Economic development Essay Example for Free

Economic development Essay Today, education is the most important tool for the development of society. There is a direct correlation between education and development of society. The countries that realize this fact, giving the required importance for their education system, have become highly developed. Education should be promoted since it is the most important factor for the development of a country. The promotion of the education is depended on the factors like literacy rate in a country, schooling rate in the primary, secondary and higher education, proliferation of training technologies, and the quality of the education. This promotion process should be considered as a necessary condition for economic, technological and social development for a nation. In other words, the process of a successful development depends on the fact of gibing the society a conscious of change which is highly connected to education. Fist of all, education enlightens people. The educated person is the person who improves oneself. A person increases her/his level of knowledge through education, so he/she has a better understanding and analyzing of daily matters and an agenda. That person can make logical deductions based on the knowledge he gains and refuses the traditional corrupted understanding. Individual’s ability of the interpretation of knowledge through one’s intelligence and skills is supported by education; accordingly, increasing the creativity and intellectual thinking. An individual can learn about different cultures, lifestyles and history from past to present; hence education provides universal perspective to an individual. The most important differential of uneducated person is having a narrow point of view. A person should be educated in order to learn taking objective decisions and being liberated from the social pressure. Besides, educated people respect the rights of others and they have a fair understanding of the concept of equality, right to life, and right to property. The reason why developed countries show highly respect to the individual rights is that the education level of the country is being fairly high. On the other hand, the reason why there are deep inequalities between women and men or rich and poor in under-developed countries is that the education level in there is being fairly low. Besides, there is also a lack of respect to the human rights in these under-developed countries due to low education level. Secondly, education affects the development of science and technology of a country. Technological developments increase by knowledge and research which is provided by education. It is the advancement and proliferation of technology that makes countries developing by the production of knowledge, schooling of creative minds leads countries develop economically, technologically and politically. Education, advancement of technology and development are in a circle movement which produces itself. Cakmak also says that as a result of the creation of science and technology, mobility of scientific knowledge, and nurturing of individuals with creative minds, countries have experienced important economic and political changes which lead to infinitive competition among them in the fields of education, development and innovation (Cakmak O. 2008). In addition, developed countries use technology as a part of their education system. Thus, every student can follow technology and learn about the newest advancements which lead them learn better and improve their intelligence. Finally, education leads knowledge turn into money that improves the economy of a country. Educated people knowing to learn how to invest, produce, expand the business adjusts and improves the economy causing the increase of gross domestic product per capita. Education also gives more job opportunities to people in the business sector. According to OECD, the effect of education to the economic development is proved in the researches of economic growth in 1960s. The researches show that contribution of education to the economic growths is really important and this percentage differs as %7 in England, %15 in USA, %14 in Belgium, %16 in Argentina, and %25 in Canada (OECD, 2005). Some may argue that education does not affect the economic development of a country. There are lots of uneducated but successful business men. People can learn how to run a business without an education. To illustrate, â€Å"Sak? p Sabanc? , who is the founder and chairman of the Sabanc? Holding due to the reason suffering from pneumonia three successive years, had to leave the high school and start to work in BOSSA Flour Factory in 1950 with a wage of 50 TL† (NTV Haber). Considering his life, it is obvious that one can learn how to run a business without education. Hence, it is not only education but also experience that makes one successful in business. All in all, economic, social and technologic development of a country is highly related to the education level of that country. Without education, a country can not develop. The only way of individual’s enlighten and learning to use knowledge, and increase of technology is education. Thus, education should be promoted since it is the most important factor for the development of a country. Oznur Sakar.

