n't, after Malfoy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"How is he?† said Ron as they all sat down. â€Å"It wasn't serious, was it?† â€Å"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could,† said Hagrid dully, â€Å"but he's sayin' it's still agony†¦covered in bandages†¦moanin'†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's faking it,† said Harry at once. â€Å"Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth.† â€Å"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course,† said Hagrid miserably. â€Å"They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later†¦one flobberworms or summat†¦Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson's all my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!† said Hermione earnestly. â€Å"We're witnesses,† said Harry. â€Å"You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened.† â€Å"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up,† said Ron. Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug. â€Å"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid,† said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it. â€Å"Ah, maybe she's right,† said Hagrid, letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs. Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash. â€Å"What's he done?† said Harry nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard. â€Å"Stuck his head in the water barrel,† said Hermione, putting the tankard away. Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes. â€Å"That's better,† he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. â€Å"Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really –â€Å" Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realized he was there. â€Å"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?† he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air. â€Å"YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN, YOU TWO! LETTIN' HIM!† Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the door. â€Å"C'mon!† Hagrid said angrily. â€Å"I'm takin' yer all back up ter school an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!†