Introduction to MATLAB

Introduction to MATLAB 3.1.1. What Is MATLAB? MATLABÂ ® is a high-performance language for technical computing. It integrates computation, visualization, and programming in an easy-to-use environment where problems and solutions are expressed in familiar mathematical notation. Typical uses include Math and computation Algorithm development Data acquisition Modeling, simulation, and prototyping Data analysis, exploration, and visualization Scientific and engineering graphics Application development, including graphical user interface building. MATLAB is an interactive system whose basic data element is an array that does not require dimensioning. This allows you to solve many technical computing problems, especially those with matrix and vector formulations, in a fraction of the time it would take to write a program in a scalar non interactive language such as C or FORTRAN. The name MATLAB stands for matrix laboratory. MATLAB was originally written to provide easy access to matrix software developed by the LINPACK and EISPACK projects. Today, MATLAB engines incorporate the LAPACK and BLAS libraries, embedding the state of the art in software for matrix computation. MATLAB has evolved over a period of years with input from many users. In university environments, it is the standard instructional tool for introductory and advanced courses in mathematics, engineering, and science. In industry, MATLAB is the tool of choice for high-productivity research, development, and analysis. MATLAB features a family of add-on application-specific solutions called toolboxes. Very important to most users of MATLAB, toolboxes allow you to learn and apply specialized technology. Toolboxes are comprehensive collections of MATLAB functions (M-files) that extend the MATLAB environment to solve particular classes of problems. Areas in which toolboxes are available include signal processing, control systems, neural networks, fuzzy logic, wavelets, simulation, and many others. 3.2: The MATLAB System The MATLAB system consists of five main parts: 3.2.1: Development Environment This is the set of tools and facilities that help you use MATLAB functions and files. Many of these tools are graphical user interfaces. It includes the MATLAB desktop and Command Window, a command history, an editor and debugger, and browsers for viewing help, the workspace, files, and the search path. 3.2.2: The MATLAB Mathematical Function This is a vast collection of computational algorithms ranging from elementary functions like sum, sine, cosine, and complex arithmetic, to more sophisticated functions like matrix inverse, matrix eigen values, Bessel functions, and fast Fourier transforms. 3.2.3: The MATLAB Language This is a high-level matrix/array language with control flow statements, functions, data structures, input/output, and object-oriented programming features. It allows both programming in the small to rapidly create quick and dirty throw-away programs, and programming in the large to create complete large and complex application programs. 3.2.4: Graphics MATLAB has extensive facilities for displaying vectors and matrices as graphs, as well as annotating and printing these graphs. It includes high-level functions for two-dimensional and three-dimensional data visualization, image processing, animation, and presentation graphics. It also includes low-level functions that allow you to fully customize the appearance of graphics as well as to build complete graphical user interfaces on your MATLAB applications. 3.2.5: The MATLAB Application Program Interface (API) This is a library that allows you to write C and FORTRAN programs that interact with MATLAB. It includes facilities for calling routines from MATLAB (dynamic linking), calling MATLAB as a computational engine, and for reading and writing MAT-files. 3.3: MATLAB Working Environment 3.3.1: MATLAB Desktop MATLAB Desktop is the main MATLAB application window. The desktop contains five sub windows, the command window, the workspace browser, the current directory window, the command history window, and one or more figure windows, which are shown only when the user displays a graphic. The command window is where the user types MATLAB commands and expressions at the prompt (>>) and where the output of those commands is displayed. MATLAB defines the workspace as the set of variables that the user creates in a work session. The workspace browser shows these variables and some information about them. Double clicking on a variable in the workspace browser launches the Array Editor, which can be used to obtain information and income instances edit certain properties of the variable. The current Directory tab above the workspace tab shows the contents of the current directory, whose path is shown in the current directory window. For example, in the windows operating system the path might be as follows: C:MATLABWork, indicating that directory work is a subdirectory of the main directory MATLAB; WHICH IS INSTALLED IN DRIVE C. clicking on the arrow in the current directory window shows a list of recently used paths. Clicking on the button to the right of the window allows the user to change the current directory. MATLAB uses a search path to find M-files and other MATLAB related files, which are organize in directories in the computer file system. Any file run in MATLAB must resides in the current directory or in a directory that is on search path. By default, the files supplied with MATLAB and math works toolboxes areincluded in the search path. The easiest way to see which directories is soon the search path, or to add or modify a search path is to select set path from the File menu the desktop, and then use the set path dialog box. It is good practice to add any commonly used directories to the search path to avoid repeatedly having the change the current directory. The Command History Window contains a record of the commands a user has entered in the command window, including both current and previous MATLAB sessions. Previously entered MATLAB commands can be selected and re-executed from the command history window by right clicking on a command or sequence of commands. This action launches a menu from which to select various options in addition to executing the commands. This is useful to select various options in addition to executing the commands. This is a useful feature when experimenting with various commands in a work session. 3.3.2: Using the MATLAB Editor to create M-Files The MATLAB editor is both a text editor specialized for creating M-files and a graphical MATLAB debugger. The editor can appear in a window by itself, or it can be a sub window in the desktop. M-files are denoted by the extension .m, as in pixel up. m. The MATLAB editor window has numerous pull-down menus for tasks such as saving, viewing, and debugging files. Because it performs some simple checks and also uses color to differentiate between various elements of code, this text editor is recommended as the tool of choice for writing and editing M-functions. To open the editor, type edit at the prompt opens the M-file filename. m in an editor window, ready for editing. As noted earlier, the file must be in the current directory, or in a directory in the search path. 3.3.3: Getting Help The principal way to get help online is to use the MATLAB help browser, opened as a separate window either by clicking on the question mark symbol (?) on the desktop toolbar, or by typing help browser at the prompt in the command window. The help Browser is a web browser integrated into the MATLAB desktop that displays a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) documents. The Help Browser consists of two panes, the help navigator pane, used to find information, and the display pane, used to view the information. Self-explanatory tabs other than navigator pane are used to perform a search.

Essay --

The Views of Hawthorne on Puritanism Nathaniel Hawthorne's knowledge of Puritanism and his close relationship with the religion has impacted his views on those in the society. Hawthorne is critical of the Puritans and he thinks that they are hypocrites for having rules and morals that they do not follow. He sees the underlying sin that others may not. Through his many writings he makes known to his readers that everyone is guilty of sin. The Puritan's main goal was to save themselves from the sin in the world, but Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays their morals and society as troublesome through his works, "Young Goodman Brown," "The Minister's Black Veil," and The Scarlet Letter. Through the work of "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne is able to express his views of hypocrisy in Puritanism. Goodman Brown was convinced that his Puritan family was sinless and deserved to be honored. When traveling through the forest he says, "My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. We have been a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs" ("Young Goodman Brown" 238). What Goodman Brown does not know is that his previous generations have taken part in these sinful actions that occurred in the woods. Although Brown's ancestors were supposedly righteous Puritans, they were involved in lashing a Quaker woman and setting fire to an Indian village, according to the traveler speaking with Brown. Through these stories that the traveler tells, Hawthorne makes known to his readers that Puritan's are hypocrites because they say they are holy and pure when in reality they are committing impious actions. Throughout this stor y Young Goodman Brown takes his journey through the woods and sees nearly eve... ... like Hester. He is implying that she is the victim and that the Puritans are actually at fault for this sin. Hawthorne's main goal is to convey the Puritans as sinful and unholy. He does not approve of the sin they hide and he thinks there should be punishment for their actions. To Hawthorne there are many problems in Puritan society. He exposes their transgressions of secret sin and hypocrisy. Hawthorne was haunted by his Puritan past, as he saw all the sins and immoral acts that the society committed. He expresses that everyone sins, no matter how holy or pious they may appear. Hawthorne points out their unrighteousness despite the Puritans claim to be pious. He sees no benefits in being involved in the society. Hawthorne expresses his negative views on Puritanism through his three works, "Young Goodman Brown," "The Ministers Black Veil," and The Scarlet Letter.

The Impact of NAFTA on the U.S. Textile Industry Essay -- Essays Paper

The Impact of NAFTA on the U.S. Textile Industry When the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect in 1994, many expressed fears that one consequence would be large job losses in the US textile industry as companies moved production from the United States to Mexico. Opponents of NAFTA argued passionately, but unsuccessfully, that the treaty should not be adopted because of the negative impact it would have on employment in the United States, particularly in industries such as textiles. A glance at the data four years after the passage of NAFTA suggests the critics had a point. Between 1994 and mid-1997, about 149,000 US apparel workers lost their jobs, over 15 percent of all employment in the industry. Much of this job loss has occurred because producers have moved production to Mexico. Between 1994 and 1997, Mexico's apparel exports to the United States trebled to $3.3 billion. In 1993, the US jeans maker, Guess?, sourced 95 percent of its product domestically. Now it gets about 60 percent of its clothing from o utside the United States, with Mexico as one of the biggest suppliers. Similarly, in 1995, Fruit of the Loom Inc., the largest manufacturer of underwear in the United States, said it would close six of its domestic plants and cut back operations at two others, laying off about 3,200 workers, or 12 percent of its US work force. The company announced the closures were part of its drive to move its operations to cheaper plants abroad, particu...

Japan :: essays research papers

Japan, a country made up of islands, has a very extensive history that goes along with it. Recorded Japanese history beings about A.D. 400. It is believed that Japan was created by the sun goddess, from whom the emperors descended. The first emperor was Jimmo, who supposedly ascended the throne in 660 B.C. There're two main reasons for this report. To give people an overview of Japanese History, and what happened to make it what it has become. Also, to give a better understanding on what happened, and facts that led up to certain Japanese events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In approximately A.D. 400, the Yamato clan, eventually based in Kyoto, managed to exact a control of the other family groups of central and western Japan. Korean contact introduced Buddhism to Japan. Through the 700's, China greatly influenced Japan, and there was an imperial court set up much similar to that of China. The authority of the Imperial court in the ensuing centuries was undermined, and various family clans vied for control. During this time, warrior clans were rising as a distinct clan known as samurai. In 1192, the Minamoto clan set up a military government under Yoritomo, their leader. Yoritomo was designated shogun (a military dictator). For the next 700 years, shoguns from different clans ruled in Japan, and the imperial court existed in relative obscurity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In about 1542, Japan had its first encounter with the Western World. An off course Portuguese ship arrived in Japanese waters. Soon after, Spanish, Dutch, and English traders followed. From Christianity, and the Portuguese support of a Japanese revolt, the shoguns of the Tokugawa period (1603-1867), cut off all trade with the foreign countries, only allowing the Dutch trading post at Nagasaki. The western countries tried to renew the trading, but failed up until 1853. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry, from America, sailed a fleet of American ships into Tokyo Bay. Trade was forced upon Japan, under terms not favorable to the Japanese. Struggles caused by these actions brought the shogun rule to an end. Emperor Meiji came to the throne in 1868   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1889, an Imperial army was formed, and also a parliamentary government. The Japanese began to make steps to extend their empire. In 1894-95, there was a brief war between Japan and China. Japan gained Taiwan (Formosa), the Pescadores Islands, and part of southern Manchuria. China also recognized the independence of Korea, which Japan annexed in 1910.

Hiv Prevention

HIV/AIDS LIFE SKILLS – EDC 121 – TONI SYLVESTER Nataniel P. Marthinus Student Nr. 3142910 Assignment 1 Due Date: 01 March 2011 INTRODUCTION1 Eight Fundamental considerations or steps to be followed before and after administering a blood test for HIV. 1 Voluntary Counseling & Testing1 Food and Nutrition1 Prevention & Onward Transmission of HIV1 Follow-up Counseling1 Stigma & Discrimination2 Spiritual Support2 Sexually Transmitted Infections2 Palliative Care2 Strategies for the provision of HIV-related Treatment, care and support services2Ensuring the continuation of education (EDC121 Course Reader: 41)2 Providing psychosocial support for children (EDC121 Course Reader: 42)2 Treatment education at school2 Successful school-based HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support programmes3 Caring School Environment3 Child Centered Programmes3 Build on existing services3 Community Involvement3 The UNAIDS (2000) article4 Demographic effects4 Health effects4 Family-life effects4 Welfare effects4 Education effects4 UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS5 REFERENCES6 INTRODUCTION HIV/AIDS is the fastest growing epidemic here in Africa.In fact, the virus is so widespread you will find people with the virus all over the world. According to statistics in November 2007, people living with HIV & AIDS around the world are the most in Africa. It also shows that the disease occurs mostly around infants who acquire the virus from their mother. (EDC121 Course Reader: 55). I will be discussing various topics concerning the virus. Eight Fundamental considerations or steps to be followed before and after administering a blood test for HIV. Voluntary Counseling & TestingThrough counseling and knowledge of the virus, it could help a person with following a healthy lifestyle so that he or she can live longer and prevent other infections. People who learn that they are negative could learn to change their behavior towards people living with the virus. (EDC121 Course Reader: 37) Food and Nutrition Goo d nutrition only cannot keep a person permanently healthy. Nevertheless it may help lengthen the lifespan of a person living with HIV. Nutrition plays a huge role in the medication process of a person living with HIV. It can also increase the risk of HIV transmission from mother to baby. EDC121 Course Reader: 37) Prevention & Onward Transmission of HIV Counseling on sexual behavior is advised. Provide condoms and must have a supportive environment. (EDC121 Course Reader: 37) Follow-up Counseling HIV affects all aspects of a person’s life. It can help someone understand, live with and accept their status. (EDC121 Course Reader: 37) Stigma & Discrimination Stigma is fueled by mythical concepts. Thus it is a barrier to prevent future infections and further treatment. Communities have a various concepts around AIDS and how the virus is spread.This indicates a lack of knowledge and understanding towards the disease. (EDC121 Course Reader: 37) Spiritual Support Support from spiritu al leaders and priests may be comforting. (EDC121 Course Reader: 37) Sexually Transmitted Infections STI co-contribute to HIV transmission. If treated, it can help reduce AIDS spread through sexual intercourse and can keep a person healthier for longer. (EDC121 Course Reader: 37) Palliative Care Because of a lack of health infrastructure there are insufficient Palliative care institutes for people who are approaching the end of their lives.Palliative care provides comfort and support for people who are terminally ill and helps people die a comfortable death. (EDC121 Course Reader: 37) Strategies for the provision of HIV-related Treatment, care and support services Ensuring the continuation of education (EDC121 Course Reader: 41) Providing psychosocial support for children (EDC121 Course Reader: 42) Treatment education at school HIV-positive learners and educators will need support in their workplace and the learning environment so that they can get treatment whilst on school grounds .Here are a few related issues: * Treatment support for HIV-positive students; * Support for students and teachers to visit medical centers for checkups; * How the affects of the treatment will impact on the learner and educators ability to teach and learn; * Adapting to the curricula of HIV & AIDS so that the learners and teachers wont teach information that is out of date; * Educating students about treatment and the harm caused caused by stigma and discrimination so that they can give better support to their parents and families. (EDC121 Course Reader: 43) * Home-based care and educationAcross Southern Africa, in many schools students and teachers are providing outreach work to support the community members. This support can be categorized as follows: * Learners supporting sick members of the community; * Educators proving home-based educations to sick students. (EDC121 Course Reader: 43) * Universal precautions (EDC121 Course Reader: 44) * Support for basic needs (EDC121 Course Reader: 44) * Teaching livelihood skills (EDC121 Course Reader: 45) * Social grants (EDC121 Course Reader: 45) Successful school-based HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support programmes Caring School Environment It is a work-based policy based on the rights of children. * The recreation of opportunities for staff and students. (EDC121 Course Reader: 46) Child Centered Programmes * Policies reflecting a rights-based approach. * Children and young people should be involved in the design and carrying out of the programmes. (EDC121 Course Reader: 46) Build on existing services * Uniting HIV elements with existing policies rather than letting it stand alone. (EDC121 Course Reader: 46) Community Involvement * Policies that are developed with close consultation with members of the community. Strategy development including more help of men in the care and support system. * Socioculturally sensitive policies without compromising the shared fundamental traits of the programme. (EDC121 Course Rea der: 46) The UNAIDS (2000) article Demographic effects Half of South Africa’s population are children and more then 60% of them live in poverty. Because there is an association between poverty levels and HIV infection, this percentage can serve as a figure for the number of children with AIDS. (EDC121 Course Reader: 41) Health effects Children that lives in an infected community struggles with ill health and poor nutrition.In rural areas children’s nutritional status suffers because they are dependant on household labour. (EDC121 Course Reader: 41) Family-life effects The household traditional structures is changing in communities that are affected and children that are vulnerable need to adapt to the demands of a non-traditional family and further deepening poverty. (EDC121 Course Reader: 41) Welfare effects Economically families and households are very hard hit by this. Because of illnesses and poor health productive family members they are often unable to work.Famil ies are poor and are more vulnerable by the cost of illness and care. (EDC121 Course Reader: 41) Education effects Poor attendance in school already characterizes the landscape of South African education. HIV-infected children do not want to go public with their status. They do not want to feel ashamed at school. (EDC121 Course Reader: 41) Psychosocial effects Children’s psychosocial hardship and emotional shock is often not as visible as other problems but central importance. There are various difficult challenges that children have to face such as grief, loss of identity, stigma, rejection, death, etc. EDC121 Course Reader: 41) Orphanhood effects Disrupted families and death of parents and close relatives have created a huge number of abandoned South African children. By some calculations the number of orphans will have grown 9-12% of the countries population by 2015. (EDC121 Course Reader: 41) UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS Precautions basically include: – Caring for wounds- Have emergency supplies on hand – Cleaning up blood spills- Gloves – Safely disposing of medical supplies- Medicines (EDC121 Course Reader: 44) REFERENCES EDC121 Course Reader, 2011

Chapter 7 The Boggart in the Wardrobe

Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Harry's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle. â€Å"How is it, Draco?† simpered Pansy Parkinson. â€Å"Does it hurt much?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But Harry saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away. â€Å"Settle down, settle down,† said Professor Snape idly. Harry and Ron scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said ‘settle down' if they'd walked in late, he'd have given them detention. But Malfoy had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes; Snape was head of Slytherin House, and generally favored his own students above all others. They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table. â€Å"Sir,† Malfoy called, â€Å"sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm –â€Å" â€Å"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him,† said Snape without looking up. Ron went brick red. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with your arm,† he hissed at Malfoy. Malfoy smirked across the table. â€Å"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots.† Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes. â€Å"Professor,† drawled Malfoy, â€Å"Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir.† Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair. â€Å"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley.† â€Å"But, sir –!† Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces. â€Å"Now,† said Snape in his most dangerous voice. Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again. â€Å"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned,† said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter. â€Å"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig,† said Snape, giving Harry the look of loathing he always reserved just for him. Harry took Malfoy's shrivelfig as Ron began trying to repair the damage to the roots he now had to use. Harry skinned the shrivelfig as fast as he could and flung it back across the table at Malfoy without speaking. Malfoy was smirking more broadly than ever. â€Å"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?† he asked them quietly. â€Å"None of your business,† said Ron jerkily, without looking up. â€Å"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer,† said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. â€Å"Father's not very happy about my injury –â€Å" â€Å"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury,† snarled Ron. â€Å"?C he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this† — he gave a huge, fake sigh — â€Å"who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?† â€Å"So that's why you're putting it on,† said Harry, accidentally beheading a dead caterpillar because his hand was shaking in anger, â€Å"To try to get Hagrid fired.† â€Å"Well,† said Malfoy, lowering his voice to a whisper, â€Å"partly, Potter. But there are other benefits too. Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me.† A few cauldrons away, Neville was in trouble. Neville regularly went to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great fear of Professor Snape made things ten times worse. His potion, which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned — â€Å"Orange, Longbottom,† said Snape, ladling some up and allowing to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see. â€Å"Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one cat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?† Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the verge of tears. â€Å"Please, sir,† said Hermione, â€Å"please, I could help Neville put it right –â€Å" â€Å"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger,† said Snape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. â€Å"Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly.† Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear. â€Å"Help me!† he moaned to Hermione. â€Å"Hey, Harry,† said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrow Harry's brass scales, â€Å"have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning — they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted.† â€Å"Where?† said Harry and Ron quickly. On the other side of the table, Malfoy looked up, listening closely. â€Å"Not too far from here,† said Seamus, who looked excited. â€Å"It was a Muggle who saw him. ‘Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone.† â€Å"Not too far from here †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ron repeated, looking significantly at Harry. He turned around and saw Malfoy watching closely. â€Å"What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?† But Malfoy's eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixed Harry. He leaned across the table. â€Å"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?† â€Å"Yeah, that's right,† said Harry offhandedly. Malfoy's thin mouth was curving in a mean smile. â€Å"Of course, if it was me,† he said quietly, â€Å"I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him.† â€Å"What are you talking about, Malfoy?† said Ron roughly. â€Å"Don't you know, Potter?† breathed Malfoy, his pale eyes narrowed. â€Å"Know what?† Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh. â€Å"Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck,† he said. â€Å"Want to leave it to the Dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† said Harry angrily, but at that moment Snape called, â€Å"You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. Hermione was muttering instructions to him out of the corner of her mouth, so that Snape wouldn't see. Harry and Ron packed away their unused ingredients and went to wash their hands and ladles in the stone basin in the corner. â€Å"What did Malfoy mean?† Harry muttered to Ron as he stuck his hands under the icy jet that poured from the gargoyle's mouth â€Å"Why would I want revenge on Black? He hasn't done anything to me — yet.† â€Å"He's making it up,† said Ron savagely. â€Å"He's trying to make you do something stupid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron. â€Å"Everyone gather 'round,† said Snape, his black eyes glittering, â€Å"and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned.† The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat. There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm. The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown. â€Å"Five points from Gryffindor,† said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. â€Å"I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the steps to the entrance hall. Harry was still thinking about what Malfoy had said, while Ron was seething about Snape. â€Å"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!† Hermione didn't answer. Ron looked around. â€Å"Where is she?† Harry turned too. They were at the top of the steps now, watching the rest of the class pass them, heading for the Great Hall and lunch. â€Å"She was right behind us,† said Ron, frowning. Malfoy passed them, walking between Crabbe and Goyle. He smirked at Harry and disappeared. â€Å"There she is,† said Harry. Hermione was panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs; one hand clutched her bag, the other seemed to be tucking something down the front of her robes. â€Å"How did you do that?† said Ron. â€Å"What?† said Hermione, joining them. â€Å"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again.† â€Å"What?† Hermione looked slightly confused. â€Å"Oh — I had to go back for something. Oh no –â€Å" A seam had split on Hermione's bag. Harry wasn't surprised; he could see that it was crammed with at least a dozen large and heavy books. â€Å"Why are you carrying all these around with you?† Ron asked her. â€Å"You know how many subjects I'm taking,† said Hermione breathlessly. â€Å"Couldn't hold these for me, could you?† â€Å"But –† Ron was turning over the books she had handed him, looking at the covers. â€Å"You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon.† â€Å"Oh yes,† said Hermione vaguely, but she packed all the books back into her bag just the same. â€Å"I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving,† she added, and she marched off toward the Great Hall. â€Å"D'you get the feeling Hermione's not telling us something?† Ron asked Harry. ****** Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals. â€Å"Good afternoon,† he said. â€Å"Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands.† A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose. â€Å"Right then,† said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. â€Å"If you'd follow me.† Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum. Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song. â€Å"Loony, loopy Lupin,† Peeves sang. â€Å"Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin –â€Å" Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect toward the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling. â€Å"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves,† he said pleasantly. â€Å"Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms.† Filch was the Hogwarts caretaker, a bad-tempered, failed wizard who waged a constant war against the students and, indeed, Peeves. However, Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry. Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand. â€Å"This is a useful little spell,† he told the class over his shoulder. â€Å"Please watch closely.† He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, â€Å"Waddiwasi!† and pointed it at Peeves. With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing. â€Å"Cool, sir!† said Dean Thomas in amazement. â€Å"Thank you, Dean,† said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. â€Å"Shall we proceed?† They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door. â€Å"Inside, please,† said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back. The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, â€Å"Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this.† He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, â€Å"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear.† Neville went scarlet. Harry glared at Snape; it was bad enough that he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers. Professor Lupin had raised his eyebrows. â€Å"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation,† he said, â€Å"and I am sure he will perform it admirably.† Neville's face went, if possible, even redder. Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap. â€Å"Now, then,† said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. â€Å"Nothing to worry about,† said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. â€Å"There's a Boggart in there.† Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively. â€Å"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks — I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice.† â€Å"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?† Hermione put up her hand. â€Å"It's a shape-shifter,† she said. â€Å"It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most.† â€Å"Couldn't have put it better myself,† said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. â€Å"So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. â€Å"This means,† said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, â€Å"that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?† Trying to answer a question with Hermione next to him, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, was very off-putting, but Harry had a go. â€Å"Er — because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?† â€Å"Precisely,† said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. â€Å"It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake — tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. ‘The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. â€Å"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please†¦riddikulus!† â€Å"Riddikulus!† said the class together. â€Å"Good,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville.† The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows. â€Å"Right, Neville,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?† Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out. â€Å"I didn't catch that, Neville, sorry,† said Professor Lupin cheerfully. Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, â€Å"Professor Snape.† Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful. â€Å"Professor Snape†¦hmmm†¦Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?† â€Å"Er — yes,† said Neville nervously. â€Å"But — I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either.† â€Å"No, no, you misunderstand me,† said Professor Lupin, now smiling. â€Å"I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?† Neville looked startled, but said, â€Å"Well†¦always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress†¦green, normally†¦and sometimes a fox-fur scarf.† â€Å"And a handbag?† prompted Professor Lupin. â€Å"A big red one,† said Neville. â€Å"Right then,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?† â€Å"Yes,† said Neville uncertainty, plainly wondering what was coming next. â€Å"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape,† said Lupin. â€Å"And you will raise your wand — thus — and cry â€Å"Riddikulus† — and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag.† There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently. â€Å"If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The room went quiet. Harry thought†¦What scared him most in the world? His first thought was Lord Voldemort — a Voldemort returned to full strength. But before he had even started to plan a possible counterattack on a Boggart-Voldemort, a horrible image came floating to the surface of his mind†¦. A rotting, glistening hand, slithering back beneath a black cloak†¦a long, rattling breath from an unseen mouth†¦then a cold so penetrating it felt like drowning†¦ Harry shivered, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed. Many people had their eyes shut tight. Ron was muttering to himself, â€Å"Take its legs off.† Harry was sure he knew what that was about. Ron's greatest fear was spiders. â€Å"Everyone ready?† said Professor Lupin. Harry felt a lurch of fear. He wasn't ready. How could you make a Dementor less frightening? But he didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves. â€Å"Neville, we're going to back away,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward†¦Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot –â€Å" They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready. â€Å"On the count of three, Neville,† said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. â€Å"One — two — three — now!† A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville. Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes. â€Å"R — r — riddikulus! † squeaked Neville. There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag. There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, â€Å"Parvati! Forward!† Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising — â€Å"Riddikulus!† cried Parvati. A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off. â€Å"Seamus!† roared Professor Lupin. Seamus darted past Parvati. Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floorlength black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face — a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry's head stand on end — â€Å"Riddikulus!† shouted Seamus. The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone. Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then — crack!- became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before — crack! — becoming a single, bloody eyeball. â€Å"It's confused!† shouted Lupin. â€Å"We're getting there! Dean!† Dean hurried forward. Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab. â€Å"Riddikulus!† yelled Dean. There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap. â€Å"Excellent! Ron, you next!† Ron leapt forward. Crack! Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. Then — â€Å"Riddikulus!† bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry's feet. He raised his wand, ready, but — â€Å"Here!† shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward. Crack! The legless spider had vanished. For a second, everyone looked wildly around to see where it was. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, â€Å"Riddikulus!† almost lazily. Crack! â€Å"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!† said Lupin as the Boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined. â€Å"Riddikulus!† he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great â€Å"Ha!† of laughter, and the Boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone. â€Å"Excellent!† cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. â€Å"Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone†¦Let me see†¦five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the Boggart — ten for Neville because he did it twice†¦and five each to Hermione and Harry.† â€Å"But I didn't do anything,† said Harry. â€Å"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry,† Lupin said lightly. â€Å"Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me†¦to be handed in on Monday. That will be all.† Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. Harry, however, wasn't feeling cheerful. Professor Lupin had deliberately stopped him from tackling the Boggart. Why? Was it because he'd seen Harry collapse on the train, and thought he wasn't up to much? Had he thought Harry would pass out again? But no one else seemed to have noticed anything. â€Å"Did you see me take that banshee?† shouted Seamus. â€Å"And the hand!† said Dean, waving his own around. â€Å"And Snape in that hat!† â€Å"And my mummy!† â€Å"I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?† said Lavender thoughtfully. â€Å"That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?† said Ron excitedly as they made their way back to the classroom to get their bags. â€Å"He seems like a very good teacher,† said Hermione approvingly. â€Å"But I wish I could have had a turn with the Boggart –â€Å" â€Å"What would it have been for you?† said Ron, sniggering. â€Å"A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?†